5 speed bearing noise? Take the poll

[mntn-biker]

Taking a poll to see how many 2003-2006 Vibe 5 speed owners have or have had the infamous transmission bearing noise.Would be curious to know if there is any pending action against Toyota and/or GM to pay for this obvious mfg. defect/design flaw...

[Neouka]

mine just started making the noise a few weeks ago :/Has 192,000 km on it. Wouldn't have ever expected a manual transmission to go this early.

[joatmon]

it is with dejected disbelief I am realizing that the strange noise my 2003 has been making that only happens under load in 4th and 5th gear is probably the tranny going out, again. The first one lasted 80K miles, this one lasted about 140K miles. I should be able to vote twiceas for any action against Toyota or GM, don't hold your breath. Just remember it's a Toyota transmission, proof of the fabled Toyota reliability so many consumers swear by.I told myself if this tranny went out I'd dump the car, now I'm not sure.

[stagwag86]

Been having the noise for at least 20K miles. Just started getting much worse this weekend, so I'm planning to either rebuild it or swap in a 6 speed.

[mntn-biker]

The 6 speed makes the Vibe a lot more fun to drive but it does come at a cost with the mpg's..... I swapped mine out a year ago and don't regret it. The 6 speed makes it feel like I have a faster car but it's still the same old Vibe.

[Bedlam]

mine has started to growl about 5k miles ago. In recent 4-5 weeks though it has gotten louder and is noticeable in all gears now. Push the clutch and noise goes away.started right around 100k miles.

[stagwag86]

Do you track your miles per gallon? What was your drop from 5 speed mpgs to 6 speed mpgs?

[mntn-biker]

Kinda. I lost about 2-3 mpg or so I am guessing. I'm getting about 30mpg (some city and some hiway) give or take but that may be due to my new driving style

[mntn-biker]

That's what mine was doing....

[Bedlam]

the biggest pisser about this is with 110k on the original clutch and drive line, it shifts perfectly, the clutch is still full of life. I have no issues with syncro's or anything other than that foul bearing.I still think it has a lot to do with the Toyota dealer i used in a pinch when i didn't have time for a fluid change before a trip. They way overfilled the transmission. When i pulled the top plug to check the level after the noise started, the fluid rushed out in a full stream. Almost 3/4 of a quart came out before it slowed to a dribble. I wouldn't doubt if the extra fluid in there pressurised the inner workings and caused this damage.

[mntn-biker]

You can try to place the blame on them but in talking to a local trans shop, they see the Toyota 5 speeds in all the time with this many miles on them. I asked about rebuilding the 5 speed and he said the replacement bearing is OEM. He said something about something in the bearing not being metal but some other material causing it to eventually wear prematurely. I mentioned using an aftermarket bearing and he told me all he was able to find was the OEM bearing so he'd be seeing me in another 100k miles. I told him he wouldn't and swapped in a 6 speed from a Corolla for half the cost of a rebuild (at a shop).

[Bedlam]

Quote, originally posted by mntn-biker »You can try to place the blame on them but in talking to a local trans shop, they see the Toyota 5 speeds in all the time with this many miles on them. I asked about rebuilding the 5 speed and he said the replacement bearing is OEM. He said something about something in the bearing not being metal but some other material causing it to eventually wear prematurely. I mentioned using an aftermarket bearing and he told me all he was able to find was the OEM bearing so he'd be seeing me in another 100k miles. I told him he wouldn't and swapped in a 6 speed from a Corolla for half the cost of a rebuild (at a shop).yea, i figured i'll throw it in their lap and see what they do. I know it is an issue though. I already bought another transmission and it is sitting ready to go when i have a free weekend to swap it. The whole deal for parts on a sub 40k trans and new clutch will be under 500$. I'll be keeping the current one and start exploring it on the bench to see if i can fix it or make it better. I plan on running the replacement until it dies as well and if i can fix the current one i can just swap back and forth on my own time and not run up a parts and labor bill.

[stagwag86]

Quote, originally posted by Bedlam »the biggest pisser about this is with 110k on the original clutch and drive line, it shifts perfectly, the clutch is still full of life. I have no issues with syncro's or anything other than that foul bearing.I still think it has a lot to do with the Toyota dealer i used in a pinch when i didn't have time for a fluid change before a trip. They way overfilled the transmission. When i pulled the top plug to check the level after the noise started, the fluid rushed out in a full stream. Almost 3/4 of a quart came out before it slowed to a dribble. I wouldn't doubt if the extra fluid in there pressurised the inner workings and caused this damage.Same thing with me. Other than that bearing noise (I think a growl is an accurate description), the transmission works great. Smooth shifts, and good clutch still. So far, all I've found local to me is a C60 with 70K miles for $700. I plan to check out rebuilt prices too.

[stagwag86]

I ended up replacing my 5 speed this weekend with a 6 speed with 41K miles. The project went pretty well, but the rear motor mount is a bit tricky. New trans seems good so far, it's just more shifting, and I'm getting used to it. I'm not sure I'd try tackling this project again myself; my wife and kids missed me while I was in the garage all weekend.