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New Vibe Owners - Give Us Your Report

66 messages,  Last post on Nov 06, 2009 at 4:47 PM

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What is this discussion about? Pontiac Vibe, Car Buying, Wagon

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#9 of 66 2006 Vibe by nhollins Aug 20, 2006 (8:06 am)
I purchased a new 06 in Dec 05. It has had an oil & filter change every month ; & a K&N Air Filter at 20,000kms. I put Molyslip Anti-Seize compound on the sparkplug threads. Mileage;36,000 kms in 7 months.   This 1.8l, 16 valve engine is excellent. The biggest surprise was the variable timing V-tec. The revs only climb to 3300 to attain 145km/hr. I thought this car would be noisy from high revs on the highway, but its perfectly quiet at 120-130km/hr !   Complaints:   + body sheetmetal too thin....caves in during waxing. + 'A' pillars far too wide, creating severe blindspots during intersection left turns. You have to make sure of crossing pedestrians by moving your head to each side of the left side of the windshield. + Noise levels from back cargo area too loud. Bought 2 mats to fix it. + Doors & hinges far too light duty. + Foam doorseals instead of rubber. +Tilt steering doen't tilt: only adjusts heighth. + Can't easily replace fog lamps....have top dismantle shields. And the light is only held insecurely in a pressfit notch. + The engine doesn't start quickly after the 1st start. Once past warmup, it takes too much cranking. + NightVision not available as an option. + VERY HARD RIDE DUE TO LOUSY SIDEWALLS OF ONLY 55mm. + gaspedal too short. + Too much wind noise with rear windows down. + Green emerald paint color not available.   Commendations:   + Good looks ! + Amber rear safety signal lights! + Excellent drivers seat adjustable heighth ! + Fog Lights ! + Manual disconnect button for O/D ! + Excellent transmission ! + Excellent rear seatingroom ! + Plug in adapter for household current !   Looking forward to the next Vibe 08-2010, or as soon as Green paint is available ! Replies to this message: lostwrench (Oct 21, 2006 5:57 pm)
#10 of 66 Good Vibrations by atlvibe Sep 07, 2006 (4:20 pm)
Got 1,600 miles on my '06 vibe and no complaints. It's good on fuel, cold A/C, and never been back to the shop. Parking is a breeze and I can drive it without any effort at highway speeds. My only complaint is my own fault. I bought one with the non color keyed disco cladding on the side. Sometimes, I think it looks dated. other than that... Good..GOOD...GOOD Vibrations. per the Beach boys.
#11 of 66 Re: New Vibe Owners - Give Us Your Report [pf_flyer] by pevitts Sep 08, 2006 (6:46 am)
Replying to: pf_flyer (Jul 16, 2006 4:31 pm) Looking to buy a GM Pontiac Vibe? DON’T! Go with your gut and buy a Toyota Matrix- same drivetrain and basically the same car but remember why GM cars suck so bad and have such a terrible reputation: reliability and customer service. My wife and I just traded in our 2004 Kia Sorrento for a smaller car with better gas mileage. We looked at Mazda 3 wagon (sporty but too small for two dogs and a child), Toyota Matrix (around same price but no roof rack), and the Vibe. The Vibe seemed like a good deal – support America and all and it does have a Toyota drivetrain so we took a gamble. Well, we owned the car for 10 days, didn’t make a payment yet, and it was in the shop twice for a total of 5 of those first 10 days. The mechanics first accused my wife of driving in third gear while doing 75 on Interstate 95 but then finally found the problem. Now, you would think that GM and the dealership (NU Car in Newark Deleware) would want to do something but so far two sales managers have mysteriously disappeared off the face of the planet or have lost their ability to return or take a phone call AND the service manager couldn’t understand my fear that the life of my braking system was shortened due to the emergency brake being applied sporadically at all speeds causing the wheels and engine to smoke and overheat. My wife had to pull over twice because of the smoke. Common sense tells me that I’m not going to get the full life out of the braking system and that come 36, 001 miles, I’m going to be replacing most of the braking system. Also just as frustrating is to get pushed off by service to the national GM customer service people. I’m not sure what country they’re in but it must be in a country where when you say that you’re going to get back to someone and work to resolve a problem, YOU ACTUALLY DO. Three people so far have not called back and it just keeps getting worse. So, thinking about going with a GM car? Don’t do it- your gut tells you ‘no’ and it’s right. Once you sign on the line they don’t care what happens to you and that’s how they have the reputation that they have. Replies to this message: 150mphclub (Apr 14, 2007 6:18 am) mrchancely (May 06, 2007 6:20 am)
#12 of 66 Vibe vs Matrix by roy15 Sep 08, 2006 (8:27 pm)
I bought my vibe new two and a half years ago: I must agree with pevitts. The dealership has given me an awful time about warantee work; I went against my gut never again. I have had trouble with A/C they replaced the compressor, gas tank fills slowly= they tried a quick fix after telling me I didn't know how to pump gas, it still fills very slowly. The worst is the uneven tire wear. They told me the bushings needed to align the wheels were back ordered nationally. They found the bushings but car is still pulling to the right. I am not surprised GM is failing. RoyNC
#13 of 66 mine is almost perfect by nanc3 Sep 10, 2006 (7:34 am)
I've had mine not quite 4 months and have put 5500 miles on it and it's been almost perfect. The AC is not as cold as I would like on really hot days, but it does cool off the car eventually, and it's fine on not so hot days.   With any car dealer, your satisfaction with the service department will be proportional to how clearly and calmly you communicate with them.
#14 of 66 backseat comfort issues by patvizina Sep 16, 2006 (6:44 pm)
Does anyone have experience with long road trips with children or adults in the backseat? I am concerned about taking my 3 kids on 2000 miles road trips like we do a couple times a year, on that flat bench seat. I would have a 12 and 9 year old in the back and 16 year old in the front with me. Any feedback? thanks, Pat Replies to this message: jstant01 (Sep 18, 2006 7:17 am) patvizina (Sep 19, 2006 12:21 am) jstant01 (Sep 19, 2006 9:15 am)
#15 of 66 Re: backseat comfort issues [patvizina] by jstant01 Sep 18, 2006 (7:17 am)
Replying to: patvizina (Sep 16, 2006 6:44 pm) Pat:   I would not worry at all. The Vibe has the roomiest and most comfortable back seat of any car I've owned. In fact, I like it so much, that on long trips, I often surrender the driving to someone else in my family and hop in back.   In terms of kids, I took my 3 nieces and nephews and my mother on a road trip. My oldest niece sat in the front with me, and my mom sat in back with the two others. No problems at all.   I've taken road trips of more than 200 miles with 3 full-size adults in back and have heard no complaints. The Vibe's back seat is larger and more comfortable than cars twice its size. My dad has a Buick LeSabre. It's back seat is much more cramped.   Happy motoring! Replies to this message: patvizina (Sep 19, 2006 12:21 am) jstant01 (Sep 19, 2006 9:15 am)
#16 of 66 Re: backseat comfort issues [jstant01] by patvizina Sep 19, 2006 (12:21 am)
Replying to: jstant01 (Sep 18, 2006 7:17 am) Thank you so much for writing and the info. I thought the back BENCH seat was so flat and possible uncomfortable as a result....no complaints eh? I know the roominess is there for sure. By the way, I am looking to buy a 2006 Vibe with 23000 miles for $16000 plus $1800 for the 5yr/100,000 warranty from the Toyota dealer, whose lot it is sitting on...   Replies to this message: jstant01 (Sep 19, 2006 9:15 am)
#17 of 66 Re: backseat comfort issues [patvizina] by jstant01 Sep 19, 2006 (9:15 am)
Replying to: patvizina (Sep 19, 2006 12:21 am) You're welcome. Yes, I've had no complaints, although I will admit that we certainly put the skinny adult in the middle...   $16000 sounds a little steep, even for a 2006, IMHO. Is the car fully loaded? I only paid about that for my brand new 2005, although it is a 5-speed, and doesn't have the Moon/Tunes option or ABS.   Just a thought. It seems a bit high for a used Vibe. Most of them go for between $12,000 and $14,000 or so. Think twice about your warranty also. I've never bought an extended warranty, and never had reason to use one - even on much less reliable vehicles. The Vibe is rated better than average by Consumer Reports, and its rare to hear of the type of serious repairs most of those extended warranties cover. Just my two cents worth, though - do what makes you happy, and be happy with a great car!
#18 of 66 Re: 2006 Vibe [nhollins] by lostwrench Oct 21, 2006 (5:57 pm)
Replying to: nhollins (Aug 20, 2006 8:06 am) The second number in a tire size is the PERCENTAGE of the first number. So, P205/55R16 shows that the sidewall is 55 percent of 205. It does not show the sidewall as being 55 mm.

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