Which year to buy
2010GOOD BUYSerious complaints 1.0× usual
54 serious complaints of 58, the most about air bags (31) and speed control (7); per car on the road, 1.0× this model's usual year. 8 recalls. NHTSA investigation EA21002: desiccated air bag inflator rupture.
What owners report
“Takata recall. The contact owns a 2010 pontiac vibe. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v340000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the air bags, May 2017
“The contact owns a 2010 pontiac vibe. The contact was driving at a minimally low speed when the vehicle abnormally accelerated to 20 mph. The contact stated that the brakes would not stop the vehicle and were also defective.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the speed control, Mar 2011
Fixes and extended coverage
- Repair program This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have a Diagnostic Trouble Code B101D stored in Telematics Communication Interface Control Module. (PIT5236G, Mar 2016)
From the manufacturer's bulletins filed with NHTSA. A dealer can look up whether a car has had the work done or is still covered.
58 owner complaints · 8 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 22–28 mpg · NHTSA: Not rated
Verdicts computed from NHTSA owner complaints, defect investigations and recalls. Cars on the road from New York State registrations. (How we judge.) Data checked 2026-10-06.
Year by year
| Year | Engines | Drive | Fuel economy | Crash rating | Recalls | Owner complaints | Most-reported problem | CarPlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1.8L 4-cyl 2.4L 4-cyl manual available | AWD, FWD | 22–28 mpg | Not rated | 8 | 58 | Air bags (31) | — |
Owner complaints are unverified reports to NHTSA, counted as filed: older years have had longer to collect them and sales aren't adjusted for, so see Which year to buy for a fair comparison. Most-reported problem: the component named in the most complaints that year. Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Apple.
Trim-by-trim features for Pontiac aren't in our data yet: so far we have them for BMW, Genesis, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Subaru, Toyota, and more brands are on the way.
Every NHTSA-rated version: crash ratings, safety tech, recalls, complaints
| Year | Version | Stars | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Pontiac Vibe 4-DR. w/SAB | Not Rated | No | No | 8 | 58 |
Source: NHTSA.
Every EPA-rated version: engines and combined mpg
| Year | EPA model | Engines | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Vibe | Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 1.8 L Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.8 L Auto (S5), 4 cyl, 2.4 L Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L |
22–28 |
Source: fueleconomy.gov.