2006 Pontiac Vibe Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2006 Pontiac Vibe report the air bag warning light staying on, often after a passenger-side air bag recall was performed or attempted, and many complaints describe long waits for recall parts. A second recurring theme is intermittent stalling, hard or erratic shifting, and a check engine light that several owners link to the engine control module. Other reports cover engine overheating from a detached cooling fan and minor interior and body issues.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Air bag warning light stays on / recall parts unavailable

   • 104 complaints (59%)
   • median 122,500 mi at 11.4 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • filed 2014–2020

   Complaints describe the air bag warning light illuminating and staying on while driving or after starting the vehicle. Several owners say the light came on after a passenger-side air bag recall was performed, and in some cases the dealer told them the worm coil or air bag assembly also needed replacement at their own expense. Many other owners report being told by dealers or the manufacturer that the recall remedy parts were not yet available, in some cases for close to a year. Reported across a wide mileage range, from under 50,000 to over 350,000 miles, mostly in complaints filed from 2015 through 2020.

   Recall 19V627000Recall 18V883000Recall 15V285000Recall 15V2860002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the passenger air bag inflator recalls 15V285, 15V286, 18V883 and 19V627 were completed, and request the recall paperwork. Check that the air bag warning light goes out after the bulb check at startup.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I took this car in for a passenger bag recall. My niece drives the car and I was unaware that the airbag warning light was staying on, on the dashboard. My niece thought it was normal since it started after getting the car back from the dealer. I recently saw the problem and had an srs code reader pinpoint the problem to the passenger airbag which was worked on for the recall.”

   NHTSA complaint #11138879, filed 2018-10, 125,000 miles

   “I received a recall notice for the august 2019 front passenger airbag assembly. I have called the dealer several times, my last call today 7/6/2020 and I am always told they do not have the parts to fix this safety defect. When I called GM's customer assistance center I was given the same answer. I believe that 11 months is an unreasonable amount of time to wait for a repair of a safety defect. Are you aware that GM is not fixing these problems?”

   NHTSA complaint #11337792, filed 2020-07, 120,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine cooling

   Stalling, hard shifting and check engine light (control

   • 24 complaints (14%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 5.0 yrs old (19 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2008–2021

   Owners describe the check engine light coming on, followed by hard or erratic shifting, surges, and occasional stalling at speed or when pulling away from a stop. Many complaints name the engine or powertrain control module, and several say a dealer replaced the module without a lasting fix. Some owners note their vehicle was not covered by recall 10V387000 despite having similar symptoms, or that the recall campaign had not been performed yet. Mostly reported between roughly 30,000 and 140,000 miles, with several complaints filed in 2009 to 2011.

   Recall 10V387000

   What to check: Ask whether recall 10V387000 for the engine control module was performed and keep the receipt. Have a scan tool check for stored codes such as P0741 or P2716 before buying, and test drive from cold through several upshifts.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I own a 2006 Pontiac VIBE I purchased from a dealer in 2009. I started having issues with it shifting harshly,rolling backward on hills at a stop as a manual would within approximately 2 months after I purchased it. I had it looked at a local dealer but they could not find the problem so I just have been driving it as it is. Now yesterday I was driving up a hill and the car completely stalled so I quickly put it in park, turned it off and back on put it in gear and it took off. I was fortunate there was no traffic in those few minutes. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10378794, filed 2011-01, 92,000 miles

   “Consumer writes to request reimbursement for the PCM replacement the consumer stated the PCM was replaced twice and the problem still exists. The check engine light illuminated and the vehicle exhibited a harsh transmission shift as well as engine stalling.”

   NHTSA complaint #10401884, filed 2011-05, 31,691 miles
3. 3
   Vehicle speed control

   Sticking or surging throttle

   • 5 complaints (3%)
   • median 25,235 mi at 4.0 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2010

   Owners report the engine speed climbing on its own after the accelerator is released, or the pedal staying in an open throttle position. In one account the vehicle sped up from a stop after the brake was released, and another described repeated unintended acceleration that the dealer could not reproduce at first. One complaint also describes cruise control failing to disengage during a braking event. Reported from about 17,000 to 52,000 miles in complaints filed between 2008 and 2010.

   What to check: During the test drive, lift off the accelerator on a downhill stretch and confirm engine speed drops. Ask whether the throttle body has been cleaned or replaced and whether any stored codes relate to the throttle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving my 2006 Pontiac VIBE south on interstate 79 in rural pennslvania when the brakes soundly failed to respond. I stepped on the peddle but the car failed to slow, and the cruise control failed to disengage. To avoid an hitting the car in front of me, I swerved into the shoulder, continuing to apply the brakes. As I tried to slow, the car fishtailed and I skidded into the interstate again and hit the opposite guardrail. Antilock brakes did not engage. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10227900, filed 2008-05, 25,235 miles

   “I accelerate in anticipation of a hill on ca-13 in oakland california. When I near the crest of the hill, I take my foot off the gas, as the acceleration continues and the revs shoot from ~3000 to ~4500 - 5000. I need to switch the car to neutral to correct this. Nothing else seems to bring down the revs. I do this drive once a day and have since 2006, it happens maybe every 2 months, so maybe 1 in 50 times I go over this particular hill. I believe the combination of downhill, acceleration, and uphill messes up the throttle controls somehow. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10314239, filed 2010-02, 52,000 miles

Buying note. Check that every open air bag recall on this vehicle has actually been completed, since owners report long waits on parts, and confirm the engine control module recall was done. A pre-purchase scan for stored codes plus a test drive covering shifts, throttle release and a warm-idle check will surface most of the other reported issues.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.