2004 Pontiac Vibe Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 12about this part
- Share
- 5%of 266 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 80,250miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 12 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2004 Pontiac Vibe, 5% of the 266 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 80,250 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“My 5 speed manual transmission suffered a catastrophic bearing failure as I was pulling into my driveway. If this had happened 10 minutes earlier, it would likely have resulted in an accident. This problem appears to be very common with this vehicle, there should be a safety recall.”
NHTSA complaint #10524677, filed 2013-07, 140,000 miles“The manual transmission on my 2004 Pontiac VIBE seized up at about 140,000 miles. At first it made a high pitch whirring noise then almost immediately failed as I was on the freeway thus slowing my speed down considerably to the point where the wheels became locked at one point (transmission froze while engaged). Even when I fully depressed the clutch it stayed engaged. I have read from others (after this occurred to me) that the transmission has a faulty design. It uses a plastic master ball bearing that can shatter and cause the transmission to suddenly seize. …”
NHTSA complaint #10300327, filed 2010-01, 140,000 miles“After 33700 miles of normal driving, my 2004 Pontiac VIBE gt needs a clutch replacement. I was told this was normal wear by the dealership, but I have never had a clutch fail at such a low mileage.”
NHTSA complaint #10174050, filed 2006-11, 33,500 miles“Have a 2004 Pontiac VIBE gt and just had to replace the clutch at 67 000 km. This is not the first car we've owned with a standard transmission, our previous car was a 1996 Pontiac sunfire which had 200 000 km on the original clutch when we sold it. We bought the 100 000 km powertrain warranty, but were told that the clutch is not covered. I had to pay for the replacement myself. We bought a new car so that we didn't have to worry about performing major repairs on it for several years.”
NHTSA complaint #10140207, filed 2005-10, 67,000 miles“The transmission on our 2004 Pontiac VIBE went out. We had the vehicle towed and they found that the transmission had such severe damage that it could not be rebuilt. The cost $2500.00 on a car that we thought we could depend on. Our 2003 honda civic has twice as many miles on it without any costly repairs. Pontiac told us to bring the vehicle to them. When we told them that it was in the process of being fixed they basically told us there was nothing they could do for us because we did not bring the vehicle to them first. …”
NHTSA complaint #10194818, filed 2007-06, 77,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10249579Jan 12, 2024This PI bulletin advises the technician on the proper way to install the pistons in an engine.
- 10245395Nov 6, 2023This service bulletin provides a vibration analysis worksheet the technician can use in conjunction with the appropriate Vibration Analysis-Road testing procedure when diagnosing…
- 10222770Sep 16, 2022This service bulletin provides information on OEM and Remanufactured Engine and Automatic Transmission/Transaxle Identification.
- 10224273Sep 1, 2022This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician to not remove the torque converter bolts and start the engine as this may cause damage to the…
- 10201098Dec 1, 2015OEM and Remanufactured Engine and Automatic Transmission/Transaxle Identification
- 10190503Dec 1, 2015OEM and Remanufactured Engine and Automatic Transmission/Transaxle Identification
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
Other parts of the 2004 Pontiac Vibe
104 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
76 complaintsBody and structure
24 complaintsElectrical system
12 complaintsOther or unknown
11 complaintsVehicle speed control
11 complaintsEngine cooling
8 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
8 complaintsTires
7 complaintsEquipment
5 complaintsSteering
5 complaintsEngine
4 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2004 Pontiac Vibe
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology