2008 Pontiac Vibe Problems, Recalls & Reliability
68 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Pontiac Vibe, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 14/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 86,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2008 Pontiac Vibe has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2008 sits among all Vibe years
What owners report
“Takata airbag recall,they keep sending me papers to get it fixed and when i call my dealer they don't have any to fix it...so i can't even let anyone sit in my passenger seat.for six months now?”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Vibe
Recalls (4)
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 model year 2008-2010 Lexus SC vehicles manufactured August 3, 2007, to July 30, 2010, 2008 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured May 25, 2007, to December 21, 2007, 2008 Toyota Corolla…
Fix: The recall began on March 25, 2016 for Toyota and Lexus vehicle owners. The recall began on June 23, 2016 for GM owners. The respective dealers will either replace the front passenger air bag…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Lexus SC vehicles manufactured August 3, 2007, to July 30, 2010, 2008 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured June 1, 2007, to December 21, 2007, 2008 Toyota Corolla…
Fix: The recall began on March 25, 2016 for Toyota and Lexus vehicle owners. The recall began on June 8, 2016 for GM owners. The respective dealers will either replace the front passenger air bag…
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
802 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2008 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 2008 Pontiac Vibe reliable?
The 2008 Pontiac Vibe drew 68 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 14/100, scored against the model's worst year (2009).
What are the most common 2008 Pontiac Vibe problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Pontiac Vibe are airbags (48 complaints), engine (4), and speed control (4).
Does the 2008 Pontiac Vibe have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 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.