1999 PONTIAC MONTANA Complaints

RECALL 02 V 027 000/AIR BAG. A FEW DAYS AFTER THE RECALL REPAIRS WERE MADE, THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED, DEALER HARRY ROBINSON PONTIAC, FORTH SMITH, AR 501-646-8600, HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT LIGHT ILLUMINATED BECAUSE OF A PROBLEM WITH THE RESTRAINT BELT RETRACTOR. *AK. CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM HAS SINCE BEEN RESOLVED.*JB

THE FRAME HAD 4 BREAKS WHICH 2 OCCURRED SOME TIME AGO/RUSTY/3RD BREAK ESTIMATED 2/15/02 AND FINAL BREAK 2/16/02. I WAS ADVISED BY A MECHANIC THAT THIS WAS A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND CAUSED BY MANUFACTURER DEFECT.*AK

INTAKE MANIFOLD ASSEMBLY CRACKED WHERE PIPE IS PRESSURE FITTED INTO MANIFOLD, CAUSING ENGINE COOLANT TO LEAK RAPIDLY, COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON AFTER COOLANT CONTAINER WAS OVER 1/2 EMPTY. *AK

MY CAR IS 3 YEARS OLD AND THE SEATBELT PRETENSION IS CAUSING THE AIRBAG LIGHT TO COME ON, POTENTIALLY CAN CAUSE AIRBAG TO ENGAGE. PAST 36,000 M NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY AND GM WILL NOT REPAIR FOR DEFECT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HILL APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH BRAKE PEDAL UNEXPECTEDLY FELL TO THE FLOOR, AND DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO ACTIVATE BRAKE SYSTEM. VEHICLE WENT THROUGH A RED LIGHT AND CAUSED A CRASH. THREE PEOPLE WERE INJURIED; 2 PEOPLE IN PONTIAC, MONTANA RECEIVED RESTRAINT RELATED CHEST INJURIES, AND 1 PERSON IN ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS HOSPITALIZED WITH UNKNOWN INJURIES. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN EXAMINED TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF THE BRAKE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DOCUMENTATION. *AK

WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR EXTREME DISSATISFACTION WITH THIS VEHICLE AND WITH THE MANUFACURER. WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW 2.5 YEARS AGO AND HAVE HAD TO RETURN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 17 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS TO HAVE VARIOUS PROBLEMS FIXED: TRANSMISSION REPLACED WITH 16,000 MILES, AIRBAG PROBLEMS, CD PLAYER PROBLEMS, INTAKE GASKET LEAKING, TIRES WEARING, NUMEROUS PROBLEMS! WE HAVE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THE FIRST TIME A YEAR AGO THAT NOTHING WOULD BE DONE AND NOW ALL THEY WILL OFFER US IS EXTENDED WARRANTY! WE CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP TAKING OUR VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND JUST WANT OUT FROM UNDER THIS BURDEN, BIG MISTAKE WE MADE!*AK

I WRITING TO EXPRESS DISSATISFACTION 2 MAJOR COMPONENT FAILURES OCCURRED ON A VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 50,000 MILES. THE INTAKE LEAK APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM - BUYER BEWARE. I CAN UNDERSTAND DISC PAD WEAR, BUT NOT MAJOR BRAKE SYSTEM REPLACEMENT/REPAIR. THE MECHANIC ALSO NOTED EXCESSIVE LIFTER NOISE; I FEAR THIS OBSERVATION WILL LEAD TO MORE MAJOR REPAIR WORK. THE DEALER HAS BEEN RESPONSIVE. MY COMPLAINT IS INTENDED FOR THE MANUFACTURERE AND OTHER CONSUMERS. I WILL NOT BE A GOOD REFERRAL FOR PROSPECTIVE MINIVAN OWNERS - ESSENTIALLY MY ENTIRE SOCIAL BASE FITS THE DEMOGRAPHIC FOR MINIVAN BUYERS. *AK

ANTI SKID SYSTEM MOTOR WAS DEFECTIVE HAD TO HAVE IT REPLACED. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER STATED ABS FLUID WAS NOT FLOWING INTO MOTOR. *AK

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

MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 01013 FOR PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR. THERE ARE NO PARTS AVAILABLE. CORNFORTH-CAMPBALL PO B0X 537 PUYALLUP WA 98371 206 845 8881 TOLL FREE 1800 573 8881. *AK