GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I'm REALLY disappointed by today's news. At least, I was pretty sure that the Vibe would continue as a Chevy or something. Now, it's completely dead...If I had known, I would have bought the Matrix...I feel like a complete sucker, even though I love the car so far.I was planning on keeping my 2009 Vibe at least 10 years. What will happen with the different parts when I'll need to replace some? I know they'll surely say that the parts will still be made, but what will happen in 8 or 9 years, with the brand long gone? Will we have to wait months to get a specific part not for the Vibe (not available by Toyota)? Will they be overpriced, as it won't be a "mass" product? What about the value of the Vibes in a few years? Noone will be willing to buy these cars, with the brand dead...Damn, that REALLY sucks bad....

go to toyota.. it's the same mechanics and it will be cheaper for parts there anyways

Quote, originally posted by keithvibe »go to toyota.. it's the same mechanics and it will be cheaper for parts there anywaysI know but still, there are many parts (save for the engine) that are specifically "GM" that won't be available at Toyota dealers.

I read this book in grade school and the Vibe owner ran around screaming the sky is falling the sky is falling. There are only a few GM only parts on the Vibe and GM is not going under(well not yet), Pontiac is, and they make all the spare parts along with the assembled vehicles. and short of you getting in an accident between now and 10 years from now, you are more than likely not gonna need any parts anyway. The Motor is used across atleast 4 different model lines. In 10 years when you decide to sell, someone will buy it because, it does what they need it to do and it will be priced at what they want to pay. It will be a used car with an American Brand that used to exsist and they aren't gonna worry about parts availability and once you sell it that is no longer your problem. In 10 years Pontiac may be the brand that was only down and out for a year, who knows? I think the concern is justified but I really think its a non issue. Toyota is also in financial straits and could easily drop the Matrix line as well since now there won't be the extra income from the Vibe parts. I don't get why you feel like a sucker, did you pay too much? is it suddenly a POS car? It is everything you bought it for and it still has the warranty and as with nearly everyone on here it will function trouble free well past the warranty. Relax kick back, breathe deep, take a chill pill, I'm certain you have real issues in your life, this is not something you should be worrying about.

I know its a long shot but hopefully they have a clearance on touch up paint I think we could all use it

Quote, originally posted by sk8r78 »I read this book in grade school and the Vibe owner ran around screaming the sky is falling the sky is falling. There are only a few GM only parts on the Vibe and GM is not going under(well not yet), Pontiac is, and they make all the spare parts along with the assembled vehicles. and short of you getting in an accident between now and 10 years from now, you are more than likely not gonna need any parts anyway. The Motor is used across atleast 4 different model lines. In 10 years when you decide to sell, someone will buy it because, it does what they need it to do and it will be priced at what they want to pay. It will be a used car with an American Brand that used to exsist and they aren't gonna worry about parts availability and once you sell it that is no longer your problem. In 10 years Pontiac may be the brand that was only down and out for a year, who knows? I think the concern is justified but I really think its a non issue. Toyota is also in financial straits and could easily drop the Matrix line as well since now there won't be the extra income from the Vibe parts. I don't get why you feel like a sucker, did you pay too much? is it suddenly a POS car? It is everything you bought it for and it still has the warranty and as with nearly everyone on here it will function trouble free well past the warranty. Relax kick back, breathe deep, take a chill pill, I'm certain you have real issues in your like, this is not something you should be worrying about. Amen brother! I think there are a lot more important things that are going to happen in the next 5-10 years than the demise of Pontiac. It is just interesting to see the decisions being made by people who are paid a lot more than I ever made for their "smarts".

We're keeping both Vibes many years, which is good because after that I won't know what to buy since I'd never buy a Buick, Saturn, GMC, Cadillac, etc. So I'm not too worried about the parts situation, since when you think about it, there are a lot of Oldsmobiles still on the road. I'm more concerned about the extended warranty that Frosty has. Who is going to honor that when the time comes something happens?

Warranties should be handled by GM.The only real problem I see is getting replacement body parts. My 09 was wrecked a few months ago and needed both passenger side doors replaced. It took almost a month for the parts to arrive and they shipped straight from the supplier--meaning there is no inventory. Since the body panels are completely different than the matrix, i would think that this is one thing that we cant count on it being a toyota underneath the covers will not help with.

I'm going to start selling conversion kits to make your cars appear to be a Toyota Matrix. This will help increase resale. The kit will include:(FYI don't take this the wrong way, I am tryin to be light hearted and give you guys a smile)Kit I-Body colored caps for the roof rack removal.-Toyota emblems-Matrix emblems w/ 4WD or XRS depending on the model-Toyota center caps for the wheels-9003 to 9006 low beam conversion-Toyota steering wheel emblem-Matrix floor mats-Toyota key chain w/ Toyota sticker for your key and remote!Kit II (includes Kit I plus)-base model 16" alloy Matrix wheel-GT models will get 17" XRS alloys-Toyota VVT-i / VVTL-i engine cover-Matrix rear cargo mat-Toyota Matrix Owner's ManualKit III (all above plus) It's the Ulitmate Conversion-Custom fit body colored front and rear fenders (w/ optional skirts)-Custom toyota style grille inserts-05+ will get the Toyota factory head unit-Factory Color Toyota Matrix Paint job

I guess since I havent taken my vibe in for the power window recall, this would be a good time huh? Lol......

Better give them some notice, so they can order the boltz from Toyota lol

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/0...model/Quote, originally posted by Autoblog »There are a lot of questions left unanswered after General Motors announcement this morning that its Pontiac division was not long for this world. One of those is what will happen to GM's joint venture agreement with Toyota to produce models at the New United Motor Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) facility in California. The Pontiac Vibe is currently produced there along with the Toyota Matrix, its platform mate. GM has stated that it's already negotiating with Toyota to produce a new model at NUMMI that would be sold under one of the automaker's remaining four brands – Chevy, Buick, Cadillac or GMC.Pontiac spokesman Jim Hopson told Automotive News, "There's really nothing wrong with the Vibe. Its only problem right now is that it is a Pontiac." The Vibe, a tall five-door hatchback, could simply be rebadged a Chevy to keep development costs down, though selling such a model in bow tie dealerships could cannibalize sales of the HHR, which itself is scheduled to be replaced in 2011 by a production version of the Orlando Concept. Or, GM could simply start fresh and develop an all new model off of the Corolla-derived platform that underpins the current Matrix and Vibe. As with all things GM at the moment, nothing is firm and more details (and rumors) will surely follow.Check out our own review of the 2009 Pontiac Vibe.Most (including the autoblog artical above) think the Vibe will become a Chevrolet. However, the Chevrolet dealers already have more than enough small cars.So I'm leaning more to Buick. The Buick/GMC dealers that are left will need a small car. A bumper revision, and hopefully some upgraded interior accents would make it a good base model Buick.

Quote, originally posted by cptnsolo77 »I guess since I havent taken my vibe in for the power window recall, this would be a good time huh? Lol......? Their is a power window recall?

Yep for all 2003 model years. I recieved the notice one year ago. I havent made the appt yet. The window regulator bolts have to be replaced becuase they can eventually loosen and may shatter the glass during operation. Not sure if it applies to other year models. im sure there is a way to find out.

The Vibe could very easily become a Buick with some small tweaks.As for GMC, it would be a very odd pairing given their current lineup to suddenly throw in a small 5 door with the next model up being the Envoy. The HHR is already scheduled to be replaced? What a joke, they can't keep a name for more than a generation nowadays. Cobalt to be the Cruze as well. And throwing a bow-tie and still calling it the Vibe would not work. I am not a fan of cross association. (Think GMC Suburban and Chevy Suburban).Look on the bright side. Maybe they will step up and offer an SS version of the Vibe (or whatever it's called in the future). Offering more than just a 2.4L with no additional power to boot. Think of it. A Eco-Tec powered Vibe with a turbo producing 260hp would be pretty fun.

Quote, originally posted by Whelan »As for GMC, it would be a very odd pairing given their current lineup to suddenly throw in a small 5 door with the next model up being the Envoy. Um, no... The Envoy is gone... As are all of the other clones sold under the brands of Chevrolet/Saab/Isuzu/and at one time, Buick. And the plant that built them closed back in December. Next step up in the GMC lineup is now their Equinox knockoff (which for all intents and purposes replaced the Torrent.)

Great to have the forums back up, but truly sucks to hear the news about Pontiac.I honestly think that had I known this were to happen, or if it had happened before I bought my Vibe, I may not have purchased it all (unless they had crazy discounts).As long as parts are plentiful and my warranty will be honored, I'm okay with it - but it still sucks!

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic »Next step up in the GMC lineup is now their Equinox knockoff (which for all intents and purposes replaced the Torrent.)That is the Terrain! So there would be room for a small crossover.

Quote, originally posted by cptnsolo77 »Yep for all 2003 model years...lol! There's more than one?

Quote, originally posted by Eloi »I'm REALLY disappointed by today's news. At least, I was pretty sure that the Vibe would continue as a Chevy or something. Now, it's completely dead...If I had known, I would have bought the Matrix...I feel like a complete sucker, even though I love the car so far.I was planning on keeping my 2009 Vibe at least 10 years. What will happen with the different parts when I'll need to replace some? I know they'll surely say that the parts will still be made, but what will happen in 8 or 9 years, with the brand long gone? Will we have to wait months to get a specific part not for the Vibe (not available by Toyota)? Will they be overpriced, as it won't be a "mass" product? What about the value of the Vibes in a few years? Noone will be willing to buy these cars, with the brand dead...Damn, that REALLY sucks bad....As others have said, parts won't be a problem.But GM can't expect to kill brands and still retain past customers. Many will feel like suckers. This is not a smart move.

GM has too many brands. It sucks, but they needed to get rid of something otherwise their would be no GM at all.

Pontiacs have been a part of my family as long as I can remember. My 1st recollection is my dad's 69 GTO called the "The Judge", bright orange, tach on the hood, burned high test. He also owned a 74 Trans AM - beautiful car, 455ci - had it for years with less than 20k miles. I've owned 3 Pontiacs:88 Grand Am97 Grand Prix04 Vibe (current)Loved them all, hate to see Pontiac go. Guess I just keep driviing the Vibe as long as I can.

My uncle restored an old Goat exactly like that one! 455/4-speed. He had to sell it to get his kids into college. Got to drive it once and it sure was fast... Didn't handle all that great though.

Quote, originally posted by mkaresh »As others have said, parts won't be a problem.But GM can't expect to kill brands and still retain past customers. Many will feel like suckers. This is not a smart move.I totally disagree. Parts WILL be a problem. If you don't believe me, try getting interior trim for a 2004 Olds. Try getting a lower dash pad for a 2004 Chevy SSR. We're talking 5 year old cars here that GM doesn't give a DAMN about. I still have 2 of the SSR dash pads on order for warranty customers (for over 2 YEARS now. GM won't tell the people they never intend to build the part, just that they are waiting for enough orders to get a contract to build the parts.)

Don't expect a Vibe SS - Chevy has killed that program.

Which Olds?The SSR was very low volume, I'm not surprised by that one.The Vibe should be easier, since they made quite a few of them.

People, people, calm down... For all of you who are saying "I never would have bought it in the first place," you are crazy... There is a reason you bought it in the first place, it is a great car with a great reputation. I've only had my Vibe for 2 weeks and I'm happy I was able to get one before there are no more. The Vibe won't die right away, the brand will be around through 2010 and NUMMI will keep producing the Vibe for likely a bit more than a year. If you are worried about parts 10 years from now, I don't think you will have a problem, there are many of these cars on the road right now, and in 10 years you'll likely be able to find some in yards that are doling out parts. Also, as many have already said, a large chunk of them come right from Toyota...And for you people saying "GM 5ucks, I'll never buy one of their cars again," I beg you to reconsider. Yes GM is having issues right now, so is EVERYONE else. The reason they are so centralized on SUVs at the current time is because that is what the people wanted. If you don't build what people want, you don't sell anything. They learned from their mistake and have been (and are) working hard to fix their mistakes. GM has a great lineup in the mix for the future and they will be there for you. People are so centralized on what they have done in the past that forget to see what great products they are coming out with now and in the future.

Here's an email I received from Pontiac tonight, fwiw:Dear James,I wanted you to hear directly from General Motors about an importantannouncement we made recently to phase out the Pontiac brand by year end 2010. As a Pontiac owner, you are part of a rich heritage and tradition that had its inception back in 1926. Pontiac has some of the best-looking, best-driving and best-engineered cars in the U.S., and this was a particularly difficult business decision for us to make.As a valued Pontiac and General Motors customer, I want to assure you that we are very sensitive to your concerns and needs. Pontiac will continue in operation through the end of 2010 and, following that date, you will continue to be able to receive service on your Pontiac vehicle at any Buick-Pontiac-GMC Dealer. Your Pontiac vehicle warranty coverage is unchanged. Please refer to your vehicle warranty booklet for specific details on your vehicle's coverage.As GM reinvents itself for you and our future customers, we want to thank you for your business. We will work hard to keep you in our family, providing some of the finest quality vehicles in the world.If you have any concerns or questions, please feel free to call our Pontiac Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-762-2737.Sincerely,Susan E. DochertyNorth American Vice PresidentBuick-Pontiac-GMC

It probably is a bit hasty for all of us to say "screw you, GM," and I am sure in time we'll feel differently.But, like a long-term relationship that ends abruptly, we all have a right to be pissed off - for now.

I got the same letter. We must be special.

Heck, I said "screw you, GM" 3 years ago. (But in all fairness, I also said "screw you, TOYOTA.") lol!

Yes, I also got that email.As a sidenote I also happen to own a 2000 Chevy Metro which GM stopped producing in 2001. It is quite hard to find parts for it now. Anything more mundane which you can get at your local auto parts store are now special order although there is no extra charge for the special order you may have to wait a few days to get it. The dealer price on parts is crazy and almost always is a special order. They pretty much have no interest in supporing an obsolete car plus it is not a common car around here.The only good thing is that since it is a clone of the Suzuki Swift some things are available much cheaper at the Suzuki delaership. Eg - I recently needed a boot for the steering rack. $50 at the Suzuki delaership. Around $170 at Chevy.So I think people are right to be concerned about this although since a lot of the car is Toyota hopefully there will be no issue getting parts for the powertrain and other Toyota specific parts in the Vibe

I would theroize that the circumstances surrounding Pontiac's demise are MUCH different than the demise of Geo. Meaning, Pontiac is being put to sleep to save the company.

Quote, originally posted by tnpartsguy »I totally disagree. Parts WILL be a problem. If you don't believe me, try getting interior trim for a 2004 Olds. Try getting a lower dash pad for a 2004 Chevy SSR. We're talking 5 year old cars here that GM doesn't give a DAMN about. I still have 2 of the SSR dash pads on order for warranty customers (for over 2 YEARS now. GM won't tell the people they never intend to build the part, just that they are waiting for enough orders to get a contract to build the parts.)What you wrote is exactly what I had in mind when I started this topic. This is what I fear about the parts...The engine parts won't be a problem cause it's Toyota stuff, but I sure hope I won't crash my Vibe in 6 or 7 years cause I'm sure there are body parts that will be hard to get (or will take a long time).

Quote, originally posted by whytea »I know its a long shot but hopefully they have a clearance on touch up paint I think we could all use itToo funny may feelings exactly worst paint ever!

When I was looking for a car back in late ought two, I stopped at a local Daewoo dealer, just to see what they had, but they didn't have any Daewoo vehicles. Sales guy there said that Daewoo had stopped selling their brand of cars in the US a while back, but they had to keep a place open to service them and sell parts for them. That Daewoo place is still there, selling used cars and fixing Daewoos. I'm not worried about support for the Vibe. There's always this place

Quote, originally posted by michaelgt »That is the Terrain! So there would be room for a small crossover.Its more like baby Acadia

Dear friends,

My PT cruiser has been flooded, and I have been considering the Vibe as a replacement. I'm wondering how you would describe the situation in getting parts when in need. I'm a little concerned about that, and I'm wondering how dumb is to buy a car whose brand is being killed. However, the Vibe seems to get great reviews, great mileage, and more.
Thoughts?

Thanks

siddharta1979 wrote:Dear friends,

My PT cruiser has been flooded, and I have been considering the Vibe as a replacement. I'm wondering how you would describe the situation in getting parts when in need. I'm a little concerned about that, and I'm wondering how dumb is to buy a car whose brand is being killed. However, the Vibe seems to get great reviews, great mileage, and more.
Thoughts?

Thanks

I'll let others speak to the parts availability question, but I can tell you a couple of things. First, it's not a brand that "is being killed"--it HAS been killed, and has been dead for three years now. Second, my wife and I didn't let that fact stop us from buying a Vibe a few days ago.

One thing I noticed--all the Vibes being sold on our local online classifieds site had 250,000km, 300,000km. Clearly, they last. They work. Their mechanical guts are Toyota, so that's unsurprising to me. We didn't worry too much about the parts availability issue--(a) the car from all accounts is very inexpensive to maintain, and (b) I'm sure that with few exceptions, most parts will continue to be available for some time, as there are a LOT of Vibes running around (at least in my neck of the woods). Plus, I would imagine there aren't too many fully proprietary parts--plenty of things like springs, bushings, etc have third-party equivalents that one could turn to in a pinch. So...we're not too worried.

On the plus side, the fact that Pontiac is no longer around means that it should be easier/cheaper to buy one

siddharta1979 wrote:Dear friends,

My PT cruiser has been flooded, and I have been considering the Vibe as a replacement. I'm wondering how you would describe the situation in getting parts when in need. I'm a little concerned about that, and I'm wondering how dumb is to buy a car whose brand is being killed. However, the Vibe seems to get great reviews, great mileage, and more.
Thoughts?

Thanks

Sure, look elsewhere. Many dealers don't even have Vibes to sell, and when they do, they sit long enough that the dealers have to cut prices (or send them to auction) to get them off the lot. By the way, some dealers have redone their dealerships removing the Pontiac name all together.

canadave wrote:

siddharta1979 wrote:Dear friends,

My PT cruiser has been flooded, and I have been considering the Vibe as a replacement. I'm wondering how you would describe the situation in getting parts when in need. I'm a little concerned about that, and I'm wondering how dumb is to buy a car whose brand is being killed. However, the Vibe seems to get great reviews, great mileage, and more.
Thoughts?

Thanks

I'll let others speak to the parts availability question, but I can tell you a couple of things. First, it's not a brand that "is being killed"--it HAS been killed, and has been dead for three years now. Second, my wife and I didn't let that fact stop us from buying a Vibe a few days ago.

One thing I noticed--all the Vibes being sold on our local online classifieds site had 250,000km, 300,000km. Clearly, they last. They work. Their mechanical guts are Toyota, so that's unsurprising to me. We didn't worry too much about the parts availability issue--(a) the car from all accounts is very inexpensive to maintain, and (b) I'm sure that with few exceptions, most parts will continue to be available for some time, as there are a LOT of Vibes running around (at least in my neck of the woods). Plus, I would imagine there aren't too many fully proprietary parts--plenty of things like springs, bushings, etc have third-party equivalents that one could turn to in a pinch. So...we're not too worried.

On the plus side, the fact that Pontiac is no longer around means that it should be easier/cheaper to buy one

True, unless the owner wants to sell/trade.

I wonder what steps GM has taken to protect their PONTIAC Trademark. If a TM owner abandons a trademark someone else can jump in and claim it. Of course GM would no doubt drown you in legal fees if you tried.

I wonder what steps GM has taken to protect their PONTIAC Trademark. If a TM owner abandons a trademark someone else can jump in and claim it. Of course GM would no doubt drown you in legal fees if you tried.

jake75 wrote:I wonder what steps GM has taken to protect their PONTIAC Trademark. If a TM owner abandons a trademark someone else can jump in and claim it. Of course GM would no doubt drown you in legal fees if you tried.

Not much, probably. GM has "divested" everything that was Pontiac, just like they did with Olds, Saturn and Hummer.

zythr wrote:

jake75 wrote:I wonder what steps GM has taken to protect their PONTIAC Trademark. If a TM owner abandons a trademark someone else can jump in and claim it. Of course GM would no doubt drown you in legal fees if you tried.

Not much, probably. GM has "divested" everything that was Pontiac, just like they did with Olds, Saturn and Hummer.

Not true, actually. Pontiac was the only one they didn't let fall to the wayside like Oldsmobile, Saturn, and Hummer. They could bring back the brand if they are inclined to do so.

KITT222 wrote:

zythr wrote:

jake75 wrote:I wonder what steps GM has taken to protect their PONTIAC Trademark. If a TM owner abandons a trademark someone else can jump in and claim it. Of course GM would no doubt drown you in legal fees if you tried.

Not much, probably. GM has "divested" everything that was Pontiac, just like they did with Olds, Saturn and Hummer.

Not true, actually. Pontiac was the only one they didn't let fall to the wayside like Oldsmobile, Saturn, and Hummer. They could bring back the brand if they are inclined to do so.

True, but highly unlikely Pontiac is ever coming back

zythr wrote:

jake75 wrote:I wonder what steps GM has taken to protect their PONTIAC Trademark. If a TM owner abandons a trademark someone else can jump in and claim it. Of course GM would no doubt drown you in legal fees if you tried.

Not much, probably. GM has "divested" everything that was Pontiac, just like they did with Olds, Saturn and Hummer.

I would be very, very shocked if GM has not done everything in its power to hang on to the Pontiac trademarks and legal name ownership. In fact, if you go to pontiac.com, there's a whole elaborate page there. The name "Pontiac" alone would be worth a huge amount of money.

canadave wrote:

zythr wrote:

jake75 wrote:I wonder what steps GM has taken to protect their PONTIAC Trademark. If a TM owner abandons a trademark someone else can jump in and claim it. Of course GM would no doubt drown you in legal fees if you tried.

Not much, probably. GM has "divested" everything that was Pontiac, just like they did with Olds, Saturn and Hummer.

I would be very, very shocked if GM has not done everything in its power to hang on to the Pontiac trademarks and legal name ownership. In fact, if you go to pontiac.com, there's a whole elaborate page there. The name "Pontiac" alone would be worth a huge amount of money.

You're probably right. GM could "set aside' some money to be able to keep the name for a while if not longer.

Did a quick search on the USPTMO - here is a trademark application filed on July 13, 2013 - Looks like someone is trying to hijack that mark.

PONTIAC
Goods and Services IC 012. US 019 021 023 031 035 044. G & S: Automotive body kits comprising external structural parts of automobiles; Motor vehicles, namely, automobiles, trucks, vans, sport utility vehicles and structural parts therefor; Motor vehicles, namely, passenger automobiles, their structural parts, trim and badges. FIRST USE: 20130715. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20130715
Standard Characters Claimed
Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number 86011883
Filing Date July 16, 2013
Current Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Owner (APPLICANT) Wintree Corporation CORPORATION FLORIDA fmanzo@appletreecapital.com 5402 W. Brittany Druve McHenry ILLINOIS 60050
Type of Mark TRADEMARK
Register PRINCIPAL