General Motors has tested two Pontiac Vibe small SUVs and found the brakes stop the vehicle in case of unintended acceleration.


The 2009-10 Pontiac Vibe, a sister vehicle of the Toyota Matrix, is included in two Toyota recalls related to unintended acceleration, one for sticking accelerator pedals and one for possible floor mat entrapment. The Vibe was designed, engineered and manufactured by Toyota through August 2009 at New United Motor Manufacturing, which was a GM-Toyota joint venture.


“We ran the Vibe wide open at 60 miles an hour and the brakes were able to bring the vehicle to a safe stop within 169 meters, consistent with our internal requirement for brake performance.” said Martin Hogan, GM director of brake systems.


In the rare case of a sticking throttle, a driver should apply the brakes firmly and steadily until you come to a stop. Do not pump the brakes, which can deplete the available vacuum boost from the brake system.


Any customer who experiences any accelerator pedal issue should immediately park the vehicle, and have it towed to their GM dealer for an inspection.


Toyota has identified a repair for the Vibe, which will be serviced by GM dealers. GM and Toyota are sorting out how soon parts will be available. The Vibe braking tests were conducted by GM engineers on Saturday at the Milford Proving Grounds after several customers complained of sticking accelerator pedals following the Toyota recalls involving the Vibe were announced Jan. 21 and 27.


None of the complaints have resulted in a crash or injury.


Prior to the recall announcements, GM had not received any relevant customer complaints in the 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe. Nor were there any complaints found in a search of U.S. and Canadian databases.


GM will communicate with the approximately 99,000 Vibe owners in the United States and Canada as soon as additional information about the recalls is received from Toyota.

 

Side question: I always wondered why this collaboration happened when normally, both companies are battling it out for marketshare?

 

The "Nummi" was the first joint-venture plant in the US. GM wanted to learn about Japanese lean manufacturing and Toyota wanted to learn about vehicles manufactured in the US (especially the US labor). I was always curious as to why it lasted so long though. I know a lot of managers got rotated through the plant to spread the knowledge, but I thought that was done with some time ago. I heard from some of the older guys at the Tonawanda engine plant in NY talk positively about it.

I think we can look back with 100% certainty and say it was a good move on GM's part.

 

A few things I was curious about... HOW MUCH GM was the Vibe? Skin only? Skin and interior? Any electronics? What about the suspension? I'm pretty sure it used a toyota engine, but what trans was used? Did GM or Toyota design the pedal? Did it use a Toyota computer, GM, or a combination of the two? The article doesn't mention what Toyota plans to change/fix on it.

The Vibe *could* actually provide some answers depending on who did what??!!!

 

It is Toyota through and through. GM in name, skin, and plant only.

 

The latest issue of Car and Driver tests a few cars for braking distances with the throttle wide open. The V6 Camry and G37 were only a few feet longer than normal (the G37 cuts throttle when brakes are applied, the Camry does not). So it would appear there's no reason for runaway Camrys other than the driver not reacting correctly.

 

Paul, I recall the Toyota engineered Vibe having the most problems of any GM veichle at one time (not sure what year). Not sure how it was measured, but it was done internally if I remember.

If so, I think that's telling of the engineering standards of GM being a bit higher than Toyota's.

 

I really don't know.

I do know we care about folks being satisfied with what we offer.