2004 PONTIAC MONTANA Complaints

PUTTING GAS IN TANK AND IT JUST STARTED POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE VAN. THIS HAPPEN AT A GAS STATION AND I WORRIED ABOUT AN EXPLOSION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC MONTANA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, A NOISE EMERGED FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE AND A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL WAS PRESENT. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE STRONG ODOR WAS PREVALENT AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 151,613. UPDATED 09/27/16*LJ *CN

I HAVE REPLACED THE HEAD GASKET ON MY 2004 PONTIAC MONTANA EVERY YEAR AT THE SAME TIME THIS IS THE 3RD TIME I WILL HAVE TO HAVE THE GASKET REPLACED I DO BELIEVE THIS IS A RECALL ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE CORRECTED BY THE MANUFACTURER SINCE I HAVE REPLACED IT 2 TIMES PRIOR TO THIS. *TR

DELAY WITH WINDSHIELD WIPERS, TAKE TOO LONG TO POP UP AND THAN WIPE, DESIGN SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN ALLOWED, THE COUPLE OF SECONDS IT TAKES FOR THE WIPERS TO MOVE FROM OFF POSITION TO WHEN YOU TURN THEM ON IS LONG ENOUGH TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT ON A DAY AFTER IT RAINS WHERE YOU ARE PASSED BY A VEHICLE DRIVING THROUGH A PUDDLE, CANNOT SEE, AND COULD POSSIBLY INJURE SOMEBODY. CONSTANTLY LOSING POWER STEERING FLUID. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED ONCE DUE TO SLIPPAGE GOT IT BACK AND STARTED TO DO SO AGAIN THE FIRST 200 MILES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC MONTANA. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED A STRONG FUEL ODOR AND DISCOVERED FUEL LEAKING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V349000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE) THAT COULD HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THE RECALL INDICATED ALL VEHICLES REGISTERED IN ARIZONA WERE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000. UPDATE 10/10/12*BF

REPEATED DRIVING WITHIN 1/4 MILE OF THE INDIANAPOLIS REGIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL RADAR ANTENNA CAUSES SOME OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILURE INDICATORS TO TURN ON FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. THE "BATTERY" AND "AIRBAG" INDICATORS TURN ON AND CLICKING NOISE IS HEARD FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE LAMP INDICATIONS ARE ABOUT THE SAME AS WHEN THE ENGINE IS FIRST STARTED. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS MAY BE DOING DAMAGE TO THE COMPUTER WHICH COULD RESULT IN A FUTURE FAILURE. *TR

THE SPEEDOMETER, FUEL GAUGE, AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE ALL BECAME ERRATIC. AFTER A LITTLE RESEARCH I FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE DEFECTIVE STEPPER MOTORS THAT RUN THE GAUGES. YOU CAN REPLACE THEM FOR $30.00 ALL YOU NEED IS A SOLDERING IRON AND ABOUT A HALF HOUR AND YOU WILL HAVE A WORKING DASH. HERE IS A LITTLE INFO ON THE STEPPER MOTORS. HTTP://WWW.GM-TRUCKS.COM/FORUMS/INDEX.PHP?SHOWTOPIC=95547 UPDATED INSTRUMENT CLUSTER STEPPER MOTOR PART # IS X25 168 YOU CAN BUY THEM ON EBAY FOR 6 BUCKS A PIECE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC MONTANA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN ADDING GASOLINE TO THE FUEL TANK HE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE OTHER THAN THE ODOR OF FUEL WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FUEL TANK DUE TO THE NECK OF THE TANK BEING FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 278,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDTATED 2/17/11 *CN UPDATED 02/23/11

I PURCHASED A USES 2004 PONTIAC MONTANA ON 1/23/05 AND ON 9/21/05 AS I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY DOWNHILL STREET THE REAR AXEL BECAME DISLODGED FROM THE CAR. PIECES FELL OFF THE CAR AND JUST MISSED ONCOMING TRAFFIC. LUCKILY I WAS ONLY TRAVELING ABOUT 25 MI. PER HR. THE ROAD WAS CLEAR AND DRY. THE CAR STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TIE ROD HOLDING THE REAR AXEL LOOKED RUSTED AND IT CRACKED. THE ROD HOLDING THE REAR AXEL IS VERY THIN METAL AND HAS DESIGNED HOLES IN IT. JUST DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WHAT SHOULD BE HOLDING A WHOLE REAR AXEL. THE ENTIRE REAR END OF THE CAR WAS REPLACED AND I HAVE BEEN DRIVING IT. I DON'T FEEL SAFE IN THE CAR. LUCKILY I DON'T LIVE WHERE SALTED ROADS ARE NECESSARY. THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE RE: 1998-2003 FORD WINDSTAR REAR AXEL CORROSION ALERTED ME TO A CORROSION PROBLEM MAYBE WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. I DID SEND AN EMAIL TO THE NTSB AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT BUT WAS NEVER CONTACTED. *TR

THIS IS IN REGARDS TO A 2004 PONTIAC MONTANA VAN. ONCE IN A WHILE, THE VEHICLE CAN BE SHIFTED OUT OF PARK WITHOUT HAVING YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE, EITHER WITH ENGINE OFF OR RUNNING. EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE ARE NORMAL. SITUATION 1: GET IN THE VAN, PUT KEY IN IGNITION, TURN KEY TO RUN POSITION (NOT START POSITION). DO NOT PUT FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING. TRY TO PUT THE VAN IN GEAR (FROM PARK TO REVERSE - R). SOMETIMES, IT IS POSSIBLE TO PUT THE VAN INTO ANY GEAR EVEN THOUGH THE BRAKE PEDAL IS NOT DEPRESSED. SITUATION 2: SAME AS ABOVE EXCEPT THAT ENGINE IS STARTED NORMALLY USING THE IGNITION KEY. ONCE THE VAN IS RUNNING, TRY TO PUT THE VAN IN GEAR WITHOUT PRESSING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. SOMETIMES, THE VAN WILL GO INTO GEAR EVEN THOUGH THE ENGINE IS RUNNING AND THE BRAKE IS NOT APPLIED. THIS SEEMS TO BE A RANDOMLY OCCURRING PROBLEM. I CANNOT FIND A PATTERN OF WHEN THIS HAPPENS VERSUS WHEN IT OPERATES PROPERLY (THAT IS, WILL NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR WITHOUT THE BRAKE APPLIED). I HAVE BEEN TESTING THIS BECAUSE I HAVE 2 SMALL CHILDREN AND DON'T WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO PUT THE VAN IN GEAR. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT BY NEVER LEAVING THE KEYS WHERE THE KIDS COULD GET TO THEM AND ALSO APPLYING THE PARKING BRAKE SO THAT THE VAN WON'T MOVE IN CASE THE KIDS EVER DID TRY TO "DRIVE" THE VAN. *TR