Pontiac Vibe

nippononly

I know that several Toyota models now have the fold-flat front passenger seat. Do any other GM models have this feature?

clpurnell

aztek I think maybe rondevous(sp?)

bporter1

The only models that I know of that have this feature are:04 Grand Prix, Saturn Vue,Saturn Ion,and the Vibe. There will be several more GM models with the folding front passenger seat. The 2004 Malibu, 2005 Equinox to name a few. The Aztek and the Rendezvous do not currently have this feature,

npgmbr

Does anyone know if GM is still offering incentives on Vibes?

Also, does that incentive apply if i didn't use GM's financing?

montanafan

2003 Vibe cash rebate is $2,000, atleast in the Northeast but I am sure it is national. Don't need GMAC financing to get the cash back. (2004 rebate is $1,000).

hudrahead

LOL !! Just noticed that the 2004, VIBES only have a $1000 rebate. Also they popped the MSRP price UP about $500 bux so the "General" is gonna try to recoup some of the dough they losing on some of their, shall we say "dogs", in their line up that have a $4000 RB on them. Gotta watch those guys all the time LOL !!

HUD :)

montanafan

If any one is interested, the base MSRP for all Vibe models are unchanged from 2003 end of production. Also it is to be expected past model rebates would be higher then new models. This additional amount helps compensate the buyer for taking the already 1 year old car.

npgmbr

Thanks much for the info Montanafan. Had to call the Honda dealer today to tell him I had changed my mind and was getting the Vibe. Dude was not happy. Told me that the Vibe would not live up to what I wanted and that I should seriously reconsider the Element.

Then he proceeded to try to get me to come in an take a test drive, although I had told him that I had already driven one.

Anywho, I don't make my purchase for another week, which leaves plenty of time for me to change my mind again but I think I'm stickin with the Vibe.

I'll keep you all informed.

montanafan

The GM Auto Show In Motion was in the Boston area this weekend and I went with a couple brothers. I had the oppertunity to drive the Honda Element and the Vibe, among others. (Those in the DC area keep an eye out, it is headed there next. Was worth going for the ride in the Hummer H2 and the Vette. Although the CTS was fun to). I was not impressed with the Elements design and appearance. I can appreciate the price and boxyness, but I couldn't find a seat adjustment that would keep my left knee off the dash. I think the Vibe (or Matrix) is a great alternative with almost all the cargo space of the Element, and a better ride and appearance. Good luck.

maxx4me

The Element is great as long as you never have to change lanes and look for cars on either side!!

hudrahead

Montanafan: How do you account for this, if as you say, the prices of 2003 VIBES have remained "the same"

Bought my 2003 VIBE three weeks ago. It was built (according to build sheet)first week of May. The base MSRP was $16485. I have the actual"Munroney sticker" at hand as I write.

If you look on GMBUYPOWER they now list base MSRP for 2003's as $17045 !! Indeed, as I shopped the dealers inventory there were cars (all 2003's, no 2004's as of two weeks ago)about 1/3 of the inventory had the $17045 base price listed. This dealer had over 60 VIBES, all models, in stock. So GM must have bumped the price just at the end of 2003 production. I naturally selected a car with the lower price MSRP to save the $500 + price increase. ! GMBUYPOWER does not have any listing yet for the 2004 cars and as of today no dealers around here have any 2004's in stock.Maby they are slowly working their way across the US from California ?

As to being "a one year old car", well maby one model year old but just over one month old from the factory as far as I'm concerned. Anyway didn't these things debut about mid 2002 as 2003's anyway ? Crazy logic on the part of the GM wizards I guess LOL !!

HUD :)

npgmbr

Well I drove an Element twice as I am a member of ZipCar (a car sharing service). Despite how I first felt about the Element when I first saw one I was totally all for it when I drove one. I'm 6'1", and weigh 195lbs. There seemed to be plenty of room for me. I like the Element very, very much, but I am concerned about how it might react in an emergency situation.

I think the Element is a great vehicle, but for me, the Vibe is greater.

Actually I got that GM Auto Show in Motion thing in the mail today. Didn't realize what it was because it had a CD inside. I'll probably have my Vibe before it gets here but I'll still go. I'd love to test drive a CTS. Thats one bad [non-permissible content removed] car.

Just looked at the package. The show will hit the DC Metro Area on June 26th thru 29th at FedEx Fieldin Maryland. I'm definitely gonna have to go.

scottdude

Montanafan (and anyone else who cares to answer): hasn't GM been offering the $2,000 Vibe cashback for quite sometime, like since back in 2002? If so, do you think there is any reason to expect that they won't bump up the 2004 Vibe cashback to $2,000 in July or August, as the 2003's dwindle away?

I'd also love to know if anyone has been successful in getting GM to apply a 2003 model rebate against a 2004 model, but I guess that question should be asked over in the Smart Shopper topic.

montanafan

Base MSRP $16,485 plus destination $560 =$17,045.

Just compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges.

Auto Show in Motion is a great take. Advise, take the Openning Day and sign up for an early morning time start, so you can spend the most time there. I went a 5PM on Saturday and didn't get to drive a couple cars I would have liked. (also the free cafe closed at 6pm, so I was out my dinner).

Rebates: past can indicate the future, but who knows. Rebates are on what they are on, can't switch.

hudrahead

Montanafan: For some reason they have changed the format of the Monroney sticker on the very latest cars being shipped, at least on some here.

On the "new" sticker they added the destination charge onto the "standard vehicle price @ the top of the listing instead of below the "total vehicle & options" line for some reason. Typo ? This indeed makes the total price the same, $17045. Mia Culpa! I noticed some stickers were formatted this way and some not. Just the better to confuse us poor slobs I guess. No matter, I still got a killer deal and my wife loves her new VIBE and that makes life a lot better for me too. LOL !

HUD ):):

revka

Hi Folks - Here's a new discussion that some of you may find interesting: Matrix/Vibe vs. RAV4, CRV. Perhaps you can help scottdude make up his mind.

Thanks for your participation. ;-)

 
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

5679

Anyone got one? How's it sound?
How do you install those things?

maxx4me

Well, my Vibe made it through its first gasoline bath yesterday. I do this once a year to take all the tar and grime off of my cars. I'll have to tell my wife to stop hunting for dinosaurs in the tar pits. The car was awash in tar. Oh well, it looks squeeky clean now. Thank goodness for the vinyl cladding; it made the job a bit easier. Now, what to do with all those paint chips all over the place!!

lperone

Purchased a Vibe 3 months ago and love the car. Only complaint is since summer has arrived with 90+temp and humid the air conditioner never seems to get cold. Have to run it on max all the time to stay some what cool. Are other vibe owners having the same problem? Please comment...Thanks

maxx4me

I have that problem with both of my cars. I don't think the new juice works as efficiently as the Freon did. It also does not help to have a black dash like the Vibe has. As a black body, it retains heat for a long period, negating the effect of the a/c. If you need to take your Vibe into the dealer for any reason in the near future, have them to a temperature check on the a/c.

malibu_jack

I read this some where on the Toyota Echo site:

#3266 of 3978 vocus by lynnann1 Jun 25, 2002 (5:36 am)
"Some people have experienced freeze up of the compressor. Also, some others said if you wrap the AC pipe in electrical tape, it helps cool faster. There were some posts about it awhile back, but I don't remember all the details. Anyone else? "

I read that the freeze-up (icing?) only happened if you left it on recirculate too long. I use recirculate at first and then move the lever to fresh air. The AC in my car seems to work better when I'm moving as opposed sitting in traffic, and it does take it's time when I first turn it on. We've never had any problems on long trips. The furthest we've driven one way is about 400 miles.

Hope this helps.

hudrahead

maxx4me: Only had the VIBE for about 6 weeks now & not even 1K on the clock yet, wife's car. I have noticed that the paint on the rear facia (bumper) is very thin and seems to not have the same thickness as the paint on the cladding on the sides or the front "nose" so I assume it will be very easy to scratch down to the base plastic which is black. This will stick out like a sore thumb if and when it finally gets dinged. I think a cover strip for the top of the bumper may be a good idea. Matrix has one as a dealer add-on bit $95.00 is a bit pricy !!

iperone: Living in Florida as I do the A / C has it's work cut out for it. I have not had a problem even on the worst 100 degree,80% humidity days. The car is white tho and that really makes a BIG difference here in the Sunshine State. I plan to get window tinting too, it is almost a must here if you really want to be comfortable in stop and go traffic. It could be your car came out of the facory with a less than normal a /c charge. Yes, I think the new freon replacement IS a little less effective but should do the job. We will be taking a 3K round trip the end of this month. I'll let you know how the a / c performs out on the highway.

HUD :)

dannywhite

I always thought that I could redeem my GM card earning up to $3,500 off any GM car. I just found out from the GM web site that I can only redeem a maximum of $1,000 on the Vibe.

I bought a Chevy Prism four years ago and was be able to redeem all of my GM earning. My total GM earning at the time was $2,800 and I was able to redeem it all. Did they change the rule on the GM card earning?

montanafan

The original Blue/Gold GM Cards can redeem the full accumulated earnings against a Vibe ($500 per year, 7 years). The newer Copper/Platinum Cards (issued last 3ish years) have unlimited yearly earnings, but are limited by model to how much you can redeem. If you haven't changed cards, you most likely have the older card and can use the full amount. (Will change soon for GM Employee purchasers)

dannywhite

Thanks montanafan,

I have the gold GM card, I'm not sure if it is the original Blue/Gold GM card or not. I have this card for a long time (probably 10 years now). Oh, I remember now, I believe when I first apply for this card, they gave me a blue then later send me a gold card. That explains the Blue/Gold card.

This make me feel much better now knowing that I can redeem the full accumulated earnings against the Vibe (500 * 7 years). I have accumulated about $2,200 now and I'm not in the market for a new car yet. My 1999 Prism has about 110K miles and still running very strong. I probably buy the Vibe in late 2005. I wonder by this time the 2006 vibe would have a new design yet?

Thanks again montanafan,

hurler4

Does anyone know if you can get an updated twilight sensor installed on a 2003 Vibe? I'm doing a 24-hour test drive on one and love the car, but the sensor's twitchiness is driving me crazy (it's an overcast day here in Boston).

honus

Hi Iperone--

I too noticed the same problem with my Vibe's A/C back in April. I actually posted a message on this board (#1860) but the feedback from everyone else was that I was the only one experiencing this problem. Well, I'm glad to hear that the sub-par A/C is not just my imagination.

I called the Pontiac customer service dept. and expressed to them my concerns, and they advised me to schedule an appointment with my local Pontiac dealer here in Oklahoma, whom I had consulted three times before regarding the A/C. The first two visits resulted in some corrective tweaking (recharging coolant and tightening compressor hose) which did not resolve the issue. For the third visit, the technicians told me everything was in working order after extensive testing; they simply could not find anything wrong with the A/C.

Fearing that they were not thinking "outside the box," I scheduled a fourth meeting and asked to drive another Vibe on the lot. After driving an '03 and '04 with temps in the mid-90s, I realized that these Vibes were no better than mine regarding their capacity to cool. Apparently, the weak A/C is not unique to my particular Vibe.

I notified the Pontiac customer service rep. and he recorded my complaint as a design flaw in the Vibe's A/C. You ought to notify them as well so that the engineers can perhaps correct the problem for later models. In the mean time, I had the dealer tint my windows with the darkest tint possible and tend to use the "recirculate" mode on sweltering days of 90s+ degrees. But aside from the A/C, I absolutely adore this car.

abelj

I just had my 2003 Vibe in for its 1st oil change at the Pontiac dealer and I also had them check out my A/C. It seemed like it was not cooling down enough. Here is what they printed out on my receipt "Tested operation found A/C only cooling to about 50 degrees. Checked for bulletins found ID 841682 to adjust temp cable. Adjusted temp cable as per bulletin now A/C is about 38 degrees." I have noticed that my A/C works a lot better since this was done. Hope this helps anyone that may be experiencing the same problems.

npgmbr

Well I finally did it.

On July 5th I purchased a 04 Shadow colored, Vibe with Moon & Tunes and Power package and monotone package.

I absolutely love the car. I live in Arlington, VA just a 5 min hop from DC and the heat and humidity are thick. But its been mild so far with the exception of July 4th weekend.

Anywho, I got the car at 945 and drove two and a half hours to Rehoboth Beach Delaware to spend the weekend with friends.

The car performed beautifully and the A/C seemed to perform good as well. However, I did notice that it does get cooler when I put it on recirculate vice fresh air.

nippononly

it IS supposed to work that way...

npgmbr

Which is why I was wondering if those that are experiencing A/C problems, had their system set to recirculate.

If not it could explain why they don't seem to get cool enough.

vonnyvonce

A/C should not have to be in recirc to go down to it's design temperature, generally 38-40 as far as I know. Looks more like the Vibe system lets a little warm air/water sneak in warming the mixture a bit. After adjusting the temperature knob cable, system gets plenty cold. Will check out air temp myself then maybe to the dealers.

npgmbr

What you say makes sense but the same things seem to be true of other cars I have ridden in. A friends Infinity G20, My old Geo Tracker, another friends Passat.

If recirculate is engaged, the A/C seems to work better.

mailman54

I rode in my wife's Vibe the other day when it was about 90 degrees outside. I initially tried the air conditioner without recirculate on and was surprised at how little cooling there was. I then tried it with recirculate on and it was only marginally better. It blows plenty of air on you, but the air is just not cold enough. If I turn the air conditioner on in my truck, it blows cold air on me. If I recirculate the air, it will freeze me out in short order. Not so in the Vibe. I remember remarking to my wife that I thought there was a problem with her air conditioner at the time. I was beginning to think it was only me. I will have it checked when we take it in for service. Thanks for the tip vonnyvonce!

Mailman

vibe4

I've had the same AC problems with my '03 Vibe. It works great as long as it doesn't get over 90 degrees outside. Fresh air or re- circulate doesn't seem to make much difference. I haven't had it serviced yet, but after this week in TN, I'll have to. Thanks for the Temp Cable tip, I'm going to have them check it out. Other then that, I love this car! It's fun to drive, versitle and gets great gas mileage.

vibe4

I took my Vibe in today and had them check the AC. I showed them the report from abelj and they looked it up. The ID 841682 isn't the bulletin number but the repair manual page for the temp cable. The mechanic was able to look up the bulletins and find it. He found the same problem on my Vibe, it was set incorrectly and allowed for warm air to mix in with the AC. My receipt reads "Adjust air/mix cable per bulletin 02-01-37-006 Cools to 43 degrees on Road"

It was a cloudy and rainy day today but I could tell the AC was much colder. Thanks Abelj for posting your results, without it, it might have taken much longer to find the problem.

mailman54

Thanks vibe4! That sounds more like a TSB number. They usually start out with the date issued, which must be 02-01.

Mailman

mrgeneseo

In an earlier post, someone mentioned www.warrantygold.com for an extended warranty. My three-year warranty with this company runs out this month, but unfortunately it is no useless. Warranty Gold sells your contract to a "contract administrator," in this case Warranty Administrators. That's fine and dandy, but Warranty Administrators recently filed for bankruptcy and stopped paying claims, leaving me in the lurch for an $800 A/C repair on my 95 Dodge Caravan (that I am now not having done). The warranty worked two months after I bought it and needed a $2,200 transmission, which was covered. But, buyer beware, I got burned at the end.

maxx4me

mrgeneseo: that was me. I'm sorry for what happened to you with our extended warranty. the company was rated A+ by AM Best as I remember. Warranty Gold was probably going to be my #2 pick. I will research to see if any other underwriter took Warranty Administrators place. Thanks very much for the update. Helps me out a lot.

npgmbr

I've had my Vibe now for about two weeks and althought I first reported that it worked well, I noticed on hot days that it does infact work rather poorly.

My roommate who has a Matrix also has the same problem. I'll take my Vibe in what that TSB number and have it repaired.

jmcknight2

- My Vibe AWD was made on 10-7-02, and the a/c seems to work fine in both normal and recirc modes. GM owners manuals used to recommend using recirc when first turning on the a/c, then switch to normal after things cool down inside. When outside air is very hot and humid, they recommended using recirc as much as necessary, since it's less work on the unit to cool and dehumidify air that's already been cooled and dehumidified. If your a/c doesn't cut it using these guidelines, then you need to get to the dealer armed with the knowledge that there's a TSB to fix it.

malibu_jack

You know....I think it just might be a common problem with vehicles in general. I have a 2001 Nissan Sentra and when its not humid out, the AC it Ice Cold. On Hotter/more humid days, the AC works, but not as well.

nippononly

we all have R134a to thank...

revka

Please share what you paid in our Pontiac Vibe: Prices Paid & Buying Experience discussion. If you recently posted that information here, feel free to copy/paste it into this new discussion. Also, for future reference, you'll find a direct link to this discussion in the Helpful Links on the left side of the page.

Thanks for your participation! ;-)

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

5679

Spotted my first used 2003 AWD Vibe on a lot yesterday. 20,000km on it. $22,900 Cdn asked. Couple from New Brunswick had bought it in Feb. '02 trading a Montana. They then recently traded back up to a Montana, missing the size.

maxx4me

I saw an all white Vibe AWD with the stamp: Limited Edition on the side front quarter panel. Any thoughts on what makes this special or limited?

hudrahead

Maxx: We see this all the time here in Florida, special this, LTD that, Tropical Edition" etc. This generally is a ploy on the part of the dealer to load up or "pack" the price by loading up the vehicle with a lot of junk appearance stuff, thuss the Limited Edition (probably a $2.00 decal from Pep Boys and as much crappy stuff like "gold package", "chrome" fender rub strips, tape stripes, etc. I checked with some "insiders" that are friends of mine @ GM & DELPHI, they have never heard of any "factory" athorized "Limited Edition" being run. My bet is it's just a sneaky way for the dealer to make a few more bux on the unsuspecting and gullable public.

HUD :)

maxx4me

he, he,....yeah, the dealer probably prepped it by painting the grey body cladding white, and rubbing the glare off of the silver dashboard rings.

tinosasso

an 04 base vibe black w/ montone, moon and tune and pw package. Got 600 off msrp and 2000 in rebates. Car is great......surprising pickup for a 1.8 liter. Stereo sounds great and moon roof is sweeeet. Absolutely love the red lighting at night. Couple questions is there a button for child proof locks (so they only open from outside) and has anyone heard a weird clicking noise when first backing up?
ps now i'm gonna get my tornado air

hudrahead

tino: Save your money. The "Tornado" is totally worthless !! Sure, you'r gonna get better fuel mileage by putting more restriction in the intake ? Get real! Buddy of mine put one in his Matrix & actually got 1 mpg less, go figure. just nother scam that would take a couple years to pay for itself IF it even worked. A better investment is a bottle of touch-up paint to cove all the paint chips that you will get on the cladding. I spent all day Sat. touching up my white VIBE from a 3000k trip.

HUD :)