GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

hello all,

i am new from just south of indy. i don't currently own a vibe but i am on the hunt. agter doing much research on next vehicle the vibe is the winner. i am going to look at an 05 in next couple days.

i currently have these that i will be trading..

00 volvo v70 cross country se. awd



and a sweet 02 gmc safari awd..



i do like both vehicles but volvo is more expensive to maintain/repair and van uses more fuel than i care for. hopefully i can strike a deal with stealership.

i love awd vehicles but don't need it in the vibe as when weather is bad i will drive my ol pick up... it will make it,







love that truck!! and when i find my vibe i will report back....

Welcome to the forum!

Can't wait! Take pictures right away.

I took Volvo off the short list for the very reason you mentioned.
You can post on your vehicles in the "The Others" forum. There are open minded folks here.

That GMC is awesome. For some reason, Craigslist has been defaulting me to Indy (I'm in Missouri), so I've accidentally searched around there -- lots of nice cars in the greater Indy area. Hope one of them is your Vibe!

the safari is an awesome vehicle. truth be told it has been the most versatile vehicle i have owned. it can do bout anything. but i just can't make it work as a daily driver at 17mpg!

i was going to look at an 07 base with 107,000 miles wed but turns out the body is in worse shape than i expected, and tires are shot. so... i am going to keep looking.

Welcome! Nice to have a "stable" of vehicles to choose from depending on what you need to do. Most people have to compromise on one or two vehicles. I really enjoy the Vibes for everything except hauling 4x8 sheets of plywood. Not too sure how they would do on the roof rack, so I haven't tried that with whole sheets yet! (But I have hauled them in my hatchback Mustang before!)

Good luck on your search!

trb wrote:Welcome! Nice to have a "stable" of vehicles to choose from depending on what you need to do. Most people have to compromise on one or two vehicles. I really enjoy the Vibes for everything except hauling 4x8 sheets of plywood. Not too sure how they would do on the roof rack, so I haven't tried that with whole sheets yet! (But I have hauled them in my hatchback Mustang before!)

Good luck on your search!

don't think i would try plywood on roof rack, surely would act as a wing! i am keeping my truck so anything i need to pull/haul i will have covered. although the van did that as well. with rear seats removed (easy) 4x8 sheets lay flat! and it has a tow package, so can pull as well! bummed to get rid of it, but don't need 3.

i have located an 04 gt local that looks pretty good. does the gt require premium fuel only?

Premium is not required but the GT won't hit lift with regular.

i am not in a hurry so am gonna pass on that one as well, i would rather find a base model with a manual trans but wont turn down an auto.

bummer though as that one is only 9 miles away!

Just be aware that the manul transmissions on the 03-04 or 05? Vibes are weak. The bearings do fail on them. So unless it has been rebuilt or replaced, often with a 6 speed from a GT, factor that in your decision. That is one reason I went with a GT on my current Vibe since I wanted a manual trans only. I do run Premium, and sometimes Plus (89 octane) as a mix, but I do enjoy the extra "performance"!

so are you saying the 6 speed manual trans in gt is a better trans than the 5 speed manual trans in base model? what kinda fuel mileage do you get? i am tryin to gather as much info as i can get before purchasing.

and i am working my way thru the "everything you need to know" thread, but it is lengthy!

this is the one that is right down street from me...

http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detai ... /overview/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

tpar1220 wrote:so are you saying the 6 speed manual trans in gt is a better trans than the 5 speed manual trans in base model? what kinda fuel mileage do you get? i am tryin to gather as much info as i can get before purchasing.

The 6 speeds are more reliable in the earlier models due to a defect in the 5 speeds.

I personally got my 2003 5 speed to go 180K miles before selling, and I contribute this to 30K mile fluid changes with Redline MT-90 Gear Oil.

There is a MPG hit with the GT models, about the difference between 32MPG and 28MPG but of course it depends on how you drive.
Good luck on your search, I'm in the Mooresville/Camby area of Indy and vibes are all over the place here.

thanks for info. i am just south west of monrovia. i have seen many vibes in the area but only a couple for sale. while in parking lots of stores when i spot a vibe and owner getting in or out i will stop and talk to em. they are usually very stand offish (understandably) at first, but when they see i am genuinely curious about the vehicle they are willing to let me look it over.

tpar1220 wrote:so are you saying the 6 speed manual trans in gt is a better trans than the 5 speed manual trans in base model? what kinda fuel mileage do you get? i am tryin to gather as much info as i can get before purchasing.

Mechanically, yes it is better for durability. I would just be leery of a 100K+ base 03-04 manual trans that had not been touched. Now if it has been maintained with fluid changes like sideshowalan said, it might be OK, but it is something to consider and I would price it accordingly.

FWIW, I get about 28-29 hwy in my GT (65-70+mph), and 24-25 driving to work if I am fairly careful. I got 22 on one tank, but I was into lift a lot that tank! This compares to my son's car (auto) which gets 32-33 hwy and 27-28 on the same drive to work.

Welcome to GenVibe! I look forward to seeing what Vibe you end up with. Definitely be sure and post some pictures for us to enjoy! Good luck with your search !

Welcome to GenVibe Like others here, I look forward to see what you end up with. Another midwesterner here on the forum ..... Great!

I don't know how I feel about trb's GT getting better mileage than my base

hey welcome from another midwesterner

these vibes are the automotive world's best kept secret!

post pics when you find the vibe

will do, still looking...

Welcome. Here you go. (You are lucky to have a large search area and interstate search options.)
http://www.motortrend.com/used_cars/52/ ... ederated=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I found my Torrent this way.
Good luck, and P.S.: I hear Neptune's the best color

Welcome! I live northwest of Indianapolis in Lebanon, and I've owned my 2003 Vibe, purchased used, since 2004.

Try extending your search to 100 miles (~2 hours away). There were more than 80 Vibes within 100 miles of 46204 (center of Indianapolis) as the zip code on Autotrader.com, but fewer than 30 when searching within 50 miles.

If you're still considering that Vibe GT from Valley Motors that you linked earlier, I noticed that it does not have the correct "PONTIAC" plastic handle on the rear hatch above the license plate. The rest of the car is 'monotone' and that piece should also be the black body color, not the gray plastic (standard color on the two-tone Vibes with gray plastic fender cladding). To me that is an indication that either the original handle broke (IMO unlikely, as weathered as it looks), or that the rear hatch door was replaced with one from a black two-tone Vibe, perhaps because of accident damage. Insist on a careful inspection by someone knowledgable about accident repairs, and look for other signs of rear-end damage, such as broken glass in the spare tire well under the gray plastic cover. Not every accident is reported to police and thus picked up by CARFAX and the other similar services.

If you're still considering that Vibe GT from Valley Motors that you linked earlier, I noticed that it does not have the correct "PONTIAC" plastic handle on the rear hatch above the license plate.

For that matter, the emblems are missing too from the tailgate.

thanks for the heads up, i will look a lil further out than indy. i don't think i am gonna look at that local gt though, i would rather not have to get premium fuel. i think my van will be sold tomorrow, so that is good and will gimme a lil more scratch to work with.

so i went n looked at an 04 today at local dealer..



it just came in and not been thru service yet or cleaned. but body looked ok. but interior didn't look so hot. all seats aside from drivers were stained and nasty lookin. and passenger side door control face was jacked up. i tried taking a few pics but was raining so didn't turn out.





it has 148,000 miles and price is $5988.



i dunno, seems kinda high to me. and is frustrating that my van is in better condition with less miles but is worth couple grand less. seems like a slap in face that trade van and have to fork over $2000! think i will pass...

That price sounds way too high.

think i have found the one i like. it is an 09 with 46,000 miles, which is newer than i had planned on. but it looks new inside n out. i planned on doing a private party deal but finding the one was proving to be a pain. and trying to sell 2 vehicles was equally bothersome. so figured i would give a dealer another shot to pee me off. this dealer did a pretty good job, not only did they meet my price for my trades... they exceeded them! i actually made money on one!!

i didn't realize they changed from 1.8 to 2.4 engine, but maybe thats not a bad thing cuz i wanna pull a small trailer with bike, so... the larger displacement may be a good thing. i am not sure bout the color though... but is what it is i spose. i dont know if it is blue, green... or teal?



one thing that maybe a concern is battery was dead when i test drove it, and battery was a deka, which i assume is not oem. so why would a car that is 5 years old with 46,000 miles be on 2nd battery, and maybe need a 3rd. but they said they would take care of it if it needed a new battery. battery was charged up after test drive so i assume charging system good.



think i will have em agree to taking care of whatever that dead battery issue may be seeing as it is a pre existing condition. and get it in writing. one reason i am getting one of these things is for the reputation they have for being claw hammer reliable. i would be super bummed if i get it home and no start next day!



it even has a nice sound system which i assume is factory option? i don't remember name though. it rode nice. i am stoked to rid myself of 2 vehicles for this one, my garage will have so much more room now..

Nice find !!!!! They only made that color ONE year .... 2009! Hope you get it!

"If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is."

http://www.andymohr.com/inventory/2009- ... 079z415869" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Per CarFax, that car was apparently involved in three separate accidents, reported on 10/18/2010, 12/11/2010 and 04/21/2011.

Based on that accident history, I think it's priced way too high. It's at least $500 above 'average' according to CarFax.

At that price, absolutely insist on them reading through the full CarFax vehicle history with you, so they know that YOU KNOW the history, AND make them include an extended warranty covering all major systems (not just powertrain) for at least three years and 50,000 more miles at no additional charge.

Such a warranty costs them very little, because they're paying their actual cost for it, not the huge dealer markup (50% or more) that they would ask you to pay.
Then if there are hidden problems caused by prior accident damage, you're covered.

tpar1220 wrote:think i have found the one i like. it is an 09 with 46,000 miles, which is newer than i had planned on. but it looks new inside n out. i planned on doing a private party deal but finding the one was proving to be a pain. and trying to sell 2 vehicles was equally bothersome. so figured i would give a dealer another shot to pee me off. this dealer did a pretty good job, not only did they meet my price for my trades... they exceeded them! i actually made money on one!!

i didn't realize they changed from 1.8 to 2.4 engine, but maybe thats not a bad thing cuz i wanna pull a small trailer with bike, so... the larger displacement may be a good thing. i am not sure bout the color though... but is what it is i spose. i dont know if it is blue, green... or teal?



one thing that maybe a concern is battery was dead when i test drove it, and battery was a deka, which i assume is not oem. so why would a car that is 5 years old with 46,000 miles be on 2nd battery, and maybe need a 3rd. but they said they would take care of it if it needed a new battery. battery was charged up after test drive so i assume charging system good.



think i will have em agree to taking care of whatever that dead battery issue may be seeing as it is a pre existing condition. and get it in writing. one reason i am getting one of these things is for the reputation they have for being claw hammer reliable. i would be super bummed if i get it home and no start next day!



it even has a nice sound system which i assume is factory option? i don't remember name though. it rode nice. i am stoked to rid myself of 2 vehicles for this one, my garage will have so much more room now..

'09 with 46,000 miles? Either the original owner wanted to get rid of it while they could still get something for it, and/or it could be one of the oil burning ones. The 2.4 from 2008-roughly 2010, in some models was an oil burner. That is of more concern than a dead battery, though a dead battery could be a sign of electrical issues as well.

yes, i was aware of the carfax, and it was priced high. after checking it out i made an offer... we came to an agreement and i brought it home few days later. they came in very strong on my trades, i dont think i coulda sold private party and got as much. there is also a slaes tax credit when trading in so with both trades my sales tax was reduced a good bit as well.

the vibe seems good to go, i couldn't find anything wrong with it, but that doesn't mean something won't rear its ugly head. its a 5 yr old used vehicle with a couple accidents. i coulda kept looking, but everyone i looked at had a problem of some sort and other dealers wouldn't give anything for trades.

i did not know anything about oil burning issues with certain years, thats the first i heard about that. but thats why i joined here before buying hoping to gain knowledge about these things and i have learned a good bit over past few weeks. i am not overly concerned about the accidents, no frame damage and air bags didn't pop. it seems to be repaired correctly. i am more concerned about the battery being dead. they said they tested it and load tested bad so they replaced it with new. guess i will see about that, if there is a problem i will know shortly. so far i like it.

Now we know why they were dealing with you. With two minor accidents on the report most people were scared. They needed to move this thing and got 2 vehicles to make money on.

This should work out really well for you. Congrats!

By the way I find this blue really sharp.

tpar1220 wrote:i am not sure bout the color though... but is what it is i spose. i dont know if it is blue, green... or teal?

It's called Mystic Blue Metallic and as tpollauf said, it was only available for 2009. It's a pretty rare color and a really neat color that I have had the pleasure of seeing a couple times in person.

That's a really sharp looking Vibe you ended up with! Fully loaded with fog lights, 17" wheels and the Monsoon stereo system! The 2.4L isn't too bad on gas. My mom and I average right around 28 MPG with 50% city / 50% highway with our 2009 Vibe GTs (same 2.4L engine). I've gotten as high as 34 MPG with 100% highway. Just take it easy when accelerating (try to keep the RPMs under 3000), keep the tires properly inflated, keep any unnecessary weight (objects) out of the vehicle and keep up on maintenance (i.e. oil changes, clean air filter, etc.) and you should see pretty decent gas mileage.

As far as oil consumption, it seems to be 2009 2.4Ls that were built in early to mid 2008 that are experiencing this issue. My mom's 2009 Vibe GT was built 10.29.08 and my 2009 Vibe GT was built 11.17.08 and neither one has experienced any oil consumption thus far. They both have just over 53,000 miles on them. Enter your Vibe's VIN into the CompNine RPO / VIN Decoder and you should be able to find out when yours was built which will give you a better idea of whether or not to worry about oil consumption.

the color is actually growing on me, i kinda dig it. i have only noticed one problem so far, at bout 70 mph there is a slight vibration that feels like a tire out of balance. a lil faster or slower it goes away. i may take it back and have em rotate/balance wheels n see if it goes away. and rear hatch needed to be slammed to latch, till i noticed the rubber seal was not fully seated. i worked it back into position and now hatch latches nice n easy.

it's strange that 08/09's experience oil burning issues. i have an 07 klr650 that i bought new and currently has 53,000 miles (some very hard)..



these bikes first came out in 85 or 86 and have been pretty much unchanged till 08 when they were redesigned. not drastically, but some things were changed. 08 and 09's have experienced oil burning issues. some very bad. and bad part is the older (good) rings have been discontinued, so if you need rings they only offer the newer style... that suck! so when a klr needs a top end you pretty much gotta bore it to get wiesco piston/ring set to avoid those crappy rings.

i see you are in sandwich, il.. i lived in that area for many years. lived in elburn and worked in montgomery. still got a bunch of friends in sandwich/plano/aurora area.

oh, and i am kinda confused. you say this 2.4 is same engine as the gt"s? i was under impression that gt's required premium fuel. i just went out and checked and mine says 87 octane.

and i entered my vin in that site you linked to. this is response..

"YES
A complete build sheet with original build information is available for that VIN!
That vehicle has 45 installed options returned in the build sheet.
It was built April 15, 2008 as a 2009 model year."

tpar1220 wrote: see you are in sandwich, il.. i lived in that area for many years. lived in elburn and worked in montgomery. still got a bunch of friends in sandwich/plano/aurora area.

Ha! What a small world !

tpar1220 wrote:oh, and i am kinda confused. you say this 2.4 is same engine as the gt"s? i was under impression that gt's required premium fuel. i just went out and checked and mine says 87 octane.

and i entered my vin in that site you linked to. this is response..

"YES
A complete build sheet with original build information is available for that VIN!
That vehicle has 45 installed options returned in the build sheet.
It was built April 15, 2008 as a 2009 model year."

1st gen (2003-2008) Vibe GTs require premium fuel, but 2nd gen (2009-2010) Vibe GTs do not. Your 2.4L Base engine is exactly the same engine as my 2.4L GT ! There were 2 engines available for 2009-2010 Vibes; 1.8L and 2.4L. The 1.8L was only available in Base form and has a 5x100 wheel bolt pattern. The 2.4L was available in Base form and was standard in the AWD and GT and has a 5x114.3 wheel bolt pattern. Also, the AWD and GT came standard with IRS (Independent Rear Suspension), whereas the 1.8L and 2.4L Bases have a torsion beam rear suspension. Also, the 1.8L was available with either a 5-speed manual transmission or 4-speed automatic and any 2.4L was available with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed shiftable automatic.

I'm glad you were able to find out the build date, although it's an early 2008 build so I'd definitely keep an eye on the oil level per what other members with early 2008 built 2009 2.4L Vibes have reported...

Congrats on swinging a deal on your new Vibe! I looked at one the same color down here, but with a manual. It is an unusual color for sure. Someone else on here ended up buying the one I looked at and driving it back home to Colorado, so some of us are a bit crazy to drive all over for our cars!

I notice the center caps are all missing. If you get replacements, make sure they are the new version that is a hair bigger than the originals, or use some silicone sealant on them so they don't pop off again.

Good luck with your new Vibe!

Looks good!

As others have said, watch the oil. I'm the owner of one that drinks it like mad. Had zero issues with oil burning until I hit over 100,000 miles. I'm currently at 130,000.

I notice the center caps are all missing

i never noticed that they were missing. i went out to have a look and all are present.

Looks good!

As others have said, watch the oil. I'm the owner of one that drinks it like mad. Had zero issues with oil burning until I hit over 100,000 miles. I'm currently at 130,000.

thanks, i just ran first tank of fuel thru it. so far... so good, still full of oil. lol.. and got 29.2 mpg mixed driving.

Congrats on the new Vibe. Most cars that start to burn oil early are a result of longer periods between oil changes. If your cars not burning oil and those gen vibes are known to have issues, you might want to consider a better oil or synthetic but still change at regular intervals. i dont run Mobil 1 in my Vibe but have had great results with it in my '95 Buick Riviera. Almost 126k miles on my '03 Vibe and it doesnt burn a drop of oil between changes.

tpar1220 wrote:

I notice the center caps are all missing

i never noticed that they were missing. i went out to have a look and all are present.

Well, then, you found a great dealer that actually took the time and expense to replace them! All of the pics I see above have a black hole in the center, while they should have a silver "Pontiac" cap on them. So many dealers sell "as is " and don't bother!

the center caps...



today i installed the hitch, it went pretty easily aside from the mounting nuts in frame being full of crud. lil wire brush in cordless drill cleaned em right out and hitch installed easily...



hooked up my utility trailer with klr loaded to see how it pulled.



i don't plan on hauling this bike very often but seeing as it weighs bout much as 2 dirt bikes figured it would gimme a more realistic feel for when i pull 2 dirt bikes on a 3 rail. and i was pleasantly surprised as it pulled very well. i could hardly tell it was back there. after putting all that away i was lookin round under hood again and removed top engine cover, but mostly was diggin on the built in tool tray...... fancy!


so was wondering, the most i plan on pulling is round 1,000/1,100 lbs. max. according to manual, and dealer the max tow limit is 1,500lbs. so should i add a trans cooler? looks like trans lines are easily accessible but if i don't need to add one why bother.

tpar1220 wrote:the center caps...

I see. I didn't know the earlier model Vibe (03-08) and other Pontiac caps would fit those wheels. But they look pretty good. Same ones I have. Those wheels came from the factory with this center cap:

huh, i didn't know that... but think i like the black better.

tpar1220 wrote: today i installed the hitch, it went pretty easily aside from the mounting nuts in frame being full of crud. lil wire brush in cordless drill cleaned em right out and hitch installed easily...

hooked up my utility trailer with klr loaded to see how it pulled.



i don't plan on hauling this bike very often but seeing as it weighs bout much as 2 dirt bikes figured it would gimme a more realistic feel for when i pull 2 dirt bikes on a 3 rail. and i was pleasantly surprised as it pulled very well. i could hardly tell it was back there.

so was wondering, the most i plan on pulling is round 1,000/1,100 lbs. max. according to manual, and dealer the max tow limit is 1,500lbs. so should i add a trans cooler? looks like trans lines are easily accessible but if i don't need to add one why bother.

Congrats on the new ride, I like the color! I'm looking at installing a hitch on my '05 AWD 1.8L 105k +/- so I can haul my '07 KLR and/or '00 KDX and wondering the same thing. I think the 1.8L is probably going to need it.

looks like plenty of room in front on condenser for a trans cooler. it's wide open in there, and trans lines have very easy access so adding a cooler should be pretty easy.

i doubt i pull the klr very often, most of the time i will have a ktm 300 on trailer, which is about 200lbs lighter.

was looking around for paperwork to take to bmv today and found a stack of maint receipts from new and..... the window sticker in glove box! nice... looks like lady that had it had oil changed on time as there are many of those. and apparently she was hard on brakes as she had pads and rotors replaced twice! car only has 46,000 miles. and had 2 tires replaced at 28.000 miles then had a single tire replaced a different time? which explains why one tire is different from rest. and right now i think tires are shot, i had em rotated and balanced but they are wasted. she was hard on it, but at least she took it in for service on time.

also found both receipts for accidents it was in. one was for $660 for replacement front bumper cover, fog lights, grill and fasteners. 2nd was for $1050 for rear bumper cover and paint.

i did drive it on a trip over weekend and pulled my bike with trailer. it worked out well... pulled nice and still got 24mpg! so far i am liking the vibe..

Just did the VIN search on my 09 GT. It appears it was built in February 2008. I've had my oil changes done typically every 4-5k and they shop hasn't mentioned anything yet.

really liking the thing so far. really only one real complaint. the ride quality is VERY firm. i was hoping after i had new tires installed that would improve. but didn't really help with that. the new tires are quieter and smoother though. i guess the 17" tires don't have all that much sidewall so maybe thats just part of the deal with low profile tires.

do the 16" wheels/tires offer a smoother ride?