GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Hey guys...

Hello, new here. I'm at a turning point with my Vibe as it has a few issues that will require some investment, and I've just taken a new job with a longer commute. I know from my past experience (drove an '03 Matrix for 7 years) that the "value" a dealer would assign to it is much less than the life it's got left. I bought it used with 59k miles just over 3 years ago. So I've decided I want to get it back up to speed and continue enjoying it. I'm posting in a few areas about the various issues I have and will appreciate your advice! Be forewarned that I am extremely un-savvy about cars and mechanically inept in general.

A couple of years ago I made the mistake of parking in a grass field for an event and went over a rock I didn't see. When I tried to back up it pulled the underbody shielding apart and left parts shredded and hanging. I trimmed away the shredded parts and used a couple of bungie straps to secure everything, but over time I lost more and more clips and had to trim away more in the wheel wells. The front end plastic is mostly intact, with minimal damage at the very bottom, but with the loose plastic underneath and in the wheel wells, the bumper/fender area recently started pulling loose at the sides at high speeds. I've affixed it with some zip ties and all seems to be holding for now.

At the same time a gap (maybe 2/3 inch at widest) appeared between the top of the grille and the hood. It's now a two person job to release the hood and flip the latch to lift it. I assume that the cross bar that supports the hood latch is warped but I don't see how the rock could've caused that. Has anyone else had this happen?

For my purposes, I'd like to protect the engine and the wheel wells and I'd like the pieces to stay where they're meant to. I am less concerned about the cosmetics for now. I assume I need to replace the shielding under the car but I think the bumper assembly will survive. Does anyone know what kind of costs this would require? Is it something that could be done by an amateur?

Sorry for stupid questions and I appreciate any insights you can give.

Thanks, Aaron

My 06 Matrix was recently written off because the hood latch failed. At 90km/h-55MPH it flipped up and destroyed the grille, hood, windshield, and roof, $4300 CAD of damage! I had no warning this was going to happen, it just did. The car was in an accident with hood latch damage years ago, and I had assumed it was replaced by the insurance company recommended body shop back then. Guess not. So I upgraded to an 09 Vibe, which uses a completely different hood latch design.

So the first thing you should do, at any sign of hood latch trouble, is get the hood latch replaced. They're about $40 USD on RockAuto. You may also need to replace the crossbar on which the hood latch sits if it was bent or damaged.

If you can get the parts you need at a junkyard, then it's do-able by an amateur. But unless you find the same color, you're looking at repainting and requiring the services of a pro body shop. Get a quote from a pro because there may be other damage which you can't see.

I've had the hood fly up on me in an older car - terrifying. Very helpful, thanks!

Take some pics of the underside of the car and the bumper, so maybe we can give you some information. I know most all of the body splash panels under the car and other parts are available fairly cheap on ebay and possibly from other online sources, so I would think you could fix it properly for a few hundred if you don't need a new bumper. That would run about $600 or so for a new bumper cover and paint.

Good luck with it!