2004 PONTIAC MONTANA Complaints

THIS IS A 2004 PONTIAC MONTANA VAN WITH ABOUT 50,000 MILES ON IT. NO SAFETY RELATED ISSUES WITH THE VAN UNTIL NOVEMBER 2009. AT THAT POINT, VAN WAS DRIVEN ON AN EXTENDED TRIP OF ABOUT 200 MILES. DURING THE DRIVE, THE SPEEDOMETER, FUEL GAUGE, AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE ALL BECAME ERRATIC. THE FIRST SYMPTOM NOTICED WAS THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WAS SLOWLY INCREASING, EVEN THOUGH THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET AND THE VAN WAS NOT ACTUALLY SPEEDING UP. EACH TIME THE CRUISE WAS DISENGAGED TO SLOW DOWN, THE SPEEDOMETER READING WOULD NOT DECREASE. INSTEAD, IT WOULD REMAIN AT THE HIGHER SPEED. THEN, WHEN SPEEDING UP AND REENGAGING THE CRUISE CONTROL, THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD INCREASE. EVENTUALLY BY THE END OF THE TRIP, THE SPEEDOMETER WAS OFF THE SCALE. EVEN WHEN COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE SPEEDOMETER REMAINED AT ITS MAXIMUM POSITION. (THE OTHER GAUGES BEHAVED SIMILARLY, INCREASING TO MAXIMUM VALUES WHILE DRIVING.) WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS, IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE THE REAL SPEED OF THE VEHICLE. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT WE COULD DRIVE AT UNSAFE SPEEDS AND/OR RECEIVE SPEEDING TICKETS BECAUSE THE SPEEDOMETER IS MALFUNCTIONING. WE HAVE DISCOVERED THAT CYCLING THE IGNITION SWITCH MANY TIMES WILL EVENTUALLY RESET THE GAUGES. HOWEVER, ON LONGER DRIVES, THE PROBLEM RECURS QUITE CONSISTENTLY. THE DEALER AND GM REPRESENTATIVES HAVE CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM AND THEY WANT APPROXIMATELY $400 TO REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR OTHER GM MAKES AND MODELS FOR THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM, AND GM AGREED TO REPLACE THOSE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AT NO COST TO THE CUSTOMER. HOWEVER, THE PONTIAC MONTANA WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC MONTANA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON APRIL 6, 2010, WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO ABOUT 70 MPH. THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL WHICH STOPPED THE ACCELERATION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER THEN CONTACTED THE CORPORATE OFFICE AND REQUESTED THAT AN INSPECTOR DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS AWAITING INSPECTION AT THE DEALER WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 56,000.

2004 PONTIAC MONTANA-- SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUED TO COME ON. SMELLED GAS IN OUR GARAGE DAILY. WERE TOLD BY MECHANIC THAT FUEL NECK HAD A FRACTURE AND THAT WAS CAUSING FUEL LEAK. RESEARCHED NHTSA SITE AND FOUND THAT MY VEHICLE HAD BEEN RECALLED. THE DEALER SAID OUR PARTICULAR VIN NUMBER WAS NOT COVERED AND THAT THE ONES NOT COVERED WERE UNDER WARRANTY WITH REGULAR WHEELBASE BUT OUR VEHICLE IS AN EXTENDED WHEELBASE. WE ARE IN PROCESS OF REPAIRING BUT IF THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL OF OUR MINIVAN THEN WHY AREN'T ALL OF THEM INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *TR

REAR TURN SIGNALS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. THERE IS NO DISCERNABLE TREND OR EVENT WHICH CAUSES THEM TO FAIL. BULBS ARE COMPLETELY INTACT.*CN

I HAVE A 2004 PONTIAC MONTANA VAN WITH A PASSENGER SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR. MY GRANDSON PUSHED THE POWER BUTTON WHILE I WAS IN THE DOORWAY AND THE DOOR SQUASHED ME PRETTY HARD, NO BRUISES OR INJURIES THOUGH. IT CONCERNED ME BECAUSE I HAVE YOUNG GRANDCHILDREN. I PLAYED WITH THE DOOR TO SEE HOW MUCH FORCE IT TAKES TO STOP IT WITH MY HAND. I HAD TO PUSH HARD AND IT PUSHED ME BACKWARDS A WAYS BEFORE I COULD STOP IT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPROGRAMMED THE DOOR, WHICH DID NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE NEXT DAY AFTER READING THE MANUAL THAT SAID IT TAKES MORE FORCE TO STOP IT THE MORE CLOSED THE DOOR IS, I PLAYED WITH IT SOME MORE BUT THIS TIME I COULDN'T REVERSE THE DOOR AT ALL WITH MY HAND PUSHING AGAINST IT WITH ALL MY WEIGHT, STARTING WHEN THE DOOR WAS FULLY OPEN. I THEN STUCK A PENCIL IN THE OPENING, WHICH THE DAY BEFORE WAS ABLE TO REVERSE THE DOOR THOUGH IT DID PUT A GOOD DENT IN THE WOOD. THIS TIME IT SNAPPED THE PENCIL IN TWO AND HALF WAS COMPLETELY SHUT INTO THE DOOR. I SHUDDER TO THINK WHAT THIS WOULD DO TO MY LITTLE 18 MONTH OLD GRANDDAUGHTHER'S FINGERS. THE SERVICE CENTER WAS VERY NICE BUT THEIR HANDS ARE TIED BECAUSE SUPPOSEDLY, THIS IS HOW THIS DOOR WORKS. THE SERVICE CENTER TRIED OTHER DOORS OF THE SAME MODEL AS MINE AND THEY ALL WORKED LIKE MINE. I EXPERIMENTED WITH A FRIEND'S HONDA ODYSSEY POWER DOOR AND IT STOPPED MUCH EASIER. THIS IS NOT SAFE! I DISABLED THE DOOR WITH THE OVERHEAD BUTTON FOR THE SAKE OF MY GRANDCHILDREN SO BASICALLY I PAID FOR A FEATURE THAT I DON'T DARE USE.

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC MONTANA, AND STATED THAT THE SEAT BELTS FRAYED WHERE THE BUCKLES WERE. CONTACT STATED THAT IT LOOKED LIKE SOMEONE HAS TRIED TO CUT THE SEAT BELTS. THE CONTACT COULD PROVIDE PICTURES IF NEEDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51000. *AK

THE ANTILOCK BRAKES KEEP GOING OUT. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THIS A DESIGN FLAW AND THAT IF YOU DRIVE IN THE SNOW THE SNOW CAN GET INTO THE ABS WHEEL SENSOR AND DISABLE THE ABS AND ALL WHEEL DRIVE. THE DEALER TOLD ME THERE IS NO FIX FOR THIS AND IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE THE REAR DOOR, THE BRACKET HOLDING THE PULL STRAP FRACTURED CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CUT A FINGER. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. UPDATED 1/19/2007 -*NM

2004 MONTANA AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *TS THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION. THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED CHEST, LEG, AND CHEST INJURIES. *NM

I WAS STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN AND A TRUCK CAME FLYING AROUND THE CORNER AND HIT ME HEAD ON . MY AIR BAGS FAILED TO OPEN AND THE VAN WAS DEMOLISHED. *NM