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2008 Pontiac VibeProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 63 owner complaints about the 2008 Pontiac Vibe, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 19V-627 the manufacturer reports only 33% of affected cars repaired.

2008 Pontiac Vibe
79
CarFlaw IndexOne of the best years73% below the Vibe median · #8 of 8 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 33%Owner complaints636 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage86kAir bags, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 8, 2020. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2008 Pontiac Vibe has problems

63 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Air bags482
Vehicle speed control40
Engine and engine cooling30
Steering20
Seat belts21
Tires20
Suspension10
Visibility10
Engine11
4 other systems41

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

4 recalls

2008 Pontiac Vibe recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

33%repaired · 2022 Q1

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 19V-627 · Aug 28, 2019 · 229,460 vehicles · 75,093 repaired

Risk. An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

75%repaired · 2021 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 16V-127 · Mar 3, 2016 · 147,242 vehicles · 110,541 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

68%repaired · 2021 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 16V-128 · Mar 2, 2016 · 71,163 vehicles · 48,653 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Pontiac.

Best & worst years

2008 vs. every other Vibe year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Vibe median. How we score

'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'14
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2008 Pontiac Vibe safety ratings

2008 Pontiac Vibe 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Rollover: 4 stars (14.0% risk)
  • Stability control: Optional
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2008 Pontiac Vibe, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Engine StallEA10006 · closed Sep 16, 2010
    Led to recall 10V-384
  2. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
In owners' words

What Vibe owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V627000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE…
Complaint 11353835 · Sep 8, 2020
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V627000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. HONOLULU BUICK GMC LOCATED AT 2945 N NIMITZ HWY, HONOLULU, HI 96819, WAS CONTACTED AND IT WAS…
Complaint 11340661 · Jul 21, 2020
I RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL LETTER FROM PONTIAC IN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN DATED OCTOBER 2019 STATING THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG ASSEMBLY CONTAINING AN INFLATOR IS DEFECTIVE. THE AIR BAG MAY NOT UNFOLD AS DESIGNED DURING INFLATION DURING HIGH TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS.WHAT COULD HAPPEN IS THAT A…
Complaint 11337716 · Jul 6, 2020

Own a 2008 Vibe?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.