Problems · by component

2005 Pontiac Vibe engine and engine cooling problems

33 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2005 Pontiac Vibe cite engine and engine cooling, 11% of all 301 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
33
11% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine and engine cooling

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE SPOUSE OF THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND DROVE THE VEHICLE TO A SAFE PLACE WHERE THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V387000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AS A POSSIBLE CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 230,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 24, 2020Engine and engine coolingODI 11311202
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AFTER STALLING. THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY RESTART AFTER BEING TURNED OFF FOR OVER AN HOUR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 10V387000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) WAS RELATED TO THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 197,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 14, 2014Engine and engine cooling, EngineODI 10588266
“I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY GOING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH AND THE CAR JUST STARTED TO SLOW DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY. I PULLED OVER SAFELY AND WAITED FOR TOW SERVICE BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT START. OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS I REPEATEDLY TRIED TO START THE CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START. THE CONSUMER STATED THE RECALL THAT WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE FAILED, AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO IDLE HARSHLY. WHEN THE CONSUMER CALLED THE DEALER, ABOUT THE VEHICLE BEING REPAIRED, SHE WAS INFORMED ANY ADDITIONAL REPAIRS WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL, EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE RECALL. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, WHERE SHE WAS INFORMED A CODE OF P0440 AND P0441, WERE RELATED TO THE PCM, WHICH HE BELIEVED WAS THE FUEL PUMP CAUSING THE READINGS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN, AND THE CONSUMER WAS ADVISED IT WAS THE SAME CODES. OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE PCM WAS REPROGRAMMED, WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED. UPDATED 01/13/14”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 18, 2013Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, gasolineODI 10556465
“2005 PONTIAC VIBE. CONSUMER STATES TRANSMISSION STALLING PROBLEM *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HE SENT HIS RECEIPTS TO PONTIAC REGARDING A TRANSMISSION AND STALLING PROBLEM HE EXPERIENCED WITH HIS VEHICLE, WHICH WAS IN RESPONSE TO A RECALL NOTICE HE RECEIVED. THERE HAS BEEN NO RESPONSE FROM PONTIAC TO DATE. THE CONSUMER STATED HE SPENT OVER $2200 TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.*JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 9, 2012Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10450960
“WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY DURING MODERATE TRAFFIC MY 2005 PONTIAC VIBE COMPLETELY STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. AFTER BARELY MAKING IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO TOW ME TO THE DEALERSHIP. I HAD WENT ONLINE WHILE WAITING FOR THE TOW AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE THAT CAUSED THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS I HAD. THE DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THE VIN AND ORDERED THE RECALL ITEM. THE NEXT DAY THEY CALLED ME AND INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD INSTALLED THE NEW CONTROL MODULE AND THE CAR WOULD STILL NOT START AND THEY WOULD NEED TO DIG FURTHER TO FIND THE CAUSE. AFTER DIGGING MORE INTO IT THEY CALLED THE NEXT DAY (DAY 3) AND TOLD ME THAT THE EXHAUST CAMSHAFT WAS BROKEN AND RECOMMENDED A NEW ENGINE DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF SLUDGE AND UNKNOWN FACTORS WITH THE CURRENT ENGINE. THE ESTIMATE OF REPAIR WAS $6100. I CALLED MY MECHANIC AND HE SAID THAT HE COULD LOOK AND SEE IF THE CAMSHAFT COULD BE REPLACED OR IF THE ENGINE DID INDEED NEED REPLACED. I HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC (DAY 4) WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP I WAS GIVEN A BROKEN BOLT THAT THE MECHANIC SAID HAD BEEN THE PROBLEM. HE SAID IT HAD GOTTEN LODGED IN A WAY THAT…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 17, 2011Engine and engine coolingODI 10436230
“2005 PONTIAC VIBE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO SEVERAL VEHICLE REPAIRS AND REQUEST REPAIR *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED ON FEBRUARY 22, 2007 THE VEHICLE WAS FIRST DIAGNOSED WITH A FAILED POWER CONTROL MODULE. ON MARCH 9, 2007 A NEW PCM WAS INSTALLED UNDER WARRANTY. ON MARCH 23, 2007, THE OXYGEN SENSOR AND EXHAUST WERE REPLACED. ON OCTOBER 22, 2009 THE PCM FAILED AGAIN AND THE COMPUTER WAS REFLASHED. IN SEPT. 2010 THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING THE PCM. THE CONSUMER FAXED OVER ALL THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK FOR REIMBURSEMENT. HOWEVER, THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM GM STATING THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED ALL OF THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION TO PROCESS HIS REIMBURSEMENT. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 19, 2011Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10431051

Showing 6 of 33 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 27, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

1 recall on this component

Engine and engine cooling

Free remedy

GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2008 PONTIAC VIBE VEHICLES. THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) FOR THE SUBJECT MODELS EQUIPPED WITH THE 1ZZ-FE (LV6) ENGINE AND TWO-WHEEL DRIVE MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT A CRACK MAY DEVELOP AT CERTAIN SOLDER POINTS OR ON VARISTORS ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD.

Engine and engine coolingReported Aug 26, 2010NHTSA 10V387000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Oct 27, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Other 2005 Vibe problem areas