2000 Pontiac Montana

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 PONTIAC MONTANA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING THE DOOR HANDLES ON HER VEHICLE. SHE WAS EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH THE LOCKS ON THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE DOORS BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V597000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS) WAS SIMILAR TO THE FAILURES THE CONTACT WAS EXPERIENCING; HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THE DEFECT UNDER THIS RECALL BECAUSE THE FAILURE WAS NOT INVOLVED WITH THE PREVIOUS RECALL THAT WAS ISSUED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 116000. UPDATED 02-18-09 THE SLIDING DOOR DIDNOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. UPDATED 02/18/09. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 PONTIAC MONTANA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HER DAUGHTER'S LEG BECAME TRAPPED ON THE REAR SLIDING PASSENGER DOOR. THE DOOR IS SUPPOSED TO RETRACT WHEN AN OBJECT IS BLOCKING THE SENSOR. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR LOCKS ON ITS OWN. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT WOULD NOT PROVIDE A FREE DIAGNOSIS. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD PAY FOR THE REPAIR COSTS BECAUSE SHE IS MAKING PAYMENTS ON THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 150,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

I HAVE 3 CHILDREN, ONE DISABLED. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN FROM DAY 1 WHEN THE MANUAL SLIDING DOOR BROKE TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE. ALMOST KILLED MY DISABLED CHILD WHEN IT SPRANG OPEN ON HIM. DEALER, SAID HE BROKE IT, A CHILD WITH FULL BODY MUSCLE DISORDERS WHO CAN'T LIFT A BRICK. NOW WE HAVE HAD UNENDING PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE, COOLANT LEVELS, THE CAR SMELLS LIKE BURNT PLASTIC OFTEN, TIMES WHEN I WENT TO START IT, NOTHING HAPPENED. NOW I AM TOLD THAT THE ENGINE WILL SEIZE SOON. INTERESTING SINCE I ALWAYS CHANGED THE FLUIDS ON TIME AND I HAVE ONLY OWNED IT FOR 5 YEARS. BOTH SIDE DOORS DO NOT WORK, AUTOMATIC WORKS SOMETIMES, MANUAL COMES OFF THE TRACK. ONE OF THE REAR PASSENGER SEATS DOES NOT FOLD PROPERLY. THE CAR OFTEN FEELS AS THOUGH IT HAS "BAD GAS" JERKING BACK AND FORTH WHILE DRIVING IT. I AM AFRAID, I HAVE THREE KIDS IN THE CAR USUALLY. I NEED A CAR AND NOW WITH NO MONEY AND NO ABILITY TO BUY A NEW ONE, I AM TOLD THAT THE CAR WILL SEIZE IF I DO NOT SPEND $4000 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. I AM GETTING A SECOND OPINION BUT FROM WHAT I AM READING, IT SEEMS FEUDAL. SHAME ON GM!! WHY WASN'T THIS CAR RECALLED??? THIS IS A VAN, A FAMILY CAR!!! YOU WANT TO KILL CHILDREN???? I AM WRITING MY CONGRESSMAN AND THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU. THIS CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN OUT OF CIRCULATION UNTIL THE PROBLEMS WERE IRONED OUT. IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO MY CHILDREN, I WILL MAKE IT MY PERSONAL CRUSADE TO SHUT DOWN ALL GM PLANTS. THE AMOUNT OF MONEY I PUT INTO THIS CAR IS RIDICULOUS WHEN I HAD A 20 YEAR OLD VOLVO THAT IS STILL RUNNING. SHAME ON AMERICA! THIS IS WHY OUR INDUSTRIES ARE FAILING AND WE MUST TURN TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES. SO I HAVE A CAR THAT I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH. I SERIOUSLY HAVE NO MONEY TO REPLACE THE ENGINE NOR BUY A NEW CAR. I HAVE CHILDREN IN 3 DIFFERENT SCHOOLS THE OLDEST NEEDING THERAPIES EACH DAY THAT I MUST DRIVE HIM TO. WHAT AM I TO DO? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 PONTIAC MONTANA. AS THE PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING DOOR WAS CLOSING, A CHILD REACHED INTO THE VEHICLE TO PRESS THE BUTTON TO OPEN THE SLIDING DOOR. HOWEVER, THE SLIDING DOOR CONTINUED TO CLOSE AND SMASHED THE CHILD'S RIGHT HAND. THE CHILD'S HAND SUSTAINED CUTS AND BRUISES. THE CONTACT HAD TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND PRESS THE BUTTON TO RELEASE THE DOOR. THE DEALER HAS NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 98,751.

NEW MARCH 2000. VAN ALWAYS RECEIVES REGULAR MAINTENANCE. THE FOLLOWING IS A HISTORY OF REPAIRS: 4/00 WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD NOT RETURN TO CLOSED POSITION - DEALER FIXED. 12/03 (37,179 MI) TPS SENSOR BREAKING DOWN CAUSING IDLE TO SURGE - DEALER REPLACED THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR, COMPLETED REPROGRAM ($255.14) 12/03 (37,182 MI) AIR BAG LIGHT COMING ON - DEALER REPLACED RIGHT FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE UNDER WARRANTY (LABOR $134.51). 12/27/03 (37,555 MI) WAS IN COLLISION (OTHER VEHICLE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME AS I WAS COMING DOWN SMALL OVERPASS, HE WAS CITED). MY VAN SUSTAINED $4,500 IN FRONT END DAMAGES, HIS CAR WAS TOTALED. MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. NO ONE INJURED. 5/04 (40,983 MI) REAR HATCH WOULD NOT STAY UP - DEALER REPLACED BOTH HATCH PROPS ($258.73) 7/04 (43,437 MI) VAN WAS "SHIFTING" HARD, WOULD NOT PICK UP SPEED CORRECTLY. DEALER REPLACED PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID, FLUSHED TRANSMISSION AND REPLACED FRONT BRAKE PADS AND MACHINED ROTORS ($986.48). 12/04 (48,284 MI) VAN WOULD NOT START ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. KNOWN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP REPLACED BATTERY, CHECKED OIL LEAK. ($114.90). 4/05 (51,646 MI) LOW COOLANT LIGHT /CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON. SAME INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP REPLACED INTAKE GASKETS, THERMOSTAT, SPARK PLUGS AND FILTER, AND OIL PUMP SHAFT 0-RING. CORRECTED AIR BAG LIGHT ($791.03) 6/05 PURCHASED NEW TIRES AND WERE TOLD NEEDED ALL NEW TIE RODS. WE WENT ON VACATION JULY 9, 2005 (OHIO TO VIRGINIA AND BACK). CONCERNED THAT THE VAN SHOOK TERRIBLY WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES ON LONG DOWNGRADES THROUGH WV AND VA. WE WERE TOWING NOTHING. THE VERY NEXT DAY, AFTER RETURNING HOME, THE VAN WOULD NOT START CONSISTENTLY. 7/05 (56,533 MI) TOLD THAT THE COMPUTER CRASHED. SAME INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP REPLACED ECM, CRANK SENSOR, IGN MODULE AND MACHINED FRONT ROTORS WHICH IF YOU REMEMBER WERE JUST DONE IN JULY OF 2004 ($982.02). AFTER RESEARCHING THE TRACK RECORD OF PONTIAC MONTANA, HAVE FOUND THAT MANY CONSUMERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. *NM

WELDING AT THE BASE OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT SEPARATED IN MY 2000 PONTIAC MONTANA VAN. THE VEHICLE HAD NO ACCIDENT, EVENT LEADING TO THE FAILURE IS UNKNOWN. BASE OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT IS MOVING WITH THE SEAT, THERE IS A 1/2 INCH GAP ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR AT THE WELDING. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO PONTIAC DEALERSHIP WHERE IT HAS BEEN INSPECTED. WHILE THEY COULD NOT GIVE AN EXPLANATION WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE FAILURE, PONTIAC CUSTOMER SERVICE THINKS IT IS NORMAL TO HAVE SUCH A DEFECT IN A 5 YEAR-OLD VEHICLE DUE TO FATIGUE OF METAL...

THE POWER SLIDING DOOR CLOSED UNEXPECTEDLY BRUISING THE PASSENGER. THE DOOR WAS UNABLE TO OPEN IMMEDIATELY WHEN THE OWNER PRESSED THE BUTTON. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HE PUSHED THE BUTTON TO CLOSE THE DOOR AND IT CLOSED ON HIS WIFES LEG. THE CONSUMER REQUESTS THAT THE DOORS INCLUDE A SAFETY DEVICE THAT STOPS WHEN CONTACT IS MADE. *TC