2005 Pontiac Vibe Problems, Recalls & Reliability
337 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2005 Pontiac Vibe, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 56/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 120,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2005 sits among all Vibe years
What owners report
“2005 pontiac vibe. Consumer writes in regards to parts not available to complete recall 15v285. Ld”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Vibe
“On the first recall for airbag i took my car to the dealership for the airbag replace and now the airbag and engine light is on all at all the time. Why?”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Vibe
“The torque converter clutch switch is stuck off. Car is losing power not shifting up or down as it should. Oxygen sensor bank 1 says lean. Its as if its not pulling in enough air. To push power. Idles rough. Electrical issue or computer issue. Not sureas if im at stop light it shakes badly while…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Vibe
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 168 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 91,128 miles. Half of those reports fall between 46,884 and 142,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2003-2008 Corolla, 2005-2008 Corolla Matrix, and Pontiac Vibe vehicles equipped with a front passenger air bag assembly replaced under a prior recall. The air bag may not unfold as…
Fix: Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag assembly or sub-assembly, free of charge. Toyota owners may contact…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2002-2005 Lexus SC and Toyota Sequoia, 2003-2005 Toyota Corolla and Tundra, and 2003-2007 Pontiac Vibe vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as…
Fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General Motors will notify the Pontiac Vibe owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015, that they are recalling 2005-2007 Lexus SC, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sequoia, and Pontiac Vibe, and 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra vehicles that were originally sold, or…
Fix: 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-286 are under a Do Not Drive advisory. Owners of these vehicles are advised not to drive their vehicles…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015 that they are recalling certain model year 2004 Sequoia vehicles manufactured August 18, 2003, to August 19, 2004, and 2003-2004 Tundra vehicles manufactured March 18, 2003,…
Fix: 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-285 are under a Do Not Drive advisory. Owners of these vehicles are advised not to drive their vehicles…
GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2008 PONTIAC VIBE VEHICLES. THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) FOR THE SUBJECT MODELS EQUIPPED WITH THE 1ZZ-FE (LV6) ENGINE AND TWO-WHEEL DRIVE MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT A CRACK…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE PRODUCTION NUMBER OF THE ECM AND REPLACE THE ECM IF NECESSARY. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 8, 2011. OWNERS MAY…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…
Model years named: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their…
Led to recall campaign 13V172000.
Led to recall campaign 10V384000.
Technical service bulletins
502 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2005 Pontiac Vibe. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2005 Pontiac Vibe reliable?
The 2005 Pontiac Vibe drew 337 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 56/100, scored against the model's worst year (2009).
What are the most common 2005 Pontiac Vibe problems?
The top reported problems for the 2005 Pontiac Vibe are airbags (174 complaints), engine (46), and transmission & drivetrain (35).
At what mileage do 2005 Pontiac Vibe problems show up?
Owners most often report 2005 Pontiac Vibe problems around 91,128 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 46,884 and 142,000 miles.
Does the 2005 Pontiac Vibe have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2005 Pontiac Vibe. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.