2002 Pontiac Montana Electrical Problems

THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LIGHTS CONSTANTLY GO OUT. I HAVE SPOKEN TO A MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME THAT IT IS VERY COMMON FOR GM VEHICLES IN THIS MODEL YEAR RANGE TO HAVE TO REPLACE THE LIGHTING BANK IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLES ON BOTH SIDES. THE BANK WHICH CONTAINS THE BRAKE LIGHTS, THE BACK-UP LIGHTS, AND THE RUNNING LIGHTS FAILS AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS SEEM TO BE MOST AFFECTED. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY BRAKE LIGHTS APPROXIMATELY ONCE A MONTH FOR MULTIPLE YEARS. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY NEAR-COLLISIONS DUE TO BRAKE LIGHTS NOT OPERATING. THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT AT THE TOP OF THE VEHICLE APPEARS TO NOT BE AFFECTED BY THIS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10498563

Incident

Nov 2, 2009

Mileage

95,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 PONTIAC MONTANA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SPORADICALLY, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND WOULD NOT TURN OVER. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE CONTACT WOULD ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO SIT FOR TEN MINUTES AFTER ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE. THE RADIO, AIR CONDITIONER AND POWER WINDOWS WOULD OPERATE BUT THE VEHICLE STILL WOULD NOT START. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE ANTI-THEFT PASS LOCK SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 195,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 202,000.

NHTSA ID

10347829

Incident

Apr 14, 2010

Mileage

195,000 mi

THIS 2002 PONTIAC MONTANA HAS BEEN OWNED BY US SINCE NEW. IT NOW WILL NOT SHOW A VALID QUANTITY OF FUEL , THE GAUGE SHOWS FULL MOST OF THE TIME. WHEN IT DOES NOT IT IS BECAUSE IT SHOWS EMPTY AND THE WARNING BELL IS RINGING. TURNING OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTING IT STOPS THE BELL RINGING AND THE GAUGE SHOWS FULL AGAIN. I AM SEARCHING THE WEB TO FIND A FIX FOR THIS AND I FIND MANY MENTIONS OF THE PROBLEM BY OWNERS WHO HAVE NOT FLED A COMPLAINT WITH YOUR OFFICE. THIS VAN ALSO IS IN NEED OF A HEATER CORE REPLACEMENT, A PROBLEM THAT STARTED LAST YEAR IN EARLY 2008. *TR

NHTSA ID

10287140

Incident

Aug 15, 2009

Mileage

80,600 mi

I BOUGHT 2002 PONTIAC MONTANA USED IN DEC. 2008. FIRST THE RADIO DISPLAY WENT COMPLETELY OUT. THEN AS I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT THE CAR SHUT OFF BY ITSELF... IT STARTED BACK UP AGAIN BUT I WAS IN TRAFFIC AND ALMOST CAUSED THREE CARS TO CRASH. THEN I NOTICED THAT MY DRIVER'S SIDE BRAKE LIGHT WENT OUT, AND A WEEK LATER THE PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT WENT OUT. I HAVE BOUGHT REPLACEMENT BULBS AND IT STILL DOES NOT WORK (THE BAR ON TOP IS WORKING). THE RADIO/ CLOCK DISPLAY IS JUST AN INCONVENIENCE BUT BRAKE LIGHTS... THEY ARE IMPORTANT! I AM BRINGING TO THE DEALER TODAY TO INSPECT. I SEE THERE ARE MANY MANY COMPLAINTS FOR THIS AND SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED!!! I HAVE MY FAMILY TO PROTECT! *TR

NHTSA ID

10260549

Incident

Feb 16, 2009

Mileage

60,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 PONTIAC MONTANA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED AT NIGHT, THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL DIMMED. APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR LATER, THE RADIO LIGHT IS 2/3 DIM. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 88,025 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,615. UPDATED 11/6/08 *CN THE MECAHNIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE DASH CIRCUIT BOARD HAD FAILED. UPDATED 11/10/08. *JB

NHTSA ID

10245409

Incident

May 10, 2007

Mileage

67,615 mi

REF ERENCE TO COMPLAINT ODI ID NUMBER : 10133193. ON HOT DAYS WE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AS WELL. THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE. THE GARAGE THAT WE TAKE THE VEHICLE TO HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM OR FIGURE OUT AS TO WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. ALSO THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER, WHERE THEY HAVE HOOKED UP SOME SORT OF RECORDING DEVICE, BUT OF COURSE THE PROBLEM DIDN'T APPEAR. WHEN IT DID HAPPEN WE HAD TO WAIT AT LEAST ONE HOUR TO THREE FOR IT TO FINALLY CRANK OVER. WE HAVE SPENT MONEY ON THE POSSIBLE FIXES, BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE PROBLEM WITH THE HEAT CONTINUED TO OCCUR. *AK

NHTSA ID

10193477

Incident

Jun 13, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 PONTIAC MONTANA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEAD GASKET AND THE INTAKE GASKET HAD CORRODED FROM A COOLING LEAK. SHE ALSO EXPERIENCED OVERHEATING AND THE ONLY COOLANT THAT THE DEALER IS TELLING HER TO USE IS DEX COOL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS TYPE OF COOLANT HAS BEEN KNOWN TO CAUSE FAILURES AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME OTHER TYPE OF COOLANT TO USE. SHE STATED THAT THE POWER DOOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HAS SIGNS OF CORROSION, THE FUEL GAUGE IS ERRATIC AND PREVENTS HER FROM KNOWING THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE HUB IS LOOSE, THE OVERHEAD CONSOLE FOR THE TEMPERATURE AND COMPASS HAS FAILED, AND THE AIR CONDITIONING HAS A HOLE IN THE HOSE. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER, SINCE THE CONTACT CHANGED HER OWN OIL, THAT IS THE REASON SHE IS EXPERIENCING SO MANY FAILURES. THEREFORE, THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY ARE NOT LIABLE. THE VIN IS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 70,000.

NHTSA ID

10192771

Incident

May 24, 2007

Mileage

70,000 mi

ON VERY HOT DAYS, CAR CRANKS BUT DOESN'T START. AFTER CAR IS AT OPERATING TEMP. SOMETINES IT STARTS AFTER SETTING FOR 5 MINUTES, LAST TIME HAD TO WAIT OVER 3 HOURS. AAA DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM EITHER.*AK

NHTSA ID

10133193

Incident

Aug 13, 2005

Mileage

38,000 mi

ENGINE STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING A LOW SPEED ON THREE SEPERATE TIMES. FIRST TIME WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A RIGHT TURN AFTER TRAFFIC LIGHT CHANGE TO GREEN. THE SAME THING HAPPEND A SECOND TIME AS I PULL INTO A GAS STATION. THIS THIRD TIME HAPPEND AS I WAS LOOKING FOR PARKING SPACE IN THE PARKING LOT. IN ALL THREE TIME, THE ENGINE STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING AND POWER STEERING WAS LOST. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR AND AFTER RESTART THE ENGINE AFTER SHIFT TO PARK. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AFTER EACH INCIDENT AS THERE ARE NO FAULT CODE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10074581

Incident

May 31, 2004

Mileage

27,000 mi

PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD GASKET DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITION STARTING BY OVER HEATING LOOK LIKE A THERMOSTAT PROBLEM BUT IS NOT. HEAD GASKET FAIL AND GAS FROM THE CYLINDERS ESCAPE TO THE BLOCK OF THE ENGINE CAUSING TO OVER HEAT AND DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE.

NHTSA ID

10069671

Incident

Nov 15, 2002

THERE ARE MODULES THAT WE KEEP HAVING TROUBLE WITH. THEY LOCK & UNLOCK DOORS WHILE DRIVING, LOCK IN IGNITION KEY RECEIVER, TURN ON AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT AND DISENGAGE THEM, SHOW "SERVICE ENGINE" LIGHT, ETC..I AM TOLD THEY CONTROL THE HEADLIGHTS ALSO. THEY ARE A VITAL PART TO THE CAR\\'S SAFTEY BECAUSE THEY CONTROL SO MANY ELEMENTS OF THE CAR. THE TRANMISSION HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEM. WHEELS SPIN FIRST AND THEN ENGINE LOCKS IN A FEW SECONDS LATER. THEY TRIED TO REPAIR IT TWICE, THEN WE DROVE JUST A FEW BLOCKS FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD TO BRING CAR BACK (SERVICE RECORDS DO NOT SHOW THIS AS AN ADDITIONAL SERVICE) AND HAD TOO BRING IT BACK AGAIN A FEW DAYS LATER. NOW WE ARE TOLD THAT THEY ARE PUTTING IN A NEW TRANSMISSION AND REFUSE TO CONSIDER THE CAR A LEMON BECAUSE A NEW TRANSMISSION IS BEING PUT IN. WE HAVE LOST CONFIDENCE IN THE CAR AND CONSIDER IT UNRELIABLE AND UNSAFE. A NEW TRANSMISSION ONLY ADDRESSES ONE OF THE PROBLEMS. WE WANT OUT OF THE VEHICLE. IT IS CURRENTLY IN REPAIR NOW, AND WE HAVE HAD A RENTAL CAR FOR ALMOST TWO WEEKS. ALTOGETHER, THE CAR HAS BEEN IN SERVICE FOR ABOUT 43 DAYS SINCE WE HAVE OWNED IT..JUST ONE YEAR!!

NHTSA ID

10069633

Incident

Nov 15, 2002

MY VEHICHLE IS ON IT'S FOURTH BATTERY AND ONLY HAS 1200 MILES . IF THE VAN IS PARKED FOR MORE THAN A DAY THEN IT DRAINS THE BATTERY. THEY CAN'T SEEM TO FIND THE PROBLEM. I TOLD THEM TO CALL THE FACTORY FOR HELP BUT I DOUBT IF THEY WILL DO SO.

NHTSA ID

10069431

Incident

Nov 15, 2002

CAR DID NOT COME WITH AN ASHTRAY AND NONE ACCORDING TO THE DEALER IS AVAILABLE IN THAT MODEL THIS YEAR. WHAT THE DEALER OFFERED WAS A PLACE IN ASHTRAY TO GO IN THE CUPHOLDER. THIS I TOOK AS A REPLACEMENT TO THE UN-OFFERED AND NOT AVAILABLE ASHTRAY. HOWEVER SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER GETTING THIS NEW CAR I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT AND WENT TO PUT OUT MY CIGARETTE. BECAUSE THERE WAS NO LIGHT AND THE DASHBOARD HAS NO LIGHTS IN THAT AREA MY CIGARETTE HEAD HIT THE FRONT OF THE CUPHOLDER DROPPING THE LIT HEAD ON THE FLOOR. IMMEDIATE PANIC ENSUED RESULTING IN ME REMOVING MY EYES FRON THE ROAD TO RECOVER THE LIT HEAD OF THE CIGARETTE. I ASKED THE DEALER IF PONTIAC OFFERED A LIGHT FOR THAT AREA AND THE ANSWER WAS NO,. I VERIFIED THAT WITH PONTIAC CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AND THEY SAID THERE IS NOT EVEN A SMOKERS PACKAGE AVAILABLE. I WOULD HAVE NOT UPGRADED FROM MY 1998 MONTANA WHICH HAD AN ASHTRAY IF I KNEW IT DIDN'T BEFORE TAKING DELIVERY. THIS IS NOT ONE OF YOUR MAJOR CASES BUT SHOULD BE LOOKED AT AS A POSSIBLE FIRE OR SAFETY HAZARD. *AK

NHTSA ID

766416

Incident

Jul 2, 2002