GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Hi guys, long long long time occasional visitor here that would love some honest feedback.

My wife has had a 2004 Pontiac Vibe (4 cylinder but not the base model) with automatic transmission since May of 2004. Overall it's been a pretty solid car. Since hitting the 100K mark some things have been going wrong (which I guess is expected in most vehicles.)

At 106K there was a problem with the emissions system, cat, O2 sensors etc. Dealership fixed it, if I recall it was about $1200.
Now at 126K the AC is gone. Compressor has stopped working. Quote from a local shop we like is $1475 for a new compressor, receiver drier, condenser, and a flush.

We would probably be happy to fix it if we knew that it would be good for another 30K miles with the regular maintenance. What I wanted to ask is what kind of problems are common at this age/mileage? Is there anything that's a known issue?

Of course, on KBB the value of the car is only about $3000 trade-in value in a fair condition. More likely I would imagine it's worth much less than that. Broken AC, cracked windshield (which would be ~$225 to fix before inspection), softball size dent on passenger side rear quarter panel, and cosmetic scrapes on the drivers side rear wheel well clading.)

Should I anticipate more costly repairs every few months? Should I get out now while I can?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Welcome on officially joining! I know these cars have really good reliability, especially past 100K as many members have way more mileage than you do with minimal problems. So do you know exactly why the AC is not working? Is the compressor actually trash, or could it be something simple like a relay or clutch coil and they are just milking it for a max repair bill? I would probably get a few other estimates before forking over that much to repair it. And why would it need a new condenser too? Was it damaged somehow, or is it leaking? Now if the compressor grenaded, I could see them wanting to replace it, but otherwise, I would question it.

SuperGLS wrote:Hi guys, long long long time occasional visitor here that would love some honest feedback.

My wife has had a 2004 Pontiac Vibe (4 cylinder but not the base model) with automatic transmission since May of 2004. Overall it's been a pretty solid car. Since hitting the 100K mark some things have been going wrong (which I guess is expected in most vehicles.)

At 106K there was a problem with the emissions system, cat, O2 sensors etc. Dealership fixed it, if I recall it was about $1200.
Now at 126K the AC is gone. Compressor has stopped working. Quote from a local shop we like is $1475 for a new compressor, receiver drier, condenser, and a flush.Should I anticipate more costly repairs every few months? Should I get out now while I can?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Take it to another A/C speciallty shop. Not your local "we fix everything" shop.
I bet your AC died a slow death before it stopped working. Getting weaker and weaker.
I bet there is a very slow leak.
I know that most GM vehicles will not let the compressor do it's work if the "freon" pressure gets too low.
I imagine it is an industry standard.
For $100 or less, I would roll the dice and just have them evacuate and refill the system with "freon".

I have done that on three other of my vehicles over the past 10 years and they all worked again for at least two more years.

DoubleO7 wrote: For $100 or less, I would roll the dice and just have them evacuate and refill the system with "freon".

Welcome to this great site. Update your profile showing your location and I bet someone here can ( and will) recommend a shop near your residence. A/C work is a big part of my job (mainly large commercial) and this past winter I stocked up on R-134A knowing that some friends of mine may need me to rescue them. Got a 30 lb. can for $129.00. I'm sure the price is much more than that now AND I'm sure the mark-up at local shops is 500% or more. When you figure the average car only uses 24-28 oz. for a full charge, this 30 lb can will charge 15-20 cars. That's a cost of only $7.00 -$9.00 per car. Get more than one second opinion. Also keep the Vibe for as long as you can. Keep visiting this site and educate yourself even more. Again KEEP the Vibe

Hi and Welcome.

I should have mentioned we already tried adding more refrigerant and that wasn't the problem. I was told that in order to keep the warranty on the new replacement compressor the receiver drier and condenser had to be replaced at the same time.

I live in Washington DC. I'll update my profile.

Carmax told us they'd give us $3000 for it today, even with the problems.

Anyhow, there must be some common problems (big or small) that happen. Yes? No?

SuperGLS wrote: I was told that in order to keep the warranty on the new replacement compressor the receiver drier and condenser had to be replaced at the same time.

Not sure how familiar you are with A/C systems but I'll briefly explain to you a few things. Unless your condenser is damaged or plugged (can't breathe) then leave it alone. I've never heard of any warranty being stipulating on the replacement of that component. As far as the receiver/drier, you would only need to replace this if the system became contaminated (water, or other non-condensables). Assuming whoever changed out the compressor did it in a clean shop/environment, then your receiver/drier will be fine. Automotive compressors do not have internal motors like household & commercial A/C systems do, so the drier component is not as critical. Thus the "belt drive" motor to spin them. OK, so that is two components that really do not need replacement. It sounds like there is a substantial leak somewhere and that needs to be found before proceeding any further. Thanks for the info on your location. A bit too far for me to help you out here BUT others may chime in and offer suggestions. That $$$ seems low for a "quick sale" but then that is how they make their $$$. They'd fix the few things for next to nothing and sell it for $5500- $6000 easy. Keep it and attempt to get these things fixed

I've heard of replacing the receiver/dryer with a new compressor to keep the warranty before, but never the condenser. That is the "radiator" in the front of the car and like tpollauf said, should not need replacing unless damaged. I would tend to agree and get it fixed. Afterall, when was the last big repair? If it was over a year ago, this AC repair would amount to less than $100 a month. Much cheaper than a new car payment, but if you want a newer car, that is your option. Good luck on it!

take the vehicle to a dealership for proper a/c diagnosis. only pay for the diagnosis and make sure they explain what, where, and how your a/c isn't blowing cold, request them to show you what is wrong on your car WITH your car. joe mechanic in the corner shop is looking out for only himself; his labor rate may be less, but they'll make that up elsewhere, ie unnecessary components not needed to fluff up the repair estimate.

i've seen plenty of aftermarket shoppes quoting EVAPORATOR replacement when a customer is concerned that their a/c isn't working. i have yet to witness an actual FAILURE of the evaporator core. i'm wondering why your shop doesn't want to do an evaporator, maybe its because the whole dash needs to come out....sounds like they'd rather tackle the easier parts underneath the hood!!

this is prime season for a/c concerns, so shoppes are trying to milk as much out of everyone as they can. supply and demand; the demand is there...

return to the shoppe and ask them what exactly is wrong w the compressor to warrant replacement. ask them the same for the rest of the parts.

the low pressure switch will stop the compressor from coming on when there isn't enough r134 in the system. this is to prevent internal failure of the compressor because compressor oil flows w the refrigerant. if there isn't enough r134 then the oil wont be circulated. make sure you're not just low on r134. recover, vacuum and recharge properly, don't bother using the DIY kits found at auto parts places