1997 Pontiac Montana Owner Complaints

I RECENTLY SAW THAT TOYOTA VOLUNTARILY RECALLED SOME OF THEIR VEHICLES DUE TO FAILURES OF THE CABLE THAT HOLDS THEIR SPARE TIRES IN PLACE. I HAD THIS EXACT SAME FAILURE OCCUR TO ME ON A 1997 PONTIAC MONTANA VAN. THE ACTUAL FAILURE OCCURRED ON 1/21/08. I WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT WHEN THE SPARE TIRE SUDDENLY SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE AND FELL ONTO THE GROUND. THE METAL CABLE ON THE SPARE TIRE WINCH HAD FAILED DUE TO CORROSION AND ALLOWED THE TIRE TO FALL. HAD THIS HAPPENED EVEN 20 MINUTES EARLIER, WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY, THE TIRE WOULD HAVE BEEN BOUNCING AROUND ON THE HIGHWAY, IN MOVING TRAFFIC. I WAS CONCERNED THAT THIS WAS LIKELY A GENERIC GM PROBLEM AND THE CHANCE OF SOMEONE GETTING SERIOUSLY INJURED, OR WORSE, WAS VERY HIGH IF A SPARE TIRE WAS BOUNCING LOOSE ON THE HIGHWAY. ON 2/6/08, I PERSONALLY REPORTED THIS INFORMATION TO THE DEALER FROM WHICH I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW. I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD REPORT THE INFORMATION TO GENERAL MOTORS. ON 2/25/08, I EMAILED MY CONTACT AT THE DEALER TO SEE IF THEY HAD GOTTEN ANY RESPONSE FROM GM. I NEVER GOT A RESPONSE TO THAT EMAIL. ON 3/4/08, I CALLED PONTIAC CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REITERATED MY CONCERN WITH THE DEFICIENT GM DESIGN. I WAS ASSIGNED REFERENCE NUMBER 71-608132149. I SPOKE TO A COUPLE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE TYPES, THE LAST BEING A SUPERVISOR SUPPOSEDLY. HE INFORMED ME HE DID NOT INTEND TO TAKE THIS MATTER (MY CONCERN) ANY FURTHER IN THE GM ORGANIZATION, THAT HE WOULD PERSONALLY TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY INJURIES RESULTING FROM FAILED SPARE TIRE WINCHES ON PONTIACS. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, GM HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS TOYOTA. TOYOTA HAS RECALLED THEIR VEHICLES TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, GM HAS DONE NOTHING. I NEVER GOT A RECALL NOTICE. THIS ISSUE IS OUT THERE AND SOMEONE COULD VERY LIKELY BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR WORSE IF GM DOES NOT ADDRESS IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10329297

Incident

Jan 21, 2008

Mileage

120,000 mi

ANTIFREEZE LEAK; LEAD TO REPLACEMENT OF LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET (VERY COSTLY) ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO. NEEDS REPLACING AGAIN. DEALERSHIP WARNS OF EXCESSIVE ENGINE DAMAGE DUE TO ANTIFREEZE IN THE MOTOR OIL. *NM

NHTSA ID

10152769

Incident

Mar 15, 2006

Mileage

115,000 mi

PONTIAC TRANSPORT MONTANA WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT FOR 1/2 HOUR OR SO AND BECAME INGULFED IN FLAMES. FIRE MARSHALL THINKS IT WAS FROM BATTERY/ ELECTRIC. DESTROYED OUR CAR AND 5 OTHERS. NO HUMANS HURT...THANK GOD IT WAS PARKED AND MY SON WAS NOT DRIVING IT.

NHTSA ID

10128679

Incident

Jul 11, 2005

Mileage

100,000 mi

DT CONTACT STATES HIS PASSENGER SAFETY BELT IN HIS VEHICLE IS LOCKED, ORIGINALLY DESIGNED A CHILD SAFETY FEATURE. THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE IN THE MIDDLE ROW, CENTER AND RIGHT SIDE SEAT IS COMING APART. *NM

NHTSA ID

10120777

Incident

May 12, 2005

DRIVING DOWN A TWO LANE FREEWAY, VEARING TO THE RIGHT AND I REARENDED A CAR. THE SEATBELTS DID NOT LOCK AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT WORK..THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND EVERYTHING WAS SAID TO BE WORKING FINE..THE VAN IS FULLY LOADED AND ALL THE ELCTRONICS ARE WORKING PERFECTLY, AS FAR AS I KNEW.*AK

NHTSA ID

10110502

Incident

Feb 13, 2005

INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE HAD DIFFICULTY MAKING A LEFT TURN, OR WAS UNABLE TO MAKE A LEFT TURN WHILE IN MOTION . CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM BACK IN OCTOBER 23, 2003. BUT WAS NOT ABLE LOCATE THAT INFORMATION IN NHTSA DATA BASE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10079884

Incident

Jun 15, 2004

Mileage

106,000 mi

THE HEADLIGHT ON DRIVERS SIDE FELL OUT WHILE DRIVING. THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT FELL OUT AFTER THE TRUNK WAS CLOSED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10066908

Incident

Feb 1, 2003

Mileage

109,000 mi

LENS COVER OVER THE HEADLIGHTS FELL OUT OF BOTH HEADLIGHTS ON SEPERATE OCCCASIONS. I HAD TO BUY THE WHOLE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THEY JUST FELL OUT AND BROKE ON THE ROAD. WE CURRENTLY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT OVERHEATING HAVE REPLACE THERMOSTAT AND WATER PUMP STILL HAVING SAME PROBLEM. NOT FIXED YET. THE POWER SLIDING DOOR ALARMS THAT IT IS OPEN FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE DOOR HAS NOT OPENED AND CLOSED BY THE POWER FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. IT HAS TO BE MANNAULLY OPENED. WE HAVE ALSO REPLACED THE BOTH AIR SHOCKS IN THE REAR OF THE VAN. CAN'T GET THE RADIATOR CAP FROM RADIATOR HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO REMOVE SINCE IT WAS BOUGHT.

NHTSA ID

10071083

Incident

May 15, 2003

Mileage

80,000 mi

A/C HEAT - AIR CONDITIONING / HEAT UNIT IN REAR OF VAN FAILED IN 2001. HAVE NOT ATTEMPTED TO HAVE IT REPAIRED TO DATE. A/C AND HEAT IS OK FRONT. BODY - PASSENGER AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR. RATTLED ALMOST FROM THE DAY WE BOUGHT THE CAR. IT ALSO AT TIMES WOULD NOT CLOSED (IN PARK). IT WOULD CLOSE AUTOMATICALLY UNTIL IT TOUCHED THE CAR BODY THEN WOULD RE-OPEN. THEY REPLACED THE POWER SLIDING DOOR UNLATCH ACTUATOR UNDER A RECALL. ENGINE - STARTING AT 48,000 MILES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD START TO BLINK WHEN DRIVING, IMMEDIATELY THE VAN WOULD START TO RUN VERY ROUGHLY AND HAVE POOR ACCELERATION. LIGHT WOULD THEN STOP BLINKING AND STAY "ON". THEN OVER A PERIOD OF ABOUT AN HOUR RUNNING TIME WOULD TURN OFF. THIS WOULD HAPPEN EVERY OTHER MONTH OR SO FOR A DAY. EVENTUALLY -WE WERE TOLD IT WAS THE FUEL INJECTORS (AT 56,000 MILES). WE REPLACED THOSE 2000 MILES AGO AND THE SAME PROBLEM JUST APPEARED AGAIN TODAY (JULY 31, 2003) AUGUST UPDATE: HAD COOLANT LOSS - IT WAS THE GASKET WHICH HAD TO BE REPLACED AT ABOUT $750.. MOST OF IT LABOR TO GET TO THE DARNED THING.

NHTSA ID

10070634

Incident

Jul 15, 2003

Mileage

15,000 mi

THE MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM THAT I HAVE HAD WITH THIS CAR IS THAT WHEN MAKING RIGHT HAND TURNS, GOING APPROX 5-10 MILES AN HOUR, THE CAR WILL SHUT ITSELF OFF COMPLETELY. IN ORDER TO RETURN DRIVING, THE CAR MUST BE PUT INTO PARK AND THEN RESTARTED. THIS HAS OCCURRED MANY TIMES. THE CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT PROFESSIONALS AND NO ONE HAS AN EXPLANATION. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL SMALLER PROBLEMS AS WELL, MANY OF WHICH I HAVE SEEN REPORTED IN THIS WEB PAGE. THUD IN GAS TANK, LEAKING COOLANT, DRIVER AUTO WINDOW MALFUNCTION, AS WELL AS THE POWER STEERING. I HAVE A TWO YEAR OLD LITTLE GIRL AND BOUGHT THIS CAR HEARING THAT IT WAS A SAFE VEHICLE, FORTUNEATELY FOR US WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY ACCIDENTS, HOWEVER, I WOULD NOT CALL THIS CAR SAFE AT ALL.*AK

NHTSA ID

10051512

Incident

Jan 2, 2004

WE HAVE HAD LENS COVERS FALL OFF BOTH FRONT HEADLIGHTS. WHAT SHOULD NORMALLY BE A VERY LOW COST FIX HAS RESULTED IN REPAIR/LABOR COSTS OF OVER $300 FOR US AS YOU CANNOT REPLACE JUST THE LENS COVER. AS I WAS TOLD, THE "GLUE" WHOCH HOLDS THE LENS COVER ON BREAKS DOWN AND RESULTS IN THE LENS COVER FALLING OFF. THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY HAS TO BE REPLACED (LAST YEAR PARTS ALONE WERE $130...THIS YEAR AROUND 90 FOR THE OTHER HEADLIGHT). THIS IS AN AWFUL DESIGN! IF I WERE ABLE TO REPLACE JUST THE LENS COVER (ONLY NEEDS TO BE GLUED BACK IN PLACE!), I WOULDN'T COMPLAIN, BUT WE ARE NOT LOOKING AT HAVING TO REPLACE THESE "GLUED TOGETHER" ITEMS AT A COST OF ANOTHER $300+ WITHIN THE NEXT 5 YEARS WHEN THIS GLUE FAILS.*AK

NHTSA ID

10028509

Incident

Jul 14, 2003

Mileage

59,000 mi

I HAVE A 1997 PONTIAC MONTANA MINIVAN. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I HAVE THE DREADED INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAK. IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM WITH THE 3.4 LITER ENGINE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10023220

Incident

Jun 17, 2003

Mileage

80,000 mi

INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAK. MR. *AK

NHTSA ID

10012394

Mileage

55,000 mi

BLOWN HEAD GASKET AFTER ONLY 50,000 MILES. NOT TO MENTION I HAD A BLOWN MANIFOLD GASKET 6 MONTHS BEFORE THIS!. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10013709

Incident

Sep 8, 2002

Mileage

50,000 mi

CONSUMER STATES THE VEHICLE LEAKS FUEL FROM THE ENGINE. *TS

NHTSA ID

10002242

Incident

Apr 15, 2002

Mileage

49,000 mi

CONSUMER STATES, THE DRIVER SIDE SLIDING DOOR HANDLE WHEN IS CLOSE MANUAL MAY CATCH YOUR FINGER AND HAVE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

NHTSA ID

8021863

Incident

Oct 28, 2002

INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET IS DAMAGED YET NO PARTS AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT US. IS THIS A KNOWN FACT TO GM? IS THIS A RECALL ITEM. MY VAN NOW OVERHEATS AND CANNOT BE REPAIRED DUE TO LACK OF PARTS.*AK

NHTSA ID

761640

Incident

Apr 1, 2002

A REMOTE CONTROL WAS USED TO OPEN AND CLOSE SLIDING DOOR, REMOTE CONTROL JUST STOPPED WORKING. CONSUMER HAS TO MANUALLY OPEN AND CLOSE DOOR. *AK

NHTSA ID

889164

Incident

Jan 25, 2001