YearToAvoid

2006 Pontiac Vibe Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

50/100

#4 most-complained of 7 Vibe years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2006 Pontiac Vibe has 177 owner complaints and 5 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 50 out of 100 — #4 highest of 7 Vibe model years (verdict: Caution). The most reported problem area is airbags (119 complaints, 67% of the total). Complaints report 6 crashes and 4 injuries.

Complaints
177
Recalls
5
Crashes / fires
6 / 0
Injuries / deaths
4 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
26
23.5 city / 30 hwy

Top 2006 Pontiac Vibe problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags119 (67%)
  2. Engine36 (20%)
  3. Electrical System12 (7%)
  4. Transmission & Powertrain12 (7%)
  5. Visibility & Wipers6 (3%)
  6. Brakes3 (2%)
  7. Structure & Body3 (2%)
  8. Fuel System2 (1%)
  9. Other2 (1%)
  10. Seat Belts2 (1%)
2006 Pontiac Vibe complaints: complaints filed per quarter342006 Q12009 Q12010 Q32013 Q32015 Q42017 Q42019 Q42023 Q1
199 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2006 Q1 to 2025 Q4; peak 2015 Q4 (34).

2006 Pontiac Vibe recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

See all 5 recalls for the 2006 Pontiac Vibe →

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

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)02550751002005200620072008200920102014
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2005Avoid83301526
2006Caution50177526
2007Caution67170528
2008Best1763428

All Pontiac Vibe years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2006 Pontiac Vibe a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2006 Pontiac Vibe ranks #4 of 7 among Vibe model years (Complaint Index 50/100, verdict: Caution). It has 177 complaints and 5 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Pontiac Vibe?
The most reported problem areas are airbags (119 complaints), engine (36 complaints), and electrical system (12 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 82,500 miles.
Does the 2006 Pontiac Vibe have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2006 Pontiac Vibe, most recently reported 2019, covering airbags and engine.
What is the fuel economy of the 2006 Pontiac Vibe?
EPA rates the 2006 Pontiac Vibe at 26 MPG combined (23.5 city / 30 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,500. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.