There are 11 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2003 Pontiac Vibein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY DISABLING THE BRAKES. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS RUBBER BURNING FROM THE TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 114,217.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC VIBE. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH AND MAKING A TURN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FASTER THAN USUAL. WHILE THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE CAUSING IT TO CRASH INTO AN EMBANKMENT AND ROLL OVER THREE TIMES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. HE SUSTAINED A BROKEN TAIL BONE AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. HE WAS NOT WEARING HIS SEAT BELT AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CALLED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC VIBE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED TWO BROKEN TIBIAS. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A MECHANIC. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.
THE PROBLEM WITH MY 2003 PONTIAC VIBE STARTED IN LATE DECEMBER. I EXITED A STATE HIGHWAY AND WHEN I GOT TO THE BOTTOM TO THE RAMP AND STARTED TO STOP AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT I HAD TROUBLE GETTING THE VIBE TO STOP. I WS PUSING HARD ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND FINALLY GOT IT TO STOP AND THEN REALIZED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RACING AT HIGH RPMS. I QUICKLY PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL AND THE TACHOMETER SHOWED THAT THE ENGINE WAS TURRING AT 3500 RPMS. IT HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES SINCE THEN AND ON 1/31/05 WHEN IT DID IT I WAS STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN AT A BUSY INTERSECTION AND THIS TIME WHEN I PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL, THE ENIGNE WAS TURNING AT 5,000 RPMS. AFTER A FEW SECONDS AT THIS RPMS THE ENGINE WILL RETURN TO ITS NORMAL IDLE RPMS. I HAVE TAKEN THE VIBE TO THE LOCAL PONTIAC DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED NEW. THEY ATTACHED THEIR COMPUTER TO THE VIBE AND NO MESSAGE CODES APPEAR. THEY HAD IT FOR 2 OTHER DAYS AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I AM ONLY CONCERNED THAT ONE OF THESE DAYS IT WILLO ACT UP AND I WILL NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO REACT AND WILL HAVE A COLLISION WITH THE CAR OR PERSON IN FRONT OF ME OR WHEN MY WIFE IS DRIVING IT. THE DEALERSHIP STATES THAT PONTIAC MOTOR CO HAS NOT HAD ANY REPORTS OF THE RPMS INCREASING DURING BRAKING LIKE MY VIBE IS DOING. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SATELY OF MY FAMILY AND OTHERS WITH THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM.*AK
WHILE REVERSING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PUT THE VEHICLE INTO THE DRIVE GEAR. THEN, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT A HIGH SPEED, WENT INTO A BRICK WALL, THEN THROUGH AN OFFICE WINDOW. DRIVER SUSTAINED A CONCUSSION/2 BROKEN FRACTURES IN THE ORBIT OF RIGHT EYE AREA, AND A SPRAINED NECK. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.*AK THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN ON MEDICATION FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SINCE THE ACCIDENT. *TC
WHEN AT A COMPLETE STOP VEHICLE REACHES HIGH RPMS AND SUDDENLY ACCELERATES. THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED.*AK WHILE PARKING, CONSUMER SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL. WHILE IN NEUTRAL THE ENGINE SUDDENLY REVVED UP TO 5000 RPM'S OR SO AND STAYED AT THIS FULL THROTTLE POSITION FOR 1/2 A MINUTE. HIS FOOT WAS LIGHTLY ON THE BRAKE WHEN SUDDEN ACCELERATION OCCURRED. CONSUMER REMOVED HIS FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND HAD THE PASSENGER TO VERIFY THE ENGINE STAYED AT FULL THROTTLE WITH FOOT ON ALL PEDALS. SUDDEN ACCELERATION OCCURRED FOUR TIMES. AFTER THE THIRD TIME, CONSUMER HAD MECHANIC TO CLEAN/INSPECT THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY AND SENSORS, REPROGRAMMED THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE, REPLACE THE ACCELERATION CABLE AND DISCONNECT THE CRUISE CONTROL. AFTER THE FOURTH INCIDENT, CONSUMER HAD THE MECHANIC TO INSTALL A MONITOR TO RECORD THE ELECTRICAL CONDITIONS FOR THE NEXT INCIDENT. NO DIAGNOSTIC CODES EVER OCCURRED FOR ANY OF THESE SUDDEN ACCELERATION INCIDENTS. *PH *NLM
WHEN BRAKING MY ENGINE REVS ON OCCASION. IT IS CALLED FAT FOOT!! THE PEDALS ARE TO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER AND BOTH THE BRAKE AND THE GAS CAN BE EASILY PRESSED AT THE SAME TIME. LUCKILY I AM ONE OF THE FEW THAT STILL KNOWS HOW TO DRIVE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND ALL I NOTICE IS MY TACH SWING UP. YES THE PEDALS NEED TO BE PLACED FARTHER APART BUT DON'T BLAME THE CAR FOR SOMETHING THAT IS YOUR FAULT. *JB
WHEN THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE GAS, THE ENGINE STARTED TO ROAR AND INCREASED SPEED EXCESSIVELY. *AK THERE WERE THREE SEPARATE INCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED. ONCE, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP. SECOND, WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED TO AVOID REAR ENDING A DUMP TRUCK, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THE THIRD INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN THE CONSUMER PARALLELED PARKED AND THE ENGINE WENT FULL THROTTLE. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE SURGED OVER THE CEMENT PARKING CURB INTO THE LOW RETAINING WALL. THE CONSUMER SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND TOOK HIS FOOT OFF ALL PEDALS AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, WHICH WAS THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE ENGINE. $4298.96 IN DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE VEHICLE. *PH *JB
WHILE BRAKING CAR WILL ACCELERATE. HAVE TO BRAKE HARD AND BUT INTO NEUTRAL. ENGINE RACED AND I HAD TO TURN CAR OFF. THIS HAS HAPPENED 5 TIMES. TOOK TO DEALER SERVICE, THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. *NLM
CAR WAS PURCHASED DAY BEFORE. WHILE DRIVING ON MAR 1ST AND COMING TO STOP LIGHT WITH BRAKES APPLIED, CAR ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE. ONLY HARD BRAKING PREVENTED CRASH. TWO HOURS LATER WITH WIFE IN CAR WHILE BRAKING FOR STOPPED CAR, ENGINE ROARED VIOLENTLY, ALL DASHBOARD LIGHTS FLASHED, SMOKE POURED OUT OF BACK OF CAR FROM EXHAUST AND REAR TIRES SPINNING ONLY HARD BRAKING, PUTTING CAR IN PARK AND TURNING OFF ENGINE PREVENTED A COLLISION. CAR WAS TRYING TO ACCELERATE RAPIDLY WITH BRAKES ON.*JB
DURING NORMAL DRIVING, WHEN YOU REMOVE FOOT FROM ACCELERATOR FOR GRADUAL SLOW-DOWN CAR WILL SOMETIMES HAVE SLIGHT TO MODERATE BURST OF SPEED. VEHICLE HAS BEEN RETURNED FOR SERVICE CHECK AND PONTIAC DEALER, BEFORE EVEN LOOKING AT CAR, STATED, THE TYPE OF PROBLEM DESCRIBED WOULD BE VERY HARD TO FIND. I SUGGESTED THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OR THE FUEL INJECTIONS, BUT OF COURSE THEY COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM COULD CAUSE SERIOUS PROBLEMS OR ACCIDENTS, BUT NO ONE FROM DEALER SEEMS TO BE CONCERNED.*AK
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