There are 12 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2003 Pontiac Vibein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
3.1L INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAK. *TR
I BOUGHT MY GRAND PRIX FROM CHIP BANKS IN DUQUOIN, IL. IN AUGUST OF 2006 AND IT HAD ONLY 39,500 AFTER OWNING IT FOR 4 MONTHS THE HEAD STARTED TO MISFIRE. I HAD SOMEONE LOOK AT IT AND THEY SAID IT HAD BEEN HEALY COILED TO JUST TEMPORARILY FIX THE PROBLEM. I CONTACTED THE DEALER I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD FIX MY CAR BUT I HAD TO PAY FOR IT. I DID NOT BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR MY CAR BECAUSE I COULD NOT AFFORD IT AND IT DID NOT HAVE VERY MANY MILES ON IT SO I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE OKAY. I HAD IT HEALY COILED TO REPAIR IT AND IT HELD FOR 8 MONTHS AND NOW ALL THE OTHER ROCKER ARMS ARE NEEDING HEALY COILED IN BECAUSE THEY ARE WORN OUT AND THEY ARE DROPPING THE PUSH ROD INTO MY HEAD. I BOUGHT A NEW HEAD FOR MY CAR AND HAD IT INSTALLED AND NOW THE OTHER HEAD IS DOING THE SAME THING. PLEASE HELP ME. I AM THE MOTHER OF FOUR AND I AM LOW INCOME I CALLED CHIP BANKS AND THEY WILL NOT HELP ME AND I HAVE NO WAY TO GET MY KIDS AROUND. ONE THING ABOUT MY CAR IS ADVANCED AUTO WHERE I GOT MY HEAD FROM HAD TO SPECIAL ORDER IT BECAUSE IT HAD A 8 MM BOLT PATTERN SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HELPS ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE OR NOT. I GAVE $13,000.00 FOR THIS CAR AND I CANNOT AFFORD ANOTHER CAR AND I DON'T WANT ANOTHER CAR I LOVE MY GRAND PRIX I JUST NEED TO KNOW IF THE HEADS HAVE BEEN RECALLED OR SOMETHING. I TRIED TO GO ON CAR FAX.COM AND IT SAID MY CAR HAD ELEVEN REPORTS ON IT BUT I DO NOT OWN A CREDIT CARD SO I CANNOT PURCHASE IT TO FIND OUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY CAR. THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT TELL ME IF THE CAR HAD EVER BEEN WRECKED OR THE ENGINE MESSED UP OR ANYTHING. THANK YOU. *TR
CAR STALLED ON ME WHILE ON A BUSY ROAD. ENDED UP BEING RELATED TO THE CARS PASSLOCK SYSTEM. COST $500 FOR TOWING AND REPAIRS. PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE HAPPENING AGAIN AS CAR STALLED ON ME WHILE ON THE ROAD AGAIN ON 12/11/2007 AND WOULD NOT START UP AGAIN. APPARENTLY THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM ON LATE 90'S EARLY 2000'S GM VEHICLES. IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ON THE INTERSTATE, I WOULD HATE TO IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AS EVERYTHING SHUTS DOWN ON THE CAR (I.E. POWER STEERING). VERY DANGEROUS!!! *TR
I HAVE A 2003 PONTIAC VIBE WITH 40,000 MILES AND THE ENGINE THREW A ROD. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THAT SLUDGE IN THE OIL CAUSED BY IMPROPER MAINTENANCE WAS THE REASON THE ENGINE FAILED. I BELIEVE THIS IS THE SAME ENGINE THAT IS IN THE TOYOTA VEHICLES THAT HAD THE PROBLEM WITH SLUDGE IN THE OIL. TOYOTA HAS AGREED TO REPAIR ENGINES IN TOYOTA'S DAMAGED BY SLUDGE IN THE OIL. PONTIAC STATED THEY WILL NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM. I BELEIVE THIS WAS CAUSED BY AN ENGINE DEECT AND IS NOT DUE TO POOR MAINTENANCE. *AK
STRONG SULPHUR ODOR FROM EXAUST, SEEMS WORSE IN THE WARMER MONTHS. DEALER INITIALLY SAID IT WAS THE TYPE OF GAS, BUT NOW CLAIMS ALL VIBES HAVE THE ODOR AND THAT IT IS NORMAL FOR THIS CAR! I CALLED CUSTOMER CARE AT PONTIAC WHO CALLED THE DEALER, AND THEN AGREED WITH THE DEALER. *MR
ROTTEN EGG SMELL IN CABIN OF 2003 VIBE. THE DEALER SAID THAT GM IS AWARE OF ISSUE, BUT DOES NOT HAVE A FIX. THIS SMELL IS UNACCEPTABLE, WE ARE GOING TO SELL THE CAR. NO MORE GM'S FOR US. *AK
HELLO MY NAME IS [XXX], I BOUGHT A 2003 PONITAC VIBE IN DEC OF 02 SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE MINOR PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. I HAVE BEEN BACK AND FORTH TO THE DEALERSHIP SO MANY TIMES NOW I THINK THAT THEY THINK I WORK THERE. SINCE I HAVE HAD THIS CAR I HAVE HAD THREE HUB CAPS REPLACED DUE TO THEM TURNING A YELLOW COLOR (FROM SILVER). THE PASSENGER SEAT STARTED TO TEAR IN THE SEAMS..(I WEIGH 150 LB I DON'T THINK IM TOO HEAVY) THE SEAL ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW WARPED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED, NOW THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT IS STARTING TO TEAR AT THE SEAMS AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED, THE ENGINE IS STARTING TO CHIRP LIKE I HAVE FRIGGIN CRICKETS IN FIRST AND SECOND GEAR.....I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON WITH THIS THING BUT ITS DOWN RIGHT ANNOYING! I LOVE THE CAR ITS GREAT BUT THE CONSTANT TRIPS TO THE DEALER AND ON TOP OF THAT THEY NEVER ONCE HAVE OFFERED TO LOAN ME A CAR WHILE THEY FIXED THE DEFECTS IN THEIR PRODUCTS . THIS HAS BEEN AN INCONVENIENCE TO ME AND MY FAMILY. I WANT TO KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE HAS NOTICED THESE TYPES OF DEFECTS IN THEIR VIBE OR IF I GOT HE LEMON OF THE BUNCH. PLEASE RESPOND. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
PONTIAC VIBE 2003 PRESENTS "ROTTEN EGG" SMELL. THIS IS HYDROGEN SULFIDE GAS, WHICH CAN BE HARMFUL, EVEN DEADLY. SMELL GETS INSIDE THE DRIVER'S CABIN VIA A/C.*AK
DURING SPORADIC TIMES, THE INSIDE OF THE CAR WILL START SMELLING LIKE ROTTEN EGGS. THERE IS NO CORRELATION TO HOW LONG WE HAVE BEEN IN THE CAR OR A CERTAIN SPEED. THE SMELL WILL COME AND GO. SOMETIMES THE SMELL IS NOTICEABLE FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR ONCE WE HAVE STOPPED AT OUR DESTINATION. DEALER SAYS THAT THIS IS NORMAL FOR THIS CAR.
WHEN BRAKING THE ENGINE WOULD START RACING. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PH
WHEN THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED,THE ENGINE IDLED HIGH. *PH *JB
THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER PRODUCED HYDROGEN SULFUR THAT CAUSED A ROTTEN EGG SMELL. THE ODOR THEN ENTERED THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE AIR VENTS AND MADE THE OCCUPANTS SICK. *AK THE MANUFACTURER DENIED THERE WAS A PROBLEM. *SC *JB
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026