PontiacVibe2008Overview/pontiac/vibe/2008/base/

2008 Pontiac Vibe

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2008 Vibe.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2008 Pontiac Vibe is a passenger car equipped with a 4‑speed automatic transmission, requiring 4.4 quarts of 5W‑30 API oil and achieving EPA ratings of 25 city, 31 highway, and 27 combined mpg. With only 63 total owner complaints and four recalls, this model year stands out as a notably trouble‑free entry in the Vibe’s reliability history, especially when compared to the 2009 model year, which recorded 527 complaints—the highest in the 2000–2014 span.

Model year20082007

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.4 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque76 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy25/31/27 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 35 · 550 CCA battery, OE oil filter 25161880. Note the factory engine air filter, spark plug, front wiper blades and thermostat are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 35 · 550 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP205-55R16OEM · verified
Wheel / rim7-J inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter25161880
Engine air filter88969107 discontinued
Spark plug94859448 discontinued
Front wiper blades88974772 discontinued · alt 88974771
Serpentine belt88971576
Thermostat88974571 discontinued · alt 94856781
Cabin air filter88970273

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined25 / 31 / 27 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume94 cu ft
Cargo volume22 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.4 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil. Torque lug nuts to 76 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 26.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity4.4 qt
Manual Transmission Fluid75W-90 · GL-4
Manual Transmission Fluid Capacity4

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts105 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug26.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts76 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub159 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.48 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity8.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number35
Standard BCI Cranking Performance550 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature179-203 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)44-50.0
RPM44-50 @ Idle rpm
Injector Primary Resistance11.4-12.6 @ 64-72 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression203-145 PSI
Engine Oil Pressure43-78 psi

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket25 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle78 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.039; Rear: 0.039 in
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From0.984 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To0.984 in
Rotor Discard at or Under0.906 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 4 stages
118 ft. lbs.18 ft. lbs
236 ft. lbs.36 ft. lbs
336 ft. lbs.36 ft. lbs
490 degrees.90 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 5,000 mi; spark plugs at 120,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 5,000 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
At 15,000 miCabin Air Filter (inspect)
Every 15,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 30,000 miCabin Air Filter (replace) · Cabin Air Filter (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap (inspect)
At 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 60,000 miEngine Valves (inspect valve lash)
At 120,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Federal data shows the 2008 Pontiac Vibe sits at the bottom of a sustained mid-generation decline, registering only 63 complaints and 4 recalls compared to the 170 to 310 complaints and 5 to 8 recalls recorded annually from 2003 through 2007. After peaking in 2003-2005, complaint and recall volumes trended downward through 2008, even as technical service bulletins continued their steady rise to 803; however, this low-complaint year immediately precedes a dramatic 2009 spike to 527 complaints and 9 recalls. Of the 2008 model’s 63 complaints, 46 fall under air bags, though the federal record does not specify a root cause, while crash and fire complaints total 3 and 0 respectively. Positioned at the trough of the generational complaint arc, the 2008 model offers the calmest federal footprint of its era. Consequently, the 2008 Vibe stands out as the most favorable model year to buy within this generation based on complaint and recall frequency alone, though buyers should ensure the air bag system is thoroughly inspected given its outsized share of that year’s complaint volume.

4
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
803
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
63
Owner complaints
3 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 63 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags46
Engine & Engine Cooling3
Steering2
Vehicle Speed Control2
Tires2
Engine1
Fuel System, Gasoline,Vehicle Speed Control1
Seat Belts1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 4 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

19V627000Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator ModuleReported 28/08/2019

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2003-2008 Corolla, 2005-2008 Corolla Matrix, and Pontiac Vibe vehicles equipped with a front passenger air bag assembly replaced under a prior… Remedy: Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag assembly or sub-assembly, free of charge. Toyota…

16V127000Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator ModuleReported 03/03/2016

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Lexus SC vehicles manufactured August 3, 2007, to July 30, 2010, 2008 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured May 25, 2007, to… Remedy: The recall began on March 25, 2016 for Toyota and Lexus vehicle owners. The recall began on June 23, 2016 for GM owners. The respective dealers will either replace the front…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 803 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
135982025-09-09Unknown Or OtherNew Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
PIC5650M2025-08-06Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIP5601C2025-07-18Unknown Or OtherThis PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIT5074R2025-05-30Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5074R2025-05-30Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Vibe. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2008 Vibe take?

4.4 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2008 Vibe have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Vibe get?

EPA figures are 25 city / 31 highway / 27 combined mpg.