Tl* the contact owns a 2005 pontiac vibe. Upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The contact drove to an independent mechanic and was informed that a torque converter sensor inside the transmission failed. There were no recalls related to the failure. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Pontiac Vibe transmission failure problems
20 of the 1,867 owner complaints about the Pontiac Vibe describe complete transmission failure, most of them for the 2003 model year.
- owner complaints
- 20
- worst model year
- 2003
- typical repair cost reported
- $4,000
- typical mileage
- 97,000
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Trouble codes mentioned
P2716 2
What owners say
Repeated front brake repairs to stop heavy vibration when applying brakes. Vibration is extreme in the steering column and the stick shift, and sometimes throughout the car. Repairs were done 3 times in 18 months, and it keeps coming back within a month after repairs. I never brake hard to cause this. Transmission repeatedly pops out of 5th gear during acceleration, reportedly caused by defective or broken synchronizer. Had to replace transmission.
No warning lights - no problems with car - middle of intersection - very loud noise and car froze. Towed to dealer - quoted $4800.00 to replace transmission. No other alternative available according to dealer. Called gm who agreed transmission should not fail with a well maintained - low mileage vibe but since there is no recall there is nothing they can do other than "support the dealer's decisions." I expected this car to last for several more years. The trade in price is not much more than this repair price. Driver was on their way to the highway and if this would have happened a few miles beyond where it did there could have been fatal consequences. With the current ignition recall issue that gm handled so poorly I am concerned that there could be an issue here that they just don't want to look at.
2004 pontiac vibe with 5 speed manual transmission failed 3 times. First in the summer of 2007 at about 65000 miles. Transmission shop said it was a known issue with a bearing in the transmission, for which the manufacturer did not take responsibility. They also said it was difficult to get replacement transmissions due to the issue. I had the transmission replaced for about $3000 and, very soon after, heard the tell-tale noise of imminent failure and had the transmission shop replace it under the 6 month/6000 mile warranty. That second replacement transmission failed in february 2014 at 208000 miles. I will not be replacing it.
Just leaving for a trip from michigan to tenn. Driving 70 MPH on I-75 south when coming down a steep over pass, I heard rattling in my engine and thumping. This is a very dangerous spot on I-75 with many trucks traveling at high speed coming down from this overpass. My first thought was, it was a flat tire. When I barely coasted to a semi-safe spot my daughter got out and said the tire is not flat. I shifted my manual transmission 6 speed vibe gt into 1st gear let off the clutch only to find it didn't respond. Upset because I had just become unemployed 3 mos prior and voluntarily returned my 2012 chevy sonic back to the credit union. Withdrew what I had in my 401k to purchase this vehicle to ensure transportation that was paid in full only 6 weeks ago. I have seen many complaints regarding transmission failure with this year pontiac vibe. I believe this needs to be investigated instead of allowing the consumer to absorb the cost of this repair which is an obvious flaw at the manufacturer level.
The 5-speed manual transmission failed at approximately 103000 miles. Likely cause was failure of an output shaft bearing. Symptoms of failure began at approximately 90000 miles, which included a vibration in the shifter handle and slight buzzing noise. The noise progressively got louder and more frequent until I had it replaced at 103000 miles. Had I not noticed the cause of the noise, the bearing may have failed while driving, which may have caused the transmission to lock up.
2003 pontiac vibe 5-speed. Transmission bearings failed, causing the transmission to grind itself up and strand the car. Fluid changed every 30k miles. First transmission died at 70k miles and the second one now died at 110k miles. Third transmission getting installed to correct a faulty design. Buying a brand new one this time and it has cost me thousands of dollars so far.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 pontiac vibe. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under the recall associated with the federal safety agency campaign id number 10v387000 (engine and engine cooling). After having the vehicle repaired, the check engine light continued to illuminate on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken back to the authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was aware of the failure. No repairs were performed. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 200,000. Updated 9/27/11 *cn the consumer experience harsh shifting within the transmission. Also, the tail lights and dash lights failed. Updated 10/07/11
Transmission failure on a 2005 gm pontiac vibe.
In november 2008 my pontiac vibe (automatic transmission) started to shift harshly (literally slamming into gear), the check engine light came on and my mechanic pulled the code p2716 indicating a solenoid/transmission problem. The car was off warranty, but before I had any work done I called both the local pontiac dealer and gm (11/4/2008-documented). Each said the same thing. There was no known problem and no recall. So I took the car to a transmission specialist and paid over $3200 for a new transmission. The car still shifted harshly and the transmission specialist did some research and found a toyota tech bulletin from 2006 that described the exact problem in the toyota matrix (sister car to the vibe-nummi plant). I asked pontiac about this and they still denied that there was a problem. This was also the time of the economic collapse and gm looked like it would go extinct. Now, in sept. 2010, I get the recall notice admitting to the exact problem that toyota described in 2006. I was told to wait for the second letter before going to the dealer to check it out. The second letter came in feb 2011 advising me to go to the pontiac dealer to get the PCM checked. I did that but I already had the correct PCM from the initial failure in 2008. The failure of the now recalled PCM caused extremely harsh shifting which caused transmission damage (metal filings etc. In the transmission-documented) which LED to a complete transmission repair job costing me $3275.45 as well as the replacement of the PCM. My transmission was ruined because of a known faulty part (PCM) that is just now under recall. The right thing for pontiac/gm to do is pay for my transmission repair caused by their faulty part.
Related recalls
Power train: axle assembly
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 02V074002 · Recall details
Questions about the Pontiac Vibe transmission failure
Which Pontiac Vibe years have complete transmission failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2003 (8 complaints), 2005 (7 complaints) and 2004 (2 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix complete transmission failure on the Pontiac Vibe?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $4,000 (median of 6 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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