1999 Pontiac Montana

THE LAST 4 CARS I HAVE OWNED HAVE BEEN GM VEHICLES. I HAVE TRIED HARD TO BE LOYAL, WHEN IN 1998, MY 1992 OLDS ACHIEVE BLEW IT'S HEAD GASKET AT 79,000 MILES. A DEFECT THAT WAS SO COMMON ON QUAD-4 ENGINES IN THESE VEHICLES THAT MANY WERE RECALLED TO BE FIZED, BEFORE 75,000 MILES......I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL AFTER....BY 4,000 MILES!! THE TOTAL JOB COST ME $1700USD. I DID PURCHASE A 1999 MONTANA VAN AND ANOTHER BONNEVILLE (1995) OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS. IN DEC. OF 2002 THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS REPLACED ON MY MONTANA WITH ONLY 55,000 MILES ON IT, COST OF $388. THEN THIS PAST JANUARY, I WAS DRIVING MY 1995 BONNEVILLE AND MY HEAD GASKET BLEW. SO $1633 DOLLARS LATER, IT TURNED OUT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY A PLASTIC UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD THAT BURNED OUT IN THE OPENING FOR THE EGR CHECK VALVE. AS I HAVE FOUND OUT ON MULTIPLE WEB SITES, IT SEEMS THAT ON THE 3.8L SERIES II ENGINES, THAT THEIR HAVE BEEN MANY PROBLEMS WHEN GM CHANGED FROM A DIE CAST ALUMINUM PART TO THIS PLASTIC PLENUM TUB. THE PLASTIC TUB BURNS 1-2 HOLES AROUND THE EGR CHECK VALVE, WHERE THE WATER JACKETS ARE, THUS FAILING AND CAUSING COOLANT TO FILL IN THE UPPER INTAKE AND THEN BE SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE. IT SEEMS THAT GM IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT HAS NOT RECALLED ANY PARTS. AGAIN, THIS WAS MY 2ND BLOWN HEAD GASKET, BUT SINCE THE CAR WAS A 1995 I WAS UPSET, BUT FIGURED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. NOT 10 DAYS LATER THE 1999 MONTANA, WITH ONLY 79,000 MILES ON IT, BLEW THE HEAD GASKET (THIS A 3.4 LITER ENGINE) ANOTHER $1400 LATER, AND I DETERMINED ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH. 3 DIFFERENT ENGINES IN 3 DIFFERENT CARS, WAS NO FLUKE. THAT IS WHEN I FOUND OUT ON THE INTERNET, THAT THERE WERE ALL THESE DIFFERENT ISSUES PEOPLE WERE HAVING WITH GM ENGINES. I HAVE SPEND APPROXIMATELY $5200 FIXING THIS ISSUES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. I WANT RETRIBUTION!! GM EITHER NEEDS TO OWN UP TO THEIR MISTAKES AND MAKE GOOD, OR LOSE YET ANOTHER LIFE LONG CUSTOMER, HIS WIFE AND THEIR 3 KIDS!!!! *AK

AT 54K MILES THE INTAKE GASKET REQUIRED REPLACEMENT ON A 1999 PONTIAC MONTANA WITH A 3.4L ENGINE. HAD BEEN TOLD THAT IT HAD BEEN LEAKING COOLANT OUTSIDE THE ENGINE BLOCK FOR SOME TIME. LOCAL CERTIFIED MECHANIC PERFORMED GASKET REPAIR STATING THAT HE HAS REPLACE MANY GASKETS ON THE GENERAL MOTORS 3.4L ENGINES. MORE THAN HE COULD COUNT. THE BOLTS HOLDING THE TWO PIECES OF THE ENGINE TOGETHER WITH THE GASKET BETWEEN ARE FINGER TIGHT IN MOST CASES. I HAVE OBTAINED A PRESENTATION FROM GM POWERTRAIN EXPLAINING WHY GASKETS LEAK ON THE 3.4L ENGINE. PRESENTATION SUGGESTS MODIFICATIONS TO THE GASKET AND TO BOLT TORQUE SETTINGS. I WAS TOLD BY THE ABOVE MENTIONED MECHANIC THAT THERE IS A MORE ROBUST GASKET FOR THE REPAIR ALONG REVISED TORQUE SETTINGS FOR THE BOLTS AND SUGGESTED APPLICATION OF LOCTITE TO THE ENGINE BOLTS TO PREVENT THEM FROM BACKING OUT.

ENGINE. POOR GASKET/COOLANT DESIGN ALLOWED COOLANT TO LEAK INTO ENGINE CAUSING CAM BEARINGS TO SIEZE CAUSING MY CAM SHAFT TO BREAK. VEHICLE IS STILL 1,500KM AWAY AT A DEALERSHIP WHO IS CURRENTLY REPLACING WITH NEW ENGINE. MY COST= ENGINE+LABOUR+EXTRA WEEK HOLIDAY FOR BEING STRANDED+PLANE TICKET TO RETURN HOME {AND TO FLY BACK TO PICK IT UP ONCE EVERYTHING IS REPAIRED} I CHECKED THE INTERNET ON A HUNCH AND WAS ABSOLUTLY AMAZED AT THE EXTREAMLY HIGH AMOUND OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE SMACKS OF A BAD DESIGN/ INSUFFICIENT TESTING/ AND COVER-UP ON GM'S PART EVEN WITH THEIR BULLITENS FOR THIS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET.

HEAT & ENGINE LOW COOLANT LIGHT ON;HEATER BLOWER INOP AT SOME SPEEDS(REPLACE INTAKE GASKET AND BLOWER FAN RESISTOR PAINT PAINT BUBBLED ON HOOD TRANSMISSION HARSH SHIFTING (FAULTY PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID) WHEEL NOISE IN BEARING (REPLACE WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLY) BRAKES A.B.S LIGHT ALWAYS COMES ON(LOOSE WIRES;DISCONNECTED WIRE FAULTY SENSOR)ONGOING PROBLEM NOT FIXED(REAR WIPER MOTOR;PASSENGER MIRROR KEEPS SHIFTING;NO HEAT CONTROL IN POSITION HALF WINDOW HALF FLOOR

COOLANT LIGHT COMING ON AND NOTICED COOLANT ALWAYS MISSING FROM COOLANT RECOVERY TANK. TOOK VEHICLE TO LOCAL GM DEALER AND AFTER TESTING FOUND THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND HEAD GASKETS WERE LEAKING. AFTER VERY LITTLE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET I FOUND ALOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I CONTACTED GM FOR ASSISTANCE AND WAS ESSENTIALLY TOLD I WAS ON MY OWN THEY WOULD PAY NOTHING. GM ACTED AS IF I WAS THE ONLY ONE HAVING THE INTAKE/HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. I HAVE AN UNCLE AND A FRIEND OF MINE THAT LIVE IN THE SAME TOWN I DO THAT OWN A PONTIAC MONTANA AND BOTH HAVE HAD THE SAME GASKET PROBLEM. THEY BOTH CONTACTED GM AND WERE TOLD THE SAME THING I WAS TOLD. I FEEL LIKE GM SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM WITH THERE 3.4 V6 ENGINES, STAND BEHIND THERE PRODUCT AND PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AN AVID GM SUPPORTER BUT THIS REALLY IS BEGINING TO CHANGE MY WAY OF THINKING.

THERE IS A DEFECTIVE INTAKE GASKET ON 3.4L ENGINES THAT ARE INSTALLED IN MANY OF THE GM MODELS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY NUMEROUS REPAIR SHOPS AND A SERVICE MANAGER AT A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP THAT HE REPLACES ABOUT 1 OR 2 A DAY AND CAN'T BELIEVE THAT GM HASN'T BEEN FORCED INTO A RECALL. THERE HAS BEEN 2 TO 3 UPDATES SINCE 1999 IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT PROBLEM. THE NEW PART # THAT WAS INSTALLED IN MY ENGINE IS 89017279. IS THERE ANY RECOURSE AGAINST GM IN THIS MATTER?? I HAVE BEEN GETTING THE ROYAL RUNAROUND BETWEEN GM CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THE DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT THE VAN FROM IN APRIL 2003.

AS APPEARS TO BE COMMON WITH THE ENGINE IN THIS VEHICLE, THE INTAKE GASKET FAILED CAUSING DEXCOOL TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE AND THUS CONTAMINATING NOT ONLY ENGINE OIL, BUT CAUSING FAILURE OF CRITICAL INTERNAL COMPONENTS DUE TO THE FACT THAT DEXCOOL DETERIORATES/WEAKENS CERTAIN METALS, ETC. IN OUR CASE, THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE COMPLETELY FAILED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON A 6 LANE EXPRESSWAY WITH NO PRIOR INDICATION OF PROBLEMS. GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS INFERIOR DESIGN! A RECALL SHOULD BE BEGUN IMMEDIATELY. WITHOUT QUICK, CALM REACTION MY PREGANANT WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN COULD HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED AND SEVERLY INJURED OR KILLED. HOW WOULD GM DEAL WITH THE PUBLICITY OF THAT LAWSUIT!

ENGINE-LOW COOLANT LIGHT EVALUATED AND FOUND TO HAVE FAULTY INTAKE GASKET-REPAIRED, WOULD LIKE GM TO COVER UNDER RECALL, SERVICE MANAGER STATED "IT HAPPENS ALOT MORE OFTEN THAN GM WANTS TO ADMIT IN THE 3.4 AND 3.8L ENGINES IN SEARCHING RECALLS, NOTED SEVERAL PETITIONS WITH SAME COMPLAINT. STEERING--HARD LEFT TURNS AT LOW SPEEDS, EVALUATED AND SERVICE DEPT (GM) STATED NO CURRENT RECALLS FOR THE '99 MONTANA, THE RECALL ENDED WITH THE '98 TRANSPORTS. THE SAME PROBLEM SEEMS TO HAVE CONTINUED, WOULD LIKE GM TO EXTEND THE RECALL TO COVER THE '99 MONTANA'S NOVEMBER 1, 2003 UPDATE:LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON AND I HAD IT INSPECTED AT HARRY'S PONTIAC, 819 PATTON AVE. ASHEVILLE, NC 28806 ON JAN 07,2003. THEY RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE LOWER INTAKE GASKETS AND DID SO ON THE 8TH. THE COST WAS $442.00, GASKET KI $49.46, COOLANT $30.00, CLEANER $4.67, SEALANT-R $11.79, SEAL $3.68, OIL FILTER $5.31, OIL $9.00, AND GASKET $47.40. THERE WAS ALSO TAX AND A 10% CHARGE FOR SHOP SUPPLIES/WASTE DISPOSAL FOR $15.00. MILAGE WAS 54,530. WE PURCHASED THE VAN IN SEPT 1999. WE TRADED THE VAN IN JUNE, FEELING THE MONTANA DIDN'T HAVE A GOOD TRACK RECORD AFTER ALL OF THE REPAIRS WE'D MADE. (TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY, AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY, IDENTIFIED AS AN OPEN CIRCUIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER DIFFICULTY MAKING LEFT HAND TURNS AT LOW SPEEDS.)