2006 Pontiac Vibe Problems, Recalls & Reliability
199 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2006 Pontiac Vibe, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 34/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 127,500 miles.
Typical
Where 2006 sits among all Vibe years
What owners report
“Recall notice received 10/2019, and no one has agreed to resolve the airbag issue”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Vibe
“My vehicle was parked, i cranked my engine up, and it ran for a few minutes and then shut off. I am unable to crank my vehicle up at all now. Light pink fluid is leaking out of the throttle body.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Vibe
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 78 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 82,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 52,000 and 130,000 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 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…
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…
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
Led to recall campaign 10V384000.
Technical service bulletins
641 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2006 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 2006 Pontiac Vibe reliable?
The 2006 Pontiac Vibe drew 199 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 34/100, scored against the model's worst year (2009).
What are the most common 2006 Pontiac Vibe problems?
The top reported problems for the 2006 Pontiac Vibe are airbags (119 complaints), engine (30), and electrical (12).
At what mileage do 2006 Pontiac Vibe problems show up?
Owners most often report 2006 Pontiac Vibe problems around 82,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 52,000 and 130,000 miles.
Does the 2006 Pontiac Vibe have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2006 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.