Archive for the ‘Pontiac’ Category

Recall Alert: 2005-2008 Pontiac Vibe

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

2005PontiacVibe

GM has confirmed that the 2005-2008 Pontiac Vibe is included in the previously announced recall of 1.3 million Toyota Corolla and Matrix models. About 200,000 Vibes are included.



As we stated in the earlier recall alert: “The engine control modules in some of these vehicles is defective and can lead to harsh shifting, stalling, or the vehicle could fail to start. Dealers will inspect the part to see if it is one of the defective units and replace it if necessary free of charge to owners."



There is no fix for the defect yet, and owners will receive a preliminary notification in mid-September. When the necessary replacement parts are available, Pontiac owners will be instructed to take their vehicles to an existing GM dealer, where the service will be conducted free of charge.

 

Owners can contact the National Highway Safety Administration at 888-327-4236.

GM Recalling 1.3 Million Cars Over Steering Defects

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
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GM announced today it is recalling 1.3 million cars worldwide for a faulty power-steering system. In the U.S., about 905,000 2005-2010 Chevy Cobalts and 2007-2010 Pontiac G5s are included. The problem is with the power-steering system’s motor, which can make turning the car at speeds below 15 mph harder.



GM says owners will be able to steer the car and that a chime and warning message of “Power Steering” should illuminate. The company says this is more likely to happen as the cars age.



Unfortunately, GM doesn’t have a remedy in place to fix the problem for so many vehicles. It will likely include power steering motors being replaced. GM will contact owners when it has a plan, and we’ll make sure to update our readers when they can get their cars serviced.



Concerned owners can contact GM’s owner center at www.gmownercenter.com or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s vehicle safety hot line at 888-327-4236. 

Toyota Recall Update: Pontiac Vibe Gets Fix

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Worried owners of 2009 and 2010 Pontiac Vibes should now be somewhat relieved that GM dealers are getting the parts they need to fix that vehicle, which was included in the recent Toyota recall of 2.3 million vehicles for sticky accelerator pedals.



Parts are being shipped this week, and letters will be sent to owners Feb. 16. Owners are being instructed in that mailing to contact their dealers after Feb. 22 to schedule an appointment.



Other news surrounding Toyota’s recent recall issues:

GM and Toyota Sorting Out Pedal Fix for Vibe

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010
2010pontiacvibe

Toyota announced that parts to fix sticking accelerator pedals will be arriving at Toyota dealerships by the end of the week. For owners of 2009 and 2010 Pontiac Vibes — a mechanical twin to the Toyota Matrix — GM says in a press release that the automaker and Toyota are sorting out how soon parts will be available for service at GM dealerships.

 

Owners can expect to be contacted by GM when a fix is available. There are 99,293 2009 and 2010 Vibes in the United States and Canada included in Toyota’s sticking accelerator pedal and floormat entrapment recalls. You can contact Pontiac at 800-620-7668 or visit GM’s owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.

Where Do Recalled Pontiac Vibe Owners Go?

Friday, January 29th, 2010
2009pontiacvibe

There are currently 99,293 2009 and 2010 Pontiac Vibes on the road that are also part of Toyota’s floormat and accelerator pedal recall, according to General Motors. If you’re a Vibe owner, you should expect a letter soon from GM explaining that you’ll be able to take your car to a local GM dealership once it has been informed from Toyota about repairs to address the recalls. As of now, there is still no official word of a timeframe for a fix, but owners will not be dealing with Toyota dealers directly for the repairs.  

 

The two recalls that affect 2009 and 2010 Vibes revolve around unintended acceleration. One recall is for floormats that can interfere with the accelerator. Toyota recommends removing the floormats until repairs can be made.

 

The other recall is for a potential faulty accelerator pedal, which could feel balky, stiff or slow to return to idle position. If your pedal suffers from any of these symptoms, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says you should contact Pontiac at 800-620-7668 or visit GM’s owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.

 

Currently, GM says it hasn’t identified any incidents or customer complaints of sticking accelerator pedals with the Vibe. Like Toyota, GM has halted sales of Vibes, though at Cars.com we show only 13 Vibes in our national inventory.

Where Do Recalled Pontiac Vibe Owners Go?

Friday, January 29th, 2010
2009pontiacvibe

There are currently 99,293 2009 and 2010 Pontiac Vibes on the road that are also part of Toyota’s floormat and accelerator pedal recall, according to General Motors. If you’re a Vibe owner, you should expect a letter soon from GM explaining that you’ll be able to take your car to a local GM dealership once it has been informed from Toyota about repairs to address the recalls. As of now, there is still no official word of a timeframe for a fix, but owners will not be dealing with Toyota dealers directly for the repairs.  

 

The two recalls that affect 2009 and 2010 Vibes revolve around unintended acceleration. One recall is for floormats that can interfere with the accelerator. Toyota recommends removing the floormats until repairs can be made.

 

The other recall is for a potential faulty accelerator pedal, which could feel balky, stiff or slow to return to idle position. If your pedal suffers from any of these symptoms, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says you should contact Pontiac at 800-620-7668 or visit GM’s owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.

 

Currently, GM says it hasn’t identified any incidents or customer complaints of sticking accelerator pedals with the Vibe. Like Toyota, GM has halted sales of Vibes, though at Cars.com we show only 13 Vibes in our national inventory.

Two Toyota Recalls Explained

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

After last night’s news that Toyota is adding another 1.1 million vehicles to an October 2009 recall involving floormats getting stuck under accelerators, we think it's a good time to explain the two recalls and the vehicles included in each one.  In all, 13 models are included in both recalls, totaling nearly 6 million cars, and 1.7 million of those are involved in both recalls.

Last week, Toyota announced a recall of 2.3 million vehicles because of a faulty accelerator pedal that could become stuck and lead to unintended acceleration. This recall is for a completely separate issue than the floormat-related recall. However, both lead to the same end result — unintended acceleration. The vehicles in the accelerator pedal recall include:

  • 2009-10 RAV4
  • 2009-10 Corolla
  • 2009-10 Matrix
  • 2005-10 Avalon
  • Certain 2007-10 Camry models
  • 2010 Highlander
  • 2007-10 Tundra
  • 2008-10 Sequoia
  • 2009-10 Pontiac Vibe
According to CTS Automotive Products, the supplier of the faulty part, there have been no accidents or injuries due to the faulty pedal. No Camry Hybrid models are included in this recall, and some of the model year Camrys actually have a different pedal installed than the one affected by the recall; only a qualified technician will be able to tell the difference between the two pedals. All sales of these recalled models have been halted. New parts are on their way to assembly plants, but there has been no word on a fix for current owners.



The earlier floormat recall was announced after a fatal accident involving a Lexus sedan. This is a wider ranging recall involving more models and brands, including Lexus; it was just expanded by 1.1 million vehicles to 5.3 million vehicles. The vehicles in the floormat recall include:

  • 2007-10 Camry
  • 2005-10 Avalon
  • 2004-09 Prius
  • 2005-10 Tacoma
  • 2007-10 Tundra
  • 2008-10 Highlander
  • 2009-10 Corolla
  • 2009-10 Venza
  • 2009-10 Matrix
  • 2009-10 Pontiac Vibe
  • 2007-10 Lexus ES 350
  • 2006-10 Lexus IS 250 and IS 350
A series of steps have been developed to fix the problem involving the floormats, including shortening the gas pedal. In some cars, a brake-override system will be installed to allow drivers of runaway vehicles to stop the car.



You can follow all of our coverage of the recall by using this link.

Two Toyota Recalls Explained

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

After last night’s news that Toyota is adding another 1.1 million vehicles to an October 2009 recall involving floormats getting stuck under accelerators, we think it's a good time to explain the two recalls and the vehicles included in each one.  In all, 13 models are included in both recalls, totaling nearly 6 million cars, and 1.7 million of those are involved in both recalls.

Last week, Toyota announced a recall of 2.3 million vehicles because of a faulty accelerator pedal that could become stuck and lead to unintended acceleration. This recall is for a completely separate issue than the floormat-related recall. However, both lead to the same end result — unintended acceleration. The vehicles in the accelerator pedal recall include:

  • 2009-10 RAV4
  • 2009-10 Corolla
  • 2009-10 Matrix
  • 2005-10 Avalon
  • Certain 2007-10 Camry models
  • 2010 Highlander
  • 2007-10 Tundra
  • 2008-10 Sequoia
  • 2009-10 Pontiac Vibe
According to CTS Automotive Products, the supplier of the faulty part, there have been no accidents or injuries due to the faulty pedal. No Camry Hybrid models are included in this recall, and some of the model year Camrys actually have a different pedal installed than the one affected by the recall; only a qualified technician will be able to tell the difference between the two pedals. All sales of these recalled models have been halted. New parts are on their way to assembly plants, but there has been no word on a fix for current owners.



The earlier floormat recall was announced after a fatal accident involving a Lexus sedan. This is a wider ranging recall involving more models and brands, including Lexus; it was just expanded by 1.1 million vehicles to 5.9 million vehicles. The vehicles in the floormat recall include:

  • 2007-10 Camry
  • 2005-10 Avalon
  • 2004-09 Prius
  • 2005-10 Tacoma
  • 2007-10 Tundra
  • 2008-10 Highlander
  • 2009-10 Corolla
  • 2009-10 Venza
  • 2009-10 Matrix
  • 2009-10 Pontiac Vibe
  • 2007-10 Lexus ES 350
  • 2006-10 Lexus IS 250 and IS 350
A series of steps have been developed to fix the problem involving the floormats, including shortening the gas pedal. In some cars, a brake-override system will be installed to allow drivers of runaway vehicles to stop the car.



You can follow all of our coverage of the recall by using this link.

2009-10 Pontiac Vibe Recalled Along with Toyotas

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
2010pontiacvibe

Last week, we posted a story about GM recalling its 2009 model year Pontiac Vibe as part of Toyota’s 2.3 million vehicle recall involving accelerator pedals that can become stuck. Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a recall for Vibes from both the 2009 and 2010 model years.



Mechanically, the Vibe is the same as a Toyota Matrix, which was also recalled. Vibe owners should be on the lookout for the same signs of accelerated wear of the pedal as Toyota owners, which is described as “it might feel a little balky or stiff or rough when you depress it. The pedal may be slow to return to its original position after you let up on it. It won’t spring back like it used to.”



There is no fix at this time. GM will notify owners of the recall and eventually of the fix. In the meantime, concerned owners can call GM at 800-620-7668 or NHTSA’s hot line at 888-327-4236.