2005 PONTIAC MONTANA Complaints

THIS VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH AN ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM, WHICH IS NECESSARY IN OUR ENVIRONMENT TO CLIMB ICY OR MUDDY HILLS TO GET TO OUR HOUSE, OR FRIENDS' HOUSES, ALL ON DIRT ROADS. IT'S ALSO VERY BENEFICIAL FOR DRIVING ON ICY AND SLUSHY ROADS WHICH ARE FREQUENT AROUND HERE. WE HAVE THREE VEHICLES, ALL AWD OR 4WD. ON THE 2005 PONTIAC MONTANA SV6, HOWEVER, THERE APPEARS TO BE A SENSOR ON EACH WHEEL WHICH IS INTEGRAL TO THE AWD SYSTEM. THIS SENSOR IS APPARENTLY EASILY OBSCURED BY ICE, SLUSH, OR MUD SPLASHING UP INTO THE WHEEL WELLS, AND WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE VEHICLE DISABLES ITS ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM, LEAVING THE DRIVER WITH A FWD VEHICLE, WHICH CAN OFTEN BE INSUFFICIENT TO HANDLE CONDITIONS ENTERED WITH AN AWD VEHICLE. SO FAR WE'VE BEEN STRANDED AT THE BOTTOM OF ICY HILLS AND NARROWLY AVERTED TWO CRASH INCIDENTS DUE TO THE AWD SYSTEM DISABLING WHEN DRIVING THROUGH SLUSH PUDDLES OR MUD. THE DEALER HAS BEEN ABLE TO CLEAR THE SENSOR AND RESET THE SYSTEM TWICE - ON THE THIRD INCIDENT WE WERE TOLD THE ENTIRE RIGHT FRONT HUB ASSEMBLY WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED, SO APPARENTLY SLUSH CAN PERMANENTLY DAMAGE THE AWD SYSTEM AS WELL. THIS PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO PONTIAC VIA THEIR WEBSITE AND THEY HAVEN'T BOTHERED TO RESPOND. *TR

BOTH SLIDING DOORS PROBLEM MALFUNCTIONING. DRIVER SLIDER WILL NOT OPEN UNTIL YOU MANUALLY UNLOCK FROM DOOR. PASSENGER DOOR WILL OPEN WITHOUT NOTICE EVEN AFTER NEW MOTOR/MECHANISM REPLACED BY DEALER. ABS SYSTEM FAILURE REPAIRED THREE TIMES IN TWO WEEKS BY DEALER. *TR

NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO FIX THE SAME AND CONTINUOUSLY DIFFERENT PROBLEMS WITH OUR 2005 MONTANA. FLICKERING INTERIOR LIGHTS, ABS SYSTEM FAILURE (4X), RETORQUE HARMONIC BALANCER, REPLACE RADIO THAT RANDOMLY CHANGED STATIONS, REPLACE MOLDING ON ALL DOORS FROM RUST (2X), RIGHT WHEEL BEARING AND HUB ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT (2X), REPLACE TURN SIGNAL LAMPS (2X), REPLACE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR, REPLACE STRAP ON REAR DOOR THAT FELL OFF. WE HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH IT NOT TURNING OVER AS WELL, GOING ON FOR OVER A YEAR, AND EACH TIME IT IS TAKEN INTO THE SHOP THEY ARE 'UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM' AND SEND ME HOME WHERE OF COURSE IT FAILS TO TURN OVER BUT WON'T DO IT WHEN THEY HAVE IT IN THEIR POSSESSION. THE INCIDENT DATE BELOW IS THE DATE OF THE FIRST TIME IT WAS IN FOR SERVICE. *TR

THE "AIR SHOCKS" THAT PROPEL AND HOLD UP THE LIFTGATE OF OUR 2005 PONTIAC MONTANA SV6 FAILED. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF POSSIBLE FAILURE PRIOR TO THE ACTUAL FAILURE. THE LIFT GATE IS EXTREMELY HEAVY AND IT POSES A SAFETY HAZARD. IT DOES NOT HOLD ITSELF UP ONCE OPENED AND SHOULD IT FALL, THE HEAVY LIFTGATE DOOR WOULD SLAM SHUT INJURING ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN ITS WAY. WE HAVE USED IT ON THE RARE OCCASION THAT WE HAD TO, AND IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND HEAVY TO HOLD UP AND OPEN, AND WE MUST GINGERLY CLOSE IT TO PREVENT THE BACK WINDOW FROM BREAKING SHOULD IT CLOSE TOO HARD. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT OUR FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO OPEN IT AND IT WOULDN'T OPEN AS IT SHOULD. WE FEAR THAT A SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH COULD RESULT SHOULD THE FAILURE OF THE LIFTGATE OCCUR WHILE IT IS ALREADY OPEN. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO BE HAVING A PROBLEM SHIFTING INTO SECOND GEAR. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 42,000 MILES ON IT. IT SEEMS TO STALL EVERYTIME IT TRIES TO SHIFT TO SECOND GEAR. THIS COULD EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF THE TRANSMISSION QUIT WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP, WHO VERIFIED THAT THE SECOND GEAR IS SKIPPING BUT THEY SAID THEY WERE FIXING THE SAME TYPE OF VAN (OLDER MODEL) WITH 100,000 MORE MILES THAN MINE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 PONTIAC MONTANA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON A HILL OR SMALL ANGLE, THE REAR SLIDING DOOR CLOSED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOOR HIT HER ON THE ELBOW AND LEFT A BAD BRUISE ON HER ARM. THE DEALER DID NOT INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 17,116 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,500.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE REAR LEFT SLIDING DOOR OPENED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED. ALSO, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE ELECTRIC STARTER MOTOR STAYED ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED 4 TIMES TO MAKE THE STARTER RETURN TO NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE THE STARTER WAS REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED.*AK THE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE ENGINE WAS STARTED THE DOOR CHIME WOULD REMAIN ON. THE TRANSMISSION FELT AS THOUGH IT WAS SLIPPING AT TIMES. UPDATED 01/17/07. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE DURING ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE POWER WINDOW SWITCH WAS INOPERATIVE ON THE DRIVER SIDE, PASSENGER SIDE, AND IN THE REAR VENT. THERE WAS NO WARNING SIGNALS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES, WHO COULD NOT BE DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED AND A CLAIM # WAS PROVIDED.

THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE INVOLVING ABS SYSTEM FOR MY 2005 PONTIAC SV6 MONTANA. ON OR ABOUT AUGUST 11, 2006 MY ABS LIGHT CAME ON WHILE UNDER NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VAN. THIS HAS BEEN AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM OVER THE PAST 6 WEEKS. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL INDEPENDENT SHOP TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED AND THE LOCAL SHOP INFORMED ME THAT THE CODES WERE TO NEW THAT I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT TO A DEALERSHIP. AFTER TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY DIAGNOSED IT AS HAVING AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THERE WERE NO FAULTY MODULES BUT THAT THIS WAS A WIRING PROBLEM. I AM THE ONLY OWNER OF AN 05 PONTIAC MONTANA THAT I KNOW. RECENTLY I HAVE HAD VARIOUS OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER SLIDING DOOR INTERMITTENTLY OPENING WHENEVER YOU ENGAGE THE TRANSMISSION INTO REVERSE (RIGHT SIDE ONLY). MY 6 YEAR OLD SITS IN THE RIGHT REAR SEAT. HOPE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. DOES THIS VEHICLE HAVE FAULTY WIRING OR DO I JUST HAVE BAD LUCK. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE'S HEADLIGHTS HAD AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE THAT CAUSED THE LIGHTS TO FLICKER AND NOT REMAIN ILLUMINATED. PREVIOUSLY, THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND DASH LIGHTS HAD ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER TWELVE TIMES, BUT WERE UNABLE TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. UPDATED 10/14/2006 - THE DEALER HAD REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR TO TRY TO ALLEVIATE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. THE REAR POWER WINDOWS SOMETIME WOULD NOT OPEN OR SHUT, THE REAR WASHER AND WIPER FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE WIRES, MOTORS REGULATORS, ETC. BU THE PROBLEMS RECURRED. THE CONSUEMR WAS GIVEN A 100,000 MILE WARRANTY ON THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE TIRES STARTED CUPPING AND CAUSED SERIOUS ROAD NOISE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LEAK OIL. THE DEALR REPLACED THE MAIN SEAL. *NM