1999 Pontiac Montana Visibility Problems

WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED (60MPH OR GREATER) THE WIPER WILL OVER RUN THE WINDSHIELD WHEN INITIALLY TURNED ON. THIS IS RESULTING IN DESTROYING THE BLADE AND CREATING A SAFETY PROBLEM. IT HAS HAPPENED FOR SEVERAL YEARS BUT THE GM DEALERS TELL ME THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD BY A FORMER BOSCH (CURRENT MANUFACTURER) VICE-PRESIDENT THAT WHEN BOSCH PURCHASED THIS MANUFACTURING LINE FROM UT AUTOMOTIVE, THEY NOTICED THE PROBLEM AND ADVISED G.M. OF THE ISSUE. G.M. CHOSE TO DO NOTHING. WHILE MY CAR IS OLDER, THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN PRESENT EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS NEWER. I AM REPORTING IT NOW BECAUSE IT IS GETTING WORSE. *TR *UPDATED 12/12/07 *BF UPDATED 12/12/07 *TR

NHTSA ID

10202424

Incident

Sep 9, 2007

Mileage

60,000 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED, WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY RAIN AT 50 MPH., THE WIPER BLADES ON THE WINDSHIELD COLLIDED WITH EACH OTHER. THE DRIVER SIDE BLADE/ASSEMBLY WAS TORN FROM THE WIPER ARM AND THE PASSENGER BLADE/ASSEMBLY WAS TWISTED OUT OF POSITION FOR PROPER OPERATION. UPDATED 07/25/06. *JB

NHTSA ID

10161480

Incident

Jul 5, 2006

Mileage

72,747 mi

AS APPEARS TO BE COMMON WITH THE ENGINE IN THIS VEHICLE, THE INTAKE GASKET FAILED CAUSING DEXCOOL TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE AND THUS CONTAMINATING NOT ONLY ENGINE OIL, BUT CAUSING FAILURE OF CRITICAL INTERNAL COMPONENTS DUE TO THE FACT THAT DEXCOOL DETERIORATES/WEAKENS CERTAIN METALS, ETC. IN OUR CASE, THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE COMPLETELY FAILED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON A 6 LANE EXPRESSWAY WITH NO PRIOR INDICATION OF PROBLEMS. GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS INFERIOR DESIGN! A RECALL SHOULD BE BEGUN IMMEDIATELY. WITHOUT QUICK, CALM REACTION MY PREGANANT WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN COULD HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED AND SEVERLY INJURED OR KILLED. HOW WOULD GM DEAL WITH THE PUBLICITY OF THAT LAWSUIT!

NHTSA ID

10070316

Incident

May 15, 2003

Mileage

72,000 mi

ENGINE: INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKING. I FOLLOWED THRU WITH A COMPLAINT TO THE BBB AND TO PONTIAC'S 800 NUMBER. I WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO HAVE THE VAN DIAGNOSED AT A GM DEALER BEFORE ANYTHING COULD BE DONE BY PONTIAC. MY DEALER QUALITY PONTIAC IN COCOA, FLORIDA LOOKED AT THE VAN AND AGREED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS LEAKING (NOVEMBER 2002). QUALITY INFORMED ME IT WOULD BE ABOUT $500 TO REPAIR. A PHONE CALL TO PONTIAC'S 800 # PUT PRESSURE ON THE DEALER AND THEY PERFORMED THE WORK FOR $100 PLUS EXTRA FOR A COOLANT FLUSH. THE TOTAL WAS AROUND $180. SUPPOSEDLY THE WORK CAME WITH A 12 MONTH 12000 MILE WARRANTY. I THINK THE VAN HAD 58000 MILES ON IT WHEN THIS WORK WAS PERFORMED. LOOKING BACK I HAVE A FEELING IT STARTED LEAKING EARLIER. TODAY WE HAVE 70500 MILES ON THE VAN AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS COMING ON. THE CODES INDICATE THAT ENGINE CYLINDER 5 IS MISFIRING. WE HAD NEW SPARK PLUGS PUT IN AND WILL NOW TRY NEW SPARK PLUG WIRES. IF THAT DOESN'T FIX IT THEN WE MAY NEED TO PUT IN NEW FUEL INJECTORS. MY COMPLAINTS TO DATE WITH THIS VEHICLES ARE: 1. ORIGINAL TIRES WORE OUT AT 24000 MILES $500 2. BATTERY DIED IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS. $0 3. DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED $ 156 - AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. 4. INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED $180 5. SLIDING POWER DOOR MODULE FAILED 4 TIMES. $0 6. FRONT BRAKES DRUMS WARPED AT ~35000 MILES $250. FRONT ROTORS CUT AND PADS REPLACED. 7. WINDSHIELD BUZZED FROM THE DAY WE BOUGHT IT (2 YEARS) AND TOOK US THREATENING THE LEMON LAW TO GET IT FIXED.

NHTSA ID

10069738

Incident

Dec 15, 2002

Mileage

35,000 mi

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL NOT RETURN WHEN OFF, THEY RUN BUT STAY UP WHEN OFF. *JB

NHTSA ID

10016989

Incident

May 1, 2003

Mileage

128,000 mi

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

PASSENGERS ELECTRICAL MIRROR GEAR WAS STRIPPED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JG

NHTSA ID

565244

Incident

Oct 14, 1999

WINDSHIELD WIPERS SUDDENLY STOPPED WHILE WE WERE DRIVING IN A TORRENTIAL 3-HOUR DOWNPOUR. HAD TO PULL ONTO SHOULDER AND DRIVE WITH NO FORWARD VISIBILITY UNTIL REACHING A TOWN WITH A GARAGE. THIS WAS ON HIGHWAY 77 IN SOUTH TEXAS, A VERY HEAVILY TRAVELLED ROAD. WE WERE LUCKY TO HAVE AVOIDED BEING HIT FROM BEHIND. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE WIPER DRIVE ARM HAD COME OFF THE BALL-SHAPED STUD ON THE DRIVE CRANK. ONE OF THE TWO 5 MM SCREWS HAD COME OUT OF THE CLAMP HOLDING THE DRIVE ARM TO THE DRIVE STUD. THIS IS A SERIOUS WEAKNESS IN THIS VEHICLE AS A MORE SECURE LOCKING METHOD SHOULD BE USED FOR THIS CLAMP (I ADDED LOCKNUTS TO THE SCREWS ON MY CLAMP). THIS ARM MOUNTING UNDERGOES A LOT OF CYCLES WITH FAIRLY HEAVY ALTERNATING LOADING, AND SHOULD BE MUCH MORE POSITIVELY FASTENED THAN IT IS. I SUGGEST THAT THESE VEHICLES BE RECALLED AND A BETTER LOCKING SYSTEM ADDED TO THE WIPER DRIVE ARM. *AK

NHTSA ID

754663

Incident

Nov 16, 2001

ON ONE OCCASION REAR GLASS HAS EXPLODED AND SHATTERED FOR UNKNOWN REASON. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND REPLACED WINDOW WITHOUT CHARGES. APPROXIMATELY TWO YEAR LATER PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED, AND DEALER REFUSED TO ASSIST WITHOUT CHARGES TO CONSUMER. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE US WITH ANY FURTHER INFOMATION ON THIS MATTER. *AK

NHTSA ID

889968

Incident

Mar 15, 1999

WHILE DRIVING AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR OPENED UP, CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE IN TO HAVE IT INSPECTED AND WAS ADVISED THERE WAS A PROGRAMMING FUNCTION THAT NEEDED TO BE REPORGRAMMED, THE DOOR WORKED FOR A FEW DAYS AND THEN IT STARTED ACTING UP AGAIN SO CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW MOTOR ACTIVATOR, THE DOOR WORKS FINE BUT SOMETIMES THE BUZZER GOES OFF FOR NO REASON, DEALERSHIP STATED THAT IS OK AS LONG AS DOOR IS WORKING. *JB

NHTSA ID

561095

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. WHILE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE IN MOTION THEY BEGIN TO INTERLOCK WITH EACH OTHER. WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAVE BEEN FIXED ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. *AK

NHTSA ID

881041

Incident

Feb 1, 2001

OIL PAN HAS HEAVY OIL RESIDUE FILM WHICH GM CLAIMS TO BE NORMAL DUE TO ALUMINUM CASTING OIL PAN DESIGN THAT ALLOWS OIL TO SEAP THROUGH THE OIL PAN. A HEAVY OIL RESIDUE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE OIL PAN DOES NOT SEEM NORMAL AND APPEARS TO BE A LEAK. BURNING OIL CAN BE SMELLED INSIDE THE VEHICLE WHILE STOPPED. A FILE # HAS BEEN OPENED BY GM CUSTOMER SERVICE TO RECORD MY COMPLAINTS. RIGHT HAND DOOR POWERED MIRROR IS LOOSE AND LOSES SETTING WHEN DOOR SHUT. *AK

NHTSA ID

720571

Incident

Oct 15, 1999