Faults:

Starter at 203000.

Alternator at 204000.

Front brake calipers broke at about 252000.

Faults:

We have owned the Vibe for about two years and have only had to replace the brakes (which is normal maintenance) and perform regular oil changes.

Paint is coming off on the radio buttons and knobs.

General Comments:

Overall, the Vibe has been one of my favorite vehicles to own. It provided my family with a large amount of utility for our day to day activities. Because the Vibe (and its sister car, the Toyota Matrix) is based on the Toyota Corolla platform, the mileage was great and had a comfortable ride. There are a lot of unique features like a 120V plug-in and factory roof rack. The styling is very attractive, but driving performance is relatively boring. The versatility of the hatchback was essential for our family with one toddler and two dogs. I also appreciated how the hatchback window could open independently of the door, which made trips to the lumber store a little more convenient. On a side note, there is even a large community of happy Vibe owners that maintain a website dedicated to sharing information and accessory reviews/recommendations called genvibe.com.

Some downsides to the Vibe are that the motor is a bit sluggish when going up hills or passing on highways. This is made even more noticeable by the added weight of the AWD (although the AWD is awesome in the snow!). On our Vibe at least, there is wind noise on the front passenger side. Also, the driver's seating position is very upright, which helps with visibility, but takes some getting used to.

Recently my wife was stopped at an intersection when a F-550 rear-ended her going 35 mph. Our toddler and one of our dogs were in the car with her, but everyone was able to walk away without injury. The Vibe was totaled, but we fully plan on replacing it with another Vibe. If I could give this car 5 of the yellow smiley faces, I would!

Faults:

The clutch needed to be replaced at about 150,000 miles.

There was a window bolt that was part of a recall.

The buttons on the radio started to chip at about 100,000 miles.

Developed a small oil leak at about 190,000 miles.

The leather is started coming off of the shifter at about 215,000 miles (but it is still attached at 226k).

General Comments:

This car is pretty quick.

I used to get 35 MPG combined. Now I am down to about 30 MPG.

I can fit anything in it. Really. With the front seat down, this thing can fit ANYTHING I want to put in it. It has never failed me.

The engine is slowly starting to wind down now. Not dying, just getting tired. It is still faster than the other compact wagons I have been test driving lately.

I have come to the conclusion that I just need to find another one of these in an '03 or '04, and drive that until one of the manufacturers makes a better car. There's nothing out there with this much pep & this great gas mileage combined.

Faults:

Clutch went at around 55000 miles.

General Comments:

This is the sister car to the Toyota Matrix. They both seem to share a problem with the clutch slipping with low mileage. I have driven many standard transmission cars and have never had a clutch go this fast. I replaced it at 55000 miles with a Clutch Master FX200. It's now 8000 miles later and I think it's starting to slip again.

Other than this rather expensive problem, I have had no problems with this car. I see other posts regarding same issues with Toyota Matrix.