Pontiac Montana

Sal Collaziano

Sal Collaziano

Staff member
Joined
Apr 25, 2005
Messages
979
Reaction score
13
Points
18
Here's a vehicle that I know absolutely nothing about.. If you own a Pontiac Montana, please let us know a bit about it. What's your experience been like? Have pictures? Please post them..
 
we just bought one
sold off our POS voyager for it
no regrets so far, we'll see how the intake manifold gaskets fares on it.
 
Unregistered guest,
If you come back here again I can give you the lowdown on the 3.4L engine intake gaskets.


Sal,
I didn't know I didn't have to re-register in this forum. Know better now.
______________________________
 
You don't have to register but it's definitely a good idea to do so - for the very least - to reserve your username. Otherwise, anybody can come along and use the username you're using (lotta u's there) and make you look like a nutjob.

You also get more features as a registered member...

[/thread hijack]
 
You really want to know about the Pontiac Montana's???

Please, please, please don't purchase the Pontiac Montana. I bought mine in 2002, second owner, the vehicle was 2 years old already. When I purchased it there was 115000 km on it.However it was well taken care of. At 140 000 km I noticed the paint was flaking from underneath my wipers right down to the bare metal and there were three spots that the paint was bubbling, hood, roof, and door. I called GM they told me to have it inspected by a service technician. I went to a GM dealer he said that rocks must have hit the roof in order to cause the problem. I asked him if I drive my vehicle upside down. He then went on to say that GM could not fix it because of milage and wear and tear. I have since made another 8 calls and 3 emails to GM. Last call was about the bloddy hole the size of a dollar coin in my roof (which I should mention has caused quite the electrical nightmare) the response I got from the number in the manual was that at somepoint in time an owner needs to take some responsability for there used vehicles. I asked them about the service bulletin I had read about in regards to the perforated roof and she said that it was covered under warranty up till 160000 and since I was hitting almost 200 000km it was no longer vaild to me. So today I called again after getting the 2005 Lemonaid book to again ask about the recall and they gave me the same reponse so I asked them about the call I made back when it was 140 000 and there response was that at that time it was only peeling, flaking and blistering...no rust had started and that the hole could have come form a rock. The hole came when my husband put his hand on the roof to stand by the seat and see above the roof to see if there was anymore damage and his thumb went through the roof. Now the other problems I have are a pitted wihdsheild back in 2000, O2 sensors, speed sensors, all motorized things ie wipers front and back, pl, pm, pw, and masterswitch have all gone at the same time 2004, water auxillary pump, 2004, electrical nightmare, trannie, paint is now peeling on all sides of the van. If you want pics I will post them as I have been taking them so I can take GM to small claims court. The only thing that is decent with it is the fuel milage.
If anyone else has had some problems please let me know you can email me at wcsjk@sympatico.ca because GM says that they have not had many complaints about there Monatana's.
 
wcsjk said:
If anyone else has had some problems please let me know you can email me at wcsjk@sympatico.ca because GM says that they have not had many complaints about there Monatana's.
Click to expand...

You might ask GM what they define as "not many complaints", 100,000 complaints may not be many....

You must add up Montana, Venture, etc. They are all the same production line.

The key is to get the VIN for everyone, then you might be able to establish a VIN breakpoint of the problem.

You might also ask GM for a copy of the FAI (Failure Analysis and Investigation) and 5 Phase (the corrective action report) on these issues. That might scare them a little bit.

You also might try to get deeper and get to the director of quality. They keep data for 10 years, so there is information there on what was going on. And they should be investigating issues that arise that far back.
 
just bought a 2005 montana SV6...love it. Lots of room and runs and rides great. Put some after market high end wheels on it and it looks great too. Sure turns a few heads here in Manitoba, Canada.
______________________________
 
Have a 2002 Montana Thunder... awesome vehicle

People, if you actually TAKE CARE of your vehicles from day one you will have little to no problems later on down the road.. its as simple as that!
 
Montana stinks

I am very upset at GM right now as well as my 2002 Montana that has 51,000 miles and is falling apart around me. The brake lights go out when it rains and we have been replacing light bulbs like socks until we figured out it is a design flaw which actually lets water run right into the socket and shorts out the circuit board on both sides and it costs over $300 to fix it and they say it is wear and tear now come on how does a circuit board get wear and tear???? Also ac is out and it needs a new condesor which dealer says cost
$1000.00 to fix. Cruise control out. Cup holder broke again. Seat handles broke again. and on and on. Of course GM says it is wear and tear.
Oh the dealer says they never see Montanans in there much to be fixed.
Julie
 
Trade it in

I loved my montana for the first year I had it. I would recommend to others to trade it in before it runs out of warranty or get the extended warranty as I have had 2 plymouth voyagers for over 3 years and never had them in for any of these problems. Get out before you have the mess I have in it.
Julie
 
By the way

I have taken very good care of my Montana always had the required work done and I hate a dirty van so it is always spotless and well taken care of same as my home. But what good did that do for me to take care of it???
It has to many problems and at only 3 years old and 51,000 miles please that is why I bought it brand new. I wanted one that would last years without the
terrible expense of breaking down. well GM has the laugh now.
Julie
______________________________
 
Yes Montana stinks!

I'm the owner of a 2001 Montana and have a few complaints myself. I have had the light panel replaced twice by the dealership because there was moisture inside and the light panel burned out. I have also had water leak into the overhead where the compass/temp/fuel consumption console is, fortunately there was no damage but still don't know where the water came in. I had the windshield checked but there was no leaks there so it leaves me to believe it's from the roof. I also have the blistering / flaking paint on the hood near the windshield. If anyone else out there is experiencing paint problems PLEASE file a complaint with GM. When I complained I was told there was no recall but if there were enough complaints there may be one.
 
2000 Montana

I bought my 2000 Montana used last year. One non-routine thing that has gone wrong is the fuel guage does not work when my gas is below 1/2 tank. I have a girlfriend with a Chevy Venture (same vehicle) with the exact same problem so I doubt this is unique. Besides replacing the battery, right now there is a slight shimmer in the lighting. I keep meaning to make sure the battery posts are cleaned, haven't gotten around to it yet. Otherwise, I really like the van. Previously I have owned a Dodge Caravan and a Ford Windstar (POS) and wanted to try the last "American" manf. before I jumped ship to a foreign brand. We'll see how it goes.

Jacki
 
I have all of you beat. At around 32K miles I had to replace the "General" tires GM put on this vehicle due to cupped tire wear causing vibrations. I rotated the tires about every 5k miles. Bought real nice Goodyear tires w/80K tread wear. After the too short 36K GM warranty I had to have the Headgaskets replaced and fortunately had the extended warranty and had to pay only my $200 deductible. Lucky me. At about 45k miles my a/c condensor needed to be replaced due to corrosion. Once again being lucky I had to pay my $200 ded again. Now at about 50K miles the rear a/c system line is leaking due to "Corrosion". Called Pontiac and asked why this was not considered since corrosion appears to be an issue w/ the a/c system the first time and I was told that if it was leaking during the past repair then they would not have been able to recharge the system. NO Duh! What do I know? Maybe they should have a Standard Operating Procedure and check the complete system. Although I still like my 2002 Montana. I guess I'm a glutent. Oh yea, almost forgot the drivers mirror actuator had to be replaced. I still want to Buy American!!!!!
 
Two Montanas

I own a 2000 regular wheelbase and a 2005 extended wheelbase Montana.
On the 2000, I did have corrosion bubbles appear near the wipers within the warranty period and my dealer repainted (or replaced!) the hood no problems and no questions asked. The only other problem I've had in 5 years are the spark plug cables corroded due to sulfur in the fuel; it caused misfires in the engine, with the famous check engine light flasing in the dash! Other than that, I have meticulously followed the prescribed maintenance and I do my own oil changes. I also started rustproofing after the initial warranty expired and it just looks great. When I had the dex-cool flushed recently, the sensor gave out, so I had that replaced. The next major expense will be replacing the original Firestone FR680 tires; I'm looking at Bridgestone, BF Goodrich, or Michelin HydroEdge recommended by the dealer. At 82000km, it purrs like a kitten and can still bark like a german shepherd when I need it to.
I got the 2005 model (no, the SV6 wasn't out yet!) for work with the heavy duty suspension and trailer towing package. Although it does not have all the amenities of the 2000, like alarm system or cloth upholstering everywhere, I do appreciate the rear a/c, the mags, the back bench which I can lower to the floor, and the meaty leather steering with audio controls which make my days in traffic a lot more bearable. The General tires are decent but I did purchase a good set of BF Goodrich winter tires which handles great over this past winter. I looked at the SV6 when it came out and it looked less roomy, especially for rear passengers, than both the 2000 and the 2005; I am also not a big fan of the new nose!
I find the 2000 rides smoother than the 2005, probably because of the wheelbase and lesser weight. The 2005 gives me that SUV-truck feeling which I do like in city traffic. Funny enough, they both give me the same kind of mileage performance! I started using an ethanol blend (5-10%) of fuel on the 2005 and will post my results.
______________________________
 
Unregistered said:
I bought my 2000 Montana used last year. One non-routine thing that has gone wrong is the fuel guage does not work when my gas is below 1/2 tank. I have a girlfriend with a Chevy Venture (same vehicle) with the exact same problem so I doubt this is unique. Besides replacing the battery, right now there is a slight shimmer in the lighting. I keep meaning to make sure the battery posts are cleaned, haven't gotten around to it yet. Otherwise, I really like the van. Previously I have owned a Dodge Caravan and a Ford Windstar (POS) and wanted to try the last "American" manf. before I jumped ship to a foreign brand. We'll see how it goes.

Jacki
Click to expand...

Jacki,

About the shimmer in the lighting. We had the same thing in our 2000 Montana ( but it was more than a shimmer). Turned out to be the alternator. The thing couldn't put out a constant voltage to save its life. Might want to have it check it out.

Regards,
Mike
 
Unregistered said:
I bought my 2000 Montana used last year. One non-routine thing that has gone wrong is the fuel guage does not work when my gas is below 1/2 tank. I have a girlfriend with a Chevy Venture (same vehicle) with the exact same problem so I doubt this is unique. Besides replacing the battery, right now there is a slight shimmer in the lighting. I keep meaning to make sure the battery posts are cleaned, haven't gotten around to it yet. Otherwise, I really like the van. Previously I have owned a Dodge Caravan and a Ford Windstar (POS) and wanted to try the last "American" manf. before I jumped ship to a foreign brand. We'll see how it goes.

Jacki
Click to expand...
the foreign brands eg, honda and nissan, are over 60% American made, where as ford, gm, chrysler, dodge are 30% American made they outsource manufacturing to foreign countries and are only assembled in America.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top