Pontiac Montana Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 1,053 consumer complaints across the 10 model years of the Pontiac Montana (1997–2006) that have at least 5 complaints. 1999 has the most, with 235. Across all years, the part named most often is engine cooling (267 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst Montana years →
All Montana model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 37 | 81,102 | 2 | 668 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2005 | 81 | 38,000 | 5 | 556 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2004 | 39 | 42,221 | 3 | 389 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2003 | 84 | 50,000 | 5 | 369 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2002 | 126 | 60,000 | 3 | 313 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2001 | 156 | 62,229 | 9 | 260 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2000 | 228 | 66,632 | 5 | 222 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1999 | 235 | 60,000 | 5 | 30 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1998 | 49 | 75,055 | 3 | 7 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1997 | 18 | 80,000 | 1 | 6 | — | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Engine cooling267 28%
- Body and structure118 12%
- Electrical system116 12%
- Transmission and drivetrain100 10%
- Fuel system97 10%
- Air bags95 10.0%
- Brakes85 8.9%
- Latches, locks and linkages76 8.0%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1999: “The rear passenger suspension system has failed and the tire is sitting on the tire-well. The frame appears to be loose due to rust and has caused the spring coil to pop out and wobble uncontrollably. I was driving when this incident occurred and it would begin to fish tail around 40mph or when I would hit bumps, make turns or switch lanes.”
NHTSA complaint #10926987, filed 2016-11, 135,600 miles2005: “When im driving down the road going 55-60 miles an hour my van will suddenly grab and make a sudden stop and say service stability control system> it makes me almost come to a complete stop from 55-60 miles an hour- its scary! This has happened moving fast, and also turning. Most recent date this happened was today 3/9/16”
NHTSA complaint #10840444, filed 2016-03, 120,000 miles2002: “The fuel tank inlet check valve can crack and leak recall.. I went out to take my kids to school and smelt gas. Looked underneath can see gas dripping.had it looked it and sure enough hole/crack in fuel tank and now the fuel gauge is not working .checked under the recall and mine is not in it..”
NHTSA complaint #10947666, filed 2017-01, 98,850 milesOther Pontiac models
5,886 complaintsPontiac Grand AM
5,574 complaintsPontiac Grand Prix
5,411 complaintsPontiac Bonneville
1,966 complaintsPontiac Vibe
1,863 complaintsPontiac Sunfire
1,139 complaintsPontiac Trans Sport
963 complaintsPontiac Solstice
728 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology