Most common 2009 Pontiac Vibe problems
Share of the 528 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 →
2009 Pontiac Vibe recalls (9)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013 Scion xB, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sienna, 4Runner, Lexus IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, IS-F, and GX460 vehicles sold, ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP (Saipan), and the U.S.
Remedy: Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag…
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2012 Toyota 4Runner, Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sienna, Yaris, Scion xB, Lexus ES350, GX460, IS-F, IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, and Lexus LFA vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana,…
Remedy: Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of…
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Scion xB and Lexus IS F, 2009-2011 Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix, 2006-2011 Toyota Yaris, Lexus IS250 and Lexus IS350, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, Lexus IS250C, Lexus IS350C and Lexus GX460, 2011 Sienna, 2007-2011 Lexus ES350, and…
Remedy: Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of…
Visibility › Power window devices and controls
Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, 2008-2010 Highlander, and 2009-2010 Tacoma, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and General Motors Pontiac Vibe vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the steering column assembly contains electrical connections to the driver's airbag module housed in a spiral cable…
Remedy: Toyota will notify the Toyota vehicle owners, and General Motors will notify the Pontiac Vibe owners. Toyota sent owners an interim notification letter in May 2014 to advise owners of the recall.
Visibility › Power window devices and controls
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 Camry, Camry Hybrid, RAV4, Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Tundra, Sequoia, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Yaris, Scion xB, Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles.
Remedy: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will inspect the switch and apply a special grease that inhibits heat build up or replace any switch damaged by the defect, free of charge.
Show 3 more recalls
Vehicle speed control › Accelerator pedal
General motors is recalling certain model year 2009 and 2010 Pontiac vibe passenger vehicles. The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.
Remedy: General motors will notify customers when a recall remedy is available for recall 10038: floor mat interference and accelerator pedal.
Vehicle speed control › Accelerator pedal
General motors is recalling certain model year 2009 and 2010 Pontiac vibe vehicles. Due to the manner in which the friction lever interacts with the sliding surface of the accelerator pedal inside the pedal sensor assembly, the sliding surface of the lever May become smooth during vehicle operation.
Remedy: Dealers will install a reinforcement bar in the accelerator pedal which will allow the pedal to operate smoothly. This service will be performed free of charge.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Power assist › Vacuum
General motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Pontiac vibe vehicles equipped with 1.8l engine and originally sold in or currently registered in the states of alaska, colorado, idaho, illinois, iowa, kansas, maine, michigan, minnesota, montana, nebraska, nevada, new hampshire, new york, north dakota, south dakota,…
Remedy: Dealers will modify the brake vacuum line free of charge. A special advisory letter will be sent to owners of vehicles registered in all other states in the same time frame.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2009 Pontiac Vibe:
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.
Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit
On November 18, 2010, NHTSA's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.RMD queried three…
What 2009 Pontiac Vibe owners say
Air bags all 352 →
Air bags failed to deploy and vehicle is not available for inspection. Vehicle was a total loss and is in the proces of becoming proprty of Copart.com for auction (I assume). I hit my head very hard from the T-bone type of collision and my side airbags did not deploy. I have a severe concussion and internal brain bleed. ICU stay was required. Problem was confirmed by the police report, etc. Nothing has been inspected to the best of my knowledge in any great detail (I assume). No warning lamps, messgaes, or other symptoms prior to the failure.
I been trying to get the recalls to be fix but both the dealers and GM haven't been able to help due to parts discontinued, I been trying to get this issued resolve for a year or so. I need help please, they just keep saying that all recalls on this vehicle don't have the parts for it and don't know what else to do.
Speed control & acceleration all 58 →
The contact owns a 2009 Pontiac Vibe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the vehicle speed control (VSC), ABS, and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who was unable to duplicate the failure; however, the independent mechanic replaced the heat shield. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
Accelerates on its own from idle or low speeds. Was recalled on 2/8/2010 #2010018..and repaired on 6/21/ 2010. Approx. 2 years ago it started to "take off again". Grand Buick... Grandville MI advised there was no current recall. I'm waiting for GM to advise of a no charge to owner recall.
Engine & cooling all 37 →
Accelerates on its own from idle or low speeds. Was recalled on 2/8/2010 #2010018..and repaired on 6/21/ 2010. Approx. 2 years ago it started to "take off again". Grand Buick... Grandville MI advised there was no current recall. I'm waiting for GM to advise of a no charge to owner recall.
TSB 0158-14 IS a Toyota engine that was also used in General Motors Pontiac vibe in 2009 and 2010 The tsb has to do with oil consumption and a tsb was made for Toyota. Not for Pontiac as a result my Pontiac is now consuming oil every 1000kms As they both used the 2Az-FE 2.4 engine
2009 Pontiac Vibe engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 26 / 31 / 28 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 26 / 32 / 28 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 21 / 28 / 24 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 21 / 29 / 24 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 20 / 26 / 22 |
EPA ratings. Class: Wagon.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Pontiac Vibe a good car?
Based on 528 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 Vibe rates avoid: 4.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the Vibe at the same age. It is one of the Vibe years we suggest avoiding. 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 2009 Pontiac Vibe?
The air bags — 352 complaints, 67% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the speed control & acceleration (58) and engine & cooling (37).
How many recalls does the 2009 Pontiac Vibe have?
There are 9 recalls for the 2009 Pontiac Vibe, the most recent from January 9, 2018 (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 2009 Pontiac Vibe problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 56,000 miles; 47% 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.