Is the 2009 Pontiac Vibe a bad year?
528 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine and transmission complaints are in line with other Vibe years.
Keep it
Engine and transmission complaints for the 2009 Pontiac Vibe are in line with other Vibe years. Air bags stands out for this year: see below.
The verdict moves with mileage: the same car reads differently at 30,000 and at 150,000 miles.
What 2009 Vibe owners report, by mileage
Each system owners named in five or more complaints, with the mileage range where the middle half of those complaints were filed. Read at 93,000 miles.
| SYSTEM | COMPLAINTS | MIDDLE HALF FILED AT | TYPICAL US REPAIR BILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bagsSTANDS OUT | 352 (67%) | 66k–116k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Engine | 34 (6%) | 66k–118k miles · around this mileage | Valve cover gasket replacement $110–$500 · Timing chain replacement $1,000–$4,000 |
| Speed controlSTANDS OUT | 58 (11%) | 9k–34k miles · mostly behind | — |
| Steering | 35 (7%) | 25k–65k miles · mostly behind | — |
| Brakes | 23 (4%) | 18k–50k miles · mostly behind | — |
| Electrical system | 18 (3%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Transmission and drivetrain | 13 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Visibility and wipers | 13 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Stability control | 9 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Fuel system | 6 (1%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Suspension | 6 (1%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Wheels | 6 (1%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Body structure | 5 (1%) | too few with a mileage | — |
Bills are typical US ranges from the sources named in the tool (J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, CarParts.com and others), printed only for systems that stand out or sit at or ahead of 93,000 miles. Not a quote.
What owners reported alongside their complaints
Of 528 complaints: 23 mention a crash · 2 mention a fire · 8 report an injury · 6 say the car was towed.
1 complaint was filed in the last 12 months, the newest in Oct 2026.
Counts of what owners wrote in their complaints, not verified by anyone.
In owners' own words
Car shuts off completely while driving. Happens completely at random. After placing in park, removing key, re-inserting key, restarting, all is fine for a while.
The engine stopped at freeway speed. This was the sixth time that this happened over a period of about a year.
For the past year, the vehicle has exhibited excessive oil consumption requiring one quart of oil per every 1000 miles.
Unedited excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, chosen by mileage (nearest 93,000 miles), not by content. Unverified.
Recalls for the 2009 Pontiac Vibe: 9
These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
During the manufacturing of the Power Window Master Switch (PWMS), grease lubricant may have been inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts. If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
In the affected vehicles, the steering column assembly contains electrical connections to the driver's airbag module housed in a spiral cable assembly, which includes a Flexible Flat Cable (FFC). Due to the shape and location of the FFC's retainer, the FFC could become damaged when the steering wheel is turned. If the FFC is damaged, connectivity to the driver's air bag module could be lost and the air bag deactivated.
The power window master switch assemblies in some of these vehicles were built using a less precise process for lubricating the internal components of the switch assemblies. Irregularities in this lubrication process may cause the power window master switch assemblies to malfunction and overheat. If the switch overheats, it may melt, possibly resulting in a fire.
The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat. A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.
Due to the manner in which the friction lever interacts with the sliding surface of the accelerator pedal inside the pedal sensor assembly, the sliding surface of the lever may become smooth during vehicle operation. The accelerator pedal may become hard to depress, slow to return to idle, or, in the worst case, mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position, increasing the risk of a crash.
When driving under certain unique conditions in extremely low ambient temperatures, the intake manifold suction port for the brake vacuum can become locked due to the freezing of condensation resulting from positive crankcase ventilation. This could lead to an increase in vehicle stopping distance and a crash could occur.
A recall may cover only some cars of a model year; the campaign size counts every model and year it lists. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: dealers fix open recalls free.
Service bulletins from Pontiac: 271
Repair instructions Pontiac sent its dealers for symptoms seen in the shop on the 2009 Pontiac Vibe. Ask a dealer or mechanic for a bulletin by its number.
Rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with DTCs, and explains how Top Tier fuels should be used to reduce carbon build-up
Guidelines to replace Oil Cooler, Oil Cooler Lines and Oil Tank if the engine was replaced where large amounts of debris has flowed throughout the oiling system
Proper way to install the pistons in an engine
Will need to be provided to TAC to aid in diagnosing if a vehicle comes in with misfire and DTC Codes P0300 - P0308 and/or P050D
NHTSA defect investigations: 2
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit
Neighbouring years
2008 Vibe: 63 complaints, keep it · 2010 Vibe: 58 complaints, keep it.
Every Pontiac Vibe year
2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2014 · All Vibe years side by side
Other Pontiac models: Pontiac Aztek · Pontiac Bonneville · Pontiac G5 · Pontiac G6 · Pontiac G8 · Pontiac GTO · Pontiac Grand Am · Pontiac Grand Prix · Pontiac Montana · Pontiac Solstice · Pontiac Sunfire · Pontiac Torrent. All makes and models.
Questions
Is the 2009 Pontiac Vibe a bad year?
528 owner complaints to NHTSA. Engine and transmission complaints are in line with other Vibe years. At 93,000 miles the tool says: Keep it.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Pontiac Vibe?
By owner complaints to NHTSA: air bags (352), engine (34), speed control (58), steering (35), brakes (23).
How many recalls does the 2009 Pontiac Vibe have?
9 recall campaigns list this model year: Air bags (NHTSA 18V-024), Air bags (NHTSA 17V-006), Air bags (NHTSA 16V-340), Visibility and wipers (NHTSA 15V-689) and more. A recall may cover only some cars; check by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Method: counts of unverified owner complaints filed with NHTSA, compared only with other years of the same model (sales volumes are unknown, so no failure rate is computed). A system stands out at 40+ complaints and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share across every vehicle of that model year. The mileage range is the 25th to 75th percentile of the mileages owners reported. Data received by NHTSA through November 5, 2026. Repair prices are typical US ranges from named sources, not quotes. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Check this car at your own mileage.