2008 Pontiac Vibe Safety Review [ 2009 , 2007 ]
Safety - What the Auto Press Says
The 2008 Pontiac Vibe gets good scores in government crash tests, particularly when equipped with optional side air bags. "Virtually all the latest safety features can be had on the 2008 Pontiac Vibe," says Edmunds, "though they will cost you extra."
Government crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration award the 2008 Pontiac Vibe a score of five stars in front driver crash tests and four out of five stars for front passengers. In side-impact crash tests, the Vibe is awarded three stars (five stars with optional side air bags) for front seat occupant protection, and four stars for rear seat occupant protection. The Pontiac Vibe's rollover rating is four out of five stars.
Accident Avoidance
In addition to ABS and StabiliTrak, the 2008 Pontiac Vibe comes equipped with a center high-mounted stop lamp, daytime running lamps and tires with built-in tread wear indicators. A tire pressure monitoring system, previously optional, has been made standard for 2008.
OnStar services included with new Pontiac owners' free one-year subscription include Remote Door Unlock, RideAssist, Roadside Assistance and Vehicle Diagnostics.
Crash Protection
The Pontiac Vibe is equipped with front driver and passenger air bags, as well as a Passenger Sensing System, three-point height-adjustable safety belts with pretensioners and load limiters for front passengers, three-point rear safety belts, a urethane bonded windshield glass, side door beams and a Lower Anchors and Top Tethers for Children system. .
A one-year free OnStar subscription, with AccidentAssist, Automatic Crash Notification, Notification of Air Bag Deployment and Emergency Services, is standard, so "you can press the emergency button and they'll send out the troops," reports Automotive.com.
Optional crash protection features include dual-stage frontal and side-impact, as well as head curtain side-impact air bags.
