2003 Pontiac Montana

WE HAVE OWNED THE CAR SINCE OCT 2005, PURCHASED USED FROM A SATURN DEALERSHIP. CAR WAS INVOLVED IN A GAS TANK RECALL, HOWEVER WE WERE NOTIFIED NEARLY TWO YEARS AFTER WE HAD A RUPTURE THAT DROPPED AN ENTIRE TANK OF FUEL ON THE DRIVEWAY AND WERE TOLD WE WERE LUCKY TO BE ALIVE HAVING DRIVEN UNKNOWINGLY WITH THIS LEAK. TANK WAS REPLACED UNDER EXTENDED AUTO WARRANTY. MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS: TAIL LIGHT GOES OUT AND IS REPLACED, THEN DRIVER HEADLIGHT GOES OUT. WATER LEAKS INSIDE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT WHEN IT RAINS. THE TAIL PLUG IN FOR TAIL LIGHT BULB HAD GOTTEN SO HOT IT HAD MELTED THE PLUG IN BOTH TAIL LIGHTS. RANDOM ELECTRICAL FAILURE WITH WINDOWS AND DOOR LOCKS OCCURRING. DASH PANEL BURNED OUT, RADIO DISPLAY BLED OUT AND RADIO THEN FAILED - WOULD NOT TURN OFF AFTER BUTTON WAS PUSHED AND HAD TO BE REMOVED FROM THE DASHBOARD IN ORDER TO AVOID DRAINING BATTERY COMPLETELY. TRACTION TIRE FAILURE WHEN ENGAGED OCCURRED IN COMBINATION WITH POWER STEERING FAILURE, CRUISE CONTROL FAILURE, AND ON ONE OCCASION COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. NO WARNING, NO SQUEALING, NO GRINDING, NO PULLING TO THE SIDE: JUST COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE THAT RESULTED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT THAT INJURED 3 PEOPLE. NON DEALERSHIP MECHANIC CHECKED THE BRAKES AND DETERMINED BRAKE FLUID LEAK/MASTER CYLINDER CAUSED THE FAILURE, STATED REGULATORY SYSTEM FOR BRAKE SYSTEM MOST LIKELY RESULTED IN LEAK. MECHANIC ALSO DISCOVERED DRIVERS SIDE FRONT BRAKE HAD SEIZED AND SCOURED THE ROUTER AND PAD ON THE INSIDE OF THE WHEEL. BRAKES HAD BEEN REPLACED TWO YEARS PRIOR AND CAR HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN BUT FOR ONCE A MONTH SHORT TRIPS TO THE DOCTOR FOR ONE OF THOSE YEARS, THE SECOND YEAR IT WAS DRIVEN ONLY 3 OR 4 TIMES AND WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. AUTO ACCIDENT IN MAY 2010 DUE TO BRAKE FAILURE DID NOT HAVE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT IN REAR END COLLISION. CAR WAS BROADSIDED ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE IN 2007 AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED AND AIR BAGS ALSO DID NOT DEPLOY. INJURIES IN BOTH ACCIDENTS. CAR IS A DEATH TRAP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC MONTANA. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. IN ADDITION, HE NOTICED FUEL LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE WHEN PLACING GASOLINE IN THE TANK. HE CONCLUDED THAT THE FUEL TANK INLET CHECK VALVE (ICV) FRACTURED, WHICH ALLOWED FUEL VAPORS TO PASS THROUGH AND DROPLETS OF FUEL TO ACCUMULATE ON THE SIDE OF THE FUEL TANK. A FIRE COULD OCCUR IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V349000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE). A TECHNICIAN STATED THAT BECAUSE HIS VEHICLE HAS A LONG WHEEL BASE INSTEAD OF THE REGULAR WHEEL BASE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY $900 FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 99,000. UPDATED 07/01/09 *BF UPDATED 07/06/09.*JB

I FILLED MY TANK WITH GAS AND NOTICED THE GAS ODOR INSIDE THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY. WITHIN THE NEXT TWO TO THREE DAYS THE SMELL INCREASED AND I NOTICED IT WHILE WALKING AROUND THE VEHICLE OUTSIDE. I TOOK IT FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND THEY CHECKED AND FOUND THAT THERE IS A LEAK IN THE GAS TANK. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR INJURY PRECEDING THIS LEAK. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC MONTANA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE, THE CONTACT SMELLED FUEL THROUGHOUT HER HOME. SHE DISCOVERED A POOL OF GASOLINE UNDERNEATH THE REAR OF HER VEHICLE. THE FUEL TANK WAS INVESTIGATED BY A RELATIVE AND THEY FOUND A FRACTURE IN THE FUEL TANK. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V349000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE). THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 100,000. UPDATED 12/30/08 *CN UPDATED 01/02/09. *JB

WIFE DETECTED A GAS SMELL FROM THE REAR OF HER VAN. SHE LET IT GO DUE TO THE RECENT FILL UP. I NOTICED A PUDDLE UNDER MY WIFE'S VAN AND INVESTIGATED THE SOURCE OF THE PUDDLE. I DETERMINED THAT THE LIQUID WAS GAS AND IT WAS STREAMING FROM AROUND THE INLET FUEL VALVE AND THE FUEL TANK. I LOOKED UP THE REPAIR PROCEDURE ON LINE AND CAME ACROSS A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE ON MY PARTICULAR VAN. (RECALL ID# 07V349000) COME TO FIND OUT THIS RECALL WAS SEGREGATED TO THREE MOS. IN 2002.(JUNE-AUGUST) MY PARTICULAR DATE OF ASSEMBLY IS OCT. 2002, IN TURN DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL. HOWEVER REFLECTS THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

I NOTICED A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE AFTER FILLING THE TANK. THERE WAS A LARGE PUDDLE OF GAS UNDER THE VEHICLE WITH FUEL DRIPPING FROM THE GAS TANK NEAR THE FILLER NECK. UPON INVESTIGATION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM A CRACK IN THE GAS TANK AT THE SEAM ABOVE THE POINT WHERE THE FILLER NECK CONNECTS ON THE SIDE OF THE TANK. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS IF THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED IN THE GARAGE WHICH HAS AN OPEN FLAME SPACE HEATER. THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY DUE TO MILEAGE 52,000 MILES. I AM TRYING TO FIND A USED TANK TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE ONE. THE GM DEALER SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR SERVICE BULLETINS FOR THIS FAILURE. *NM