| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
2009 Pontiac Vibe repairs by problem area
Engine (32%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (5%)
Brakes and Traction Control (13%)
Suspension and Steering (10%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (26%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (9%)
Other (4%)
Chart based on 164 repairs.
2009 Pontiac Vibe engine repair cost distribution
$2500+ (2%)
$1000 - $2499 (6%)
$500 - $999 (16%)
$100 - $499 (39%)
< $100 (37%)
Chart based on 49 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2009 Pontiac Vibe
Engine not specified
| 51000 mi US $145 |
light indicated engine problem but problem was that the gas cap needed to be replaced. |
2009 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch
158-horsepower 2.4L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 36000 mi US $350 |
heat shield reattached, computer malfunction -not fixed $800+ repair. also still have grinding noise when braking. |
| 132000 mi US $25 |
Replaced valve cover gasket. It was cracked and oil was leaking on to the exhaust. |
| 4340 mi | The following service is required for 09 Vibe with 5sp Auto: Harsh Transmission Downshift When Stopping After Transaxle Has Upshifted to 4th or 5th Gear. Reprogramming PCM will fix the issue. |
| 103137 mi | MAF sensor was dirty; cleaned it and reinstalled it |
| 1000 mi | A surge when downshifting. I took it in to have the first TSB performed. It changed the problem a little, but didn't make it better. I took my Vibe to the dealer to have TSB #2 performed to correct the surge problem. It seems to have made it better, but did not eliminate it. |
| 53000 mi | Check engine light and VSC dash warning light went on. Dealer stated the trouble code was for a small evaporation leak. A TSB instructed the tech to reflash the PCM which cleared the trouble code. |
| 4960 mi | Harsh downshift when coming to a stop |
| 53940 mi C $500 |
Water pump was leaking, removed/replaced. |
| 144000 mi US $300 |
Valve cover seals |
| 53100 mi US $537 |
Water pump leaking. Replaced water pump assembly. Valve cover gasket leaking. Replaced valve cover gasket. |
| 105500 mi US $180 |
Doing an oil consumption check because of increased oil consumption. |
2009 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch
158-horsepower 2.4L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| 72540 mi C $160 |
The light came on to indicate a problem with the ECM. Took it in to the dealer for a diagnostic, and they had to update the module. |
| 27000 mi | housing of thermostat-covered under gm warranty on powertrain-included 2 day free car rental. |
| 38100 mi | gasket on water pump-covered under warranty |
2009 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch
158-horsepower 2.4L I4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 183520 mi C $650 |
Oxygen sensor replaced. |
| 182000 mi US $250 |
emission system small leak, large leak, flow out of specification, O2 sensor out of spec. Did a smoke test, replaced cap, replaced purge valve, still failing emissions. |
2009 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch
132-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| 115000 mi US $100 |
Replaced water pump, belt. |
| 46000 mi | Heat shield became loose. Muffler guy said the washer corroded. |
| 52600 mi US $340 |
replaced water pump. |
| 123000 mi US $150 |
Front exhaust donut flange removed (rusted) and replaced. Serpentine belt replaced. |
| 57040 mi C $45 |
Had to replace broken engine oil dipstick tube. Tube broke just above upper attachment and might be due to bad welds on the attention bracket. I have never had a dipstick tube fail before on any car I've owned. Not impressed. |
2009 Pontiac Vibe 4dr Hatch
132-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic FWD
| 105000 mi US $2000 |
Timing chain |
| 120000 mi US $350 |
Water pump |
| 134000 mi US $260 |
The car continued to infrequently make a grinding noise when starting. I originally thought this was a starter issue, it turned out to be a timing chain issue. This engine has a defect that allows oil to drain to the pan so that when starting the tensioner has no oil pressure for the first 2 seconds. Replacing the exhaust cam gear fixed the issue. Part cost was $250 and took 9 hours. Local shop quoted $1600 for the repair. |
| 115940 mi | There was the smell of gas coming into the interior of the car. I checked the lines and the gas tank but could not detect the leak. I traded the car in on a 2015 Volt! |
| 51960 mi C $501 |
Car wouldn't start. Battery okay, but engine would not fire up. In the extreme cold, condensation had formed in the fuel system, and that plus old plugs were the cause. New plugs, injector cleaning and new fuel filter had the Vibe humming sweetly again. |
| 55800 mi C $640 |
Water pump was leaking. New pump installed and a new serpentine belt installed at the same time. |
| 58900 mi C $619 |
Ignition Coil failed Fuel Injector seals leaking. |
| 81840 mi C $2800 |
The heatshield between the rear muffler and the trunk floor fell off when the retaining bolt holes rotted through. |
| 90520 mi C $160 |
Ignition Coil failure |
| 160600 mi C $1200 |
cat converter needed to be replaced |
| 189100 mi C $550 |
water pump and serpentine belt |
| 198400 mi C $325 |
ignition coil replaced |
| 203980 mi C $400 |
evap solenoid |
| 65000 mi | Timing Gear actuator issue with Corolla engines. Actuator was replaced to stop the grinding noise at start up. |
| 87000 mi US $400 |
OEM toyota (Corolla) water pump failed. Began making noises in cold weather. Diagnosed by mechanic after taking off serpentine belt and spinning the spindle by hand to hear the failed bearings inside. |
| 95400 mi US $130 |
throttle body pids were recalibrated and plates were cleaned of carbon to try to eliminate a diving idle issue when coming to a complete stop. When bad, idle drops to 650 rpm instead of the normal 750 rpm. Cleaning solved some of the issue |
| 104000 mi US $270 |
Idle dives below ideal level when coming to hard stops at stop signs. Issue is intermittent. Decided to have redesigned Toyota intake manifold (orange) and new PCV installed, as well as any observed carbon removed. Issue not fully resolved |
| 112900 mi US $100 |
New drive/serpentine belt. OEM belt had a rubber sliver showing upon examination by owner. |
| 113000 mi US $2200 |
Timing Chain cover leak. Entire engine needed to be removed to install a new gasket. |
| 119800 mi US $12 |
Working under the guidance of my mechanic, I am starting a regiment of Seafoam and Lucas Oil at/before each oil change interval in an attempt to stem the large consumption of oil, likely due to inadequate sizing of the Toyota oil return holes at the bottom of the piston head. This is a known problem so I felt it worth reporting it as a mechanical failure. I will repeat the process 2 or 3 times before attempting to hot soak the engine in transmission fluid for a few hours. To do nothing will ultimately result in a catalytic converter failure and dumping of this car. I am now averaging over 3 quarts of oil burned in between oil changes. |
| 121000 mi US $20 |
Since this is the last report and will hereby be forever ingrained into history, I wanted to put down this repair to demonstrate the lack of care Toyota has shown regarding oil consumption in most of their 4 cylinder cars. My 2zr Corolla Engine is now consuming 1 quart of oil every 900 miles. I am attempting to remedy the problem by using Seafoam in the engine 200 miles before the oil change, and then adding a quart of Lucas Oil in with the new oil replaced. So far, no positive results. I have had 3 Corollas, two as Pontiac Vibes. All have burned oil. This will be my last GM AND my last Toyota vehicle. I have no faith in their parts suppliers nor their desire to earn my respect as a repeat customer. Farewell True Delta and Good Riddance to GM and Toyota. |
| 131060 mi | Exhaust heat shield |
| 177940 mi C $500 |
Water pump seized |
| 26660 mi C $497 |
Water pump extremely noisy and was on verge of failure. Replaced water pump. Toyota T-SB-0362-09 explains the issue. Would have usually been covered under warranty but the vehicle hasn't been driven much and the warranty has expired. |
| 133920 mi C $90 |
I changed purge canister. OBD didn't show right spot |
| 120000 mi | Replaced 4 Spark plug igniters [ignition coils], replaced 4 quality spark plugs. One igniter went bad with some misfiring, so I replaced the entire set. I decided to go ahead and replace spark plugs at the same time - they probably could have efficiently gone another 20K or so.. |
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