My Vibe...what to do???

[dmitri]

I have had my vibe gt since april of 2003. Ever since the beginning of the summer, I have had many problems. Theres the rattling/creaking from the suspension and crappy interior parts, sh*tty plastic feeling shifter and trans grinds, my motor shakes and sounds like theres alot of stress on it (yes, i have motor mounts, but it used to sound different), and finally my clutch has bene slipping forever. oh yea and the leaky sunroof.really unhappy with pontiac's service, ive given it to 2 dealers for the stupid leaky sunroof, and they still dont fix it. Every time after a hard rain, water shoots out once i start driving and i get wet. Im very unhappy with the way the car has held up in general with quality and performance. No more pontiacs for me. Any ideas what to do with my car? Should i sell it??????? I really want to buy a quality german car in the beginning of the summer.

[nismo]

Well, about the suspension creaking, mine started doing that this summer. In like July. But about the other problems with your ride man, I'm sorry to hear about those problems. I would honestly, sorry to say, either trade it in, or just find a dealership that will actually do something for you.Inder

[JohnC]

Figure out how to test for each problem the dealer fixes, before leaving the dealership test it in front of the service writer. It would be funny if you soaked him with your leaky sun roof. Then do not accept the car back unless it is fixed correctly. I think that there is a communication gap between the service writers and the mechanics in most dealerships; I always talk to the person actually working on my vehicle. The best car I ever owned, I almost got rid of in the first 6 months, it was a first model year and had numerous problems. Eventually the dealer got all fixed and I put on 275K miles with no further problems. Sure am glad I kept it.I believe the Vibe in general is a well built car and it would be worth your while and $$$ to keep it.On the other hand if you are independently wealthy...go for the little two seater Beamer. (Z3 I think) that’s what my wife is planning on for her next car.Good luck

[ragingfish]

Quality German car? YOu know that's an oxymoron, right?Truth is, you can't necessarily fault pontiac because their dealers suck. That being said, you've also heavily modded your car. In addition, this is a Toyota underneath. It really says nothing about Pontiac quality.I've owned nothing but Pontiacs, and don't plan on straying anytime soon...I've had all my service done at Rassas Pontiac in Red Bank...a bit of a drive from East Hanover (just over an hour), and it takes me about an hour to get there, but their service department is well worth it.You could also get ahold of the service manuals and fix some of this yourself...moonroof issue sounds like a clogged drain hose...easy fix...

[simon]

Yeah, I agree with ragingfish. I don't think there is such a thing as a quality German car!!I've got nearly 100,000 kms on my Vibe and love it.With this site you don't need the service manuals as almost evrything you could need to fix has been addressed by the members and there are step by step instructions with pictures on how to do it. Also a lot of the advice here will tell you how to fix a problem without buying the expensive parts from the dealer

[dmitri]

thanks for all your advice.... What do you all reccommend i do about the trans? I think i need new synchros. It shifts kinda sloppy, especially when its cold its hard to get into gears. There isnt the normal grind like youd see on a honda, mine grinds sometiomes before its in gear, like going thru neutral. Is it covered by warranty?