GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Hi guys,I am new to the forum and am interested in buying a Vibe. My only hangup is my concern about transmission trouble. The Vibe does share the same tranny as the Matrix? On the Toyota Matrix Wiki it states that Toyota soon plans to recall the trans on all 2003-07 matrixes because almost all will not exceed 100k. This is alarming and if this is the case I will probably pass on the vibe all together. Does anyone have any more info on this subject. When I search for Vibe transmssion there are indeed a lot of stories of broken vibe trannys

There is a known issue with the transmission. It's a pressure control solenoid. I haven't heard anything about a recall as of yet.

First off, welcome to GenVibe.Second off, here is the language (verbatim) from "Wikipedia" (a trustworthy source, no?):"Toyota soon plan to recall the transmission due to bearing wear too fast, almost no tranmission from 2003 to 2007 will work more than 100k miles."Three problems w/the post: The English is poor (which raises a red flag), the "recall" does not cite a source (which is a violation of Wikipedia) and the statement is complete rubbish. There are many (MANY) people here, on Matrix forums and on Corolla forums (same A/T) that have exceeded 100K miles easily (EASILY) w/out any transmission issues. That said, if you want to utilize Wikipedia to feel better about a major purchase like a car, I can change the Vibe/Matrix/Corolla entries to state the following: "If you buy a Vibe, Matrix or Corolla, you will also win the lottery, marry a supermodel and someday obtain superpowers." It would be just as valid as anything else on Wikipedia.

Link to Wikipedia Matrix Article

Fair enough, I know many of you have exceeded the 100k mark on first gen vibes, however do you think the transmission problem should be a concern when buying one? While the case against wiki may be true, usually when regarding car specs they have factual information. I generally only go there to learn about model year and generation changes anyway however that sentence on the matrix wiki did have me a bit nervous.

Here is some additional reliability info from Consumer Reports that might help you out:

And here is more supporting info from TrueDelta: Owner-reported Vibe Reliability Comparisons.

I looked at the TrueDelta on the site before but thanks for the CR one, I didnt feel like digging through all my old issues or forking over for the auto review book.

After looking at the reliability ratings, I'm sort of wondering what that '06/07 "fuel system" issue is. Anybody know?

Quote, originally posted by noisyvibe »I know many of you have exceeded the 100k mark on first gen vibes, however do you think the transmission problem should be a concern when buying one?I would not be concerned with the transmission problem. Although it does happen, IMO it is not frequent enough to be concerned.

i just recently traded a 2006 vibe, but before i did i took it into the dealer for a new pcm(power control module). i received a recall from gm(toyota), so gm paid the bill. you may want to have your dealer run your vin and see if your vehicle is part of the pcm recall.

I think in Wiki that when you search for Vibe, there should only be one line:genvibe.comBecause this is the ultimate source of info on the car from REAL owners. I heart this place. That being said, let me have a momentary freak out about the 03 major transmission white circle.... K better, glad I know my 03 was serviced to the hilt before I bought it. I'm coming up on 100k and plan on having it flushed. No signs/symptoms here **freak out comes from selling a vehicle that I had to replace tranny in.... stinkin Jeep anyway.** Don't want to do it again.

I think the ECM/PCM falls under the fuel system category. The fuel system category includes check engine lights, sensors (includes o2 sensor), emissions control devices (includes EGR), engine computer, fuel cap, fuel gauge/sender, fuel injection system, fuel pump, fuel leaks, stalling or hesitation.

The only widespread transmission problem is with the 2003 and 2004 5 speed manuals. They are the ones with the bad bearings.I haven't heard anything bad about the autos or 6 speed manuals.That being said, my 2003 5 speed has 120K+ miles and no problems.

Quote, originally posted by sideshowalan »The only widespread transmission problem is with the 2003 and 2004 5 speed manuals. They are the ones with the bad bearings.I haven't heard anything bad about the autos or 6 speed manuals.That being said, my 2003 5 speed has 120K+ miles and no problems.that's all i have heard of and seen as well. The auto's have made it to the 300k mile club and appear to be quite reliable. I run a 5 speed in my 03 base and so far so good over 100k miles. Every car has issues come up in isolated circumstances, just find one with a good service history and that runs well and don't look back.

This is an old post however having all the information as a buyer is important so I'll chime in.My 03 Base Vibe 5 speed began making minor noise at about 115K miles. At that point I did some research and found out the issue could be my transmission. It was clutch time so I replaced that hoping it would solve my issues. Unfortunately it didn't.At 120K miles my transmission failed. I was on the highway when it made a whirring noise followed by the car lurching. I got off the highway to a nasty whining noise in all gears. A mile after that the car wouldn't shift into any gear but reverse.When I bought my car 6 years ago I researched it to death. The transmission issue wasn't known at that time. Or if it was I didn't find it. If I would've known then what I know now the Vibe might not have stayed on my list.I would be very cautious about the 5 speed 1st generation Vibes. Be informed, do your research, save some money and headaches!

Quote, originally posted by Vibican03 »This is an old post however having all the information as a buyer is important so I'll chime in.My 03 Base Vibe 5 speed began making minor noise at about 115K miles. At that point I did some research and found out the issue could be my transmission. It was clutch time so I replaced that hoping it would solve my issues. Unfortunately it didn't.At 120K miles my transmission failed. I was on the highway when it made a whirring noise followed by the car lurching. I got off the highway to a nasty whining noise in all gears. A mile after that the car wouldn't shift into any gear but reverse.When I bought my car 6 years ago I researched it to death. The transmission issue wasn't known at that time. Or if it was I didn't find it. If I would've known then what I know now the Vibe might not have stayed on my list.I would be very cautious about the 5 speed 1st generation Vibes. Be informed, do your research, save some money and headaches! The bearings tend to fail on the 03 5-spd transmissions. Maybe 04, but 05+, they're good.