1999 Pontiac Montana Body & structure Problems

I HAVE A 1999 PONTIAC MONTANA IN WHICH WE BOUGHT ALMOST 2 YEARS AGO FROM A USED CAR DEALERSHIP. AROUND MAY WE TOOK OUR 8 YR. OLD SON TO A BASEBALL GAME AND WHEN WE WENT TO TAKE OUR THEN 16 MONTH OLD SON OUT FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE AND IT CAME COMPLETELY OFF TRACK....IT'S PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING DOOR {NOT ELECTRIC} HAS CAME OFF TRACK WHILE DRIVING AROUND A CORNER AND GOING OVER BUMPS,AT LEAST 8 TIMES AND COUNTING. IT IS HAVING PROBLEMS EXACTLY LIKE THE ELECTRIC, IT COMES COMPLETELY OFF TRACK AND HAS TO BE PUT ON. MY 2 YEAR OLD SON HAD BEEN SITTING ON THAT SIDE, WHAT HAPPENS IF HE WAS TO FALL OUT? NOW THE DRIVER SIDE SLIDING DOOR IS STARTING TO HAVE PROBLEMS. PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP TO FIX THE PROBLEM FREE OF CHARGE, OR I WILL HAVE TO GET A LAWYER. THANKS *TR

NHTSA ID

10213992

Incident

May 7, 2007

Mileage

115,000 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON ENTERING THE VEHICLE, THERE WERE NOTICEABLE WATER PUDDLES ON THE FLOOR OF BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES. THERE WAS ALSO A NOTICEABLY FOUL SMELL COMING FROM THE INTERIOR CARPETS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, WHO REFERRED THE CONTACT TO A SERVICE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER DRAIN ELBOW WAS MISSING. THERE WERE NO REPAIRS MADE. UPDATED 10/25/06. *JB

NHTSA ID

10167148

Incident

Aug 21, 2006

Mileage

154,800 mi

RIGHT SLIDING DOOR OPENED WHILE DRIVING,AND ALL MECHANISMS WERE INOPERABLE. TOOK VEHICLE TO PONTIAC DEALERSHIP, AND THEY STATED THAT IT WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BUT PUT A NEW HARNESS ON BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A GM PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

10115460

Incident

Mar 7, 2005

Mileage

795 mi

DURING A ROUTINE UNLOADING OF GROCERIES FROM MY REAR LIFT DOOR THE LEFT SIDE HANDLE SUPPORT SNAPPED OFF AS I WAS PULLING IT DOWN TO CLOSE IT SHUT.THIS HANDLE IS LOCATED ON THE REAR DOOR OF THE PONTIAC MONTANA. APPARENTLY THE CHEAP PLASTIC BASE COULD NOT SUPPORT MY NORMAL PULLING EFFORT TO SHUT THE REAR LIFT DOOR. MY EFFORT TO PULL DOWNWARD AND THE SUBSEQUENT BREAKAGE OF THE DOOR HANDLE PLASTIC BASE SUPPORT CAUSED A SMALL ABRASIVE CUT ON MY RIGHT HAND KNUCKLE. I DO NOT ABUSE MY VEHICLE. THIS WAS A NORMAL MOTION A VEHICLE OWNER WOULD TAKE IN ORDER TO ATTEMPT TO CLOSE THE REAR LIFTGATE ON A MINIVAN. THE PLASTIC HANDLE SUPPORT PART WAS OBVIOUSLY MADE OF POOR MATERIALS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10082638

Incident

Jul 26, 2004

TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD, LATE AT TIMES. RADIO/CD SCREEN IS GARBLED LOOSE SRS CONNECTORS POWER LOCK PROBLEMS SLIDING DOOR PROBLEMS *LA

NHTSA ID

10046814

Incident

Oct 8, 2003

Mileage

53,000 mi

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING SUBFRAME FELL TO GROUND, CAUSING AND ACCIDENT. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10033721

Incident

Aug 6, 2003

CAR WAS TAKING ON WATER FROM RAIN STORMS LEAKING THROUGH BODY ROOF AREA THROUGH THE CONTROL PANEL ON THE CEILING OF VEHICLE AND DRIPPING WATER RAPIDLY TO FLOOR TRAVELING DOWN THE WINDSHIELD MOLDING ON THE INSIDE OF THE WINDOW TRIM ON INSIDE OF DOORS. SENT IN TO BE FIXED UNDER 36,000. WARRANTY. STILL LEAKING SAME THING... TOLD TOO HARD TO FIND LEAK. OPENED FILE WITH GMAC97471426. OWNER WILL REOPEN FILE WHEN SERVICE CAN TAKE CAR IN FOR FURTHER REVIEW. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10018796

Incident

Apr 1, 2002

Mileage

30,000 mi

WITHOUT PRIOR DIFFICULTY OR WARNING, THE STRUTS FAILED, AND THE HATCH DROPPED ON THE CONSUMER'S HEAD, KNOCKED HER TO THE GROUND AND CAUSED A SEVERE NECK INJURY. THE STRUTS WERE REPLACED AT THE CONSUMER'S EXPENSE. *JB SCC

NHTSA ID

10011196

Incident

Jul 25, 2002

Mileage

54,000 mi

AFTER THE DEALER PERFORMED THE RECALL ON THE VEHICLES SLIDING DOOR THE PROBLEM REOCURRED, THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN RECALLED TWICE FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TS *NLM

NHTSA ID

8022196

Incident

Apr 5, 2001

Mileage

34,007 mi

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE LOWER CRADLE COLLAPSED WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVER UNDER A MANUFACTURER RECALL. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER FORMATION. NLM

NHTSA ID

8019363

Incident

Jul 28, 2002

DRIVER'S SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER FAILED CAUSING THE AIR BAG LIGHT TO STAY ON, THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG ALSO CAME OUT OF THE SEAT. NLM

NHTSA ID

786461

Incident

Aug 7, 2002

MY DAUGHTER DRIVES THIS VAN. SHE HAD JUST PUT THE BABY IN THE CAR SEAT , WALKED AROUND TO GET IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND THE DOOR FELL OFF. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF THE DOOR AND SHE WAS PARKED. THE PART INSIDE MISSED THE BABY. IF SHE HAD BEEN TRAVELING THE BABY COULD OF BEEN HURT . THE PONTICAC DEALER SAID CONTACT A LOCAL DEALER. THE LOCAL DEALER STATED WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS OURSELVES. TO ME THIS IS A DEFECT. I MEAN HOW MANY DOORS FALL OFF? WE ARE VERY LUCKY THAT NO ONE WAS HURT OR KILLED. PLEASE HELP! WHAT IF THIS HAPPENS TO SOMEONE ELSE?*AK

NHTSA ID

766398

Incident

Aug 20, 2002

SUSPENSION SYSTEM COULD NOT SUPPORT 7 PASSENGERS + LUGGAGE + FUEL, WITHOUT EXCESSIVE BOUNCING, CAUSING A REDUCTION OF SPEED (10-15MPH) BELOW POSTED SPEED LIMITS. REAR BRAKES WERE NOT FULLY ENGAGING, CAUSING UNSAFE STOPPING, ESPECIALLY ON HILLS. REAR BRAKES WERE ADJUSTED MANUALLY TO IMPROVE BRAKING, BUT PEDDLE IS STILL SOFT. THE GSVWR IS NOT GREAT ENOUGH FOR VEHICAL CAPAITY. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A DRY-WEIGHT RATING. MUD FLAPS BOTH FRONT & REAR WERE WORN OFF EXCESSIVILY, DUE TO BONCING. SOMETIMES IT FELT LIKE I WAS LOOSING CONTROL. ALL SUSPENSION COMPONENTS WERE CHECKED BY DEALER AFTER RETURN FROM VACATION, BUT VAN STILL EXHIBITS EXCESSIVE BOUNCING AND BOTTOMING OUT, EVEN WITH ONLY TWO PASSENGERS AND NO LUGGAGE. AT A HIGHWAY SPEED OF 70MPH, THE VAN WOULD DOWN-SHIFT AT EVERY OVERPASS, AND SLIGHT HEADWIND, DURING TRIP ACROSS THE DESERT ON I-70 TO S.L.C., UT. THERE IS NO HD SUSPENSION PARTS FOR THIS VEHICLE, WHICH SHOULD BE AVAILABLE, IF ONE WANTS TO TOW A BOAT. BY THE WAY, A REDUCTION IN PASSENGERS IS REQUIRED, IF A BOAT IS TOWED (300 LBS DRAW-BAR WT) AND 3500 LBS TOW WT. THIS IS A VERY UNDER-RATED. NLM

NHTSA ID

759882

Incident

Jun 1, 2001

THE FRAME HAD 4 BREAKS WHICH 2 OCCURRED SOME TIME AGO/RUSTY/3RD BREAK ESTIMATED 2/15/02 AND FINAL BREAK 2/16/02. I WAS ADVISED BY A MECHANIC THAT THIS WAS A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND CAUSED BY MANUFACTURER DEFECT.*AK

NHTSA ID

758655

Incident

Feb 16, 2002

MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 01013 FOR PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR. THERE ARE NO PARTS AVAILABLE. CORNFORTH-CAMPBALL PO B0X 537 PUYALLUP WA 98371 206 845 8881 TOLL FREE 1800 573 8881. *AK

NHTSA ID

899136

Incident

Apr 15, 2001

WATER LEAK WILL CONTINUE CAUSING REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH WIRING LOCATED UNDER FLOOR. *AK

NHTSA ID

748550

THE SLIDING DOOR OPENS BY ITSELF AT ANY TIME. THIS HAPPENS WHILE THE ENGINE IS OFF. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

856662

Incident

Jun 6, 1999

WHILE THE CHILD OPENED THE SLIDING DOOR, CHILD'S HAND GOT STUCK IN THE LOCK, CAUSING THE CHILD TO SLIDE DOWN AND SUSTAIN IINJURIES. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK PE04064.PCO

NHTSA ID

844539

Incident

Aug 5, 1999

ON APRIL 17, 1999, MY HUSBAND TRIED TO ENGAGE HIS SEATBELT PROPERLY, AND IT PULLED ALL THE WAY OUT, AND WOULDN'T GO BACK IN. ON APRIL 29, 1999, I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY, LET MY KIDS OUT WITH THE POWER DOOR, MY SON TRIED TO CLOSE IT WITH THE POWER SWITCH, IT WOULDN'T CLOSE, SO HE TRIED TO CLOSE IT MANUALLY, AND IT WOULDN'T BUDGE. I TRIED TO CLOSE IT MANUALLY, AND COULDN'T. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER WAS ABLE TO GET IT CLOSED, BUT THE POWER STILL DIDN'T WORK.

NHTSA ID

706230

Incident

Apr 17, 1999

THE REAR POWER DOOR OPENS ON COMMAND,CLOSES ON COMMAND THAN OPENS BY ITS SELF. IT WILL CLOSE ON COMMAND AGAIN , SOMETIMES IT WILL STAY CLOSED, OTHER TIMES IT WILL OPEN AGAIN. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE DOOR TRIED TO OPEN AS I WAS BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVE WAY, BEING THE DOORS LOCK AUTOMATICALLY,THE DOOR BECOMES AJAR. YOU THEN HAVE TO STOP....PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK....OPEN THE DOOR ...CLOSE THE DOOR..HOPING THE DOOR WILL STAY CLOSED. *AK

NHTSA ID

705479

AUTO SLIDING PASSENGER DOOR FAILED. YH

NHTSA ID

606731

Incident

Jun 1, 1998

ENGINE DOES NOT ACCELERATE.

NHTSA ID

539045