2010 Pontiac Vibe Problems, Recalls & Reliability

67 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2010 Pontiac Vibe, alongside 8 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 17/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 93,000 miles.

One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2010 Pontiac Vibe has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.

67Complaints
17/100Trouble index
8Recalls
48,100Typical trouble mileage

Better year

Where 2010 sits among all Vibe years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Airbags 31 complaints (46%) · typically ~93,000 miles
“Why can't they provide the needed repair it's been almost 1 year. My family is in danger.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Vibe
Other 7 complaints (10%)
Speed control 7 complaints (10%)
Engine 5 complaints (7%)
Steering 4 complaints (6%)
Brakes & stability 4 complaints (6%)

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 36 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 48,100 miles. Half of those reports fall between 23,000 and 95,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (8)

AIR BAGS 18V024000 2018

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013 Scion xB, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sienna, 4Runner, Lexus IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, IS-F, and GX460 vehicles sold, ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA,…

Fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or…

AIR BAGS 18V025000 2018

On January 9, 2018, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified NHTSA that they are recalling 14,585 model year 2010-2012 Yaris vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of…

Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag assemblies with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2018. Owners may contact…

AIR BAGS 16V340000 2016

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Scion xB and Lexus IS F, 2009-2011 Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix, 2006-2011 Toyota Yaris, Lexus IS250 and Lexus IS350, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, Lexus IS250C,…

Fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag…

VISIBILITY 15V689000 2015

Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010…

Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The…

AIR BAGS 14V168000 2014

Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, 2008-2010 Highlander, and 2009-2010 Tacoma, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and General Motors Pontiac Vibe vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the steering column assembly contains electrical…

Fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota vehicle owners, and General Motors will notify the Pontiac Vibe owners. Toyota sent owners an interim notification letter in May 2014 to advise owners of the recall.…

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 10V024000 2010

GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 PONTIAC VIBE PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CAN GET STUCK IN THE WIDE OPEN POSITION DUE TO ITS BEING TRAPPED BY AN UNSECURED OR INCOMPATIBLE DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT.

Fix: GENERAL MOTORS WILL NOTIFY CUSTOMERS WHEN A RECALL REMEDY IS AVAILABLE FOR RECALL 10038: FLOOR MAT INTERFERENCE AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL. GM REQUESTS THAT CUSTOMERS TAKE OUT ANY REMOVABLE (CARPETED,…

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 10V018000 2010

GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 AND 2010 PONTIAC VIBE VEHICLES. DUE TO THE MANNER IN WHICH THE FRICTION LEVER INTERACTS WITH THE SLIDING SURFACE OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL INSIDE THE PEDAL SENSOR ASSEMBLY, THE SLIDING SURFACE OF THE LEVER…

Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A REINFORCEMENT BAR IN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHICH WILL ALLOW THE PEDAL TO OPERATE SMOOTHLY. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO…

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 09V392000 2009

GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 PONTIAC VIBE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 1.8L ENGINE AND ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF ALASKA, COLORADO, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, IOWA, KANSAS, MAINE, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MONTANA,…

Fix: DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE BRAKE VACUUM LINE FREE OF CHARGE. A SPECIAL ADVISORY LETTER WILL BE SENT TO OWNERS OF VEHICLES REGISTERED IN ALL OTHER STATES IN THE SAME TIME FRAME. THE SAFETY RECALL IS…

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 →

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture EA21002 opened September 17, 2021 · still open

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

Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit AQ10001 opened 2010, closed 2015

Technical service bulletins

982 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2010 Pontiac Vibe. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2010 Vibe TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2010peak 14 in 20172022

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2010 Pontiac Vibe reliable?

The 2010 Pontiac Vibe drew 67 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 17/100, scored against the model's worst year (2009).

What are the most common 2010 Pontiac Vibe problems?

The top reported problems for the 2010 Pontiac Vibe are airbags (31 complaints), other (7), and speed control (7).

At what mileage do 2010 Pontiac Vibe problems show up?

Owners most often report 2010 Pontiac Vibe problems around 48,100 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 23,000 and 95,000 miles.

Does the 2010 Pontiac Vibe have recalls?

8 recall campaigns apply to the 2010 Pontiac Vibe. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

← 2009 Vibe All Vibe years 2014 Vibe →
Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

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.