The new love affair!

[runningslow]

Where to start? My name is Josh and I live in central Florida. I began my search for a new car a few weeks ago after my truck decided to leave me and my 6 month old daughter stranded on the side of the road. Last week I pulled the trigger on an '06 Vibe, base model with about 110K miles. Pristine interior and just a few minor exterior blemishes in the bright red paint. I decided to join this forum, because it seemed that everytime I searched for information on the Vibe, Google brought me here.

I love my Vibe.

[trb]

Welcome and congrats on the new Vibe! It should last you a good long time as at 110K it is barely broken in. Do you know if the PCM recall was done? That was the only real issue we've had with my son's Vibe, and his quit on him about a year before the recall, leaving him stranded, but luckily he was only a 1/2 mile away in our neighborhood.

Good luck with it and ask away with any questions you have.

[canadave]

Pics, or it didn't happen

Welcome!

[runningslow]

Welcome and congrats on the new Vibe! It should last you a good long time as at 110K it is barely broken in.

That's the hope. My wife and I also have an '05 Corolla with the same engine that just turned over to 200K. Its been trouble free since we bought it new. We had to replace the 5spd tranny (the day after it 200k...), but that's probably my fault for ignoring some noise it was making. The Vibe has the auto, so that's the one unknown variable for us. Is the auto reliable?

Years ago, My wife and I had been considering the Matrix when we ended up with the Corolla, largely in part to the dealer not having a single Matrix on their lot at the time. When the time came for me to get a new(er) family friendly vehicle, we again were looking at the Matrix.... only we were finding the Vibe to be cheaper, and honestly, I found I liked the styling better. I had never considered buying a Pontiac before, but I know deep down, its really a Toyota.

I'm probably going to install a trailer hitch and get a small utility trailer and I'm going to look into a roof rack for our bikes.... I am going to miss having a truck bed. (A side note: I still have my truck, a '97 Ford Ranger, but its sitting in my garage with a blown head gasket while I decide its fate.)

Do you know if the PCM recall was done? That was the only real issue we've had with my son's Vibe, and his quit on him about a year before the recall, leaving him stranded, but luckily he was only a 1/2 mile away in our neighborhood.

That's actually a good question. I don't know. We had a similar recall notice on the Corolla. Is there any way I can find out?

Good luck with it and ask away with any questions you have.

Will Do! Thanks!

Pics, or it didn't happen

Ask and you shall receive. I get a few more shots later.

[Mazzy21]

She's a beauty! I have no doubt you'll find a true "love affair" with this car. It's versatility is amazing and the great gas mileage and dependability doesn't hurt either!

[vibenvy]

Welcome to GenVibe! Great to hear you're already so in love with your "new" Vibe! Props for posting a picture! That's certainly a very sharp looking Lava Vibe you've got there !

[zythr]

Hi, Welcome. Beautiful color Vibe.

[trb]

The Vibe has the auto, so that's the one unknown variable for us. Is the auto reliable?

Not a lot of problems with them that I've seen, but if the fluid has not been changed, I would look at changing it. The owners manual recommends changing it every 60,000 miles if it has had "severe service" usage. I would probably drain the pan, fill it with ~3 quarts, run it a while, and drain it again to change out most of the fluid just to be safe. Use Toyota T4 fluid. I just drained my son's car at 65K and plan to do it again next time he is in town probably Christmas.

Do you know if the PCM recall was done? That was the only real issue we've had with my son's Vibe, and his quit on him about a year before the recall, leaving him stranded, but luckily he was only a 1/2 mile away in our neighborhood.

That's actually a good question. I don't know. We had a similar recall notice on the Corolla. Is there any way I can find out?

Check with any GM dealer and they can run the VIN number to see if the recall is still outstanding. Or if you want to look up the serial number of the computer, there is a thread on here with the numbers of the recalled PCMs.

[mac99d]

Still got some shine on that vibe...and welcome to the site.

[runningslow]

Not a lot of problems with them that I've seen, but if the fluid has not been changed, I would look at changing it. The owners manual recommends changing it every 60,000 miles if it has had "severe service" usage. I would probably drain the pan, fill it with ~3 quarts, run it a while, and drain it again to change out most of the fluid just to be safe. Use Toyota T4 fluid.

Check with any GM dealer and they can run the VIN number to see if the recall is still outstanding. Or if you want to look up the serial number of the computer, there is a thread on here with the numbers of the recalled PCMs.

Changing out the fluids is definitely on my todo list. Probably this coming weekend. I want to drain the engine oil and the trans fluid and change out the spark plugs, just because I hate not knowing the last time it was done. Are there any recommendations for new plugs?

I'll have find that thread with the recalled PCMS. I'll find the serial on mine and see if I need to pay a GM dealer a visit, or would I be able to take it to Toyota?
EDIT: The PCM part/lot number indicated "no further action required." So, it looks like it was already done or mine wasn't a part of the recall. Either way, good news.

[Adam24303]

Welcome! Glad to see another Vibe owner from Central Florida.

[Salsa Guy]

Welcome to Genvibe!

[Rayven01]

Are there any recommendations for new plugs?.

http://www.amazon.com/NGK-IFR5T11-Laser ... _res_rtr_1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[runningslow]

Are there any recommendations for new plugs?.

http://www.amazon.com/NGK-IFR5T11-Laser ... _res_rtr_1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for that! I'll have to get two sets, since our Corolla is due for new plugs, too. I can't remember what I used the last time.

Two observations I have on my Vibe at this point:
1) The Speedometer is generous. It seems to indicate 3 mph faster than reality as compared to a GPS speedometer app on my phone. In our Corolla, the speedometer matches the same app. Odd. I also made sure that I have the correct factory size tires.
2) The speedometer is hard to read during the day. I can see the big white numbers, but its hard to make out the divisions in the red circle in bright sunlight. Is there a way to turn up the backlight, since the dimmer control has no effect when the headlights are off?