2003 PONTIAC MONTANA Complaints

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND VEHICLE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. AFTER SERVICE WORK WAS PERFORMED TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM IT WAS FOUND OUT THAT TWO BOLTS THAT HOLD THE ROCKER ARM ASSEMBLY ON FOR CYLINDER #3 WERE IN FACT STRIPPED AND FELL OUT OF THE ENGINE HEAD. UPON DISCOVERING THIS IT WAS DETERMINED THAT CHECKING THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ENGINE WOULD ALSO BE PRUDENT. THERE WE ALSO FOUND ONE STRIPPED BOLT ON THE HEAD. THIS ENGINE HAD NEVER BEFORE BEEN APART. WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW AND WERE SHOCKED THAT SUCH A MECHANICAL FAILURE COULD HAPPEN AT 62,000 MILES ON A THREE YEAR OLD VEHICLE!!! *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THERE WAS A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL WITHOUT WARNING AND THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A HIGHWAY BARRIER. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND THERE A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT TAKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THE REAR AXLE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED TOTALED. 8AK

BRAKE LIGHT BULBS CONTINUALLY BURN OUT. THE BOTTOM OF THE BULBS ARE MELTED WHEN REMOVED. ALL OTHER TAIL LIGHTS WORK FINE. THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM EXPERIENCED BY OWNERS OF 2002 MODEL MONTANAS THAT HAVE LOGGED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS. MINE IS A 2003 MODEL HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY. THE VEHICLE ALSO STALLED MORE FREQUENTLY AT LOWER SPEEDS. IT WAS PREVIOUSLY TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER FOR THE SAME ISSUE, HOWEVER THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. ALSO, THERE WAS A SMELL OF FUEL OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. AFTER BEING TAKEN TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS FUEL A LEAK WHERE THE FILLER NECK MET THE TANK. THE TANK AND FILLER NECK WERE REPLACED, WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM.*AK

WE PURCHASED OUR MINI VAN BRAND NEW IN 2003, SINCE THEN THE DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR BOUNCES OPEN. THE DOOR DOES NOT OPEN WHILE DRIVING, BUT INTERMITTENTLY THE DOOR WILL NOT CLOSE, IT WILL CONTINUE TO REOPEN. SOMETIMES THE DOOR WILL ONLY PARTIALLY CLOSE. I HAVE TAKEN THIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES, ALL PARTS ON THE DOOR HAVE BEEN REPLACED. I HAVE CALLED GMC CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY HAVE EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THE DOOR, BUT THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE AND NOBODY SEEMS TO BE INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE IT'S PROPERLY FIXED. I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN TOLD THAT A "DIAGNOSTIC" NEEDS TO BE RUN ON THE DOOR, HOW WOULD THIS MAKE A DIFFERENCE...THE PARTS ON THIS DOOR HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED. I AM VERY FRUSTRATED. *JB

AFTER SHUTTING OFF VAN, TRIED TO OPEN SLIDING PASSENGER DOOR WITH KEY FOB, NOTHING HAPPENED, TRIED YANKING ON DOOR, AGAIN NOTHING, TRIED OPENING DOOR WITH SWITCH IN UPPER CONSOLE, NOTHING. DOOR WAS UNLOCKED, BUT WOULD NOT OPEN UNDER POWER. SON WAS LOCKED INSIDE THE VAN. MY HUSBAND WAS FINALLY ABLE TO MANUALLY OPEN DOOR WITH GREAT FORCE. HAD TO MANUALLY FORCE DOOR TO CLOSE. WHEN I TOOK THE VAN TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE MANIFOLD GASKET REPLACED HAD THE SERVICE TECH LOOK AT THE DOOR AND WAS TOLD THEY COULDN'T RECREATE PROBLEM, THERE WAS NOTHING TO BE DONE. WAS TOLD TO BRING BACK VAN IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN. WAS TOLD TO TIE DOOR CLOSED AS THE LOCK MIGHT FAIL, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. ANY WONDER WHY WE ARE NOT BUYING OUT THE LEASE OR PURCHASING ANOTHER MONTANA. *JB

CELL PHONE CAR CHARGER WOULD NOT CHARGE WHEN PLUGGED INTO THE FRONT POWER SOURCE ADAPTER. GOT VEHICLE MANUAL, LOCATED FUSE, REMOVED BLOWN FUSE, REPLACED WITH EXACT SAME SIZE FUSE THAT WAS REMOVED-PER VEHICLE MANUAL. ONCE FUSE WAS REPLACED, PLUGGED IN CELL PHONE CHARGER, VEHICLE FILLED WITH SMOKE, YANKED CELL PHONE CHARGER OUT, OPENED HOOD AND PULLED OUT FUSE. FUSE WAS MELTED IN TWO. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER THE NEXT DAY, ADVISED THEM WHAT HAPPENED. CALLED ME LATER IN THE AM AND ADVISED ME EXTENDED WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER COST OF REPAIRS, HAD TO HAVE WIRE HARNESS REPLACED AS SEVERAL WIRES HAD BEEN MELTED ALL THE WAY BACK TO FUSE BOX. DEALERSHIP BLAMED DAMAGE ON CELL PHONE CHARGER. IRONICALLY THEY WAS NO DAMAGE TO CELL PHONE CHARGER OR VISIBLE DAMAGE TO POWER SOURCE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH ON DRY ROADS THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE BROADSIDED ANOTHER VEHICLE DUE TO AN IMPROPER TURN BY OTHER VEHICLE. SINCE THE SHOULDER BELT DID NOT HOLD THE CONTACT IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, THE CONTACT SUSTAINED SEVERE FACIAL LACERATIONS. THE INJURIES REQUIRED STITCHES, AND CAUSED SEVERE BRUISING. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN, AND THE VEHICLE WAS CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC. UPDATED 05/30/06. *AK

THIS IS MY SECOND PONTIAC MINI VAN WITH A LEAKING INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. THE 1994 STARTED LEAKING AT 60K MILES,MY CURRENT VAN A 2003 IS LEAKING AT 45K MILES. IN MY 94 VAN THE ENGINE FAILED AT89K WITH RELIGIOUS OIL CHANGES AND COOLANT FLUSHES. MY MONTANA ALSO HAS HAD COOLANT AND OIL CHANGES OFTEN. I KNOW OF OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *NM

I NOTICED A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE AFTER FILLING THE TANK. THERE WAS A LARGE PUDDLE OF GAS UNDER THE VEHICLE WITH FUEL DRIPPING FROM THE GAS TANK NEAR THE FILLER NECK. UPON INVESTIGATION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM A CRACK IN THE GAS TANK AT THE SEAM ABOVE THE POINT WHERE THE FILLER NECK CONNECTS ON THE SIDE OF THE TANK. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS IF THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED IN THE GARAGE WHICH HAS AN OPEN FLAME SPACE HEATER. THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY DUE TO MILEAGE 52,000 MILES. I AM TRYING TO FIND A USED TANK TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE ONE. THE GM DEALER SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR SERVICE BULLETINS FOR THIS FAILURE. *NM