1998 Pontiac Montana Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 4about this part
- Share
- 8%of 49 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 68,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 1998 Pontiac Montana, 8% of the 49 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 68,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“The automatic transmission on our Montana failed without warning and now needs to be replaced to the tune of $2500. I was directed to this site and see numerous transmission failures on various model year Montana/transsports. Why is there no recall on these? This vehicle was never used for towing, on hilly areas, etc. Essentially a typical usage of some city, some highway. Only 68,000 miles and now this?”
NHTSA complaint #10052464, filed 2004-01, 68,000 miles“The contact owns a 1998 Pontiac Montana. The contact stated that the sliding doors could not be opened electronically, only manually. In addition, the gear shifter failed and could only be shifted into drive or reverse with force. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 234,000 and the current mileage was 239,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10465118, filed 2012-07, 234,000 miles“The contact owns a 1998 Pontiac Montana. The contact stated that the vehicle would intermittently stall when making turns or when decelerating. The contact took her vehicle to the dealer for a diagnostic test where she was advised that they could not diagnosis the failure without it occurring in their presence. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer five additional times but to no avail. The dealer was finally able to diagnose a transmission failure after six previous failed diagnostics. The transmission was replaced. The failure mileage was 100. The VIN was not available. …”
NHTSA complaint #10585316, filed 2014-04, 100 milesTransmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 4 | 11% |
| 2005 | 6 | 7% |
| 2004 | 2 | 5% |
| 2003 | 4 | 5% |
| 2002 | 11 | 9% |
| 2001 | 20 | 13% |
| 2000 | 16 | 7% |
| 1999 | 32 | 14% |
| 1998 | 4 | 8% |
| 1997 | 1 | 6% |
Other parts of the 1998 Pontiac Montana
13 complaintsElectrical system
5 complaintsBody and structure
5 complaintsBrakes
4 complaintsExterior lighting
4 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
4 complaintsAir bags
3 complaintsSeat belts
3 complaintsEngine
2 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
2 complaintsSteering
2 complaintsSuspension
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1998 Pontiac Montana
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.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology