Almost 50,000 on the clock...my thoughts

[Mcwrench]

Greetings all. I bought my 2009 AWD on August 2008 and I am quickly approaching the 50,000km mark. I thought that I should share my observations about this car.First of all, we'll talk about the driver...I'm a very qualified automotive technician with 20 years experience - mostly on General Motors products but I am also competent with many of the Asian products on the roads in Canada. I believe that preventative maintenance is key to longevity of a motor vehicle, and I spare no expense in that regard with any of my vehicles. I am a non-aggressive driver, however, my cruising speed is around the 125km/h mark. I commute 190km highway miles round trip every weekday.Okay, now onto the car. Over the course of ownership, I have had the car in for warranty repairs five times for the following reasons:1) B-pillar molding loose. This has been repaired twice now. If you're not careful getting into the car, and your *** hits the molding...it will pop off. They use an interference fit between the weatherstrip and flimsy tabs on the molding in order to secure said molding in place. It's flopping around now...I guess it's normal.2) A/C not cold enough. A leaky seal at the evaporator.3) Vibration at 100km/h. 4 wheels balanced.4) Whistling noise over 50% throttle. Restriction in muffler...muffler replaced.5) Clicking sensation when depressing brake pedal. Was told it's the switch and I have to live with it.6) Volume knob spins, does not do anything. Replaced Stereo.7) D/S power window motor noisy. Replaced P/W regulator.8) L/F speaker inop, R/F buzzing. Replaced speakers...lol...9) Vibration at idle, feel through floor and steering wheel, especially noticeable when A/C compressor is activated, and lots of accessories are on. I've had this looked at 3 times now. They've flushed injectors, jerked me around, "retorqued" motor mounts. Now I'm told that they are all like that, and my car is as good as it gets...sigh.10) Coolant smell after highway drive, hot day. They've supposedly tightened clamps...which are spring clamps, not the gear clamp variety. Still not fixed.All in all, this car is a turd and I regret not buying the Impreza...or worse yet a Patriot...lol. What's more: The fuel mileage is very poor at 10.5L/100km...my 2007 Equinox FWD with 3.4L gets 9L/100 with four passengers. Maybe I have a lemon. Maybe there are others with the same grief I've been experiencing. I pray for a deerstrike...

[vibolista]

Ouch! Looks like it might be a lemon. I bought an '08 in Jan 08 and have not had a single issue with the car so far. Don't have that big a commute though and not that many miles... but from what I've read here on this forum, the car is a solid, reliable performer. All wheel drive costs gas mileage (kilometrage?) My little front wheel drive Vibe gets me 35 to 40 mpg... compared to that 22 mpg you are seeing. My comute is only 21 km on rural roads and sedate speeds. Your cruise speed is almost 78 mph, so that may have something to do with the poor fuel efficiency. A Prius or a small diesel car would probably do Ok, but at those speeds, they wouldn't get great mileage, either. What tire pressure do you run on your Vibe?I'm sure that some 09/10 owners will pop in with some experiences. Really sorry to hear you have had so many problems with your car.

[TONY TAT2]

Sounds like my 88 Sunbird I bought new,so many problems I dumped it & bought a Probe. The wife had a 87 Sunbird new ,no problems with that till she totaled it 10 years later.Thats when the got the 97 Olds Acheiva,now she has the 08/G6.

[808 Vibes]

I'm sorry you have had problems. I don't think many of us have though. Mine is an 06 base, with almost 40,000 and have had no problems and just oil changes and balancing/tire rotation. I have driven it kind of hard before, but with my age and now precious cargo, not anymore.

[star_deceiver]

My 09 base Vibe has 14XXXkms. My commute, 20kms round trip 60% city 40% highway. Mileage for said commute 7-8L/100km. The only warranty issue I had was a tear in the back of the passenger seat. http://forums.genvibe.com/zero...63682Things about the car that annoy me.1) Rev-hang2) Despite my protests, the CD player still plays the wifes Backstreet boys cd3)

[lovemyraffe]

It sounds to me like a lemon. I have 81,000 miles on mine, and the only issue I've experienced was last week.

[ou.grizzly]

I was only to put 200 miles on my 09 AWD before it went back to the dealer due to the condensation in the headlights, but I will say this I was lucky to get 200 miles per 9.5 gallons. Now, with that being said. The engine has not broken in and the winter fuel combination is being used now. It is one thing I will be keeping an eye on. But like Viboista mentioned, hauling @ 78 mph will kill the fuel economy, especially with that 2.4 and AWD.

[Silversn95]

We only have 14,xxx on ours as well with no issues so far. The fuel economy can range quite a bit depending on how it is driven. We have had as low as 28mpg on a tank and as high as 38mpg. It will get the lower number if it is all city driving on any given tank but if it is all highway, the upper 30's are not a problem. I'll have to keep an eye on that B pillar trim though. I've hit it more than once getting into the car.

[kowell]

I just crossed 30,000km on my 2009 2.4L FWD and while there are a few annoyances I did not encounter any major problem.- There is a very VERY annoying squeeking noise coming from the passenger seat belt buckle.- There is also a rattling noise coming from somewhere inside a side pillar on the driver side- Last winter I had ice forming inside the door panel, on the window motor.- The plastic dash snap crackles and pop like crazy when it's -40c outside-The gear lever head is always coming looseI usually average a 10L/100km fuel consumption in mix highway and city driving but I am the first one to admit that I am not an economical driver. I bought the 2.4L for it's power, not it's fuel economy. If I compare my vibe to my old V6 maxima, I'd say that fuel economy is much better yet I still have all the passing power I need on the highway.I gotta admit I still have some regrets for the 2008 impreza I checked out before buying.... this thing had a killer AWD system which I would really like right now.

[Kincaid]

Hi Mcwrench! Welcome to Gen Vibe. I've got less than 6k miles on my '09 so my observations mean little. Everything perfect so far. My 2.4L is pretty consistent at about 25 mpg but I am not an economizer and my commute is mostly surface streets.That said, your list of complaints seems annoying but not really that terrible for a car with 50kms on it. I was half expecting you to say that all in all you loved the car despite the problems, not call it a "turd".Anyway, I look forward to continued contributions since you have some special insight, given your occupation.

[jake75]

Comparing MSRP's I think if I needed 4wd a Subaru Forrester might be the model of choice. But if you got that '09 Vibe at a fire sale price as many on here did that makes the Subaru a bit more costly.

[Mcwrench]

Quote, originally posted by vibolista »Your cruise speed is almost 78 mph, so that may have something to do with the poor fuel efficiency. What tire pressure do you run on your Vibe? Yes, I realise that fuel efficiency takes a beating over 100km/h. Nevertheless, the Equinox cruises at that speed as well. Mind you, the Nox's engine is running at 800-1000RPM less at that speed, but it is dumping fuel into two more cylinders. Just for kicks and giggles, I'll run my next tank with the cruise set at 100km/h and see what happens.Right now I have my winter boots on: Firestone Winterforce P205/55R16 on steel rims...the 17" G/Y's are not too good in the snow. Winter tires, unfortunately, are not designed with improved rolling resistance in mind...and the combination of winter fuel is pushing my mileage over 11/100. Quote, originally posted by jake75 »Comparing MSRP's I think if I needed 4wd a Subaru Forrester might be the model of choice. But if you got that '09 Vibe at a fire sale price as many on here did that makes the Subaru a bit more costly. Agreed...although the Impreza was pretty much even on pricing...I did snag a better deal on the Vibe and the 0% financing closed the deal. Quote, originally posted by Kincaid »That said, your list of complaints seems annoying but not really that terrible for a car with 50kms on it. I was half expecting you to say that all in all you loved the car despite the problems, not call it a "turd".Anyway, I look forward to continued contributions since you have some special insight, given your occupation.I should have said ex-tech...I've been off the bench for two years now. I suppose I shouldn't be too hard on the car...some good points:- Freakin' awesome in the snow.- ESC works very well- Gobs o'power- Fold-flat back seats- Sharp lookin' carBut...it's still a turd...lol. Today I spoke with a CSR from GM who responded to an email I sent after the SM at the dealer told me that the condition is normal and there's nothing he can do. The CSR will follow up with the dealer, and probably the DSM...maybe I'll hear from her tomorrow. I'll update as the story progresses.Thank you all for your comments!

[j42.snyder]

My '09 is a FWD auto 2.4, and the worst I've ever managed was just over 10.0L/100 when towing my boat. I was using the "manual" mode keeping it in 4th gear most of that run though. On the next run, I let it do its own thing in Drive, and it dropped to just above 9.With normal driving, the worst I've gotten so far is 8.0 on my last tank - but my cruising speed rarely goes much past about 115km/h - only hitting 120 on occasion. Too many watchful eyes on the speed around here. If I keep the speed closer to 100, I can usually get around 7.4. Record best in the summer was 6.2L/100 on a straight highway run, rarely exceeding 100km/h. I'm running Bridgestone Blizzak WS-60s at 32PSI right now - and didn't find much difference from the factory RSA's. I think the temperature's having much more of an effect than the tires.I've fortunately had none of the issues you've mentioned - although I've always noticed the brake pedal switch noise. I noticed the vibration at idle in both the Vibe I test drove and my own - and considered it normal for a 2.4. The 1.8 idles more quietly and smoothly - but I liked the idea of the extra power and bigger brakes for my towing with the 2.4.As for the coolant smell - is it losing any? I'd suspect condensation from the A/C dripping onto something making the smell if it's not. Especially since it's only in hot weather.I've only got about 26,000km on mine (bought this March), but my brother has about 40,000km on his '09 bought in May of 2008, and he's had no complaints at all to date. Only oil changes. Mine hasn't been into the dealer since new either - knock on wood!Sorry to hear you seem so unhappy with yours. I've heard interesting stories from owners of all different brands over the years though - including Subaru - so don't always assume the grass is greener over there. If you used to be a technician, I'm sure you've seen your share of "unusual" stuff over the years too! Clearly your experience doesn't seem to be typical.Hope your luck changes soon!John

[djkeev]

58,700 miles on my clock. (2007 1.8 auto)Lets see, changed the engine oil multiple times, changed the tranny fluid and screen, ummmmm replaced the air filter.....ummm......took off the crappy factory tires for they were truly crappy (not worn out, just crappy), new wiper blades, added washer fluid, found out if I don't click the sunvisor into the little clip it rattles...................ummmmmmmmmmmmmGosh! I LOVE my Vibe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know you are talking 09/10's but are the earlier bodies that much better?Dave

[Kincaid]

I will have to second the "poor" mpg. But I figure I'm driving around a somewhat unaerodynamic shape (it's taller) and the gearing is more agressive. I do love revving it in second gear - sucker pulls like crazy.My larger 2001 Accord can get 41 mpg on the hwy and I think at 70 mph the RPMs are something like 2700 compared to 3000 in the Vibe.As for wishing for a deer strike, I've wished for similar (in fact, I got such a great deal on the Vibe I wouldn't mind getting a total loss on it as well - then I could plow that money into a last gen Mustang! w00t!A deer strike is dangerous. I'll wish for a crane to fall on it (unoccupied, of course!) so that you can get what you want.

[Vibe2009]

Bought my 09 Vibe 2.4L 5spd in 08 October and currently have about 11600kms.So far, couple of issues:- 5spd auto will surge when downshifting- paint chip in rear hatch- a lot of cracking in cold weather- 10L/kms or more gas mileage~Is not too bad IMO... My girlfriend have a 08 civic and she have a fairly share of problem with her new car (bought in sept 08).