The 2009 Pontiac Vibe has 14 recalls, the most serious being a defective passenger airbag inflator that can rupture and send metal fragments into the cabin, along with a sticky accelerator pedal that can hold at full throttle and make the vehicle difficult to stop.
The airbag concern appears in several filings but represents two related problems: the Takata passenger airbag inflator can rupture violently, and a separate degradation issue tied to long-term heat and humidity exposure can cause the airbag to deploy with more force than intended, raising the risk of injury in either scenario. On the accelerator side, the pedal can stick due to internal wear within the pedal assembly itself, or due to an unsecured or incompatible floor mat trapping it in the wide-open position, both of which can result in uncontrolled acceleration.
The driver's side power window master switch has two related issues: without adequate lubrication, debris can cause an electrical short, and if the switch is then re-lubricated improperly, the assembly can overheat, melt, and potentially catch fire. On the safety equipment side, damaged electrical circuitry in the steering wheel can prevent the driver's airbag from deploying in a crash. There is also a brake concern for cold-weather driving, where condensation can freeze and block the vacuum port that assists brake pressure, reducing stopping power.
