2009 Pontiac Vibe consumer reviews

This car seems to be perceived as the "other sibling" to the Toyota Matrix. When shopping for a new car, we looked at both. This one was less expensive and had a better warranty, though they are essentially the same car. And we like the exterior styling more than the Matrix (the interiors were just about identical, if I recall correctly). I have put significant miles on it, and it has been good except for an issue with the water pump. I expect I will continue to put miles on it for quite some time yet. We purchased one with a manual transmission and are very happy with that choice. It makes the car more fun to drive and I feel I have more control in difficult weather conditions. There have been a few safety recalls which have come down from Toyota and GM, and even though the Pontiac brand has been discontinued there has been no problem getting the warranty issues fixed at no cost to us. The ceiling is higher than some other compact cars, giving taller drivers extra space. It has been good on gas. I've driven it 7+ hours numerous times, and it has been pretty comfortable. Visibility is good. Gas mileage is good. It is not the quietest of cars.

I have owned this car for four years and have been overly impressed with it. I bought it when I was single and it suited my needs perfectly. When I got married and had my first baby, the car just continued to make sense and be the perfect fit. The easy rear car seat anchors are a feature I just cannot imagine living without and the side curtain airbags give me a sense of security knowing my family is safe. I have never had a problem mechanically with the car, outside of regular maintenance, since I purchased it and, if I could, I would purchase another one without a second thought. I have been looking to upgrade and even brand new cars do not seem to compare. I would recommend this car to anyone who likes the versatility of an SUV, the handling of a coupe, the safety of a mini van, and the fuel efficiency of a subcompact. Truly the best car.

Bought this cute little hatchback about a year ago and its the best decision I've ever made! Handles great in the snow, very reliable, and always a smooth ride. Made on a Toyota line so parts are easy to find and very cheap.

I have had a 2009 Vibe GT for 2.5 years now. I bought it after four years of owning a 2003 base Vibe (I wrecked it). That's almost 7 years of driving a Vibe! I have very few complaints about this car. The GT is superior to the base Vibe, although I loved the base Vibe too. The subwoofer in the GT is beefy. The car handles very well and has great power. My only compliant is that the car doesn't respond as quickly or accelerate as well at the higher altitude here in Colorado. I miss my super speedy engine I had at sea level. The low profile tires also do poorly on snow (I haven't tried snow tires) and the low body kit makes ground clearance difficult at times. Other than that this car is solid. I've put 40K miles on it in 2.5 years (that's a lot of road trips) and it's done beautifully. My 2003 Vibe never had any issues even at high mileage. If I hadn't of wrecked it at 170K miles it'd still be going strong. I hardly have to do any maintenance to my GT. It's at 114K miles and running strong. I know this car will run well far after the loan is paid off.

I drove one of these for a bit over two years, and no issues ever. I owned a base model 1.8L with a five-speed manual. The manual transmission ensures more power reaches the wheels; you can spin the tires easily should you be inclined to, and you'll get a nice chirp from the tires with high rpm shifts. The clutch also catches very predictably and is very forgiving for anyone learning to drive stick. VERY nimble in the snowiest Michigan winters. Also no need to downshift to pass other cars on the highway. I've calculated my fuel economy to fall in the 31-34mpg range (about two-thirds hwy miles), and I consider myself a rash driver. This car is pretty much devoid of electronics save the radio, so nothing ever goes bad. The seats fit me well (I'm 6') and give enough room to comfortably reach the pedals. The back seat is fairly cramped. Having the shifter in the dashboard isn't particularly aesthetic or ergonomic, but I adjusted. Plenty of cargo room with the seats up, and plenty of space to move furniture with the seats down. Unfortunately, I totaled mine, but I was able to walk away.

I am at 278,000 miles on this car - it does burn some oil however it has been a very dependable vehicle... I am sold on this car

I had a 2004 Vibe that I loved and performed well with absolutely NO major repairs when I traded it in on a 2009 model. This car had a breakdown in the ABS Brake Wheel Sensor that cost $800 to fix but the ultimate problem came at 70,000 miles when all of a sudden I was losing oil at a rate of 1 qt per 1,000 miles. My mechanic said that there is a design flaw with the pistons and they become scored and pitted and oil is lost in the engine and burns there. There will be no visual signs of oil leakage or burning. I was so sad to trade in my Vibe for an new vehicle as I was hopeful to drive this car over 100,000 miles.

This is my second Vibe, first was a 2003. The car is truly a jack of all trades. While not particularly great at any one thing, I can't think of another car that can do all the things the Vibe can (except for the Toyota Matrix of course, but it loses a few points in the exterior styling department). This car is my cargo van, pickup truck, recreational vehicle, commuter car, reliable transportation, and tow vehicle, all rolled into one. One day, I need to make a service call for my business, I load up two ladders on the roof, fold the back seats and front passenger seat flat, fill it up with tools, tie them down with the built-in heavy duty tie downs, and go! The next day, gotta make a sales call out of town, put the seats back up, take the ladders down, and now I have a respectable looking car that I can drive 60 miles without burning too much fuel. Later that night, maybe dinner out with the wife. Next day, throw the mountain bikes in the back and head for the hills. Day after that, hitch up my 16' fiberglass boat and go fishing. And then maybe some kayaking later on, kayak on the roof. Gotta pick up a new washing machine on the way home, big screen TV, no problem! Can you think of another car that can do all of this SO WELL, and still look good doing it?? Reliability is phenomenal, parts are cheap and readily available from Toyota if the local Pontiac dealer doesn't exist anymore! Don't get me wrong, the car is not perfect. The 1.8L version is SLOW (I have the 2.4 this time around, much better for darting in and out of traffic). Fuel tank is tiny (especially on the AWD model), so lots of gas station stops, but the fillups are cheap. Fun to drive, but it's definitely not a sports car. Comfortable, but definitely not a luxury car. Fuel economy is better than a truck or van, but not up to par to similar sized 4 cylinder cars. But hey, for this kind of money, again I can't think of a vehicle that can replace so many others and still look good doing it. And it even has a 110v household AC outlet in the dash! I prefer the Vibe over the Matrix simply due to the styling. The Vibe looks like an adult could drive it, while the Matrix looks like it was designed for either a 16 year old wannabe street racer (09 and newer), or a 95 year old widow (08 and older). Interior and everything else about the car is virtually identical, so to each his own. Either way, if you need a truck, van, and a small fuel efficient family car at the same time, but can only afford one car, there aren't many choices on the market. This is one to strongly consider. Drive the 1.8 AND the 2.4 before buying, and stay away from AWD unless you REALLY need it (like you live in Alaska or up state NY or something), as the reduced size fuel tank, reduced fuel economy, and increased repair and maintenance costs aren't worth it for 1 or 2 snow days a year. (And unfortunately cars.com didn't have an option for "ALL OF THE ABOVE" under "Primary use of this car", I just picked one at random. The real answer is all of the above, which is really the best reason to buy a Vibe)

I purchased this car at the end of November, 2014 with 120,000 miles on it. I did the Carfax and AutoCheck reports and both had stellar results with no issues on the car. The selling dealer said it was a one owner and traded in on a new luxury car. I have had a few Toyota Matrix models and currently own an '09 Vibe GT and an '04 Vibe base model. All have been fantastic solid dependable cars - BUT, we received our first snowfall and it was my first chance to check out the AWD for ice and snow. Sadly, my AWD makes loud repetitive banging sounds from the rear end when the AWD is prompted to kick in (front wheel slippage). I can hardly believe it being Toyota's reliability history. I have also noticed in these slick conditions that it will occasionally pop out of reverse and BANG back in. Wondering if it is related to the AWD not functioning completely? I have only put 2300 miles on it since purchased as I bought it for the snowy days with all our steep hills here in NW Arkansas. Blows my mind. A call to the dealer tomorrow is in order! I do know that many brands have extended driveline warranties over the standard 100,000 warranty. Got my fingers crossed. This hopefully will not discourage anyone from buying a Pontiac Vibe (Toyota Matrix), as they have all been fantastic other than this AWD with serious major driveline/transmission issues.

I purchased this vehicle just recently in 2014 of april! Had 103, 105 miles. Now currently up to 170,022 . Such a fantastic car but seem to have problems with the car as far as a rattling noise every time I press the gas to go full speed up to 40 & up. Also does this thing with the ignition where you turn it completely on and it makes a spasm noise real quickly and starts up. Some people have same issue .some do not. But I love this car I would buy another one! Not sure how long the engine lasts though for toyota. The car is well taken care of!