2006 Pontiac Vibe Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2006 Pontiac Vibe has 177 NHTSA complaints and 5 recalls, with a complaint index of 50, ranking it 4th worst of 7 model years and earning a Caution verdict. Airbags account for 67% of complaints, followed by Engine issues at 20%.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 50/100
- #4 of 7 Vibe years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 177
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 5
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 6
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 4
- Top issue
- Airbags
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 26
- 23.5 city / 30 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 4 / 0
Top 2006 Pontiac Vibe problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags119 (67%)
- Engine36 (20%)
- Electrical System12 (7%)
- Transmission & Powertrain12 (7%)
- Visibility & Wipers6 (3%)
- Brakes3 (2%)
- Structure & Body3 (2%)
- Fuel System2 (1%)
- Other2 (1%)
- Seat Belts2 (1%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Owners describe sudden brake failure combined with unresponsive pedals and cruise control that would not disengage, sometimes ending in a crash.
- Some report the accelerator pedal sticking intermittently in an open-throttle position, leading to repeated crashes that dealers could not reproduce.
- Others report the engine stalling without warning during low-speed turns, resulting in a collision.
- A driver's side window was reported to rattle, go off track, and stop rolling up or down fully, sometimes interfering with the door mechanism.
- One owner reported a rear seatbelt buckle that would not lock due to missing bolts, which the dealer did not repair.
- A structural complaint described a seat rail fracturing after the vehicle lost control on a wet road, with airbags failing to deploy.
2006 Pontiac Vibe recalls
5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 19V627000Aug 28, 2019Airbags229,460 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
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.
Risk: An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag assembly or sub-assembly, free of charge. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are K1Q and K0Q. Pontiac owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is N192273760.
- NHTSA 18V883000Dec 12, 2018Airbags168,993 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2002-2005 Lexus SC and Toyota Sequoia, 2003-2005 Toyota Corolla and Tundra, and 2003-2007 Pontiac Vibe vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General Motors will notify the Pontiac Vibe owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, or replace the air bag assembly that includes an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 23, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371, Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987 or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. Toyota's numbers for these recalls are J0A (Zone A Toyota), J0B (Zone B Toyota), J0C (Zone C Toyota), JLI (Zone A Lexus), JLJ (Zone B Lexus), and JLK (Zone C Lexus). Note: This recall includes vehicles that have had their air bag previously replaced under an earlier air bag campaign.
- NHTSA 15V285000May 13, 2015Airbags1,973,468 vehicles
Air bags
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015 that they are recalling certain model year 2004 Sequoia vehicles manufactured August 18, 2003, to August 19, 2004, and 2003-2004 Tundra vehicles manufactured March 18, 2003, to August 25, 2004. On June 16, 2015, Toyota expanded the recall to include an additional 1,270,468 vehicles, including model year 2002-2003 and 2005-2007 Sequoia, 2005-2006 Tundra, 2003-2007 Corolla, 2003-2007 Corolla Matrix, 2003-2007 Pontiac Vibe and 2002-2007 Lexus SC vehicles. 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.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-285 are under a Do Not Drive advisory. Owners of these vehicles are advised not to drive their vehicles until the recall remedy has been completed. Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag. The recall began on July 13, 2015. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Pontiac owners may call 1-800-762-2737. NOTE: This recall supersedes recall 14V-312 in its entirety.
2006 Pontiac Vibe fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 23.5 MPG
- Highway
- 30 MPG
- Combined
- 26 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,500
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2006 compared with other Vibe years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2006 Pontiac Vibe reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2006 Vibe carries a complaint index of 50 and a Caution verdict, ranking 4th worst among the 7 model years with data.
- What are the most common problems with the 2006 Pontiac Vibe?
- NHTSA complaints show airbags as the top problem area at 67% of all complaints, followed by engine issues at 20% and electrical system and transmission/powertrain issues each at 7%.
- Does the 2006 Pontiac Vibe have airbag recalls?
- Yes. NHTSA lists four separate airbag-related recall campaigns affecting the 2006 Vibe, plus one engine control module recall covering 2005-2008 models.
- At what mileage do airbag problems typically show up on the 2006 Vibe?
- NHTSA data shows a median mileage of 82,500 miles at failure overall, with airbag-specific complaints showing a median mileage of 127,500 miles.
- How does the 2006 Vibe compare to other Vibe years?
- The 2006 Vibe's complaint index of 50 is better than 2005 (83), 2007 (67), and 2009 (100), all rated Avoid or worse, but worse than 2008 (17), which is rated Good.