Question about body panels - plastic?

[bluecloud7]

Hello everyone,

I am going to get a newer car soon and thinking about getting a Pontiac Vibe, around model year 2007. My question is about the body panels. Are the lower panels on the 2007 era models plastic like they were on the earlier models? I know they match the color of the car, but I'm not sure if they are metal or plastic. I saw one recently in a parking lot, but couldn't tell by looking at it and I didn't want to tap on it and set off an alarm or something.

Please see attached photo, which is an '07 Vibe.

Are the lower parts of the doors and the rocker panels made out of plastic?

The reason I ask is that I live in an area where they put tons of salt on the road in the winter, and I don't get around to washing my car that often in the winter. So my cars tend to rust out at the bottoms of the doors, around the wheel wells, etc. If I could get a car that had plastic at the bottom, that would be ideal.

Thanks for any help on this.

[KITT222]

Welcome to GenVibe! On all first-gen Vibes (03-08) the lower body cladding is made out of plastic. It is held into the metal fenders and door skins by little plastic clips. Monotone Vibes, like my own or the one you pictured there, have simply painted grey cladding from the factory. So not much to worry about in terms of lower body damage, and it is impossible for the rockers on these cars to rust.... because they too are plastic. The fender flares kinda wrap around the edge of the fender, so little metal is exposed in the fender when you also remember the plastic wheel well liners.

But generally, I wouldn't worry too much about rust on these cars. Mine has been in Snow Country USA its entire nearly 10-year life! From Ohio to Massachusetts, finally to Minnesota, and I don't see a bit of rust on anything body-related, other than where paint was chipped off.

If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask! The Vibe is a highly practical, nearly-unknown car with GREAT potential. You'll love it!

[Derf]

As far as rust, same here, 2005 Vibe in salty Ohio. Car has 184K with lots of interstate travel (tons of salt). Just took the doors apart and serviced the car. The doors and fender wells still have no surface rust. Found a few spots with paint chipped where rust is starting to show, but will touch these up. The previous owner had paid for rubber undercoating at the time of purchase, this has made a huge difference. While looking under the car only found a few bolt heads and exposed frame members that were showing signs of rust but the exhaust, and body were in great shape. The plastic body panels definitely ate a lot of stone and salt. Just check the car over and fix any little nicks in the paint, its the nicks and scratches that will get you as time goes on.

[cptnsolo77]

If you eventually buy a Vibe, buy a monotone. The grey plastic is a real headache to maintain because after years of exposure to the sun they fade & look crappy.

[bluecloud7]

Thanks for answering my questions. I almost forgot about the Vibe when I was making a list of cars to consider. I like the 2007 era ones, but I don't like the body style on the newer ones.

Because of the area I live in, and my job, I really can't get a "foreign" brand car. I prefer to buy American brand cars anyway. GM made some really good 6 and 8 cylinder engines over the years, but for a 4 cylinder I think I'd rather have a Toyota engine...which makes the Vibe all the better.

I'm also considering a Ford Focus, Ford Fusion, or maybe even a V6 mustang. Already have a 4x4 f-150, so I'm not worried about the snow. But I really want a manual transmission, and those seem to be increasingly harder to find. Almost all the vibes I see are automatics. Vibe gets the best gas mileage of the cars I am considering. I don't like the steel wheels with hub caps that most of them have...so if I got one I might have to find some aluminum wheels. The Vibe is probably the best one in terms of not rusting out and looking like crap.

So who can convince me to get the Vibe?

[tpollauf]

Welcome Bluecloud7 to GenVibe I was in a very similar situation as what you're in right now. Rest assured you'd be buying an American car from an American company made in Fremont California out of a UAW plant Don't let the 31% foreign content (all Toyota ) steer you away from a Vibe. If anything it should attract you as this is where the dependability comes from! If I had to guess you're located in Michigan and specifically probably the Flint/Saginaw area ???? Verify my suspicions and update your profile showing your location. Let us know soon WHICH Vibe you ended up getting

[vibenvy]

Welcome to GenVibe! I have a 2009 Vibe GT, but as everyone else has already pointed out, Vibes do not seem to attract body rust like some vehicles do. I don't think I've ever seen a 1st generation (2003-2008) Vibe that had any rust anywhere on the body. Good luck with your search and definitely keep us updated as to whether or not you end up getting a Vibe .

[bluecloud7]

I actually live in northeast Ohio. There aren't any car assembly plants near me, but tons of parts suppliers. And I work in manufacturing myself, so I want to be seen as supporting US manufacturing. Some of my family members have worked for the big 3 and are very against "foreign" cars. I know that a lot of "foreign" cars are made here, and a lot of "American" cars are made in Mexico or South Korea or wherever....but there is still a stigma against the foreign brands here. I could care less about the unions, in fact I would prefer not to buy a UAW car if given a choice, but that isn't really an option, and just politics anyway. I'm pretty sure the Pontiac / Toyota plant in California was UAW (the only UAW Toyota plant, if I recall correctly). I prefer Fords, and I've had better luck with Fords on reliability. Had one Chevy SUV and it was a huge money pit on repairs, however it was 10 years old and did not rust at all. Also had a Pontiac Firebird, the lower body was mostly plastic and didn't rust. The underside (floorboards) had sever rust, though. It was a fun car, but had a lot of issues, especially electrical due to the rust causing bad grounds. Also very expensive to insure as a young driver at the time.

[808 Vibes]

The only rust I've ever seen on a Vibe or Matrix were due to unrepaired dents or roofs that were somehow missing paint.

[Mazzy21]

I'm pretty late to this post but I can also verify the lack of rust on original body parts. I had an '05 base up here in Michigan that never saw rust until it saw it's first accident - where the entire driver's side panels/door were replaced. I had read that after-market/repaired parts were an issue with all cars and I experienced the same thing with my Vibe. Pre-accident no rust, post-accident the rear door handle started to rust. Then I was hit on the other side of the car (Ann Arbor drivers are truly the worst I've ever seen!!!) and the back door handle on the passengers side also started to rust after that whole side was replaced.

so, in looking for a Vibe, I'd say you only real concern regarding rust will be to make sure the car has no accident reports because those replacement parts may not hold up like the original Vibe body.