2000 Pontiac Montana Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2000 Pontiac Montana most often describe coolant loss traced to the intake manifold gaskets, usually showing up in the 40,000-80,000 mile range and sometimes leading to coolant in the oil. Power sliding doors that fail to latch, open while driving, or close on an occupant are the second recurring theme, and several sample complaints describe airbags that did not deploy in a collision. Many reports read as gradual, mileage-related failures rather than sudden ones.

1. 1
   Engine cooling

   Coolant leak from intake manifold gaskets

   • 58 complaints (25%)
   • median 60,000 mi at 4.7 yrs old (43 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $800 (median of 21 quotes)
   • filed 2001–2015

   Owners describe slowly disappearing coolant with no obvious puddle, or coolant pooling under the intake area, and some find coolant mixing with the engine oil. Complaints describe dealers replacing the lower or upper intake manifold gaskets, and several owners say they were told the failure is common on this V6 and that a revised gasket design exists. A few report repeat leaks after the first repair, and some mention added engine damage found afterward. Mostly reported between about 24,000 and 100,000 miles, with many clustered near 50,000-70,000 miles; it appears year-round and often develops gradually.

   What to check: Check the coolant level and look for residue or staining under the intake area, and have the oil inspected for a coolant smell or milky appearance. Ask whether the intake gaskets have been replaced and keep the coolant level monitored.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2000 Pontiac Montana with a 3.4 litre engine was leaking fluid on the garage floor. I took it to a local mechanic and the technician said that the intake gasket was the cause of the problem. He replace the intake gasket and bolts. The total cost was $674.94. The technician also mentioned that this is a common problem with GM v-6 engines.”

   NHTSA complaint #10100743, filed 2004-11, 60,548 miles

   “2000 Pontiac Montana 3.4 liter numerous coolant leaks at intake area at about 60,000 miles. Also coolant cooler allowed oil to get in to the coolant system. I retorqued intake and aleviated problem for about 10,000 miles and then came back. Ended up having dealer replace intake gaskets and they informed me that GM had redesigned the gaskets because of an epidemic of this exact problem. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10133610, filed 2005-08, 60,000 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Power sliding door latch and closing problems

   • 41 complaints (18%)
   • median 50,000 mi at 5.0 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 12 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2000–2009

   Owners describe power sliding doors that close but do not fully latch, doors that open again while the vehicle is moving, and doors that continue closing on a hand or leg instead of reversing. Some complaints describe repeated dealer visits, latches replaced without a lasting fix, and doors that later would not lock at all. Several owners say the interior handle or door wiring was serviced after a recall notice. Reported from roughly 15,000 to 150,000 miles, in a mix of early-mileage and older-vehicle complaints, with incidents happening during normal opening and closing.

   Recall 04V597000Recall 01V264000Recall 01V067000

   What to check: Open and close each power sliding door several times, confirm it latches fully and reverses when something blocks it, and ask whether the door latch recalls were completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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. 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.”

   NHTSA complaint #10105470, filed 2005-01, 48,000 miles

   “After two recalls from GM over several months. Dealer avoids repairs. Right elec. Sliding door recalled for hazardous inside handle. Could brake fingers. No correction was been attempted. Dealer avoids ordering parts so replacement can't take place.”

   NHTSA complaint #10150232, filed 2006-02, 60,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light and non-deployment in crashes

   Mentioned in 9 of 60 sampled complaints

   Several owners describe the airbag warning light staying on, sometimes alongside the seat belt reminder light and chime, and report dealers replacing wiring, a cluster, or a seat belt buckle without a lasting cure. Others describe collisions in which the steering wheel airbag and other airbags did not deploy, with some also noting that the seat belts did not lock. Complaints often mention repeated repairs and no stored diagnostic codes. Warning-light reports appear from about 37,000 to 87,000 miles; non-deployment accounts come from vehicles with well over 100,000 miles at the time of the crash.

   Recall 00V228003

   What to check: Confirm the airbag light does a normal bulb check and goes out after start-up, and ask whether the seat belt buckle recall was performed; a scan for airbag system codes before purchase is worthwhile.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was stopped at a red light in front of a hospital's pedestrian walkway. A woman in a 1994 silverado truck rear ended me. She was traveling 35mph. Did not see stopped traffic. My steering wheel airbag did not deploy nor any other airbag. The second impact this year and no airbag deployment insurance,deems vehicle still safe. They came and looked at damage. Knowing daughter suffered a tbi in march for same defect they are not recognizing.”

   NHTSA complaint #10368056, filed 2010-11, 164,000 miles

   “Srs bag light steadily on and seat belt light man on dash chimes for no reason and blinks on/off. Took in to Pontiac 6/18/04, they fixed wiring harness that day (unclear on invoice) we just bought the vehicle in may 2004. A few weeks later we had the same problem and took it back in, just to hear that it was a cluster this time, they claim they're were toys under the seat and a plug was broken but the only toys in there were little hot wheels. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10091248, filed 2004-09, 63,000 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   ABS engaging during normal braking

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report the anti-lock brakes activating during ordinary, non-emergency stops, which they say lengthens stopping distance; complaints note no warning light and no bad weather involved. One owner disconnected the ABS control module to stop the behavior, and another describes severe corrosion on a short section of the rear brake lines. Separately, an owner reports a total brake failure traced to the master cylinder. Mostly reported between roughly 58,000 and 160,000 miles, during routine low-speed braking and in some cases on older vehicles with corroded lines.

   What to check: Test the brakes at low speed on a dry surface and watch for pulsing or unexpected ABS engagement, and have the rear brake lines inspected for rust on an older vehicle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On june 17, 2003 while driving near my home my brakes failed, totally, I had to apply the emergency brake to avoid both my husband and I from going into the middle of a busy intersection. No warning lights came on nothing. I had just a few incidents of the brake pedal seeming like it was going down maybe a couple of times the day before. Brakes never made any noises to indicate there was a problem starting. Master cylinder had to be replaced”

   NHTSA complaint #10069150, filed 2004-01, 57,982 miles

   “My ABS system activates without warning while at slow speeds and while braking. There are no adverse weather conditions to justify the activation and no service engine or ABS lights illuminate when this happens. When the ABS system activates, the braking distance increases and I've had to adjust my driving so I do not hit another vehicle or brake into an intersection. Since this began happening regularly, I have chosen not to drive my vehicle unless absolutely necessary and never with my children inside. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10120605, filed 2005-05, 66,500 miles

Buying note. On a 2000 Montana, service records for the intake manifold gaskets and the fuel pump matter more than the odometer alone, and the power sliding doors and airbag warning light are worth a hands-on check. A pre-purchase inspection that includes the brake lines and an airbag system scan helps confirm what has already been addressed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.