2006 Pontiac Vibe from North America - Comments

I own a GM Pontiac Vibe. The other day my air conditioning stopped working for no reason, and I naturally assumed that it's a new car with only 25,000KM, surely this would be covered by warranty.

After the visit to the dealership, the diagnosis was "Inspected and found A/C compressor not to be cycling. Found no refrigerant in system. Inspected for leak. Found hole in condenser from a rock hitting it. Not covered under warranty." and the cost to fix the problem was $1,000.

I contacted GM head office and was told by the representative that this was the policy, and there was nothing to be done. If a rock (from driving down an alley) can have sufficient force to cause $1,000 in damage and not be covered under warranty, then obviously GM is producing a sub par product and further, which would explain why they do not back their product with their very limited warranty!

If you are interested in purchasing a Vibe or any other GM product, be sure not to drive on any major roadway or alley where there are rocks, because the under-carriage of the car is not sufficiently protected to prevent expensive damages that are not covered by the GM warranty.

When it comes to GM - Buyer Beware!

NO, GM is NOT "producing a sub-par product"... TOYOTA is. The Vibe is a Toyota Matrix sold by Pontiac. In view of recent lapses in Toyota quality, you should have done your homework before buying an import. Nothing currently made by Toyota should be regarded as trouble-free. They are currently in the midst of one of the worst quality lapses in their history. In 2006 they RECALLED more cars than they SOLD. Next time, don't buy an import.

Last time I checked, California was part of the United States. The twins were designed both by Toyota and GM. Perhaps to a greater extent by Toyota. The vehicles are both manufactured in North America (Vibe in California, Matrix in Ontario, Canada).

These vehicles are just as domestic as the Dodge Caliber (engine designed by Hyundai), Ford Focus engineered & designed in Europe by Ford Europe (with recent restyling done domestically) which are it's closest domestic competition. Let's not to mention the Chevrolet Optra which was designed/manufactured in Korea along with its cousin the Aveo.

The only small vehicle that could arguably claim to be 100% domestic is the Cobalt/G5. Which is really a modernized Cavalier/Sunfire that still isn't quite up to par with the competition. Hopefully with the upcoming, renamed versions they will be able to make that claim and more.

Every vehicles has its strengths and flaws. I'd much prefer a vehicle that is mechanically sound with a weak air con system to a vehicle pumping out ice cold air that will spend most of its time immobile in the driveway.

I do not know what GM was thinking selling a rebadged Toyota. Toyotas are the biggest pieces of garbage on the road. Does the 100,000 mile GM warranty apply to the Vibe? GM is in serious trouble if it does.

Toyotas are the biggest pieces of garbage on the road? Consumer Reports, Edmunds, JD Power, and a dozen people I know that drive Toyotas along with another couple of dozen people I know that drive Cavaliers, Sunfires or other small GM vehicles would disagree with you.

A friend of mine drove a 1984 Corolla wagon for two years without putting a single cent into it for maintenance. He put 100,000 kms (60,000 miles).

I know far more people that have had major problems with well maintained Cavs/Sunfires than Corollas. The comparison could be made for any of the other vehicles either one produces. Do a little research.. don't just buy that propaganda.

I liked the Vibe except for its lack of power, but the real clincher in my decision to buy another make was the fact that the Vibe is made by Toyota, which means it isn't up to the standards of domestics. I think the 100,000 mile warranty from GM DOES cover the Vibe, but I was afraid of having to constantly take it in for repairs.