Vibe Review. 4 years of use.

[Flip-Side]

It's been a while but I'm back. I've put on about 80,000 miles and I'll let you all in on the problems/quirks I have seen through the years.Year 1:-Squeeking instument cluster and driver side pillar. Fixed with foam shims and tape.-Stock continental tires vaporized in under 10,000 miles. Bought new ones.-Stock battery would not produce enough power to crank in the cold. Dealer replaced it under warranty.-Fuel economy averages around 28 mpg on the highway at 65mph. Not too impressive.Year 2:-Paint becomes scratched, pock-marked, and chipped way too easy. Cheap NUMMI plant paint-job would not be serviced under warranty. Not fixed, it just keeps getting worse.-Front brakes disintegrated and destroyed my rotors. Multiple dealers refused repair under warranty. Had a local shop repair and install Bendix brake parts. 2 years on them with no problems and plenty left.Year 3:-All window seals begin to pop out and won't stay put. Serviced twice under warranty to no avail. I still hear wind noise wherever I go, and have to push them in regularly.-Driver side lock/window panel broke loose in the door panel. Fixed under warranty. It is broke again right now. -Driver side window broke and would not go up, twice. Dealer repaired under warranty.-Exhaust rattles. Dealer replaced catalytic converter.Year 4: Out of Warranty-Exhaust rattles...again.-The 6-CD changer radio has lost most of the paint on buttons and its face. Driving at night becomes annoying with all the light shining through.-Driver and passenger side lock/window panels are loose again.-Engine will no longer start quickly when warm (takes 8-15 cranks). The car has all maintenance and tune-ups complete.-Transmission is getting sloppy and will sometimes lag between shifts. Tranny fluid has been changed at 30,000 miles and 60,000 miles. Guess it didn't help, or just hurt it instead.-Fuel economy still averages 28 mpg on the highway. My 93 dodge shadow with a v6 beats that with 30mpg. Other than that, the vibe still runs and drives ok. It gets us where we need to go, but if it is not one thing it is another. I can't say I am pleased with the build quality or that I would buy another one. I think my poor experience is most likely not common, so do not take offense. I will always like the vibe for the huge cargo space, nifty inverter, comfy sitting position, and spirited driving. Suffice to say, it will most likely be getting traded in for a Honda FIT.

[mcgusto82]

ohh oh. Transmission problems?? it's time to get rid of it!from what i read, people either get a great time with the vibe, or entirely bad. never really in between. I loved my vibe, only went to the dealer once. For some noise that went away by itself.

[thebarber]

i just got my tranny replaced under warranty last week! weee!(and ive had a plethora of other problems)like you i love the good stuff, but i hate all the minor and not so minor issues ive had with the car.......and im only at 28months and 76000kms of ownership

[Herb]

Well I've finally finished paying off mine, and so I've now had it for four years as well.Can't say I've had that many issues, but do agree about the paint and battery.Been to the dealer once to replace the 12v outlet under waranteeInteresting to see that you had a Shadow before this. I had an 87 Shadow, my first car before replacing it with the Vibe. I made a list of what I liked and disliked about the Shadow and came up with the Vibe GTHowever I hardly drive my Vibe these days. I don't know if it even gets 50km a month, especially in the winter now. The company I work for provides me with a Dodge Ram which I drive most of the time now.In anycase when you do abandon your Vibe for a Fit, please drop by now and then.

[Vibr8tr]

Wow.... there were alot of shadows around here. My Fiance had one before her Lancer, but when I bought my Vibe, she still had it, and refused to drive her Shadow, only the Vibe, but now she loves her Lancer. When we sold her Shadow, she still had the origional window sticker (from when it was brand new in 89) and we were looking at it, It only had 94 HP new (it was the 4 Cyl, I think it was 2.0L). It's big "option" was a Cig Lighter, A/C, and Cruise..... that was IT!!!!

[the1stacekiller]

Wow talk about bad luck.. My Family loves the VIBE!! great mileage and awesome storage...Only problem so far is the door seals and the door blocker scratching the Window on the drivers side.. but both problems I fixed myself.. I wouldn't trust a stealer with an oil change now days..But hey everyone has a different experience.. and if you hate the stereo you should replace it with the new Pioneer MP3 decks.. auxhillary input right on the deck!! Hope your next vehicle gives you lots of less grief.

[jake75]

Three Years Eleven Months 23,500 miles for me. Paint has held up well - probably because I never wash it. Original battery still working - need to replace soon as preventative maintenance. Got new Conti's at 20,000 miles - just had to pay $80 for mounting and balance. On trips we get in low 30's. Nothing else I can remember - just change oil, air filter, and rotate tires. If I had your experiences I'd be driving something else for sure. No patience for all of those issues.Going through a "tight streak" right now so not in the mood to buy a new car. The Honda Fit ia nice but my first look would be at the Honda CRV now that they got rid of the spare tire on the back. It only costs a "little more" to go first class as they say.

[Herb]

Most of the Shadow/Sundance were either 2.2L NA, 2.2L Turbo, or 2.5L NA 4 cyl. The later models offered the Mitsubishi 3.0L V6.For the first 3 years of the run Shelby modified a few Shadows and sold them as a CSX.Quote, originally posted by Vibr8tr »Wow.... there were alot of shadows around here. My Fiance had one before her Lancer, but when I bought my Vibe, she still had it, and refused to drive her Shadow, only the Vibe, but now she loves her Lancer. When we sold her Shadow, she still had the origional window sticker (from when it was brand new in 89) and we were looking at it, It only had 94 HP new (it was the 4 Cyl, I think it was 2.0L). It's big "option" was a Cig Lighter, A/C, and Cruise..... that was IT!!!!

[Flip-Side]

Actually, I still drive my $1200 Shadow ES (manual w/3.0L v6, which is rare). I love it, it is such a beast since it makes ricers cry. Glad to see other owners around.My wife carts the kids around in the Vibe, which is sad because my ol' dodge has been more reliable. The Vibe is a great car, I just got a bad one with all of the common jitters instead of just a few. I want my family to be safe because of long trips out of state, so I really think a different car is the way to go before my trade-in value disintegrates when the tranny does.

[MrDoopey]

Quote, originally posted by Flip-Side »Year 1:-Squeeking instument cluster and driver side pillar. Fixed with foam shims and tape.-Stock continental tires vaporized in under 10,000 miles. Bought new ones.-Stock battery would not produce enough power to crank in the cold. Dealer replaced it under warranty.-Fuel economy averages around 28 mpg on the highway at 65mph. Not too impressive.Wow, I never had those problems except for the mileage. My first year and every year since, I have been getting 22-24 mpg city and roughly 28 mpg highway too though.....where is my 30's as advertised?Quote, originally posted by Flip-Side »Year 2:-Paint becomes scratched, pock-marked, and chipped way too easy. Cheap NUMMI plant paint-job would not be serviced under warranty. Not fixed, it just keeps getting worse.-Front brakes disintegrated and destroyed my rotors. Multiple dealers refused repair under warranty. Had a local shop repair and install Bendix brake parts. 2 years on them with no problems and plenty left. Wow, my brakes have lasted 3.9 years now,.....without a prob. Thanks to Genvibe, I realize the paint has been an issue for many. I been lucky and avoided dings, but I constantly worry about it.The other day though, I did have some trouble. I was driving to work one morning (in the dark), when the truck in front of me ran over a manhole cover and sent it bouncing like a quarter directly in front of me. Swerving to the left, it clipped my right wheelwell, and left a small rust mark and a dented hubcab. Coulda been a lot worse. Paint is still hanging on everywhere else though. Was your car maybe exposed to hot weather or anything to weaken the paint?Quote, originally posted by Flip-Side »Year 3:-All window seals begin to pop out and won't stay put. Serviced twice under warranty to no avail. I still hear wind noise wherever I go, and have to push them in regularly.-Driver side lock/window panel broke loose in the door panel. Fixed under warranty. It is broke again right now. -Driver side window broke and would not go up, twice. Dealer repaired under warranty.-Exhaust rattles. Dealer replaced catalytic converter.Year 4: Out of Warranty-Exhaust rattles...again.-The 6-CD changer radio has lost most of the paint on buttons and its face. Driving at night becomes annoying with all the light shining through.-Driver and passenger side lock/window panels are loose again.-Engine will no longer start quickly when warm (takes 8-15 cranks). The car has all maintenance and tune-ups complete.-Transmission is getting sloppy and will sometimes lag between shifts. Tranny fluid has been changed at 30,000 miles and 60,000 miles. Guess it didn't help, or just hurt it instead.-Fuel economy still averages 28 mpg on the highway. My 93 dodge shadow with a v6 beats that with 30mpg. Other than that, the vibe still runs and drives ok. It gets us where we need to go, but if it is not one thing it is another. I can't say I am pleased with the build quality or that I would buy another one. I think my poor experience is most likely not common, so do not take offense. I will always like the vibe for the huge cargo space, nifty inverter, comfy sitting position, and spirited driving. Suffice to say, it will most likely be getting traded in for a Honda FIT. Sorry to hear.....my only similarity is the radio. The paint is JUST starting to fade on my go-to-buttons. and a lamp is burnt out, leaving me unable to see my equalizer settings on a bright day.My automatic transmission has only had the transmission fluid changed once, and have had no probs. That is obviously a big concern with you, as it would be for me if I had those problems.I hope things work out for the better for you!

[MrDoopey]

oh yeah, one minor thing to add. I had insect larvae eggs since day one. the day after I drove my fresh NUMMI import, it had a fewrice-like eggs in it. Still have it to this day.Hasn't affected the performance at all, but it is still weird to think of my car as freakin "Wild Kingdom"!

[DopeVibeGT]

Hmmm, my 4 year review....Year 1) Needed new front tires.Year 2) Needed new front tires. LOLYear 3) nothingYear 4)brakes are finally getting low. The front bumper needs painted thanks to 90% highway travel. This happens to all cars.Thats it. Very happy with the car and the VVTL-i still kicks!

[ypsibobbyg]

Was the trans replaced a manual one? I had to replace my manual trans at 86k miles after a rattle developed coming from the input shaft bearing. I have the trans on the bench but have not torn it down yet. (Anyone want to buy it is welcome to bid.) Had to replace it with a used one, not a rebuild, and it is so far working fine at 114k (28k on the trans itself). Anyone know if this is a common problem with the Toyota Corolla manual transmission, or is the Vibe transmission a different beast altogether? I got no answers from Toyota nor from Pontiac.

[ashleymc_38]

Quote, originally posted by mcgusto82 »ohh oh. Transmission problems?? it's time to get rid of it!from what i read, people either get a great time with the vibe, or entirely bad. never really in between. I loved my vibe, only went to the dealer once. For some noise that went away by itself. I completely agree with you on this. It seems like a lot of people have paint, window, trans, battery and tire problems while other people have no problems at all. I think i'm the only person so far that has posted anything about their PCM failing That was an 800 dollar fix but thank god it was under warranty. I'm just hoping that i dont start developing more problems because it seems for the past couple of months the car has been running a lil more smoothly except when i first start it up in the morning...i'm still pondering why it has to idle so high for so long To me it just doesn't seem normal

[ToolGuy]

Wow! Obviously all are not built the same or driven the same. Here is my 4 year review.Year 1: nothing wrong, no dealer visits.Year 2: nothing wrong, no dealer visits.Year 3: TSB for rotten egg smell addressed. Conti Tires looked at for wear, GM denyed. Changed coolant and thermostat. Year 4: Changed trans fluid, trans still shifts strong and quiet. Original Conti tires replaced at 39,000 miles. Paint is still looking great, any an all paint chips have been touched up/filled (mostly on the hood) and there are not that many especially since the car is not driven on the hwy daily like it was. Car is clay barred and waxed yearly. Other than the above, at 41,000 miles I am still on the original battery and front brakes. I will be doing plugs at 50,000 and the cabin filter was replaced yearly. Car will be paid off in a year.

[joatmon]

Today (12/30/06) is my 4 year V-day. I had one item fixed under warranty, the rubber seal on the driver door openiing. I had to replace my 5-speed tranny (bearing problem) and catalytic converter (P0420)I have done 30 some oil changes in the 130K miles, and some other maintenance, and have had an overall average of 35.8 MPG (US) My complaints about the car are mostly design. I use the roof racks, but I wish the front rail was farther forward, and perhaps both higher off the roof. On too many occaisions, I have found that the interior plastic scratches easily. The darker seat material seems to stain easily, even from water.I really like this car. I use it a lot, and to carry a wide assortment of people and stuff. It's comfortable, economical, and fun to drive. I went through serious withdrawl when it was out of service or I couldn't drive. I have a long commute that this car makes tolerable.I paid cash for the car, and now I could afford to go out and buy a new car to replace this one, but I have no reason to, this car is doing great, and I don't see anything on the market that I would rather have instead of this heavily used four year old 4 banger.

[lexicon]

Well, The vehicle is basically a Corolla which has a reputation for being bulletproof.(one of the reasons I got this vehicle)Not trying to stir anything up, but what are your driving habits?Do you do manual shifting on the Auto tranny,Do you often punch it to downshift for greater accelleration?Would you consider yourself to be a mild driver or sorta hard on it.The reason I am asking is to determine if the tranny issue may be related to heavy use.Thanks

[ypsibobbyg]

I bought it precisely because of the reasons you indicated and it is the fourth Corolla or clone that I have owned since 1988. It is a Manual trans and I asked the same question of Click and Clack on NPR Thanksgiving, 2005 and they said that nothing I could do re shift patterns or driving habits would lead to premature wear of the input shaft bearing. I even tried to blame it on my son who was learning how to drive a stick shift at the time. The fact that other folks are having the same input shaft bearing wear problem on this trans indicates to me it is a production or supplier problem at Toyota or whoever makes the trans for NUMMI, the final assembly manufacturer. I have written to Pontiac about the problem again, this time citing the other folks who have written in with the same problem and I hope to hear from them, since it does not do their reputation any good to have dissatisfied customers writing about this. For the record, I used to work for GM but have been at DaimlerChrysler since GM cast me out in the street in 1993. I still drive what I think is the best car for the money, not just what I am expected to buy based on my employer at the time. I need to feel that the results of this decision will be beneficial to me and my family and the trans problem was a bit of a letdown.

[lexicon]

Thanks for your response.I have seen our couriers who drive stick shift ruin input shafts by shifting from reverse to drive while the vehicle was still moving in the other direction. I assume this is not the case with your vehicle.I have also seen Corollas with 200-300 thousand miles on them with little wear and tear , so you may be correct that materials quality may be an issue.Overall, I am very pleased with Toyotas I have owned since 1984. Great cars.

[mkaresh]

Very informative set of repair histories. One thing to realize is that forums like this one can make problems seem more common than they actually are. Not that this will make you feel any better if you're the one having the problems.

[AKLGT]

we are going on year 3 with Mav's base vibe 5 spd. as to date, only 2 things done to the car under warranty: MAF (due to a CAI install gone hay wire) and battery replacement (due to a leak). both occurred in June 04 at/or on the way to the MI supermeet. LOL. no problems what so ever (knock on wood) since. the car has been reliable, faithful, and problem free! even on our road trip from Ontario to Anchorage, AK, absolutely no issues (except for the poor bunny rabbit that got eaten by the car).it is true. seems that you are either vocal about the things going wrong with the car, or you are vocal about how great the car is. we (genvibe) are only a handful of owners/past owners/possible owners of this car. it's easy to seem like there are all kinds of problems when it is a very very small % of the total vehicles in the market.

[Flip-Side]

Quote, originally posted by mkaresh »Very informative set of repair histories. One thing to realize is that forums like this one can make problems seem more common than they actually are. True, but I've been on this forum from the start. so I know most of what there is to know about the vibe's flaws.Sorry for the late reply guys and gals.I am a conservative driver as well as my wife, so we didn't break the trans from bad driving habits. I've had amsoil synthetic in the vibe since 6 months into ownership. I wax/polished twice a year (until the last one), so I tried to save the paint. If anything I tried to maintain it too well, and should have stuck with, "if it ain't broke don't fix it". I just got one that has the hiccups, but I have no hard feelings.

[ColonelPanic]

Quote, originally posted by Flip-Side »True, but I've been on this forum from the start. so I know most of what there is to know about the vibe's flaws.Yeah, really... paint, broken window mechanisms which sometimes lead to shattered glass, transmissions, water leaks, catalytic converters/ engine computers having to be replaced, engines not starting, crappy radios, weak A/C, etc. etc. etc.While not every car has had these problems, we've seen enough of them to notice a wee bit of a pattern! Sure, we don't hear from the majority of owners. However, we don't know how their car is treating them. They can be driving along happily ever after and not needing to seek out assistance on the 'net... But just because they aren't online doesn't mean they're not having problems. For all we know someone could be out there right now cussing NUMMI's horrible paint job and we'll never know it since they don't come here to complain about it.