2009 Pontiac Vibe Added to Toyota Recall

UPDATE: Both the 2009 and 2010 Pontiac Vibes have been included in the accelerator recall.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has added the 2009 Pontiac Vibe to a recall notice associated with Toyota’s recall of 2.3 million vehicles, which was announced yesterday. Like the Toyotas, the Vibe is being recalled for a faulty accelerator pedal that can wear and eventually become stuck, leading to unintended acceleration.

Toyota has not yet offered a fix for the problem. We will update this site as soon as we learn more about when a solution can be expected. For now, owners are being told to bring their cars in only if they’ve already experienced issues with the gas pedals.

The specific number of Vibes recalled was not released, but it includes all Vibes from the 2009 model year. 

GM 72-Hour Sale: 0% for 72 Months

Maybe GM’s math skills got them into the trouble they’re in. Their just announced 72-hour sale starts today and runs through July 6, which is 144 hours by our count. Maybe they wanted to tie the sale name in with the sale terms, namely 0% financing for 72 months on select models for those buyers who qualify.

Included 2009 and 2010 models in the 0% for 72-months term are: Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra regular, extended and crew cab light-duty pickups; Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon XL SUVs; Chevrolet Impala; and the Pontiac Vibe, G3, G5, G6 and G8.

Other models have separate incentives you can find here.

What the End of Pontiac Means To You

Today GM announced it would stop producing new Pontiac models by the end of 2010. This is the end of an era for the once-proud performance brand, but it also leaves a lot of questions for car shoppers and Pontiac owners.

We talked to Jim Hopson, Pontiac’s manager of communications, this morning to clarify GM’s statement. He said that Pontiac will continue to operate normally even with today’s announcement. All warranty work will be completed as usual; any new Pontiacs sold will have the same full warranty they did last week, one which has the backing of the U.S. government. The government's backing is to help ensure consumers that its safe to still purchase new GM cars while the company seeks to restructure. Only cars purchased through May get the government-backed warranty.

GM will continue to make parts for Pontiac models indefinitely and most Pontiac dealers also sell the Buick and GMC brands and will continue to operate. The automaker still produces replacement parts for the defunct Oldsmobile, which GM shuttered in 2004.

What Hopson couldn’t say was when certain models would be phased out.

The current Pontiac lineup reads as follows, including how many days of inventory was sitting on lots as of April 1.

• Pontiac G3: 617 days of inventory
• Pontiac G5: 443 days of inventory
• Pontiac G6: 83 days of inventory
• Pontiac G8: 92 days of inventory
• Pontiac Solstice: 276 days of inventory
• Pontiac Vibe: 149 days of inventory
• Pontiac Torrent: 99 days of inventory

The national average for all brands is 83 days of inventory.

We detail specific information on Pontiac models below.

Weekend Athlete: 2009 Pontiac Vibe

It's not the greatest name for a car, I grant you, but Pontiac's little hatchback is a nice car for Weekend Athletes in a lot of respects.

Cars.com Reviews the 2009 Pontiac Vibe

The 2009 Pontiac Vibe is built alongside Toyota's Matrix hatchback. The two share basically the same functionality, but come in varying trim levels. The Vibe, for example, can be equipped with all-wheel drive. Cars.com's Mike Hanley discovered the new Vibe has plenty to offer in a post-SUV world, and even liked the Monsoon sound system. Check out the review and its accompanying video.

2009 Pontiac Vibe Expert Review

Recall Alert: 2003-2004 Pontiac Vibe

We can now confirm that GM is recalling 122,593 2003 and 2004 model year Pontiac Vibes. The Vibe is built alongside the Toyota Matrix and Corolla, which announced recalls over the same model years yesterday. All three are being recalled thanks to faulty window bolts that can come loose and cause windows to shatter.

The recall affects only models with power windows. Notices will go out to owners this month.

Toyota, GM Recall 662,093 Corolla, Matrix, Vibe Cars (Bloomberg)

New 2009 Pontiac Vibe Price Drops $1,500

The 2009 Pontiac Vibe is all-new and will hit dealerships in February. Along with a new exterior, interior and engines — which we can only assume will be an upgrade over the aging design they replace — the new Vibe will start $1,545 less than the 2008. Starting MSRP will be $15,310, versus the 2008’s $16,855 price.

Besides the manual transmission, this isn’t a totally stripped vehicle. All Vibes come with ABS, four-wheel-disc brakes, six airbags and stability control standard.

All-wheel drive and GT models return to the Vibe lineup for 2009, starting at $18,910 and $19,310, respectively. Both come with a more powerful 158-hp engine standard. None of the prices include a $585 destination charge. 

Related
Video: Pontiac Vibe (KickingTires)
2007 Los Angeles Auto Show: 2009 Pontiac Vibe with Photo Gallery (Cars.com)

Video: 2009 Pontiac Vibe

We already brought you pictures and information on the all-new 2009 Pontiac Vibe earlier today, but there’s nothing like the moving images of video to show off a car’s stance and real-world looks.

2007 Los Angeles Auto Show: 2009 Pontiac Vibe

• Competes with: Mazda3, Dodge Caliber, Toyota Matrix, Saturn Astra
• Looks like: A disproportioned SUV with a really small rear window
• Drivetrain: 132-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder or 158-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder
• Hits dealerships: February 2008

Last week, Toyota debuted its new Matrix hatchback at the SEMA specialty show in Las Vegas. This week, GM is unveiling its version of that hatchback online. We’ve got details and photos of the Vibe, but it will make its in-person debut next week at the L.A. Auto Show.

The Vibe shares the same platform as the Matrix, which itself is derived from the new Corolla. That means Pontiac buyers get a very Toyota-like product when they buy a Vibe. The big differences are in the exterior style and interior finishes. We’re not sure if the exterior styling does enough to beat out the sleek-looking Saturn Astra, which goes on sale in January.

The Vibe also features the same engines as the Matrix, with a 158-hp four-cylinder standard on AWD and GT trims and optional on the base model. AWD models also come with a four-speed automatic standard, while base or GT models get the choice of a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic with manual shifting. The engines are rated at 26/32 mpg city/highway for the base model with the manual transmission and 25/31 mpg with the automatic, 21/28 for the manual GT and 21/29 for the GT with the automatic. The AWD model with a four-speed automatic gets 20/26 mpg.

Stability control, a tire pressure monitoring system, six airbags and active head restraints are standard on all Vibe models. We’ll have more on the Vibe next week from L.A. Many more photos below.

First Look: 2009 Pontiac Vibe

This is the first look GM’s given us of the 2009 Pontiac Vibe that will debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show next month. While it just looks like a slight redesign in this picture, the car is all-new from the ground up. It will still be built alongside an all-new Toyota Matrix. That car will debut at the SEMA show in Las Vegas in early November.

GM says there will be all-wheel-drive and GT versions of the Vibe, and that it will hit dealerships in early 2008. We’ll have more information closer to the L.A. Auto Show.

Related
Toyota to Unveil New 2009 Corolla, Matrix in Vegas (KickingTires)
Research 2008 Pontiac Vibe (Cars.com)