AI Damage2007 Pontiac Vibe: common problems
Owners of the 2007 Pontiac Vibe filed 172 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 172
- involving a crash
- 13
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 67% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 11% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- 5 Vehicle speed control 6% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 3% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 3% of all complaints
- 8 Engine 2% of all complaints
- Air bags: 115 complaints (67% of all), 11 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 19 complaints (11% of all).
- Electrical system: 16 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 12 complaints (7% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 11 complaints (6% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.8 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 2 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 172 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 115 | 11 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The contact spoke with a certified mechanic who informed them that the Forward Collision Avoidance feature seemed to fail due to other safety features in the vehicle not activating and preventing the crash.
The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a bruised and sprained knee and ankle that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed and deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.
The driver's side air bag failed to deploy. The passenger side air bag deployed and metal fragments discharged. The front seat passenger sustained a fractured collar bone, neck, and back injuries that required medical attention.
There was heavy damage to the front of the vehicle and the airbags did not deploy. The driver struck the steering wheel. The driver was taken by ambulance to a local hospital where the driver was treated, including x-rays, and released.
Tl contact owns a 2007 pontiac vibe. While driving 70 mph at night, in dry weather conditions, the contact depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle spun around. He lost control of the vehicle and crashed. While accelerating from a stop, the tires and wheels spun around dramatically.
I was pulling into a parking spot at a Walmart driving very slowly, to almost reach the parking sign when the vehicle revved and lurched forward. I had to put my full pressure on the brake pedal, and eventually shifted to neutral and the revving subsided.
The car suddenly accelerated from the stop and though she applied the brakes and parking brake, the car accelerated 40' through our bushes and knocked down the neighbors chain link fence before stopping. It stopped moving because the fwd wheels were off the ground as the knocked over bushes raised the car body up.
It has just came to my attention that the rear seatbelts are positioned too high and too far forward to protect children sitting in a backless booster and for smaller adults. The seatbelts would not provide adequate safety in a crash because they do not even lay against these persons' bodies.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 2,337 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 6% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Vibe has 144 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 172, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2007 Pontiac Vibe?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine and cooling, electrical system. Total complaints: 172. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (9%), stalls while driving (6%), airbag warning light (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2007 Pontiac Vibe?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2007 Pontiac Vibe from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2007 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.