Pontiac Vibe

dudleyr

Generally a wagon version of a sedan is the same length. Since the Matrix is 7 inches shorter than a Corolla I would say it fits more into the hatch category, as hatches tend to be shorter than sedans.

In a hatch the trunk is basically chopped off and the rear door is added. For a wagon the roofline is extended and a rear door is added.

If the Matrix really was a Corolla wagon (was 7" longer) I would be all over it. As it is, the cargo area is just too small with the rear seats up.

FWIW the Matrix is listed as a "car" on Toyotas web site.

nippononly

I'm surprised that Matrix is shorter than Corolla.

03vibegt6spd

scheck,
There is a TSB(#082603)on that issue, if you live in the U.S.A.. If your in Canada forget it.
The new part's are nice and help prevent it from happening again. GM pays the whole cost.
It's only for the 03 model year with plastic clading. Tell the dealer it looks like it was sand blasted. Make them look up that number, they will try and tell you it's normal wear and tear.
But it not it's a design flaw and GM is repairing it for the people who complain.

Check out the photo links below
http://gunwraps.com/images/clading1.jpg
http://gunwraps.com/images/clading2.jpg
Here it is after all the new parts
http://gunwraps.com/images/clading3.jpg

03vibegt6spd

Gm knows there is an issue with this and I know they brought to the attention of Toyota last summer. (it's only on the GT's)
I will be meeting the Vibe Brand Manager again in June If you can get me your info I'll past it on to him, So he can contact you.
He promised a bunch of us last year, if we had that problem he would fix us up.
He has been a God send to a few of us, and he really cares about our Vibes.

mjb56

My wife and I decided to factory order a new Vibe with all the safety features. After lengthy research we concluded that this is the best value on the market for our needs. With the available VSC and side curtain air bags, along with the new round of rebates, conquest rebate and our $3K of GM credit card $$'s there was nothing else that could come close. Plus, it's a great car with Toyota heritage. We had a blast on the test drives and I was impressed with the power it had. Wasn't really expecting this much. (We had considered a Scion X-B but didn't like the noisy engine, lack of power or lack of Side Curtain Airbags.) Now we just need to decide on a color.

jonhlewis67

I think it is hard to navigate these messages and make a sound decision. All I can offer is that I absolutely love my new Vibe GT. I bought it last week. It's a 2005, but I bought it used, with 7,000 miles on it (a little much, since it was originally purchased in October 2004 -- but it checked out mechanically and superficially).

Buying it used, I was able to get at a lower price several options that I might not have paid for had it been brand new. I got the GT sport package, with rear spoilers, leather interior, 6-CD changer, navigation system, alloy wheels and fog lights.

The 6-gear manual transmission is a dream. It is really zippy. I live in NYC and I love the fact that this car is small enough to park easily, but also lets me haul around stuff and get me around with pizzazz. Unlike others, I do like the fact that the storage area in the back is not carpeted, as my previous wagon got pretty dirty from trips to Home Depot and required vacuuming that this car won't.

I have not driven it enough to give real advice as to snow handling, etc., but my experience thus far tells me that with the manual transmission I should be fine.

I really love my new purchase, so I recommend that you get one. I test-drove other vehicles (Ford Focus wagon and Volkswagon Jetta wagon) and liked this one best in terms of economy and style. It is better-looking, I think, than the Toyota equivalent, and the Moonstone paint color is really nice.

Oh, and the stereo is great.

brood1213

Congrats on your new Vibe, just watch with the rebates as the Dealer cannot guarantee the same rebates would be available when your factory ordered Vibe comes in.

poductadvisor

here is a big thought, the Vibe only comes in 3 packages hence the Toyota offers mopre packages for less, and has a better resale advantage.
I would thing that the Matrix is a better buy than the Vibe.
The Body side cladding on the Vibe is a big issue, the water will collect in the wells and cause rust faster. Toyota was going to do that aswell, but the 4Runner had those issues in its first run, and stopped it. so now do you want a car that will rust faster, (but you do not see it till its too late ) or do you want a Matrix that will not rust as fast.
not too mention the Vibe is more money than the Matrix.

brood1213

If you look at the standard equipment on the vibe it has alot more than the base model matrix foglamps, roof rack, rear wiper, and etc. When you add the options to the Matrix with the packges then it becomes more than the Vibe standard price. With more incentives on the Vibe than Matrix the Vibe should be cheaper option to option. The Vibe sold alot more units than the Matrix last year.

walleye5

Just bought my new Vibe. List price $21,445. Negotiated $587 below the invoice of $20,337 = $19,750, then received $3500 in rebates, plus ~$1,000 rebate from my Drivers Edge Master Card, so paid ~$15,225. Is that a good deal? Auto, Moon & Tunes, Anti-lock, PowerPackage, 16" alloy wheels and a few other things.

Drove it to work today for first time in 20-30 mph gusty winds. Was very disappointed in how the wind tosses the car around compared to my old '96 Saturn SC2 or my Honda Pilot. Has anyone else noticed this? Would the Toyota Matrix be any better due to slightly different roof line, different body side and no roof rack? Thanks.

mjb56

I've known the dealer for some time, having bought a number of vehicles over the years. Dealt from invoice only. He guaranteed the $3K in rebates (was unaware of $3500 available unless it was "old stock"). Having the $3K in credit card $$'s was the clincher for me. We keep the vehicles for 4-5 years so the corrosion protection should cover us. Anyone I've talked to that owns one loves it. The only thing I would miss that the Matrix has is the traction control. However, it will be driven by my wife and she does not care about this, one way or the other. Bottom line on ours is $14,600 for a base with VSC, Side Curtains, ABS, Auto, Moon n' Tunes and Power Package. Finally decided on Moonstone for a color. Should be here in 3 weeks.

maxx4me

Well vibegtdriver, after owning my Vibe for 2.5+ years, and my Maxx for one year, there is no doubt that if given the option, I'd have two Maxxs in my driveway. You could not be more correct about Toyota quality. I did not buy an extended warranty on the Vibe since it is nearly all Denso parts (except for the Delco radio). I plan on buying an EW for my Maxx real soon. Nonetheless, since Toyota continues to ignore customers and build only cars for short people, us tall people must go elsewhere. Your arguement is really about GM versus Toyota, and not the Maxx versus the Vibe. The Maxx is superior in every way that I can compare the two for such a short duration. I only hope my Maxx will be trouble free for 10+ years since I plan on keeping it that long. There simply is nothing out on the drawing boards of the auto world that makes me wish I had not bought my Maxx. The main reason I wish I had not bought my Vibe is because of the most shameful paint job in auto history; my Vibe looks like a 6 year old car. Otherwise, the Vibe had been the basic grocery getter Corolla I replaced my 13 year old Corolla with. I expect nothing more out of it, and it has been decent transporation; nothing more.

prdmamahere

I have a 2003 Vibe GT, and the night before last the headlights stopped working...brights work, but not the regular running lights. They don't come on automatically or when you turn the switch...when you turn the switch there is a click....We removed the plug (about an inch by inch in diameter)..and the click is gone when removed. Checked the fuse and all seems fine...any feedback???

Thanks
Hiedi

03vibegt6spd

Thats Funny, My Wife had the same problem last year.
She thought one of her employees did something to the car.
She even got stopped by the local police for driving with her high beams on and speeding.
I knew what the problem was before she finished telling me her story.
Check the Emergency Brake make sure it's all the way down.
If for some reason that isn't it.

Check the 15 amp Tail fuse, The fuse box is placed in an interesting although slightly painful to access location, if you get on your back and look upwards towards the left hand side of the dash you'll see the fuse block directly above you.
There are spare fuse's and a fuse removel tool under the hood, in that fuse panel.
If that doesn't solve your problem let me know!

03vibegt6spd

I'm 6' 2" I have a 03 Vibe GT with a moon roof, I love the leg and head room.
I have never had so much in a GM vehicle.
Your right Paint chips are a major issue with the vibes there are a few fixs for it.
Myself I do paint chip repairs in the summer, which are not noticeable after I'm done.
As far as a Grocery getter, Maybe you should have spent a couple more dollars and bought a GT.
I bought my GT after I got beat by a 03 Vibe GT in My 1998 Supercharged Buick Riviera.
There isn't a lot of factory production cars that can beat a 03 Vibe GT, when driven by a decent driver.
There 1/4 mile times seem slow but thats because, There weak off the line.
I have wasted many Mustang GT's and GM doesnt have a 3800 superchaged or not that can touch it including Pontiac 260 hp GTP.
Or there 2 wheel drive 1/2 ton pickup with the 5300 v-8.
I would by know means call it a grocery getter, Maybe a great sleeper.
But since you have a base model, you have a few options like the optional Gm Supercharger. But you still won't take a factory GT, because of the 5 speed transmission will hold you back and you'll still be speed limited. unlike the GT which has no speed limter.
But If you can add a Turbo to the base, I know of 2 people with them. and that puts them up into the 250-260 hp range. but your looking at 4-5k, for a decent setup.

maxx4me

yeah, the GT would have been sweet. Unfortunately, shifting in city traffic is not fun, so not an option here. Also, How tall one is, does not always define how long one's legs are. Having a clutch makes the leg room that much worse since there is no place to rest your foot. The first thing I did was take out that silly foot rest, and cover up the holes with matching carpet. That allowed me to have some room next to the brake pedal to rest my left foot in reasonable comfort. The other bad thing about the Vibe is the lack of a telescoping steering wheel. It makes no sense to put the seat back all the way and not have the option to have the steering wheel travel back with you. Moreover, while the GT moves very well with the Suzuki (Celica) engine, speed doesn't amount to a hill of beans when children are playing in the street and pedestrians are everywhere. I'll stick with my AWD Vibe with independent rear suspension; the best AWD bargain on the market.

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geekay

We got ours in Sep 04 last year, has already run up 10000 miles. Can anyone tell me if scheduled servicing is to be done only by a dealer? It is an AWD auto, ABS, moon and tunes package. What does one do anyway at 8-10000 miles?

03vibegt6spd

Actully you have the Celica 1zz engine, Vibe Gt's have a Celica GTS 2zz, which was built and tuned by Yamaha in West Virgina.

Congrats on the AWD!
Myself I live on a cement road, and drive mostly cement roads.
So I didnt need AWD.
When I go off road, I have a Chevy Blazer "mini monster truck" thats 4x4.

steine13

Yes, Vibes are good cars. Everything is Corolla underneath. A little loud, seating position takes getting used to, gas mileage is 30 mpg, not 35 due to the taller body, but I really like mine and it's been very reliable. It's also not likely to need a lot of expensive maintenance; the timing chain won't need replacement. If a Vibe/Matrix doesn't go 200k, it would be a bit of a surprise to me.

The GT does not come in an automatic, it's kind of useless with auto anyway. Stick with the base. It's no speed demon but the power is fine. Mine's a stick, and I recommend trying one out. Fun car. "Best model as far as not having engine break downs"? I dunno, I've never had an engine breakdown even in my domestics... but see above, there are only two engines offered, and the high-output one needs to be revved to make power, so for most people, the base engine makes the most sense.

Good luck,
-Mathias

maxx4me

While you can't go wrong with a Corolla engine, I sure with I had the Celica engine. But as you said, it was not offered with the automatic AWD on the '03. And yes shy, you should buy a Vibe if it is the only thing you are looking at. It won't break down, and indeed does come with all Denso parts for reassurance.

steine13

I've been on "Generation Vibe" off and on... it lacks the conversational quality that the Edmunds boards have, but there is useful information there.

I'm not aware that it is against the user agreement to mention that there are, indeed, other useful sites out there. Direct links are, indeed, forbidden. Not a problem.

As they say, watch this space...
-Mathias

PF_Flyer

Not a problem acknoledging that there are other sites out there. The problems come with direct links into other forums (a definite no-no), and then the not-quite-as-clear "promotion" issue. Some examples:

Acceptable: "A lot of people over at That Site say their cars do the same thing."

Bad: "Go over to http://www.thatsite.com/forums and check out what those owners have to say."

Also Bad: "If you look over at thatsite.com in the Forums and search for blah you will see this as well"

Clear it up a bit??

shymerm8

Thank you everyone for your advice. My husband and I have actually been looking at the vibe like I've mentioned, but we were also looking at the ford sport track. We decided to go with the pontiac because it saves a little on gas and since we are both college students this would help us a lot.The reason is because my husband drives to LA a lot for school and I will be going to school their soon too. Plus we want a relaible car that would make it to 200,00 . And with gas prices the way they are the Ford Sport track would be like 40 or 50 dollars everytime it needs to be filled plus they go through gas like water. So that car was a no. We like the verstatility of the vibe ;)and the fact I have not heard any bad complaints about them. We are getting an automatic though not the stick because it's hard with stick in the LA stop and go traffic. So I will throw out a another question or two how do vibes that have auto, power everything, and moon roof hold up ???I was asking because someone said the standard vibes are good. I ask because our current car has electrical problems yes the neon the window motors have gone out a cam sensor a speed sensor and a door motor and it has not hit 100,00 yet and we only had it 2 years almost 3 and bought it @ 35,000. That's just the electrical problems too lolol. Thanks again eveyone for replying and telling me about how your vibes are .

charlotte7

My parents, who live in rural Michigan, are looking at getting a base model manual Vibe. Those of you who have one of these, what's your gas mileage really like? My father will be doing mostly highway/rural road driving, and not a lot of in-town stop and go. They're retired, so they're not doing a lot of driving, period. He wants something that will get at least 30 mpg. Is this a realistic expectation for the Vibe under these conditions?

I've recently had a bad experience with my Subaru Outback 4-cylinder getting NOWHERE near the mileage it was advertised getting, so we're all a little wary of the EPA estimates.

geekay

Charlotte, My vibe is auto and I just ran a check today, it is getting 27 mpg in rural,hwy driving wih little in town driving. It has 10000 miles on it. I expect the manual will get near 30 mpg.

steine13

2004 base stick; 12k on the clock... I get 25-29 running mostly around town, depending on the weather. This with a 2.5-mile commute and MI winters thrown in.

The Mrs. is getting north of 30, running a mix of city and occasional freeway.

To get better gas mileage than a Vibe, you'd have to give up something; space or power or at least height. It's not for everyone, but I'd personally buy it again. Of course, I've got one of the old blue GM Cards, so I likely WILL buy one again. Nothing like getting a Toyota with a GM discount.

BTW, plenty of used Vibes going through the auctions; they appear to be a little more expensive now than they were recently, due to the spike in gas price, but they're still a good deal used.

-Mathias

jrag

Hello, i know it has been a while since this post but I was wondering if anyone was still having problems with noise? I have a 03 Vibe. Bought it new 2 years ago. It has 52000 miles. I replaced the tires that came with it at 24000 miles because the noise was about to drive me out of my mind. I bought expensive low noise tires and even though they still have good tread the noise is back. It is truly unbearable. I like this little car except for this noise and it is a big problem. If I can't correct it, it is gone as soon as possible. You can't even carry on a conversation with someone else in the car. Any ideas?? thanks

maxx4me

yeah, replace it with a Maxx. The Vibe is a very loud car. The OEM Continentals were pathetic at best. I switched to my usual Firestone Dayton Daytona H rated tires, and my Vibe rides and sounds a whole lot better, although the engine noise and air flow noise is still painfully loud.

hillfla

I appologize if this has been discussed before and I missed it - I did a search in this forum and did not find anything.
I test drove a Vibe the other day and really liked it - except for the fact that the center console storage area is positioned too low to rest your elbow on. Does anyone know - is there an aftermarket armrest that can be bolted onto the seat or is there a replacement top to the console that is taller so that you can rest your arm on it?

Thanks!

pama3

Did you try looking into this:

Recalls

2003 Pontiac Vibe AWD


Campaign Number: 02V074002 Date: 2002-Mar-11


Component: Power Train: Axle Assembly

Defect Summary: ON CERTAIN TWO-WHEEL DRIVE (2WD) PASSENGER VEHICLES, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE BOLTS THAT JOIN THE REAR BRAKE AND HUB ASSEMBLY TO THE REAR AXLE CARRIER TO BE LOOSE DUE TO INSUFFICIENT TIGHTENING DURING THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS.

Consequence Summary: IF THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN THIS CONDITION, ONE OR MORE OF THE FOUR BOLTS COULD COME LOOSE, CAUSING AN ABNORMAL NOISE FROM THE REAR AXLE AREA. IN THE EVENT THAT ALL FOUR BOLTS LOOSEN COMPLETELY, SEPARATION OF THE REAR BRAKE AND HUB ASSEMBLY FROM THE REAR AXLE CARRIER COULD OCCUR, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.

Corrective Summary: DEALERS WILL PROPERLY TIGHTEN THE BOLTS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 12, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT PONTIAC AT 1-800-762-2737.

found on carsmart.com

mark44

Okay, I have to say that the car seat alarm is a pain in the @#$. If I want to take my seat belt off as I drive up the driveway, I shouldn't have to get a headache listening to that darn alarm. HOW can I get it turned off? Any cheap/easy ways of getting it done?

Thanks

mikey00

Anybody know what the deal is with traction control on the Vibe? Is is not listed anywhere as a feature or option for the Vibe. STABILITRAK is listed as a option but there is no complete explanation of it anywhere. I am thinking traction control is part of STABILITRAK but GM is not to smart on the marketing end with this. If you look at the Toyota Matrix it's STABILITRAK type option is called Vehicle Skid Control w/traction control (VSC w/TRAC). It must be the same system being they are pretty much the same car. If you compare Matrix with Vibe using compare feature available on Toyota website it does show traction control as a option available on the Vibe.

mjb56

I'm betting on the fact that traction control is part of the Stabilitrak package. I agree that GM is doing a lousy job of marketing the available safety features of this vehicle. We finally ordered one with VSC, Side Curtain airbags and ABS. There are very few vehicles in this price range that can offer this level of safety features (Our $3K in GM credit card cash didn't hurt, either). Plus it's gotten very good crash test ratings. While this will be my wife's vehicle, I've been pondering the purchase of an Avalon, but you can't even get VSC on those until you get into the two upper tier models. (If you want a Touring model and want VSC, forget it. Even though the vehicle has an MSRP of nearly $30K.) So if you thought GM's marketing of VSC is bad, it's nothing compared to Toyota's poor judgment on not offering VSC on their entire flagship line.

hillfla

Well - I bought my new AWD Vibe this past weekend, after about 2 months of researching and deciding. I looked at Honda CRV, Toyota Rav-4, Subaru Forester, and Vibe. Liked the CRVs, but not the prices and no rebates! Forester too small for me but fun to drive. Rav-4 too small and hated the dealer.

So I got a moonstone-color Vibe, with AWD, moons and tunes, power group, side airbags, and monotone paint. I was adamant about having AWD and side air bags, so the dealer had to go about 90 miles away to find me one. Hence the color choice was not really an option for me - but the darker grey is growing on me.
Have only put about 70 miles on it so far, but I am loving the fact that the gas gauge has not even budged from Full yet! My old car (Chrysler Pacifica) got 18 mpg mixed driving if I was lucky!

I have been babying the Vibe till after the 500 mile break-in, but the pick-up is good and it is so fun to drive! For me after coming out of a big SUV/wagon, this thing feels like a sports car! And its a great vehicle for the price - my two goals with this were to cut my monthly car payment way down, and to get a vehicle with better gas mileage. Vibe does both!

One question I do have though - has anyone had luck with the Aux converter so that you can play your ipod in your car? I would love some tips, etc from anyone that has installed one.

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mikey00

It's beginning to look like the Vibe may not have traction control like the Matrix. Here is part of a response I received from Pontiac:
"StabiliTrak can respond quickly, applying precise force to the appropriate brake to help bring the vehicle back on track. Traction Control utilizes electronic controls to help limit front-wheel slip when you're driving on most slippery surfaces. These features, while similar, are not the same. The Vibe has StabiliTrak only."
I would still like to hear from someone who has StabiliTrak to verify this.

bporter1

I don't think the Vibe is available with traction control. Stabilitrak is not bundled with traction control. I do not know why Pontiac/GM does not offer traction control, yet the Matrix does. Typical GM

mjb56

However, the Stabilitrak option requires ABS, which is how Traction Control is implemented. Why in the world would they NOT have it. Also, everything else in this car is identical to the Matrix. Why not this feature? That makes no sense whatsoever. In any event, if it doesn't have the Traction Control, I'd much rather have VSC. Traction control, while nice, is something I can live without. VSC can be life saving. Regardless, the Vibe is a great deal and a great car.

corny_04963

We have a 2004 base model Vibe with 12000 miles on it. WIth the potholes, frost heaves, and yes m'ams this spring on our Maine roads, I find an annoying amount of wheel bounce. I was hoping it would get better when I took off the studded snows, but it didn't. When you go over a bump there is an "echo" of at least 3 or 4 times before it goes away. If this were an older vehicle I would say the shock swere shot.

I have a 2005 Corolla just purchased which has none of the above described bounce, although it is a very similar vehicle. The thing about the Corolla, though, is it has been back to the dealer 3 times. Check engine light problem was traced back to the throttle control and was replaced. The headlights came from the factory aimed at the ground and had to be major league adjusted. I had 4 Prizms made at the Nummi plant purchased both new and used, and never, ever had so many problems. Of course this Toyota was built in Canada. So much for the vaunted Toyota "quality" mystique. What a load of ......!!!! I have had many new GM vehicles as well, and none has been back to the dealer so soon and so often. Dealer is very good, though. They buy me coffee and we are on a first name basis.

maxx4me

corny: this is the worst car to come out of Nummi, no question. While I don't have your problem on my Vibe AWD, I do have it on my Maxx. The noise sounds like loose struts, and can commonly be heard when going over a bump, one wheel at a time (like when you turn into a driveway and go over the cement apron one wheel at a time). On my Maxx, it is a steering column issue, and usually indicates a need for more grease or a new steering column. If your dealer doesn't see anything wrong with your front end suspension, and the car still drives straight and true, you may want to mention the steering column issue. Good luck and let us know.

mikey00

I just checked out the online 2005 Vibe Owners Manual (PDF). There are many references to traction control such as this one:
"The TRAC OFF button
is located to the left
of the steering wheel
below the instrument
panel cluster."

Still not sure if Vibe has TRAC. I wish someone with Stabilitrak would respond.

beliver

corny & maxx: I had some issues with a Saturn a few years back. They not only had the free coffee but sent me tins of cookies every time I took the thing in for a warranty problem. First name basis too as well as birthday cards. The problems never were fixed to may satisfaction and I gained 10 pounds to boot. !!

NO problems with my wife's 2003 Vibe, 20,000 miles to date. The paint is the only gripe I have. The finish on the rear facia (white) is terrible, lots of "orangepeel" and very thin and subject to easy chipping. The front is a little better but the white is beginning to slightly "yellow" and is off-color compared to the metal areas on the rest of the car. I should have saved $300 and gone with the plain gunmetal gray.

As to the Maxx problem, my niece has a 2005 that has had the entire front suspension replaced twice. Really upset with her NEW car. Husband works for Delphi div. and of course could not resist the good deal employees get. Never the less she's quite disappointed with having the car tied up for weeks at a time. If it had not been for the fact her father-in-law is a retired GM plant manager she probably would not have even got a loaner. A bare bones Aveo by the way. LOL. On top of that the daily barrage of BAD NEWS about Delphi does not inspire confidence in her about her hubby's future employment outlook. I noted that their rating was lowered to "junk status" by Standard & Poors on the 21st.of April and the stock closed that day @ $3.69 !! World's largest parts mfg. indeed, WOW !

Believer

maxx4me

he, he, he; and the only Delphi part we have in our Vibe is????????: The radio!! Oooops, sorry, and the battery!!
And who among us has not had problems with their single CD player in the Vibe, not to mention our northern brothers with their battery??? I hope my rattles are not some kind of suspension problem, since my dealer (who knows that I know a lot about cars) took my word for it sight unseen, and is replacing the steering column. I can only hope that your niece had so much replaced (repeatedly) because her service department was too stupid to read Edmunds and find out from owners that the problem was actually the steering column all along.
When I had my CEL (gas tank) issue with my Vibe, it actually took Toyota engineers at Nummi to tell my Pontiac service department what was wrong. They had seen similar problems with Corollas in the past. Go GM!!! :P

beliver

Maxx: I buy a lot of cars every year for myself as well as for the business. I shudder when we have a problem with any of them (all brands) as I know from experience that it will take a couple of stabs at least to solve even the most minor problem. It is only by dumb luck that they finally get the problems solved. Sad to say most of the factory dealerships only have a bunch of parts swappers on staff. They mostly just trade out parts till they finally hit paydirt. I have found recently that a lot of independant service operations do a better job especially considering that they do not get much support from the mfgs. and need to have horribly expensive diagnostic equipment and software to run the diagnostics.

The technology in todays cars have no doubt brought them to a level of reliability unknown in past years. it's a people problem at the service level that needs mucho improvement. The domestic mfgs. and some imports are in deep do-do financially and until they improve things on the service and quality side they are going to keep going down hill.

Believer

5679

I've just gotten 31.8 mpg (US) hwy on my '03 with 42,000 miles on it.

hollowman

I'm goin to buy Vibe GT, what about engine noise on the highway? It doesn't matter a lot in the city, but what about highway, if you're going 80-90mph? Appr how much rpm is then?

Maybe someone want to sell GT, o you know, who wanna sell? it could be after not big crash. If so, please contact me at hollow@elekta.lt tnx.


Thank you for your attention.

Hollowman
bmw 535

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mikey00

Picked up my new Vibe with StabilTrak tonight and guess what - It has traction control. This was after Pontiac responded to my e-mail explaining the differences between StabiliTrak and traction control and telling me the Vibe does not have traction control. I then sent Pontiac another e-mail asking them if they were sure and pointing out that the downloadable (PDF) Vibe owners manual made references to traction control. There answer was Vibe definetly does not have traction control. No wonder GM is in trouble.

gary4x4

I have a Dodge Dakota and it does not work at 25 mph. Someone asked why anyone would want to use cruise control at these speeds . . . my answer is that it is really hard to drive that slow and when the speed limits are 25 mph the only way that I am likely to drive that slowly is to set the cruise. As a certified lead foot I use the cruise a lot just to obey the speed limits. It is super BORING but I don't want to give my insurance company any excuse to screw me . .