# 2009 Pontiac Vibe heat shield loose **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** pontiac, vibe\ **Created:** [March 27, 2018, 1:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2009-pontiac-vibe-heat-shield-loose/114491 "2018-03-27T01:09:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MichaelDNewman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@MichaelDNewman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MichaelDNewman)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 1:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2009-pontiac-vibe-heat-shield-loose/114491/1 "2018-03-27T01:09:58Z")
Heat shield above catalytic converter loose and vibrating. How much should I pay for repair? ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 2:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2009-pontiac-vibe-heat-shield-loose/114491/2 "2018-03-27T02:06:34Z")
> [@MichaelDNewman](#): > > How much should I pay for repair? Really no way to tell without seeing the damage in person. Any muffler shop can solve this. It could be simple or really bad. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 2:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2009-pontiac-vibe-heat-shield-loose/114491/3 "2018-03-27T02:47:24Z")
I live near Buffalo NY, In our climate we just take them off and throw them away, of course if it is a daily driver we do the same thing with our cars at about 12 Years. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 2:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2009-pontiac-vibe-heat-shield-loose/114491/4 "2018-03-27T02:49:33Z")
I’d guess 30 minutes to 1.5 hours, so around $50 to $150. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 2:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2009-pontiac-vibe-heat-shield-loose/114491/5 "2018-03-27T02:55:41Z")
Yeah! If you look along the highways/freeways, you’ll see heat shield carcasses laying along side the roads where the owners never realized they were lost. As long as the carpet doesn’t melt on the floor, you’re good to go. Tester ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 2:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2009-pontiac-vibe-heat-shield-loose/114491/6 "2018-03-27T14:58:34Z")
I hit a bad ice bump with my Corolla, loosening the heat shield. The repair cost $64 to re-weld it on. Yours may differ IF it can be repaired. ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 3:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2009-pontiac-vibe-heat-shield-loose/114491/7 "2018-03-27T15:48:04Z")
Heat shields should be kept intact. They help prevent fires from starting if, say, you are driving or parked over something flammable like vegetation, or paper. Such a fire can get out of control and consume the car and more. Keeping the carpet from melting - or starting an in-car fire - is an important function of heat shields, but not the only one. I was lucky to see in my mirror a heat shield slide away from my1999 Honda. I retrieved it and my local muffler shop put it back on with long hose clamps. $10. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 3:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2009-pontiac-vibe-heat-shield-loose/114491/8 "2018-03-27T15:51:39Z")
Yes, my brother in law had a Ford and an overheated converter set the carpets on fire on a trip. Apparently the heat shield had fallen off and the car was out of tune, severely heating up the converter. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 8:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2009-pontiac-vibe-heat-shield-loose/114491/9 "2018-03-27T20:15:37Z")
Here’s what Tom and Ray have to say on the subject. > **[Car Talk: Don't exhaust yourself replacing heat shields](https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Car-Talk-Don-t-exhaust-yourself-replacing-heat-1182441.php)** > > (1) Why does Honda (or any manufacturer) install the dang things if all they do is rattle and fall off? (2) After the heat shield had been gone for nearly a year, my exhaust manifold cracked. The bottom shields are there so that if you park on tall,... Along with 99% of mechanics. Tester