State-resolved measurements are presented for vibrational excitation of H2, N2, 0 2 and CO 2 by H-impact in the collision energy range Ecru=20-180 eV and for scattering in the forward direction (0_+0.5~ The data obtained from the measurements are the relative intensities and differential cross sections for vibrational excitation up to v'=4, the transition probabilities P0~v" and the vibrational energy transfer A Evi b. For the systems H -H2, N2, 0 2 the vibrational inelasticity increases in the order Hz-N 2 -0 2. The mechanism for vibrational excitation in these systems is due to trajasient charge transfer from the H-ion into antibonding orbitals of the target molecule which provides a bond stretching force during the collision. For H 2 and N2, the results are compared with corresponding measurements for H + scattering where the interaction mechanism is quite different. In the case of CO 2, vibrational excitation in forward scattering is caused primarily by the long-range dipole interaction. The spectra are very similar for H--CO 2 and H + -CO 2. Finer details are attributed to the influence of transient charge transfer and valence interactions.