2003 PONTIAC MONTANA Complaints

2003 PONTIAC MONTANA 3.4L SERIES "E" ENGINE. 10/15/2007 85,342 MILES. ROCKER ARM BOLTS (8MM) STRIPED OUT OF THE 1,3,5 CYLINDER HEAD. HEAD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. REPAIRED AT DEALER $1,500.00. DEALER SERVICE CENTER ALSO CHECKED 2,4,6 CYLINDER HEAD AND ROCKER ARM BOLTS, ALL OK. 11/10/2007 88,702 MILES. ROCKER ARM BOLTS (8MM) STRIPED OUT OF THE 2,4,6 CYLINDER HEAD. AGAIN ON SAME VEHICLE HEAD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ANOTHER $1,500.00 THIS SITE AREADY SHOWS LOOSE OR STRIPPED BOLTS ON OTHER 2003 MONTANAS. I WONDER WHAT A CROSS REFERENCE OF GM 3.4L ENGINES SHOW UP WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. *TR

2003 PONTIAC MONTANA MINIVAN HAVE HAD BOTH FRONT HEADLIGHT UNITS FILL UP WITH CONDENSATION EFFECTIVELY RUINING THE HEADLIGHTS. GENERAL MOTORS REPLACED THE DRIVERS SIDE UNIT IN 2006 AS A "GOODWILL' GESTURE BUT NOW REFUSES TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WHICH I UNDERSTAND HAS HAPPENED TO A LOT OF OTHER PONTIAC MINIVANS. THESE FAILURES ARE NOT DUE TO ANY EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE UNITS BUT SOME DEFECT IS CAUSING THESE UNITS TO FILL WITH CONDENSATION AND THIS CREATES A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE BY RUINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE HEADLIGHTS.. *TR

ONE DAY WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM AN OUT OF TOWN TRIP MY MESSAGE CENTER LIT UP WITH "SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM," THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE "TRAC LIGHT" CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO A PONTIAC DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS GOING TO BE APPROX. 500.00 TO REPLACE THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL HUB DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE SENSOR IN IT IS BAD. I FIGURED THIS WAS PROBABLY SOMETHING WE COULD HAVE ANOTHER FRIEND DO THAT WAS A MECHANIC AS IT WAS ALOT CHEAPER. WE DID JUST THAT. WE WENT TO O'REILLYS AND BOUGHT A NEW HUB ASSEMBLY WITH THE SENSOR IN IT. WE TOOK IT TO OUR FRIEND WHO REPLACED IT. LATER THE VERY SAME DAY IT ALL CAME ON AGAIN! *TR

I OWN A 2003 PONTIAC MONTANA. ON AUGUST 19TH, 2005 I HAD TO HAVE THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARING REPLACED, THERE WERE 29,852 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AT THAT TIME. THE REPAIRS WERE DONE BY THE PONTIAC GARAGE IN ALTOONA PA SINE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. ON FEBRUARY 9TH, 2006 I HAD TO HAVE THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING REPLACED, THERE WERE 39,007 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AT THAT TIME. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY THE REPAIRS WERE DONE BY THE MONRO GARAGE ALSO IN ALTOONA AND PAID FOR OUT OF POCKET. ON APRIL 1ST, 2008 I HAD TO HAVE BOTH WHEEL BEARINGS REPLACED AGAIN. THE MILEAGE WAS 78,054. I HAVE CONTACTED GM AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE I DON'T GET MY REPAIRS DONE AT A GM GARAGE THAT THEY WOULD NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR THE REPAIRS. THE CASE NUMBER THEY ASSIGNED IS #71-618077441. I TALKED TO TWO INDIVIDUALS: PENNY MERCER 866-790-5600 EXT 12750 I THEN SPOKE TO SHERRY HICKEY WHO IDENTIFIED HERSELF AS THE MANAGER. WHEEL BEARINGS IN TODAY'S VEHICLES NORMALLY HAVE A VERY LONG LIFE EXPECTANCY. TO HAVE TO REPLACE THEM TWICE IN LESS THAN 80,000 MILES SUGGESTS TO ME THAT THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AT THE VERY LEAST WITH THIS VEHICLE POSSIBLY NATIONALLY. *TR

DRIVERS WINDOW STICKS AND IS FALLING OUT. THIS SAME THING IS HAPPENING ON COMPANY VAN AND CO-WORKER WITH THE SAME STYLE VEHICLE. WINDOW IN COMPANY VAN HAS HAD NEW MECHANISM AND WINDOW TRIM REPLACED AND IS DOING IT AGAIN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC MONTANA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WHEN SHE LEANED OVER THE SEAT. THE FAILURE MADE A VERY LOUD NOISE. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER, BUT THEY HAVE NOT YET DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE AIR BAG HAS NOT BEEN SERVICED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT DUE TO THE LOUD NOISE FROM THE AIR BAG, HER HEARING HAS NOT BEEN PROPERLY RESTORED. SHE HAS NOT YET BEEN TREATED FOR THIS CONDITION. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,000. UPDATED 01/11/08. *LJ

WIFE DETECTED A GAS SMELL FROM THE REAR OF HER VAN. SHE LET IT GO DUE TO THE RECENT FILL UP. I NOTICED A PUDDLE UNDER MY WIFE'S VAN AND INVESTIGATED THE SOURCE OF THE PUDDLE. I DETERMINED THAT THE LIQUID WAS GAS AND IT WAS STREAMING FROM AROUND THE INLET FUEL VALVE AND THE FUEL TANK. I LOOKED UP THE REPAIR PROCEDURE ON LINE AND CAME ACROSS A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE ON MY PARTICULAR VAN. (RECALL ID# 07V349000) COME TO FIND OUT THIS RECALL WAS SEGREGATED TO THREE MOS. IN 2002.(JUNE-AUGUST) MY PARTICULAR DATE OF ASSEMBLY IS OCT. 2002, IN TURN DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL. HOWEVER REFLECTS THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKING AT 60,000 MILES. DEALER WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. HAVE HEARD THIS FROM MANY SOURCES AND THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT BEING PROPOSED. *TR UPDATED 01-15-08. *KB UPDATED *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC MONTANA EXTENDED CAB. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE VEHICLE WAS SQUEALING, SHAKING, AND SQUEAKING. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT IT WAS MISSING A CYLINDER AND THE ENGINE WAS LOOSE. THE ROCKER BOLT FELL OFF OF THE HEAD OF THE ROCKER ARM AND THE HEAD HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE INCREASED AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 30-45MPH. THE CURRENT MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE WAS 85,500 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,400. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

THE WIPERS ON OUR 2003 PONTIAC MONTANA WITH ROUGHLY 48000 MILES, STARTED MOVING SLOWLY EVEN WHEN SET IN THE FASTEST WIPER SETTING. TOOK IT TO A LOCAL GARAGE THAT REPLACED THE WIPER MOTOR. WIPERS WERE STILL SLOW. TOOK IT TO A GM DEALER ON 10/4/06. THEY COULD NOT FIND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM AND GREASED THE MECHANICAL ARMS (WIPER TRANSMISSION). A FEW DAYS LATER IN A DRIVING RAIN THE WIPERS STOPPED MOVING COMPLETELY. TOOK IT BACK TO THE GM DEALER 10/16/06. THEY REPLACED THE WIPER TRANSMISSION AND WIPER MOTOR FOR A BILL IN EXCESS OF $1000. THE WIPER TRANSMISSION WAS BINDING IN THE PASSENGER SIDE STEM THAT THE WIPER ARM ATTACHES TO. *NM