NHTSA Complaint #10436230 — 2005 PONTIAC VIBE

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY DURING MODERATE TRAFFIC MY 2005 PONTIAC VIBE COMPLETELY STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. AFTER BARELY MAKING IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO TOW ME TO THE DEALERSHIP. I HAD WENT ONLINE WHILE WAITING FOR THE TOW AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE THAT CAUSED THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS I HAD. THE DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THE VIN AND ORDERED THE RECALL ITEM. THE NEXT DAY THEY CALLED ME AND INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD INSTALLED THE NEW CONTROL MODULE AND THE CAR WOULD STILL NOT START AND THEY WOULD NEED TO DIG FURTHER TO FIND THE CAUSE. AFTER DIGGING MORE INTO IT THEY CALLED THE NEXT DAY (DAY 3) AND TOLD ME THAT THE EXHAUST CAMSHAFT WAS BROKEN AND RECOMMENDED A NEW ENGINE DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF SLUDGE AND UNKNOWN FACTORS WITH THE CURRENT ENGINE. THE ESTIMATE OF REPAIR WAS $6100. I CALLED MY MECHANIC AND HE SAID THAT HE COULD LOOK AND SEE IF THE CAMSHAFT COULD BE REPLACED OR IF THE ENGINE DID INDEED NEED REPLACED. I HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC (DAY 4) WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP I WAS GIVEN A BROKEN BOLT THAT THE MECHANIC SAID HAD BEEN THE PROBLEM. HE SAID IT HAD GOTTEN LODGED IN A WAY THAT CAUSED THE CAMSHAFT TO BREAK., SOMETHING HE HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE. WHEN I GOT IT TO MY MECHANIC HE SAID THE SAME THING, "THAT BOLT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BROKEN AND CAUSED THE CAMSHAFT TO JAM. I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS." WHEN I ASK WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE BOLT TO BREAK HE SAID "MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. THAT'S IT, NOTHING ELSE WOULD CAUSE A BOLT IN THAT POSITION TO EVER BREAK". HE ACQUIRED A REFURBISHED ENGINE WITH ABOUT 30K MILES ON IT AND REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE (THE CAM/BOLT HAD DAMAGED THE VALVES) FOR ABOUT $2600 AND IT RUNS FANTASTIC. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED I COULD GET THROUGH TRAFFIC AND MAKE IT TO THE SIDE WITHOUT GETTING HIT OR CAUSING MORE OF A TRAFFIC JAM. *TR