NHTSA Complaint #10393530 — 2007 PONTIAC VIBE

I OWN AN '07 PONTIAC VIBE. ON MARCH OF 2011 THE CAR STALLED PULLING INTO A TURNING LANE. TOOK A MINUTE THEN STARTED BACK UP AND DROVE ABOUT 5 MILES. LATER THAT DAY, THE CAR STALLED COMING TO A STOP WITH ALL LIGHTS STILL ON. WOULD NOT START AT ALL THAT NIGHT AND HAD TO LEAVE IT STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. NEXT DAY, THE VEHICLE STARTED THEN MADE IT ABOUT THREE MILES TO THE NEAREST MECHANIC SHOP. THEY INFORMED US THAT WE WOULD NEED TO GET THE VEHICLE TAKEN TO A OFFICIAL GM DEALER. THAT OUR PCM WAS THE PROBLEM. THE CAR DID NOT START UP AGAIN AFTER THAT AND HAD TO BE TOWED THERE FOR THE COST OF 65 DOLLARS. I STARTED DOING MY RESEARCH ON THIS PART TO GET A BETTER HANDLE ON THE PROBLEM AND WHAT IS WOULD COST. I FOUND THAT THE "RECALL" FOR THIS PART ON '05 THROUGH '08 MODELS WAS TAKING PLACE. WHEN I CONTACTED TO DEALER ABOUT THIS THEY HAD NO IDEA ABOUT THE ISSUE, AND GM SAID MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. AFTER CONTACTING CUSTOMER SERVICE ABOUT THIS (A VERY TIME CONSUMING PROCEDURE) THEY ADMITTED THAT THERE WAS IN FACT A RECALL. AFTER THE CAR HAD BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR A WEEK I FINALLY GET A PHONE CALL TELLING ME THE PCM HAS BEEN REPLACED BUT THAT MY THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSORS WERE "OFF" AND THAT IT WAS TO COST $864. FRUSTRATED WITH THE SITUATION AND STILL WANTING TO EDUCATE MYSELF I KEPT DOING RESEARCH AND CALLING MECHANICS (SPECIFICALLY MY TRUSTED MECHANIC, NOT CON-ARTISTS) CONCLUDING THAT THE PCM FAILS AT ITS SOLDERING POINTS AND CREATES A GAP IN THE METAL CREATING AN ARC DESTROYING THE NEXT IN LINE, WHICH IS THE THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSORS. SO I CONTACT GM FURTHER TO GET THAT REPLACE BEING AS THE BAD PCM IS THE CAUSE. NOW THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT HAS PASSED THE CASE TO HER SERVICE MANAGER. NOW I AM RECEIVING NOTHING BUT A RUNAROUND AND DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THEY CAN CONDUCT BUSINESS IN THIS WAY. MY HOPES ARE PRETTY LOW ABOUT THE OUTCOME.I HAVE BEEN CAR-LESS FOR TWO WEEKS NOW AND YES IT IS MY ONLY ONE. I WILL NEVER BUY A GM VEHICLE AGAIN. *TR