2003 Pontiac Montana Engine Problems

AFTER HEADING HOME FROM TAKING MY SON TO THE ER, MY TEMP GAUGE STARTED TO RISE FAST TO THE RED LINES WHILE I WAS GOING DOWN THE STREET. I QUICKLY PULLED OVER, PUT IT IN PARK AND SHUT MY ENGINE OFF. I GOT OUT OUT OF THE CAR AND LOOKED UNDER NEATH. COOLANT WAS POURING ALL OVER THE GROUND UNDER THE ENGINE. OBVIOUSLY COULDN'T DRIVE SO I HAD TO CALL THE HUSBAND TO PICK US UP AND A TOW TRUCK. TOOK THE VAN TO TWO DIFFERENT GARAGES AND THEY BOTH SAID THE HEAD GASKET BLEW. I HAVE FOUND THAT GM KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND MANY HAVE COMPLAINED BUT YET NOT ONE RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. I HAVE EVEN SEEN THIS ISSUE IN THE SERVICE NOTE DUE TO PLASTIC PARTS. GARAGES ARE ASKING 15 HUNDRED FOR REPAIR!!! *JS

NHTSA ID

10669519

Incident

Dec 16, 2014

Mileage

125,000 mi

VAN OVER HEATED AFTER REPLACING WATER PUMP AND THERMOSTAT. DEXCOOL WAS REQUIRED BY GM FOR WARRANTY CAR WAS FLUSHED OUT AND DEXCOOL WAS REPLACED. ONE WEEK LATER VAN OVER HEATED AGAIN, WAS TOLD IT WAS AN AIR BUBBLE IN HEATING SYSTEM. BLEED OUT SYSTEM USING A VACUUM PUMP AND PULLED OUT ALL THE AIR IN THE SYSTEM. THIS WORKED FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS. PROBLEM RETURNED AGAIN IN SPRING IN 3/6/2012 OVER HEATED AGAIN DRIVINGBAT HIGHWAY SPEEDS 25 MILES FROM STARTING POINT. FOUND AIR IN SYSTEM AGAIN. HAD WATER PUMP, THERMOSTAT, HOSES AND COOLANT ALL REPLACED AGAIN. PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. DEXCOOL DESTROYED THE HEAD GASKET IN THE MOTOR. NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM I HAVE FOUND FROM NEW REPAIR SHOP THEY WORK ON AT LEAST 2 A WEEK. GM HAS HIDDEN THIS FROM THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO BE A FULL RECALL ON HEAD GASKETS. AT NO COST TO OWNERS. THIS REPAIR WILL COST ABOUT $1500 TO $2000 DEPENDING ON THE REPAIR SHOP I HAVE CONTACTED. WHEN CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY NOTHING WAS SAID, NOW THEY SAY IT'S THE HEAD GASKETS AT THE GM DEALERSHIPS. *JS

NHTSA ID

10462225

Incident

Oct 13, 2011

Mileage

97,000 mi

THE VALVE PULLED OUT OF ROCKER ARM MID 2008 ON #2 CAL COSTING APPROX 600.00 REPAIR AGAIN IN 2009 THE #3 CYL VALVE PULLED OUT EFFECTING ANOTHER REPAIR. THEN A WEEK LATER THE #5 CYL HAS QUIT FIRING. THIS IS THE 3400 OR 3.4 LITER ENGINE. MY MECHANIC EXPLAINED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MOTOR IN THE GRAND AM OR GRAND PRIX. *TR

NHTSA ID

10266493

Incident

Jun 1, 2008

Mileage

73,000 mi

WAS TOLD INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED. OVER A THOUSAND DOLLAR FIX WITH RELIGIOUS OIL CHANGES AND COOLANT FLUSHES, SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I HAVE TALKED WITH MANY MONTANA OWNERS OF DIFFERENT YEARS AND ALL HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS CANNOT BE A SURPRISE! THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG HERE... EVEN TWO DIFFERENT REPAIR SHOPS SAID THIS IS A "COMMON" ISSUE OF THE PONTIAC MONTANA. I WAS TOLD THEY WERE SURPRISED IT DIDN'T HAPPEN SOONER AND THERE WERE SIGNS IT WAS IN THE MAKING FOR AWHILE. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS! ITS NOT A CHEAP FIX! *TR

NHTSA ID

10264180

Incident

Apr 3, 2009

Mileage

86,600 mi

PROBLEM WITH LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD THAT HAS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO BAD DEXCOOL. DEALERSHIP WILL NOT COVER REPAIR FOR VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10255154

Incident

Jan 5, 2009

Mileage

73,000 mi

2003 PONTIAC MONTANA 3.4L SERIES "E" ENGINE. 10/15/2007 85,342 MILES. ROCKER ARM BOLTS (8MM) STRIPED OUT OF THE 1,3,5 CYLINDER HEAD. HEAD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. REPAIRED AT DEALER $1,500.00. DEALER SERVICE CENTER ALSO CHECKED 2,4,6 CYLINDER HEAD AND ROCKER ARM BOLTS, ALL OK. 11/10/2007 88,702 MILES. ROCKER ARM BOLTS (8MM) STRIPED OUT OF THE 2,4,6 CYLINDER HEAD. AGAIN ON SAME VEHICLE HEAD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ANOTHER $1,500.00 THIS SITE AREADY SHOWS LOOSE OR STRIPPED BOLTS ON OTHER 2003 MONTANAS. I WONDER WHAT A CROSS REFERENCE OF GM 3.4L ENGINES SHOW UP WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10248512

Incident

Nov 10, 2008

Mileage

88,702 mi

INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKING AT 60,000 MILES. DEALER WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. HAVE HEARD THIS FROM MANY SOURCES AND THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT BEING PROPOSED. *TR UPDATED 01-15-08. *KB UPDATED *JB

NHTSA ID

10201961

Incident

May 1, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC MONTANA EXTENDED CAB. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE VEHICLE WAS SQUEALING, SHAKING, AND SQUEAKING. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT IT WAS MISSING A CYLINDER AND THE ENGINE WAS LOOSE. THE ROCKER BOLT FELL OFF OF THE HEAD OF THE ROCKER ARM AND THE HEAD HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE INCREASED AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 30-45MPH. THE CURRENT MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE WAS 85,500 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,400. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10201129

Incident

Aug 11, 2007

Mileage

85,400 mi

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND VEHICLE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. AFTER SERVICE WORK WAS PERFORMED TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM IT WAS FOUND OUT THAT TWO BOLTS THAT HOLD THE ROCKER ARM ASSEMBLY ON FOR CYLINDER #3 WERE IN FACT STRIPPED AND FELL OUT OF THE ENGINE HEAD. UPON DISCOVERING THIS IT WAS DETERMINED THAT CHECKING THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ENGINE WOULD ALSO BE PRUDENT. THERE WE ALSO FOUND ONE STRIPPED BOLT ON THE HEAD. THIS ENGINE HAD NEVER BEFORE BEEN APART. WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW AND WERE SHOCKED THAT SUCH A MECHANICAL FAILURE COULD HAPPEN AT 62,000 MILES ON A THREE YEAR OLD VEHICLE!!! *NM

NHTSA ID

10175727

Incident

Sep 26, 2006

Mileage

62,000 mi

THIS IS MY SECOND PONTIAC MINI VAN WITH A LEAKING INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. THE 1994 STARTED LEAKING AT 60K MILES,MY CURRENT VAN A 2003 IS LEAKING AT 45K MILES. IN MY 94 VAN THE ENGINE FAILED AT89K WITH RELIGIOUS OIL CHANGES AND COOLANT FLUSHES. MY MONTANA ALSO HAS HAD COOLANT AND OIL CHANGES OFTEN. I KNOW OF OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *NM

NHTSA ID

10156475

Incident

Apr 11, 2006

Mileage

45,499 mi

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLES UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS THE VEHICLES TURNS ITSELF OFF. WHILE AT STOP LIGHTS THE VEHICLE CHUGS AND THE RPM GAUGE DIVES DOWN. WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE AND AFTER THE ENGINE IS ON AND THE KEY HAS BEEN RELEASED, THE STARTER CONTINUES TO CRANK ON ITS OWN. *JB

NHTSA ID

10141101

Incident

Oct 10, 2005

INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET IS FAILING...AND GM KNOWS OF THIS WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO FIX IT OUT OF WARRANTY. MY COOLANT WAS LEAKING OUT AND THEY WOULD NEVER FIND THE PROBLEM UNDER WARRANTY, AND NOW THEY REFUSE WITH 4 MONTHS OUT OF THE WARRANTY. AMAZING.*AK

NHTSA ID

10112526

Incident

Mar 3, 2005

Mileage

30,000 mi