Most common 2004 Pontiac Vibe problems
Share of the 266 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Pontiac Vibe complaints by model year
Best Vibe years: 2008, 2006, 2010. Years to avoid: 2009, 2003. Compare all years →
2004 Pontiac Vibe recalls (7)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2003-2004 Pontiac Vibe vehicles equipped with a front passenger air bag assembly replaced under a prior recall. The replacement air bag may not unfold as designed during inflation in high temperature conditions, possibly resulting in the air bag not inflating properly.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the passenger air bag module, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 19, 2020. Owners may contact Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2002-2005 Lexus SC and Toyota Sequoia, 2003-2005 Toyota Corolla and Tundra, and 2003-2007 Pontiac Vibe vehicles.
Remedy: Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General Motors will notify the Pontiac Vibe owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator,…
Air bags
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015 that they are recalling certain model year 2004 Sequoia vehicles manufactured August 18, 2003, to August 19, 2004, and 2003-2004 Tundra vehicles manufactured March 18, 2003, to August 25, 2004.
Remedy: 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-285 are under a Do Not Drive advisory.
Air bags
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015, that they are recalling 2005-2007 Lexus SC, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sequoia, and Pontiac Vibe, and 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra vehicles that were originally sold, or ever registered, in Florida, along the Gulf Coast, Puerto Rico, Hawaii,…
Remedy: 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-286 are under a Do Not Drive advisory.
Air bags › Frontal
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured December 28, 2001, to May 2, 2004, 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles manufactured January 6, 2002, to April 29, 2004, 2003-2004 Avalon vehicles manufactured June 5, 2002, to December 20, 2004,…
Remedy: Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the air bag control module, free of charge. The recall began on August 24, 2015.
Air bags
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles and 2003-2004 Pontiac Vibe vehicles. The supplemental restraint system (SRS) circuits are susceptible to internal shorting. The electrical short may create an abnormal current flow and increased heat which can damage the circuits.
Remedy: Toyota will re-notify their owners who have already had their vehicles repaired with a noise filter, but did not receive a new airbag control module, and General Motors will re-notify theirs.
Show 1 more recall
Visibility › Glass, side/rear
Toyota is recalling 662,178 my 2003-2004 corolla, corolla matrix and Pontiac vibe vehicles equipped with power windows. The driver and front passenger door glass bolts May loosen and come off, causing the door glass to separate from the window regulator.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver and front passenger door glass bolts with newly designed bolts free of charge. The recall began on April 16, 2008 to Toyota owners. The recall began on May 21, 2008, for Pontiac owners.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 5 possible defects involving the 2004 Pontiac Vibe:
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Side front window shatters
The subject vehicle is manufactured by new united motor manufacturing, inc. (nummi) in fremont, california.nummi is a joint venture between general motors and Toyota.Toyota is responsible for responding to this NHTSA investigation.Toyota reports that its evaluation is incomplete at this time, however; Toyota has identified two issues that can contribute to side window glass breaking.in its January 11, 2008 letter to…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Side front power window shatters
For the subject vehicles, there is a possibility that the retention force of the regulator bolts which attach the front side window glass to the power window regulator May not be sufficient due to an interference of the retention nut and the bolt shoulder radius.in this condition the bolt May become loose, causing a loud noise to be generated when the window is raised or lowered.if the vehicle and the power window…
What 2004 Pontiac Vibe owners say
Air bags all 104 →
The contact's father owns a 2004 Pontiac Vibe. The contact stated that after her father started the vehicle, the air bag inadvertently deployed without warning. As a result, the contact's father sustained a mild concussion, and burns to the left and right arms that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer nor the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The VIN was not available.
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2004 Pontiac Vibe. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V285000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Windows, wipers & sunroof all 76 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Pontiac Vibe. While the front driver's side window was going down, a clunking sound was heard. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer (h&h Buick, 3400 s. Expressway st., council bluffs, ia, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the window regulator was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 95,500. Consumer stated the previous recall notice was accomplished in May of 2017 but window problems were present after that was done. The dealer replaced the window regulator but it did not solve the problem. My drivers side still clunks when window is rolled down and it sounds like window could break at some point, this should not happen and is danderous. Replacing the belts on the original recall worked for a time but it came back. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Pontiac Vibe. While the vehicle was idling with the rear defroster activated, the rear hatch window shattered. The vehicle was taken to lupient Buick/GMC (7100 wayzata blvd, golden valley, mn 55426) where it was currently being diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided case number: 9-5481767211. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 210,000.
Body & structure all 24 →
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 Pontiac Vibe. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle slid and crashed into a wall. The contact mentioned that the passenger side air bag deployed, but the seat was not being occupied. The contact did not disclose if a police report was filed or not. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 190,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Pontiac Vibe. While the front driver's side window was going down, a clunking sound was heard. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer (h&h Buick, 3400 s. Expressway st., council bluffs, ia, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the window regulator was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 95,500. Consumer stated the previous recall notice was accomplished in May of 2017 but window problems were present after that was done. The dealer replaced the window regulator but it did not solve the problem. My drivers side still clunks when window is rolled down and it sounds like window could break at some point, this should not happen and is danderous. Replacing the belts on the original recall worked for a time but it came back. …
2004 Pontiac Vibe engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 25 / 33 / 28 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 25 / 31 / 27 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 22 / 29 / 25 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 6-speed manual | FWD | 22 / 29 / 25 |
EPA ratings. Class: Wagon.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Pontiac Vibe a good car?
Based on 266 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 Vibe rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Vibe at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2004 Pontiac Vibe?
The air bags — 104 complaints, 39% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal. Next are the windows, wipers & sunroof (76) and body & structure (24).
How many recalls does the 2004 Pontiac Vibe have?
There are 7 recalls for the 2004 Pontiac Vibe, the most recent from January 23, 2020 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Pontiac Vibe?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2008, 2006 and 2010. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2009 and 2003. See the full Pontiac Vibe years comparison.
At what mileage do 2004 Pontiac Vibe problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 76,000 miles; 34% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.