GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I picked up my new vibe on wednesday afternoon and I am very happy with the car over this first 24 hours except for the fact that the door warning lot stayed on after I opened and closed my hatch -hopefully I can swing by dealership tomorrow for a quick checkup

Are you sure that the hatch is fully closed? It seems like it's possible to get the hatch to partially latch, but still have the door ajar light on. You may be able to move the closed hatch back and forth a bit when it is like this. Try opening it back up and then closing it firmly (slam it) to make sure that it is fully latched. ALso make sure that there is nothing in the way. Once I had the cargo mat slide back a bit and get in the way. ANother time I had only latched it partially, and the door ajar light came on while I was driving, the hatch wasn't fully shut.Maybe the hatch latch isn't adjusted well.

I've had this happen as well..no worries, probably. Just get used to really closin' the rear. If you don't nearly slam it down, it tends to not shut all the way (especially when new).

I had the same thing when I first bought my Vibe. I just had to get used to giving it more of a slam when closing.

Yep...Mine too......Suprised that its does need more of a positive shut to get it to latch properly. Not a Toyota characteristic.

I have experienced the same thing in my '04 Vibe as well. I am used to it though because we have the same thing happen with our Montana. Those hatches are pretty heavy and unless it is closed firmly it doesn't latch all the way. After a couple times closing the thing you will get used to the pressure you need to use to shut the hatch fully. This reminds me of when I had Camaro's in the '80s. My first Camaro, a '82 used to require a heavy hand to close it. When I traded it in on an '88 it had a power hatch pull down, similar to a Cadillac. I asked the dealer about it and I guess some people were really slamming the hatch (which was 85% glass on those Camaros) and the hatches were shattering so they put the power pull down in. Just some useless trivia there..

I have same problem well not a problem now. I know I have to actually SLAM it shut. I think it sucks that you have to put soo much force to close it I hate to hear it slam but you have to give it a good push so it closes. Sometimes it looks closed but stays open just watch out for it and give it a good push.

firmly "slamming" the hatch last night didn't work but I used a little body english this morning and the light went off - hopefully the problem is now in the pastthanks for all the advice

A rear hatch adjustment may be in order when you next visit the dealer.

Another thing about the doors... Yeah the trunk takes some force, but the other four doors are so nice and easy compared to other cars I've been in. When my brothers who have a Ford Escort and Camaro ride with me, they tend to slam my doors all the time. I have to remind them not to close them so hard. They're just used to the larger two doors which also don't have that nice quality closing our Vibes have.

me too, for the first couple of weeks. I thought it was the whole hatch, but it was just the window part that was loose all the time! duh on me!It does take some getting used to, especially since i was used to driving nothing but older cars before. With those older cars I would have to slam, but the oooo so pleasant "whoosh" the car door makes when you close it, I tend to softly close the hatch and glass part too!

my hatch did the same thing for the first 3 weeks. the salesman at the dealer told me it needed a 'convincing' shutting in order for the latch to engage all the way.then i noticed that the rubber stoppers on each side of the rear hatch opening are rather thick. now 5 weeks into owning the car, the hatch closes normally. i've also noticed a nice depression in each of the rubber stoppers. looks like the rear hatch has literally settled in place at this point.now i have to remember to only turn the key 1/2 right to lock the back end (and not all the way... which unlocks the glass door... ).sylvain

Yeah, I'm sure everyone had that problem when they first got their Vibe. I did and seems like a lot on here have.

Yeah first night I had my Vibe, stopped off at the beer store on the way home and left the store and could not figure what door was open. I checked them all and ended up seeing the hatch was latched but not closed tight so I gave it a nice slam and it was fine. Every time I use it now, I close it good and no probs.Unlike the other doors that close like a dream with a soft click, that hatch is something else heh

Plus, if I didnt shut the hatch right, when I hit a bump, the back interior lights would blink. LoL

A common problem, no doubt. It was pretty annoying having the light go on about 1 block from my house everymorning at 5:30 am on my way to work in the cold!!!I had my dealer "adjust" the latch and for the most part, the problem has gone away.

I had the same problem when i first got my vibe. The salesman (who did a very good job all around), pointed it out for me, saying that i should give the hatch a good firm motion for it to shut.turns out my hatch was also misaligned, causing one of the lifters to jerk. my dealer ordered the parts to replace both pistons and realigned the hatch under warranty. It is now easy to close the hatch, although it still needs a convincing motion.

I never had any trouble closing my hatch and I never had to slam it to close it... Just ask you dealer to adjust it properly.

Guess I will add my two cents as well....... :-)I had the same problem as well. However, about 2 months after I got my vibe, it decided to make a trip to visit a mailbox with out me in it. Needless to say, I had to get the hatch replaced , so I had the dealer adjust the new one so it wasn't so hard to close. Now I just give it a good firm push and it closes ok. I don't have to slam it at all any more. I also had to get the parking brake adjusted better so it would actually hold the car better. But of course the dealer couldn't find anything wrong with the brake, so I had to pay for the repairs...