AI Damage2009 Pontiac Vibe: common problems
Owners of the 2009 Pontiac Vibe filed 528 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 528
- involving a crash
- 23
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 67% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 11% of all complaints
- 3 Steering 7% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 5% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 3% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 2% of all complaints
- 8 Visibility 2% of all complaints
- Air bags: 352 complaints (67% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 58 complaints (11% of all), 13 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 35 complaints (7% of all).
- Engine: 29 complaints (5% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 23 complaints (4% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
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
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 9 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
- automatic, 5-speed
- manual, 5-speednamed in 2 complaints
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 528 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 | 352 | 6 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 58 | 13 | 0 |
| Steering | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 29 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 4 | 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.
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.
The driver's air bag failed to deploy, but the front passenger air bag deployed. The contact was not injured in the crash. The front seat passenger sustained minor burns and injuries from the air bag deployment, which required medical attention. A police report was filed.
The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on three separate occasions; however, the failure was unable to be duplicated.
Without warning oil consumption went from normal to over 1 quart per 1000 miles. This is a known defect whichtoyota notified its customers of, gm choose not to notify. This excessive consumption, not leaking resulted in a seized engine.
The air bags did not deploy on contact to or by any other vehicle. Due to there not being airbag deployment she suffered neck trauma and tendon damage to her shoulder.
In addition, the air bags did not deploy. There were no personal injuries. A police report was filed in regards to the incident. The vehicle sustained severe damages and was towed to an authorized dealer for body repair. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of failure.
The contact started the ignition; and when the accelerator pedal was engaged, the vehicle lurched forward without warning. The failure would occur sporadic. In addition, the failure occurred in the reverse position causing the vehicle to crash into the proceeding vehicle.
The contact stated the vehicle was in her blind spot. In addition, the contact stated when attempting to change lanes, she was unable to see clearly through the rear view mirrors. The dealer advised the contact to purchase a concave mirror for the vehicle.
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 696 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 2% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Vibe has 144 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 528, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Pontiac Vibe?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, vehicle speed control, steering. Total complaints: 528. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (6%), knocking, grinding or other noise (4%), airbag warning light (3%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 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 2009 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 2009 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.