1999 Pontiac Montana

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.)

MY WIFE AND I OWN A 1999 PONTIAC MONTANA. IN SEPTEMBER OF 2002 (~53000 MILES)WE NOTICED THAT THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON. SO WE ADDED COOLANT. THEN AGAIN IN NOVEMBER THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN SO WE CONTACTED OUR PERSONAL MECHANIC SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. HE TOLD US THAT THE PLASTIC UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THE GASKET WAS BAD. HE TOLD US THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF ENGINE. HE SAID THAT GM DEALERS IN THE AREA TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS DUE TO THE MANIFOLD BEING MADE OF PLASTIC AND THE FACT THAT GM USES DEXCOOL COOLANT, WHICH EATS UP THE PLASTIC AND THE GASKETS. HE ALSO TOLD US THAT BECAUSE OF THIS SOME OF THE COOLANT SPILLED INTO THE ENGINE OIL. THE COST OF THE REPAIRS WERE $392.57. WE NOW WILL HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF SPENDING $2000 - $2500 ON A NEW ENGINE BECAUSE OF THE COOLANT IN THE ENGINE OIL. WE DID CALL THE DEALER WHO SOLD US THE VAN AND THEY TOLD US TO CALL PONTIAC. WE DID CALL THE PONTIAC CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER IN MICHIGAN AND FILED A COMPLAINT. THEY TOLD US THAT THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A PROBLEM. WE FEEL THAT GM SHOULD STAND BEHIND THESE PROBLEMS. PLEASE RESPOND. THANKS

I HAD A LOCAL GM DEALER REPAIR THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ON OUR 1999 PONTIAC MONTANA IN DEC. 2002. WE HAD TO HAVE THE WATER PUMP REPLACED ALSO AND HAVE THE COOLING SYSTEM FLUSHED AT THE SAME TIME. THE COST OF THOSE REPAIRS WAS IN THE RANGE OF $1,000 AND WAS DONE IN A VERY SATISFACTORY MANNER BY THE DEALER. THE SERVICE MANAGER KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG AS SOON AS I DESCRIBED THE SYMPTOMS. HE SEEMED TO HAVE SEEN A LOT OF THE SAME PROBLEMS FROM OTHER OWNERS. OUR CAR BEGAN TO LOSE COOLANT AND THEN THE OIL BEGAN TO LOOK ORANGE AND FINALLY THE COOLANT WAS DRIPPING ON THE GROUND. THESE PROBLEMS BEGAN ABOUT 70,000 MILES. WE ARE THE SECOND OWNERS OF THIS VAN AND BOUGHT IT FROM THE REPAIRING DEALERSHIP AS A PROGRAM, USED VEHICLE WITH 20,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. I HAVE SAVED ALL OUR RECEIPTS FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED REPAIRS IN HOPE THAT GM MIGHT HAVE A RECALL FOR THESE PROBLEMS. IN MY OPINION, THE FAULT LIES WITH TEXACO AND OTHERS WHO MADE AND MANUFACTURED THE DEXCOOL COOLANT USED BY GM. JUDGING FROM THE INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET, IT SEEMS OTHER MANUFACTURERS HAVE RUN INTO PROBLEMS WITH THIS COOLANT (CATAPILLAR, CUMMINGS DIESEL.)