1999 PONTIAC MONTANA Complaints

WE HAVE OCCASIONALLY HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTING HARD, WHINING & BANGING INTO GEAR-THIS GOES AWAY IF YOU TURN THE VEHICLE OFF & THEN BACK ON . IT OCCURRS AT SLOWER SPEEDS NOT HIGHWAY SPEEDS & SEEMS TO HAPPEN ONLY ON SHORT TRIPS OR LONGER TRIPS WITH SEVERAL STOPS. RECENTLY THERE WAS A COOLANT LEAK IN THE SYSTEM , WHICH A LOCAL SHOP "REPAIRED" FOR $67 THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER. ALMOST TWO WEEKS LATER THE VEHICLE BEGAN RUNNING HOT AGAIN & WE WERE THEN TOLD IT NEEDED A NEW HEAD GASKET. WE HAD THE VEHICLE BACK FOR A WEEK WHEN AFTER GETTING OFF THE HIGHWAY & STOPPING FOR A RED LIGHT THE VEHICLE STARTED TO STALL & THE LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER PARKING THE CAR & RESTARTING IT -IT STARTED MAKING A HORRIBLE SOUND & WE HAD IT TOWED IN TO THE NEAREST PONTIAC DEALER. THERE WE WERE TOLD THAT THE HEAD GASKET SHOULDNT HAVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED THAT THOSE ENGINES ALMOST NEVER LEAK FROM THE HEAD GASKET BUT APPARANTLY THEY COMMONLY LEAK FROM THE INTAKE VALVES. IN ADDITION, THEY SAID THAT THE GARAGE THAT DID THE HEAD GASKET DID SOMETHING WRONG WHICH CAUSED A BLOCKAGE IN THE ENGINE & PREVENTED OIL FROM GETTING INTO THE TOP OF THE ENGINE. THEY SAID THERE WERE TWO BOLTS THAT WERE LOOSE & EVENTUALLY FOUND TO BE SHEARED OFF & THAT ONE OF THE OUTER HEADES-NOT THE CYLINDER HEADS - WERE CRACKED. I HAVE NO WAY OF FINDING OUT WHAT ACTUALLY CAUSED THE ENGINE FAILURE. I FOUND NO TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS ON THE HEAD GASKETS OR THE INTAKE VALVES. RIF THE ENGINE HAD TO HEADS A ARDIASTIOTNETRSTARTING CCOR. *AK

AIR BAG LIGHT ON INTERMITTENTLY. TWICE SERVICED IN THE PAST YEAR. PROBLEMS STILL PRESENT. CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY. *AK

PURCHAUSED USED (6 MONTHS OLD) HAVE NOW OWNED AUTO FOR 2 YEARS. AT 38000 MILES TRANSMISSION STARTING SHIFTING HARSH AT TIMES, HAD TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION. ENGINE HAS STARTED ACTING AS IF IT IS GOING TO STALL FOR NO APPARENT REASON. RADIO HAS BEEN REPLACED 3-4 TIME, DUE TO GARBBLED DISPLAY. MOST RECENTLY HOWEVER, I HAD DOOR LOCKS REPAIRED, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE WIRES TO THE LOCKS WERE DAMAGED DUE TO THE WATER INTRUSION CAUSED BY THE AIR CONDITIONING LEAK INTO THE AUTO INSTEAD OF OUTSIDE THE AUTO.*AK

WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING PLACE AT 1-2 MPH CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES, PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. AND VEHICLE HIT THE CURB. CONSUMER THEN APPLIED BRAKES AGAIN, THIS TIME BRAKES ENGAGED. VEHICLE NOT TAKEN TO DEALER YET.*AK

BRAKE PEDAL IS SOFT, AND THERE'S TOO MUCH EMPHASIS ON BRAKE PEDAL BEFORE VEHICLE SLOWS DOWN. DEALER REPLACED BOTH FRONT ROTORS, BLAMED AS A WEAR AND TEAR.*AK

WATER LEAK WILL CONTINUE CAUSING REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH WIRING LOCATED UNDER FLOOR. *AK

THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE WHILE HAVING OTHER ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEMS. IT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED MORE THAN 3 TIMES BY THE DEALER, WHOM I WILL NO LONGER TAKE MY VEHICLE TO FOR WORK. THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS STILL MALFUNCTIONING, ALONG WITH OTHER ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURES PRESENTLY OCCURING. THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAUSES ME GREAT CONCERN REGARDING POSSIBLE UNWARRANTED DEPLOYMENT LEADING TO INJURY OR ACCIDENT. *AK

ALL OF THE SEATBELTS, PARTICULARLY IN THE REAR OF VEHICLE DO NOT RETRACT. CONSUMER HAS TO FEED SEATBELT BACK INTO RETRACTOR TO AVOID BELTS FROM HANGING OUT OF VEHICLE DOOR. WHEN CHILD REACHES FORWARD SEAT BELT BELT DOES NOT TIGHTEN BACK UP AROUND CHILD. CONSUMER HAS YET TO CONTACT THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

MY COMPLAINT IS REGARDING THE ENGINEERING OF THE SLIDING DOOR OF MY VAN. TWO WEEKS AGO MY TEN YEAR OLD SON WAS GETTING OUT OF THE VAN, HIS LEG SLIPPED IN BETWEEN THE DOOR AND THE SIDE OF THE VAN. HE RECEIVEDA SEVERE GASH THAT REQUIRED TWELVE STITCHES TO CLOSE. HE WAS CUT ON THE SQUARE METAL PLATE THAT ATTACHES TO THE BRACKET THAT THE DOOR SLIDES ON. I FEEL THIS PLATE NEEDS TO BE ENGINEERED DIFFERENTLY, TO ENSURE THAT NOBODY ELSE CAN BE INJURED LIKE THIS. MY SON IS GOING TO BE SCARRED FOR LIFE.*AK

ON ONE OCCASION REAR GLASS HAS EXPLODED AND SHATTERED FOR UNKNOWN REASON. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND REPLACED WINDOW WITHOUT CHARGES. APPROXIMATELY TWO YEAR LATER PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED, AND DEALER REFUSED TO ASSIST WITHOUT CHARGES TO CONSUMER. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE US WITH ANY FURTHER INFOMATION ON THIS MATTER. *AK