2003 PONTIAC MONTANA Complaints

BRAKE LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING. CHECKED BRAKE LIGHT BULBS AND FOUND THAT PLASTIC LAMP BASES WERE MELTED SO THE TERMINALS NO LONGER MADE CONTACT IN THE SOCKETS. SEARCHING THE INTERNET, I FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE RECALLED AND CORRECTIVE ACTION TAKEN. *TR..UPDATED 10/30/13 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE RIGHT BRAKE LIGHT BURNS OUT EVERY 4-6 WEEKS. UPDATED 10/31/2013*JS

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

GOT INTO VAN,STARTED ENGINE AND REACHED TO GET SEATBELT WHEN THERE WAS A LOUD BANG. I WAS VERY STARTLED; EARS RINGING,LEFT ARM TINGLING/ACHING. THEN REALIZED THAT BOTH SIDE AIRBAGS HAD DEPLOYED. I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF WONDERING IF SOMEONE HIT ME IN PARKING LOT BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. THEY DEPLOYED FOR NO REASON. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC MONTANA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT MOISTURE WAS ACCUMULATING IN THE HEADLIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO REFERRED HIM TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHTS WITH A NEWER MODEL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 77,000.

I HAVE A 2003 PONTIAC MONTANA. THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW WOULD ROLL DOWN FINE USING THE POWER SWITCH. BUT ROLLING IT UP IS A PROBLEM. IT ROLLS UP CROOKED AND IS SLOW. HAD TO GRAB THE GLASS BY MY HAND AND HELP. I TOOK IT TO A GARAGE AND WE REPLACED THE SLIDER FOR THE GLASS, THE OLD ONE LOOKED LOOSE AT THE JOINTS THAT SWIVEL. THE NEW MECHANISM WORKED FINE FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS AND IS NOW ACTING THE SAME AS THE OLD ONE. SLOW AND CROOKED RISE. WE DID NOT CHANGE THE MOTOR, JUST THE TRACK HARDWARE. *TR

A 2003 PONTIAC MONTANA WAS IN A PARKING LOT. PEOPLE SITTING IN DRIVER'S SEAT AND FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. THE IGNITION WAS ON BUT THE CAR WAS STILL IN PARK. WITHOUT ANY WARNING, BOTH SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, CAUSING SOFT TISSUE INJURY TO DRIVER'S LEFT LOWER RIB CAGE. THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS INVOLVED; THERE WAS NO CONTACT WITH ANY OTHER OBJECT. *TR

GAS LEAK ON MY 2003 PONTIAC MONTANA. MECHANIC SAID IT WAS A DEFECT IN THE TANK. *TR

WE HAVE OWNED THE CAR SINCE OCT 2005, PURCHASED USED FROM A SATURN DEALERSHIP. CAR WAS INVOLVED IN A GAS TANK RECALL, HOWEVER WE WERE NOTIFIED NEARLY TWO YEARS AFTER WE HAD A RUPTURE THAT DROPPED AN ENTIRE TANK OF FUEL ON THE DRIVEWAY AND WERE TOLD WE WERE LUCKY TO BE ALIVE HAVING DRIVEN UNKNOWINGLY WITH THIS LEAK. TANK WAS REPLACED UNDER EXTENDED AUTO WARRANTY. MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS: TAIL LIGHT GOES OUT AND IS REPLACED, THEN DRIVER HEADLIGHT GOES OUT. WATER LEAKS INSIDE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT WHEN IT RAINS. THE TAIL PLUG IN FOR TAIL LIGHT BULB HAD GOTTEN SO HOT IT HAD MELTED THE PLUG IN BOTH TAIL LIGHTS. RANDOM ELECTRICAL FAILURE WITH WINDOWS AND DOOR LOCKS OCCURRING. DASH PANEL BURNED OUT, RADIO DISPLAY BLED OUT AND RADIO THEN FAILED - WOULD NOT TURN OFF AFTER BUTTON WAS PUSHED AND HAD TO BE REMOVED FROM THE DASHBOARD IN ORDER TO AVOID DRAINING BATTERY COMPLETELY. TRACTION TIRE FAILURE WHEN ENGAGED OCCURRED IN COMBINATION WITH POWER STEERING FAILURE, CRUISE CONTROL FAILURE, AND ON ONE OCCASION COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. NO WARNING, NO SQUEALING, NO GRINDING, NO PULLING TO THE SIDE: JUST COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE THAT RESULTED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT THAT INJURED 3 PEOPLE. NON DEALERSHIP MECHANIC CHECKED THE BRAKES AND DETERMINED BRAKE FLUID LEAK/MASTER CYLINDER CAUSED THE FAILURE, STATED REGULATORY SYSTEM FOR BRAKE SYSTEM MOST LIKELY RESULTED IN LEAK. MECHANIC ALSO DISCOVERED DRIVERS SIDE FRONT BRAKE HAD SEIZED AND SCOURED THE ROUTER AND PAD ON THE INSIDE OF THE WHEEL. BRAKES HAD BEEN REPLACED TWO YEARS PRIOR AND CAR HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN BUT FOR ONCE A MONTH SHORT TRIPS TO THE DOCTOR FOR ONE OF THOSE YEARS, THE SECOND YEAR IT WAS DRIVEN ONLY 3 OR 4 TIMES AND WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. AUTO ACCIDENT IN MAY 2010 DUE TO BRAKE FAILURE DID NOT HAVE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT IN REAR END COLLISION. CAR WAS BROADSIDED ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE IN 2007 AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED AND AIR BAGS ALSO DID NOT DEPLOY. INJURIES IN BOTH ACCIDENTS. CAR IS A DEATH TRAP. *TR

MOISTURE IN HEADLIGHTS, BACK BULBS CONSTANTLY BURN OUT, BACK WINDOWS OFTEN WILL NOT CLOSE. *TR

I OPENED THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WITH MY REMOTE AND BEGAN PLACING GROCERIES IN THE VAN. WHILE PERFORMING THIS ACTION, MY DAUGHTER THOUGHT SHE WOULD HELP ME BY TURNING ON THE LIGHT ON THE OVERHEARD PANEL. SHE PUSHED THE WRONG BUTTON. THE AUTOMATIC DOOR BEGAN CLOSING WHILE I WAS LEANING INTO THE VAN. IT CONTINUED CLOSING, SQUEEZING ME INTO THE DOOR FRAME ITSELF. I WAS NOT ABLE TO FREE MYSELF UNTIL THE DOOR BEGAN RETRACTING ON ITS OWN. BOTH HIPS ARE BRUISED AND SORE AND IT IS PAINFUL TO WALK. *TR