Pontiac Vibe Pontiac Vibe

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Pontiac Vibe repairs by problem area

Engine (35%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (6%)

Brakes and Traction Control (9%)

Suspension and Steering (10%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (28%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (5%)

Other (6%)

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Chart based on 694 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the Pontiac Vibe.

Pontiac Vibe electrical repair cost distribution

$2500+ (1%)

$1000 - $2499 (3%)

$500 - $999 (10%)

$100 - $499 (45%)

< $100 (41%)

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Chart based on 187 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2010 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

132-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD

63240 mi

C $350
Original starter release gear would stick causing a grinding noise in very cold winter starts. Replaced the starter with an updated new (not rebuild) starter from Denso, Toyota part number 28100-0T051 or GM part number 19205422 purchased from Amazon and installed by mechanic. Updated starter motor cranks much faster and problem has been solved. 

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2009 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

158-horsepower 2.4L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

2800 mi Speedometer not correct. Off by 4MPH at 65. At 65MPH you are going 56MPH. No repair done. Factory says that it is within tolerance...... 
4000 mi The lighter didn't work - wouldn't stay in when pushed in. They repaired the part that is supposed to hold in the lighter when it's pushed. 
91100 mi

C $175
Original battery was getting very weak, so changed before getting stranded. Now turns over much faster and even idle speed is lower - was probably compensating for low voltage. 
130820 mi

C $150
Battery was testing poor after nearly 7 years. Changed proactively before failure. 
101000 mi

US $490
Alternator replaced $225, car wouldn't start. New Battery $120 and Micro-v belt $30, Labor $81 
108722 mi Had new tires installed and the tire pressure sensor light stayed on... one is bad. Didn't replace. No repair/no cost. 
18300 mi Radio quit working properly--they replaced immediately 
34000 mi Radio volume button stopped working--this is the second new radio for same problem 
62000 mi

C $700
Alternator died. Replaced alternator and battery. 
3000 mi Short in dome light/sun roof switch unit. 
152000 mi

US $75
Air bag sensor in the seat malfunctioned intermittently. Replaced the compete seat with one from a salvage yard. 
58700 mi

US $65
Replaced one Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) sensor. 
66000 mi

US $350
Electrical Charging System light came on while driving and headlights turned off. Took the battery to Auto Zone and said cells were dead. Turned out after replacing battery alternator was bad too. 

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2009 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

158-horsepower 2.4L I4 5-speed manual FWD

122140 mi

C $340
tracking switch 
35960 mi

C $750
AC switch 
62000 mi

US $120
Needed new battery. Battery was replaced. 
110000 mi Replaced defective passenger side airbag. Recall item. 
88040 mi

C $140
Lights came on and went off on the dash a number of times. Dealer cleaned the throttle body and unblocked an A/C hose that was dripping on th O2 sensor 

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2009 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

158-horsepower 2.4L I4 4-speed automatic AWD

77500 mi Warning lights on dash all seem to come on for no apparent reason. eg. Check engine, abs, all wheel drive. I briefly disconnected the battery to reboot the computer. No other related problems. Everything seemed to work even though those lights were on. Repair may last several months before it re-appears, and I have to repeat the repair procedure. 
66700 mi

C $30
Lighting at night seemed to be poor. replaced both headlights and slightly adjusted the aim of the headlights. 

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2009 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

132-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD

57000 mi

US $350
Front wiper blade motor failed. Replaced with new wiper blade motor 
115000 mi

US $800
Alternator and belt replaced. 
61000 mi

US $150
Radio volume knob has become disconnected. 
127000 mi

US $147
Alternator making whirring noise. Diagnosed by listening through fat end of large screwdriver at different points; loudest at alternator. Replaced with remanufactured part from Autozone. Nice and quiet now. 
115000 mi

US $100
Alternator replaced 
117500 mi

US $200
Starter replaced 

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2009 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

132-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic FWD

80000 mi

US $500
Alternator and belt replacement 
115000 mi

US $150
Alternator failed, very easy to replace 
123000 mi

US $80
Starter replacement, 60% of the time the solenoid would stick and make a grinding noise. 
67400 mi After improperly diagnosing the problem as a timing gear actuator, I got the dealer to put in a new Denso starter under warranty. Problem solved. 
89000 mi

US $650
Alternator failed. Replaced with a rebuilt model 
26000 mi VOL knob "broke" so volume could not be adjusted, but ON/OFF "push-button" action was still working. The "radio manufacturer" demanded the radio be "reprogrammed" BEFORE they'd send a replacement, even though... 
81840 mi

C $2800
The alternator stopped working. AC pipes leaking. They had to be replaced, as they had rotted away! 
149180 mi Vent control cable ripped .fell off shortened and put back on 
176700 mi

C $1280
Compressor 
41000 mi

US $916
Alternator went completely out on family vacation with no warning. Towed to only shop in town. Took 5 days to get alternator. After alternator was repaired by other shop they advised AC compressor clutch locked up. We chose to take to dealer who confirmed problem. Dealer replaced AC compressor. 
111500 mi

US $155
Rebuilt alternator - self-replaced. 
130000 mi Replaced battery and alternator. 
91220 mi

C $420
replaced alternator but required a tow 

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2009 Pontiac Vibe 4-door

8-cylinder diesel automatic 4WD

98000 mi Replace battery 

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2008 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

126-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD

75000 mi

US $25
Both dim lights went out at the same time. Checked all fuses and all were good. Found there was power at the headlight terminals so replaced bulbs. Both bulbs had been replaced 2/2013. Unsure what caused both to fail. 

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2008 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

126-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic FWD

129000 mi

US $100
Recirculation actuator failed. Replaced 
158000 mi

US $550
Bad compressor and expansion valve so compressor, condenser, r/d, evaporator, and expansion valve replaced 
114300 mi

US $30
Added charge to ac 
148000 mi

US $10
added refrigerant to AC system 
71920 mi

C $100
Replaced battery 
94240 mi Vehicle wasn't starting. Checked battery and found fluid level low in all cells. Refilled and charged battery with portable charger. 
78000 mi

US $700
AC condensor and resistor module 
118200 mi Battery wouldn't reliably start car in sub 45° F weather. Self replaced with Walmart branded battery. 
31000 mi

C $110
Cabin fan was noisy and replaced under warranty. 
86800 mi

C $70
Air bag sensor was indicating error. Apparently due to corroded wire connection. 
93000 mi

C $75
Headlamp assembly replaced bulb. 
150000 mi

US $350
Blender door switch was stuck needed to be replaced 

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2007 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

126-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic FWD

59520 mi

C $150
Fan only had high speed. Blower resistor pack was changed. 
104160 mi

C $193
Battery and alternator diagnosis. Battery replaced. 
38000 mi

US $85
Recall to replace potentially defective body computer. State inspection also performed and tire rotation. 
188460 mi

C $103
Heater blower motor 
83400 mi

US $155
System leak. Added die to coolant to determine location of leak. 
823000 mi

US $10
replaced front headlight 
86000 mi

US $10
replace 1 front headlight bulb--same one again 
126000 mi

US $116
Car would not start on a cold day, but could be jump started. Replaced original OEM battery with big box store replacement unit. Issue resolved. 
114000 mi

US $470
replaced tires and a headlight bulb 

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2006 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

126-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic FWD

69000 mi

US $100
Headlights only worked with "brights" on.  
183000 mi Flapping sound when not on recirc. Couldn't fix it. Living with it. 
54000 mi

US $5
Fan did not function on other than the highest settings 
74000 mi

US $653
Left low beam bulb replaced. 
60300 mi

US $34
HVAC blower motor only ran at high speed--the resistor was shot. Installed a new one--problem solved. 
20000 mi Dome light assembly replaced. 
27000 mi

US $335
Needed blower motor due to terrific loud noise when fan was put on High. 
32000 mi The factory 6-disc CD changer occasionally scratched discs badly. Dealer replaced it under the GM extended warranty with a factory refurb unit. 
112000 mi

US $120
HVAC actuator failed. Clicking noise when switched to outside air. Part was $40 from Amazon. See GenVibe.com for repair instructions with pictures. 
156500 mi

US $4
Replaced the light bulbs for the heater control module. 
177000 mi

US $20
Drivers side headlight died. Replaced both headlights. 
214000 mi

US $300
Alternator died. Got it replaced. 
149300 mi

US $100
Replaced the headlight but that didn't fix it - had to replace the actual headlight connector. 
160000 mi

US $25
The headlight connector was partially melted and led to premature bulb failure, had it replaced. The ventilation fan would only work on the High setting. Googling showed that the problem could be solved by replacing a resistor for the blower motor. $25 part on Amazon, ~1hr of work at home, requiring only basic ratchet and socket. 
4263 mi

C $170
Installed aftermarket radio as delco unit will not play home burned discs. 
106000 mi

US $340
Actuator motor replaced 

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2006 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

118-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic AWD

219000 mi

US $400
Fan blower motor hvac 
223000 mi

US $32
Replaced resistor for HVAC blower fan & wiring harness. Repair 5 months past did not include wiring harness. Mechanic predicted this would fail later when he swapped the blower fan motor. New harness & resister from Dorman for $32 from Amazon prime. 

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2006 Pontiac Vibe 4-door

4-cylinder automatic 2WD

45000 mi I replaced my Car Radio from the stock to a Sony because of a burnt out display and audio issues with the already replaced stock radio from 2008. And i know that others have had past issues with the stock head units. 

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2005 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

164-horsepower 1.8L I4 6-speed manual FWD

112000 mi

US $2200
replace clutch, ac and brakes 
94000 mi

US $150
The actuator that controls the outside and inside air redirect gears broke and had to be replaced. 
100000 mi

US $60
The air vent actuator broke again and I bought a new one and installed it. The job is getting much easier. 
118000 mi

US $50
The air inlet door actuator keeps failing and I am not sure what I am going to do as a permanent fix? Right now it is stuck on recirculate but when I switch to outside air I get the clicking sound behind the glove box until I switch back to recirculate. I went to the salvage yard and pulled the small gear that I need to fix it again but it breaks if I push the button more than 4 or so times. I am always scared to push it and only do it when the windows are fogging up. 
120000 mi

US $68
fresh air recirculate door motor failed. First ever repair. Bought part from dealer and replaced. Car has still never seen a shop or mechanic - ever. 
187000 mi

US $12
2nd replacement of this headlight bulb 

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2005 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

126-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD

161200 mi

C $300
Replaced the starter 
110360 mi

C $480
compressor broke and needed replacement 
93000 mi

US $80
Resistor for blower motor burned out 
129040 mi KNOWN ISSUE: the heater fan would sometimes quit but a good thump on the dash near the glove box would shake the brushes and it would start again and run for months. Finally replaced it for one online for $45. EASY JOB. 
86180 mi

C $613
AC condensor was leaking. 

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2005 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

126-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic FWD

110000 mi

US $450
A/C stopped cooling. Needed compressor replacement. 
130000 mi

US $40
HVAC fan would not 'blow' on 2 lowest settings. Husband replaced rheostat on blower fan and it now works fine. 
146000 mi

US $180
Fan stopped working. Was intermittent. Then quit all together. Found out transistor was bad , so replaced 
40000 mi

US $43
The factory installed electric engine heater failed. When I got the old one out, I found the problem was in the power cable, not in the heating element, but I decided to replace the whole thing, because it's VERY hard to get to and work on. 
41000 mi

US $890
The display on the CD player/radio died. I had to pay almost $900 to have a USED unit installed. 
49000 mi

US $110
Air Conditioning not working. Leak test did not find any leak. System was low on R-134A. Most of 24oz. R-134A added, Probably about 18 to 20oz. R-134A added. AC tested and seems to be working fine now. Worked great on the way home. 'Hot' day in Minnesota: 84F. Plenty of cold air coming out. 
73000 mi

US $80
Airbag light on dash remained on after start. Diagnosed by dealer as faulty clock spring. Part will be ordered. Cost to replace estimated at $310. 
76340 mi

C $40
Hvac damper door clicking 
85560 mi

C $163
AC coolant leaked from missing cap. 
137000 mi

US $190
No crank. Replaced starter. 
121210 mi

C $200
Replaced motor of the wiper arm, driver side 
199500 mi

US $40
One headlight out; replaced both with new bulbs. 
208000 mi

US $280
Vehicle was brought in due to headlights occasionally flickering; noticeable upon starting in morning darkness and while driving. Complete diagnosis of electrical system completed with only "marginal" battery performance found. A few days later the car had complete elec failure and died while in driveway but started up again two minutes later. Thorough cleaning of battery terminals and re-tightening appears to have solved the problem. 
77000 mi

US $430
Replaced A/C condenser & recharge 
137100 mi

US $780
AC condenser kicked the bucket, bad seals. Replaced seals and condenser 

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2005 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

118-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic AWD

88660 mi check engine light code reset by owner, replaced head light driver side for the first time costs $14.99 
67540 mi

C $55
Replaced defective resistor for fan control/blower. The repair took 15minutes with new part. Previous to the repair, the fan only operated at high speed. 

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2005 Pontiac Vibe 4-door

4-cylinder automatic 2WD

225800 mi

US $50
Stripped gear on damper to switch between recirculate and outside air. 

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2004 Pontiac Vibe

Engine not specified

188000 mi

US $500
Blower Fan Died 

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2004 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

180-horsepower 1.8L I4 6-speed manual FWD

205200 mi

US $420
Straightened bent pins in fuse box that caused radiator fan to stop functioning.  Replaced blower motor for heat/ac which had stopped working. 
82000 mi

US $200
refrigerant added (recharged) -- returning in 2 weeks to see if there are any leaks 
80000 mi

US $150
Weak AC, system leaking refrigerant fast. Tested components, replaced seals, orings, dryer. Evacuated system with vacuum pump, added pag oil and recharged with R134a. AC is still icecold 1 week later. 
91000 mi A/C wasn't blowing as cold as it should. A/C pressures normal. Adjusted cable for temperature control. Issue resolved. 
112000 mi

US $20
Starter hummed but wouldn't engage on the flywheel. Replaced starter solenoid which fixed the problem. Much more cost effective than replacing the entire starter. 

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2004 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

130-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD

177940 mi

C $125
Starter solenoid failed, replaced whole starter. 

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2004 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

130-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic FWD

91140 mi

C $100
Resistor for A/C /heater fan failed only had High speed for fan. Dealer replaced all is well now. 
115000 mi

US $285
CD player was not working so I had to get a new head unit, also the right tweeter was bad so that is on order and will require additional install cost. 
264500 mi

US $110
Blower Motor: HVAC blower motor stopped working - no heat, A/C, or defrost. Installed motor myself. Cost includes MI sales tax. 
316770 mi

US $70
Instrument Panel: '04 Vibe odometer stops working at 299,999. Bought used panel with 16,770 miles in June. Used tripometer on old panel to track miles June-Sept. to match up actual mileage (300k + odometer = actual mileage) 
405130 mi

US $284
Remanufactured alternator installed. Alternator: Re-manufactured alternator installed. Cost includes part, labor and MI sales tax. 
459683 mi

US $37
Replaced OEM starter. Replacement part purchased at salvage yard. Cost includes MI sales tax. Replaced OEM starter. Replacement part purchased at salvage yard. Cost includes MI sales tax. 
57120 mi

C $250
a/c not cold - no leaks detected - recharged 
94860 mi

C $225
a/c needed recharging - same done works ok now. 
52080 mi

C $685
A/C condenser had to be replaced. Had leak and freon had leaked out. Got freon charged last summer and was advised to replace condenser 
78000 mi

US $227
Knocking sound coming from passenger side dash when Air Cond & Recirculator fan were on. Had to remove dash to work. Reecirculator door activator (part #88970277 $86.00 + lbr). Plastic gear teeth broke. Should be made of metal not plastic 
74540 mi

C $50
Interior fan will only work on high speed. Blower motor resistor replaced. 
84400 mi Ticking noise started coming from dash (pass. side). Forum search says it is air inlet door actuator. Removed part, rotated stripped plastic gear, reinstalled. Seems to be working. A real PIA location to work in. 
136700 mi

US $480
No air conditioning. Shop replaced air conditioning condenser as it was leaking. 
109000 mi AC recharge, pollen cabin filter change, oil and lube, wiper replacment, rock chip repairs 
124620 mi changed fuse for cigarette lighter adapter. 
137060 mi

C $200
Internal air fan not working. External working only. 
130948 mi

US $271
Replaced HVAC door actuator. 
143000 mi Airbag warning light on--sensor problem not yet repaired-- 
154000 mi

US $125
Replaced battery 
159000 mi

US $250
Airbag light was on. After trying to get it covered by GM, forced to replace coil in steering wheel i order to pass inspection. Seat belt sensor 
162000 mi battery died from lack of use 
186000 mi

US $150
system keeps losing refrigerant 
68700 mi

US $70
AC stopped working. Took it into the shop to understand the issue. Full diagnostic tests were performed (Dyed coolant). It was determined that the compressor seemed to have seized up. Estimated repairs of $1300. 
111000 mi A/C never repaired. 
179000 mi

US $1200
AC Condensor and Compressor had to be replaced. 
175000 mi

US $500
Starter was replaced 

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2004 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

123-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic AWD

30000 mi Defective CD Player. Replaced under warranty. 
151000 mi

US $45
HVAC servo motor that controls the flapper to direct air flow. Third time for this car. 
59800 mi a/c does not work 

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2003 Pontiac Vibe

Engine not specified

104160 mi

C $30
warning light 

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2003 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

180-horsepower 1.8L I4 6-speed manual FWD

107000 mi

US $185
Replaced battery; would turn over but not start. 
178000 mi

US $349
replaced starter 
170000 mi

US $400
Replaced starter and serpentine belt 
159000 mi

US $120
Had to replace the starter 
232300 mi

US $200
Alternator went out, and took the battery with it. 
243000 mi Alternator that was previously replaced went out. Not charging the battery. 

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2003 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

130-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD

137000 mi

US $1500
A/C compressor failure. 
93000 mi

US $982
Clogged AC drain - clear. 
116200 mi

US $60
Car wouldn't start. Turned out to be a blown fuse. 
53320 mi Interior heater fan was not blowing any air. Fan motor could be heard running, but no air (or barely any) was getting through dash vents. By the time got to dealer, fan was working fine again and problem has not recurred. Quoted $500 for new fan motor. 
221000 mi

US $965
Compressor failed 

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2003 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch

130-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic FWD

63000 mi

US $180
replace alternator 
199000 mi

US $200
Replaced starter engine cranking over slowly. 
105500 mi A/C cooling was greatly diminished. Dealer checked for leaks, none found, added refrigerant. 
108000 mi

US $280
Starter failed, and was replaced. 
110000 mi

US $80
A/C refrigerant had all escaped since the August, 2012 repair for the same problem. No leak was found then. A dye was added this time, to help diagnose where the leak might be. 
111000 mi

US $880
AC condenser was leaking refrigerant and beyond repair, so condenser and seals were replaced. 
90000 mi

US $450
Blower fan motor needed replacing. 
32000 mi

US $212
Replaced defective HVAC Fresh Air Inlet Actuator. 
40000 mi

US $54
Car wouldn't start. Called tow and he cleaned the foam leaking out of battery. Two days later it wouldn't start again & I had it towed & they fixed the battery cable end and I had the oil changed. This is the first problem I've ever had since purchase 
52400 mi

US $500
used AC compressor and 2 lbs of freon 
67000 mi Noise in Cabin filter hard to describe the sound because it was not loud but loud enough to hear something was coming from the front. Garage made some adjustment to the blower behind the glove compartment. Took them five minutes, no charge. Bob's Tires on Seminole Blvd are the best most trustworthy people! 
209560 mi

C $60
replace blower fan plastic fan had separated, melted from shaft 
143000 mi

US $150
Window regulator motor on the driver's side front broke with the window in the down position. Had to wait a couple of days for parts to come in. Repair took about 90 minutes and was easy to do at home with common tools. 
132000 mi

US $45
Servo motor for ventilation flapper. Common repair on these cars, this one appears that they used car dealer I bought it from disconnected the defective motor so that it would make the flapping noise when test driven. 
234000 mi

US $350
A/C Compressor failed. Replaced with a used unit. 
237000 mi

US $100
replaced original starter at 237,000 
121300 mi

US $250
Starter failed, would not turn engine over. Replaced starter to correct condition. 
210000 mi

US $50
Ac quit working. Turns out to be the compressor clutch plus a leaky water pump. May be the end. 
78000 mi

US $130
A/C blowing warm air. Compressor Clutch not engaging, clutch coil showing open circuit. Entire clutch assembly was replaced. Clutch now engages but the A/C is still blowing warm air, partial success. 
81000 mi

US $200
Blend door actuator was failing. This is normally replaced, but in this case it was taken apart and the cog wheel readjusted so undamaged area and cogs were now in contact with the gear. Condenser replaced, oil added, valve in high side A/C port replaced, A/C system evacuated and recharged. 
85000 mi

US $10
Stereo backlight burned out. Time and radio frequency could not be read. Removed stereo, disassembled head unit, de-soldered burned out bulbs, soldered new bulbs in. 
139160 mi

C $1000
Air conditioner needed new compressor 
174000 mi

US $375
Replaced starter. 
149300 mi

US $40
Clicking when air set to recirculate. Replaced Air Inlet Door Actuator 
115000 mi Fuse in AC clutch blew. Found fix online. Took several hours to take clutch away and apart, jumper the fuse, and put everything back. No AC recharge was done. 
145500 mi

US $1000
Controller failed reporting false problem with passenger airbag. 
171200 mi

US $100
Failed to start. Starter had to be replaced. 

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Pontiac Vibe Electrical Problems

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently Pontiac Vibe problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.