GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I have a 2009 Pontiac Vibe 2.4 that has a very noticeable constant vibration that shakes the whole car if going over 70mph. I took it in and they said that one of tires had a busted belt so I put two new tires on the front. Thinking that all my problems had been fixed I got up on the highway and by the time I hit 60mph the vibration was still there! I called my mechanic and he said it may be the CV Shaft. I looked up symptoms of a bad CV Shaft and everything I read complains of growling or grinding sounds and vibration in the steering wheel, neither of which I have noticed in my case. I really don't want to spend a lot of money paying people to "take a guess and replace" when it's not the problem. If you have any ideas can you please help so I can get my car diagnosed and fixed properly....right now I feel like I'm chasing unicorns!!

You need to find a competent mechanic. Not easy, I know. Add your location to your profile. Ask friends and family for a referral to a good mechanic. Beyond that give us a little more information - When, How, Where did this vibration start?, Vehicle history, accidents, etc.?

I bought the car with a clean carfax last September, no accidents or any driving events that would have caused anything to break. I'm the only driver of this car so anything that happens to it I am fully aware of. I dodge potholes and "baby" my car to the fullest extent. I have taken it on long roadtrips quite a few times without ever having a problem. At first there was a chirping noise that I would hear going about 25mph + that started Memorial Day in CO. The car drove fine all the way home to KS without any noticeable concerns besides a chirp from the front driver wheel. The day the chirping stopped was the day the vibration started (18Jun2013). When I took it to the shop they test drove it and discovered that I had a busted belt in the tire, and that my chirping noise was from the wheel cover rubbing against the wheel. I got two new tires and they said that everything should be good to go. As I said before, it's still got heavy vibration and now it's doing it even at lower speeds like 30mph, and progressively gets a lot worse the faster I go. It doesn't pull to one side or the other, alignment is good at all speeds, I don't hear any grinding, or noise when I'm driving or turning, breaks are good, nothing but vibration...and it gets so bad I can't even see out of my rearview mirrors becuase everything is shaking. I'm sure that the Drivetrain is covered under my warranty, but even the service center I took it to couldn't find the problem when I took it in for my window panel recall. I asked them to diagnosis for me and they said they didnt see any problems. I am going to take it in to a new mechanic that my mom referred me to tomorrow to see if they can help, but any suggestions prior to going would be wonderful!!

You may want to look into the following:

1) Lug nut torque - over torqued wheels from impact wrenches can cause problems

2) Poor job balancing the wheels - alloy wheels with stick on weights are difficult to balance. Did you take your Vibe back to the tire place and let them know about the vibration at 60? Ask for Road Force balancing.

3) Rotor warp - are they the original rotors? Did any of the mechanics check for run out?

Good luck!

Thanks I will bring these options up when I take it in tomorrow! I just hope I can get it fixed this weekend because I'm leaving for CO again next Tuesday and I don't want to rent a car!

Chirping is usually a wheel bearing or CV joint. If the car is shaking as badly as you describe it, do not drive it far or fast. I'd keep the speed below the shake if possible and drive it only to the new mechanic. It sounds like you could lose a wheel!

I'm a contract wheel and tire product developement tech for a aftermarket wheel manufacture/ importer. If you feel the car body shake but are not feeling the steering wheel shake it is more likely that the issue is in the rear end of the car. Without going for a test drive I can't really say for sure. You did say that had a Carfax report. Unfortunately infomation in Carfax reports depends a lot on if the info is reported to Carfax. Police and DMV info do make the reports but insurance, bodyshop and garage info is only if they give the info to Carfax . I have seen remanufactered write-off car have clean Carfax reports. I hate to say it another thing to consider is to have a bodyshop or good mechanic inspect the car on a lift for frame repairs and non factory weld lines.