1999 PONTIAC MONTANA Complaints

CAMSHAFT BROKE WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL OUT. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

WE HAVE BEEN PLAGED WITH COOLANT LEAKAGE FOR SOME TIME. OUR INTAKE GASKET HAS BEEN PEGGED AS THE CAUSE. WHY SHOULD THE CONSUMER BE FORCED TO FOOT THE BILL FOR SOMETHING THAT IN MY MIND IS AN ASSEMBLY OR DEFECT PROBLEM. NOONE SHOULD BE HAVING TO FOOL WITH THE ENGINE ON SUCH A NEW VEHICLE. THIS IS ABOVE AND BEYOND ANY WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE.*AK

AFTER BEING STRUCK HEAD ON, THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS GOING 35-40MPH AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT OPEN. SEATBELT WAS ON AND MY FACE HIT THE STEERING WHEEL AND KNEES HIT THE DASH.

VEHICLE OVERHEATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE LOWER INTAKE GASKET NEED TO BE REPLACED. PER DEALER 30000 OF THESE PARTS ARE ON BACKORDER.*JB

I WENT TO THE DEALER COMPLAINING OF NO HEAT COMING OUT OF HEATER ALTHOUGH THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS NORMAL. THE SERVICE ADVISER SAID I PROBABLY HAD A GASKET LEAK, OPENED THE HOOD, AND IMMEDIATELY POINTED TO THE SPOT WHERE IT WAS LEAKING. IT WAS NOT LEAKING ENOUGH TO MARK THE PAVEMENT, IT WOULD JUST LEAK ONTO THE MOTOR AND EVAPORATE. OBVIOUSELY HE HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. I TOOK MY VAN TO GET IT FIXED AND A GASKET COULD NOT BE FOUND IN INDIANAPOLIS. ONE DEALER HAS 15 VEHICLES DOWN WAITING FOR GASKETS AND ANOTHER HAS, I BELIEVE THE NUMBER WAS 60 GASKET SETS ON BACK-ORDER. YET GM SAYS THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT THEIRS TO BE CONCERNED WITH. MY MECHANIC SAID THAT THERE IS A NATIONWIDE BACK ORDER LIST FOR THIS PARTICULAR GASKET, WHICH GOES ON THE PONTIAC MONTANA, CHEVY VENTURE, AND OIDS SILHOUETTE. IN ONE WEEKLY PAPER HERE IN CENTRAL IN, THERE ARE 33 MONTANAS AND SILHOUETTES, FROM 1998 TO 2001 LISTED FOR SALE. THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM. CAN YOU HELP?*AK

I AM JUST WONDERING WHEN SOMETHING CAN BE ADDRESSED CONCERNING THE USE OF PLASTIC IN THE TIE ROD COMPONENTS OF THE STEERING RACK. THE TIE RODS ARE FAILING EVERY 15 TO 20 THOUSAND MILES. IT RESULTS IN HAMMERING CLUNKS TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL, AND AN INABILITY TO CONTROL VEHICLE DIRECTION. IT ALSO MAKES IT IMPOSSABLE TO ALIGN THE FRONT WHEELS, RESULTING IN TIRE WARE AND FAILURE. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A MAJOR DEFECT WITH ALL GENERAL MOTORS MINI-VANS BUILT SINCE ADOPTING THIS NEW TYPE OF STEERING COMPONENT. IF THE PART ACTUALLY SNAPS, THE FRONT WHEELS WILL NO LONGER BE ATACHED TO THE STEERING WHEEL OR EACH OTHER! ANYBODY WANT TO GUESS WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?*AK

CONSUMER REPORTING A CRACK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, CAUSES LEAKS AND A KNOCKING IN THE ENGINE WHILE DRIVING. DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME.*JB

SLIDING DOOR WILL NOT CLOSE. WHILE DRIVING DOOR OPENS. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY WIPED OFF A CONNECTOR PLATE, PROBLEM STILL OCCURRED. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED THE ACTUATOR. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURHTER INFORMATION.*AK

CONSUMER STATED ANTIFREEZE WAS LEAKING INTO THE MOTOR OF VEHICLE DUE TO THE GASKET MATERIAL FALLING ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. NLM DEALER FOUND AND REPLACED LEAKING INTAKE GASKETS. *TT

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