Problems · by component

2008 Pontiac Vibe air bags problems

48 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2008 Pontiac Vibe cite air bags, 76% of all 63 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 3 recalls on this component.

Complaints
48
76% of all complaints
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the air bags

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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 VEHICLE TO WUERFLEIN CHEVROLET BUICK GMC (2527 BRIDGE AVE, ALBERT LEA, MN 56007) TO BE REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL. UPON RETURN OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED DESPITE THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED THE SAME DEALER BACK AND WAS INFORMED SHE HAD TO PAY A DIAGNOSTIC FEE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED A CASE NUMBER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. *BF *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 8, 2020Air bagsODI 11353835
“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 CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. *BF *JS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 21, 2020Air bagsODI 11340661
“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 PORTION OF THE AIR BAG MATERIAL COULD BE TORN DURING DEPLOYMENT, OR THE BAG PLATE COULD BE DAMAGED. SUCH DAMAGE DURING DEPLOYMENT COULD CAUSE THE AIR BAG NOT TO PROPERLY INFLATE, AND THIS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF OCCUPANT INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE LETTER FURTHER STATES THAT PARTS ARE NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. A RECENT CALL TO THE PONTIAC CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS ARE STILL NOT AVAILABLE TO REPAIR THIS VEHICLE. DUE TO THIS POTENTIAL HAZARD I HAVE NOT HAD ANYONE SIT IN THE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY VEHICLE SINCE THE SAFELY RECALL LETTER WAS SENT TO ME ALMOST NINE MONTHS AGO. IN FACT THERE WAS ALREADY ONE OTHER SAFETY RECALL ON THIS SAME AIRBAG SOME TIME AGO THAT I HAD REPLACED AT MY LOCAL GM DEALER IN KINGMAN, AZ. I AM REPORTING THIS TO YOU BECAUSE I FEEL THAT WAY TOO MUCH TIME HAS GONE BY WITHOUT ANY PART REPLACEMENT AVAILABLE FOR THIS…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 6, 2020Air bagsODI 11337716
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V627000 (AIRBAG) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER KINGMAN CHEVROLET BUICK (ADDRESS: 3730 STOCKTON HILL RD, KINGMAN, AZ 86409; PHONE: (928) 757-4041) WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 8, 2020Air bagsODI 11327761
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER :19V627000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 3, 2020Air bagsODI 11327112
“I CONTACTED GM ABOUT THE RECALL AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE PART YET AND WHEN THE GET THE PART IN THEY WOULD CONTACT ME TO REPLACE IT BUT THAT WAS IN 2019 AND NEVER HERD FROM THEM THIS VERY DAY. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 23, 2020Air bagsODI 11325639

Showing 6 of 48 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

3 recalls on this component

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2003-2008 Corolla, 2005-2008 Corolla Matrix, and Pontiac Vibe vehicles equipped with a front passenger air bag assembly replaced under a prior recall. The air bag may not unfold as designed during inflation under high temperature conditions, possibly resulting in the air bag not inflating properly.

Air bagsReported Aug 28, 2019NHTSA 19V627000

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Lexus SC vehicles manufactured August 3, 2007, to July 30, 2010, 2008 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured May 25, 2007, to December 21, 2007, 2008 Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles manufactured June 1, 2007, to December 18, 2007, and 2008 Pontiac Vibe vehicles manufactured June 1, 2007, to January 2, 2008. This is to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag inflator which may produce excessive internal pressure causing the inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag. This recall addresses both the passenger side frontal air bags that were originally installed in the vehicles, as well as replacement air bags that may have been installed as replacement service parts. A replacement air bag may have been installed, as one example, if a vehicle had been in a crash necessitating the replacement of the passenger side frontal air bag.

Air bagsReported Mar 3, 2016NHTSA 16V127000

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Lexus SC vehicles manufactured August 3, 2007, to July 30, 2010, 2008 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured June 1, 2007, to December 21, 2007, 2008 Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles manufactured June 1, 2007, to December 18, 2007, and 2008 Pontiac Vibe vehicles manufactured June 1, 2007, to January 2, 2008 that were originally sold, or ever registered, in Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The affected vehicles have a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment.

Air bagsReported Mar 2, 2016NHTSA 16V128000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 10, 2026

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