NHTSA Complaint #10556465 — 2005 PONTIAC VIBE

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY GOING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH AND THE CAR JUST STARTED TO SLOW DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY. I PULLED OVER SAFELY AND WAITED FOR TOW SERVICE BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD NOT START. OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS I REPEATEDLY TRIED TO START THE CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START. THE CONSUMER STATED THE RECALL THAT WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE FAILED, AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO IDLE HARSHLY. WHEN THE CONSUMER CALLED THE DEALER, ABOUT THE VEHICLE BEING REPAIRED, SHE WAS INFORMED ANY ADDITIONAL REPAIRS WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL, EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE RECALL. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, WHERE SHE WAS INFORMED A CODE OF P0440 AND P0441, WERE RELATED TO THE PCM, WHICH HE BELIEVED WAS THE FUEL PUMP CAUSING THE READINGS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN, AND THE CONSUMER WAS ADVISED IT WAS THE SAME CODES. OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE PCM WAS REPROGRAMMED, WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED. UPDATED 01/13/14