YearToAvoid

2010 Pontiac Vibe Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

33/100

#5 most-complained of 7 Vibe years

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

The 2010 Pontiac Vibe has 58 owner complaints and 8 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 33 out of 100 — #5 highest of 7 Vibe model years (verdict: Good). The most reported problem area is airbags (31 complaints, 53% of the total). Complaints report 5 crashes and 5 injuries.

Complaints
58
Recalls
8
Crashes / fires
5 / 0
Injuries / deaths
5 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
24
21 city / 29 hwy

Top 2010 Pontiac Vibe problems

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

  1. Airbags31 (53%)
  2. Engine12 (21%)
  3. Brakes8 (14%)
  4. Steering4 (7%)
  5. Other3 (5%)
  6. Transmission & Powertrain3 (5%)
  7. Visibility & Wipers2 (3%)
  8. Electrical System1 (2%)
  9. Fuel System1 (2%)
  10. Seat Belts1 (2%)
2010 Pontiac Vibe complaints: complaints filed per month5Feb 2010Mar 2011Feb 2012Mar 2015Nov 2016Jun 2017Aug 2018
67 complaints filed with NHTSA from Feb 2010 to Aug 2022; peak Feb 2017 (5).

2010 Pontiac Vibe recalls

8 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 18V024000Jan 9, 2018Airbags628,018 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013 Scion xB, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sienna, 4Runner, Lexus IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, IS-F, and GX460 vehicles sold, ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP (Saipan), and the U.S. VI or "Zone A." Toyota is also recalling certain 2010 Scion xB, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Yaris, 4Runner, Lexus IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, ES350, IS-F, GX460, and Pontiac Vibe vehicles sold, ever registered, in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." Toyota is also recalling certain 2009 Scion xB, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Yaris, Lexus IS250, IS350, ES350, IS-F, and Pontiac Vibe vehicles ever registered in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." 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 occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    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, Scion and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began on January 29, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331, or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. Toyota's numbers for this recall are "Zone A" Toyota: G0P, Lexus: GLG; "Zone B" Toyota: G0R, Lexus GLH; "Zone C" Toyota: H0A, and Lexus: HLA.

  2. NHTSA 18V025000Jan 9, 2018Airbags116,126 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    On January 9, 2018, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified NHTSA that they are recalling 14,585 model year 2010-2012 Yaris vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. As of January 30, 2018, Toyota is additionally recalling 3,347 model year 2010 Pontiac Vibe vehicles located in states listed above. Also included in this recall filing is 98,194 model year 2003-2008 Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles, located throughout the U.S., that previously received a “like-for-like” interim air bag inflator replacement. 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 occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    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 owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag assemblies with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are G0R (Zone B), and H0A (Zone C), J0A (Matrix Zone A), J0A (Matrix Zone A), J0A (Matrix Zone A).

  3. NHTSA 16V340000May 23, 2016Airbags1,754,517 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Scion xB and Lexus IS F, 2009-2011 Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix, 2006-2011 Toyota Yaris, Lexus IS250 and Lexus IS350, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, Lexus IS250C, Lexus IS350C and Lexus GX460, 2011 Sienna, 2007-2011 Lexus ES350, and 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 Scion xB and Lexus IS F, 2007-2008 Toyota Yaris, 2006-2008 Lexus IS250 and Lexus IS350 and 2007-2008 Lexus ES350 vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Vehicles of these model years and models that were not originally sold or ever registered in either Zones A or B are not subject to this safety recall. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on December 6, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for interim notification for this campaign are G1P (Toyota Zone A), G1R (Toyota Zone B), G2G (Lexus Zone A), and G2H (Lexus Zone B). Toyota's numbers for final remedy for this campaign are G0P (Toyota Zone A), G0R (Toyota Zone B), GLG (Lexus Zone A), and GLH (Lexus Zone B).

See all 8 recalls for the 2010 Pontiac Vibe →

2010 Pontiac Vibe fuel economy and fuel cost

City
21 MPG
Highway
29 MPG
Combined
24 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,700
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.

2010 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
2008Best1763428
2009Avoid100527924
2010Good3358824
2014No verdict010—

All Pontiac Vibe years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 Pontiac Vibe a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2010 Pontiac Vibe ranks #5 of 7 among Vibe model years (Complaint Index 33/100, verdict: Good). It has 58 complaints and 8 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2010 Pontiac Vibe?
The most reported problem areas are airbags (31 complaints), engine (12 complaints), and brakes (8 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 41,050 miles.
Does the 2010 Pontiac Vibe have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for the 2010 Pontiac Vibe, most recently reported 2018, covering airbags, visibility & wipers, engine, and brakes.
What is the fuel economy of the 2010 Pontiac Vibe?
EPA rates the 2010 Pontiac Vibe at 24 MPG combined (21 city / 29 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,700. 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.