NHTSA Complaint #10234324 — 2003 PONTIAC VIBE

WE HAVE A 2003 PONTIAC VIBE WITH THE STANDARD 5-SPEED TRANSMISSION. ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED (BY MYSELF, NOT THE DEALER). TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED AT ROUGHLY 82,000 MILES. YES, THIS REALLY RUINED OUR CHRISTMAS IN 2006 AS IT HAPPENED ON CHRISTMAS EVE WITH MY WIFE AND (THEN) 2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IN THE CAR. YES, IT REALLY STUNK THAT IT WAS JUST ENOUGH OUT OF WARRANTY TO NOT GIVE US ANY PROTECTION. HERE'S A FUNNY THING, THOUGH, THAT I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING. WHEN WE WENT TO GET THE CAR AFTER BEING REPAIRED (AT A LITTLE COUNTRY GARAGE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE) THE MECHANIC TOLD US THAT HE HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM THE PREVIOUS MONTH WITH ANOTHER PONTIAC VIBE WITH THE 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION. STRANGE COINCIDENCE IN A TOWN WHERE THE POPULATION IS LESS THAN 2000, I THINK. WHAT ARE THE CHANCES? WE HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF $3000 AND STILL HAVE THE OLD ONE- THINKING THAT IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL A RECALL WAS PLACED ON THIS FAULTY TRANSMISSION. *TR