Ownership Cost for 2009 Pontiac Vibe Base
Estimated: $37926 over the next 5 years
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depreciation | $2126 | $1020 | $893 | $808 | $723 | $5570 |
| Insurance | $1670 | $1729 | $1789 | $1852 | $1916 | $8956 |
| Fuel | $1393 | $1435 | $1485 | $1544 | $1614 | $7471 |
| Maintenance | $2763 | $1688 | $980 | $836 | $2291 | $8558 |
| Repairs | $977 | $1138 | $1298 | $1417 | $1627 | $6457 |
| Taxes & Fees | $617 | $617 | $617 | $617 | $617 | $914 |
| Total Ownership Costs | $9546 | $7080 | $6534 | $6514 | $8251 | $37926 |
| Model year | COMPONENT | Complaint |
| 2010 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 PONTIAC VIBE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH AND ACCELERATING AROUND A CURB THE VEHICLE JERKED TO THE RIGHT VIOLENTLY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE, IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIANS WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THE FAILURE OCCURRED A SECOND TIME WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES LOCKED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD SLIDE WHILE THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HILL. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT AND THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED BUMPS, BRUISES, AND SCRATCHES AND WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE WHERE THEY WERE RELEASED WITH NO MAJOR INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WERE VISIBLE SKID MARKS ON THE ROAD WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS SLIDING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A AN IMPOUND TOW LOT. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED PRIOR TO THE CRASH WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL HE HAD EXPERIENCED THE STEERING WHEEL TURNING AND LOCKING AT HIGH SPEEDS AND WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000. |
| 2009 | WHEELS | OUR AWD 2009 PONTIAC VIBE CAME WITH FACTORY CHROME WHEELS. AFTER ONE WINTER, THE WHEELS BEGAN TO CORRODE AROUND THE OUTSIDE PERIMETER. GM AGREED TO REPLACE ALL FOUR WHEELS, AND THEY DID. SOON AFTER REPLACEMENT, AS MY WIFE WAS DRIVING INTO OUR GARAGE, ONE WHEEL DELAMINATED (I.E., THE CHROME COVERING SEPARATED COMPLETELY FROM THE ALUMINUM UNDERWHEEL). UPON INSPECTION, IT LOOKED AS IF THE CHROME LAYER HAD BEEN GLUED TO THE UNDERWHEEL. WE WENT BACK TO THE DEALER, CHROME COVERING AND GLUE FRAGMENTS IN HAND. THE DEALER REPLACED THIS DEFECTIVE WHEEL WITH ANOTHER; SOON AFTER (50 MILES?), THE SECOND REPLACEMENT WHEEL DID THE SAME THING. IT HAS NOW BEEN REPLACED. (THE CHROME PARTS ARE STAMPED "TOYOTA.") NOTE THREE THINGS: ONE, THE WHEELS ON THIS CAR ARE NOT INEXPENSIVE STEEL WITH WHEEL COVERS. INSTEAD, THEY ARE ONE-PIECE CHROME WHEELS, RATHER EXPENSIVE IF I SHOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THEM MYSELF. SECOND, WE HAD NOT ABUSED THE CAR. WE DROVE, IN EACH CASE, ABOUT 50 MILES ON GOOD PAVEMENT IN GOOD WEATHER BEFORE FAILURE. FINALLY, THE CHROME COMPONENT DELAMINATED IN A "SAFE" AREA--IN BOTH CASES, AS WE SLOWLY DROVE INTO OUR GARAGE. WHAT IF THIS DELAMINATION HAD HAPPENED WHILE WE DROVE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AND THE CHROME COMPONENT HAD SPUN OFF INTO A CROWD, OR ANOTHER CAR? THERE IS ONE OTHER PROBLEM YOU SHOULD KNOW. WE HAVE HAD TROUBLE STARTING THIS CAR. IN BRIEF, THE PROBLEM WAS APPARENTLY DIFFICULT FOR THE DEALER TO DIAGNOSE, BUT IT WAS A "CRACKED STEERING LOCK," ALSO A PART STAMPED "TOYOTA." THIS PROBLEM PRECIPITATED SEVERAL PHONE CALLS FOR HELP, PUSHING IT FROM THE SIDE IN AN ATTEMPT TO UNLOCK THE STEERING COLUMN/KEY, AND A VISIT FROM THE TOW TRUCK. WE WERE ABLE TO ROCK THE CAR OURSELVES AND ENABLE STARTING; UNFORTUNATELY, WE DENTED THE FRONT FENDER, WHICH WAS AN UNREIMBURSED BODY REPAIR AT THE DEALER'S ($800). PLEASE PUBLICIZE THESE VIBE PROBLEMS AND DANGERS, AND WORK FOR FIXES. *TR |
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