2005 Pontiac Montana Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about the power sliding doors, which complaints describe opening on their own while driving, refusing to latch closed, or failing to open with the remote, handle, or overhead buttons. A second cluster of complaints covers ABS and electrical trouble — warning lights, repeated trips to the dealer, flickering headlights and dash lights — along with front-end hub, bearing and steering noise. Many of the door and electrical reports arrive at low mileage, while the engine and transmission reports in the sample tend to come much later in life.

1. 1
   Latches, locks and linkages

   Power sliding doors open or fail to latch

   • 28 complaints (35%)
   • median 19,750 mi at 1.8 yrs old (22 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2016

   Complaints describe the power sliding doors on either side opening by themselves while parked or at speed, refusing to close, or coming back open after closing. Owners say the doors sometimes will not respond to the remote, the overhead console buttons, or the interior handles, and that shutting off the door power switch is the only way to keep them closed. Dealers are described as replacing door motors and latches, cleaning or adjusting rails and switches, sometimes citing dust in the tracks, and in several cases telling owners the behavior could not be reproduced. Reported from very low mileage up through well past 100,000 miles; many complaints fall under about 40,000 miles.

   Recall 04V597000Recall 05V061000

   What to check: Cycle both sliding doors several times, try the remote, overhead buttons and interior handles, and confirm the doors latch and stay shut with power on. Ask whether the door motors or latches have been replaced and whether the door power switch has been used to keep them from opening.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Since purchasing nearly 2 yrs ago from a local dealership, it has had numerous minor issues and some dangerous problems as well. My main concern is that the drivers side automatic sliding door doesn't function properly. We had the van looked at by a mechanic from the dealership and he was unable to remedy the problems with the door. The slider door opens randomly, won't shut, or just keeps opening and shutting for no particular reason. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10373776, filed 2011-01, 64,000 miles

   “Getting ready to leave from a shopping center during the middle of a snow storm, my wife and I loaded both kids in the back of the van (1 and 3 years) and tried to close the doors. The automatic doors would not close. We tried the key fob, the upper roof console buttons and the buttons on the b-posts. Nothing worked. We then tried manually to close the doors but they would not latch. We turned the ignition key on and off the 3 times and tried to use buttons after each restart. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10155069, filed 2006-04, 3,000 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Flickering lights and electrical glitches

   • 13 complaints (16%)
   • median 38,000 mi at 3.9 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2015

   Owners report headlights, dash lights and interior lights that flicker or dim as if the power is surging, power windows and wipers that work intermittently, and on some vans a burning smell or heat from door switch panels or the rear entertainment screen. Several say dealers replaced the alternator, wiring or switches yet the problem returned, and some were told the behavior was normal for the vehicle. Mostly reported under about 30,000 miles, with a few later reports past 100,000 miles.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: At night, watch for flickering or dimming of the headlights and dash lights and try every window and wiper switch. Ask whether the alternator, battery or ground connections have been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “For several days we noticed as strong chemical like smell in the car and then noticed that the mirror control no longer worked. I took off the driver's side door switch panel to investigate the mirror problem and found the mirror control had been smoldering for days. The assembly was completely charred and mating connector had also melted.”

   NHTSA complaint #10315619, filed 2010-03, 130,000 miles

   “When driving at night the headlights, dash lights and radio dim, like they are having surges of power. The volume on the radio also goes up and down. I have been spotlighted at night by on coming cars because they think I have my bright lights on but that is when they are surging . I have been to two different dealers. One said it was a problem with the electric pollution pump and the other said it was related to the charging system. Both have stated that GM has considered this a normal condition. In my opinion this is dangerous.”

   NHTSA complaint #10157199, filed 2006-05, 21,000 miles
3. 3
   Brakes

   ABS light on, repeated braking repairs

   • 6 complaints (7%)
   • median 27,000 mi at 1.6 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2011

   Owners describe the ABS warning light coming on during normal driving and staying on, and several say the system was repaired repeatedly — wiring harness, control module, wheel speed sensors — without the light staying off. One owner describes a hard stop where the wheels locked and the van skidded; others report premature brake pad and rotor wear. Dealers are described as treating the system as non-critical or replacing parts one at a time. Mostly reported between roughly 15,000 and 40,000 miles, with some later reports.

   What to check: Check that the ABS light comes on at startup and goes out, and ask for repair records covering the ABS module, wiring and wheel speed sensors. Look at brake pad and rotor condition on the test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My daughter had un-buckled her seat belt because it had locked up, so I went to make a quick stop so I could buckle her back up. I stepped on the brakes moderately hard and the anti-locks activated for about 1 second, then suddenly the wheels completely locked up and the van went into an uncontrollable skid. I hit an 8 curb head on, jumped over it and landed on the front lawn of a motel and skidded to a stop. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10146668, filed 2006-01, 15,000 miles

   “The attached date is the latest of the failures. I already had a complaint submitted regarding a crash due to ABS failure on december 31, 2005. Since the damage was fixed from the accident and the ABS was supposedly fixed, we have had many more ABS failures. It has been to the dealer 3 times (this time being the 3rd) after the initial problem and each time they supposedly fix it (between the wiring harness, the ebcm, and the wheel speed sensor I don't know what is causing it now). …”

   NHTSA complaint #10166754, filed 2006-08, 22,000 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Erratic gauges and stalling or shifting trouble

   • 11 complaints (14%)
   • median 47,000 mi at 5.1 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2005–2023

   Complaints describe the speedometer, fuel gauge or temperature gauge jumping erratically, and a transmission that hesitates or skips when shifting into second gear. A few owners report the engine stalling or shutting off while driving, and one describes a strong fuel smell with slow acceleration. Dealers are described as verifying the shifting concern but not always resolving it. Reported between about 40,000 and 150,000 miles, with several reports in the 40,000-70,000 mile range.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Test drive through all gears and watch the gauges for jumping needles, and ask whether the instrument cluster or transmission has been serviced. Note any fuel smell around the engine bay or under the van.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When I start the engine & try to put in another it it nearly impossible. With engine on, it smells of gasoline! I'm afraid I will die from the fumes. Transmission only goes up to 20 mph. I know there is a gas leak and I want others to be notified before my family or someone else's family catch fire and burn to death! If I have to run the heater then it takes power from the engine/transmission and I can only go 10mph. When I am in on on the highway the van will shut off. It shut off out of nowhere and I almost lost my life that day!”

   NHTSA complaint #11517939, filed 2023-04

   “While driving the vehicle the speedometer gauge, gas gauge and/or temperature gauge will begin moving erratically. In the event it is the speedometer - it will appear the vehicle is traveling at 110mph when it is really going about 30mpg. It happens one or twice a month and there is no way to repair it that I am aware of. It is very dangerous because the sudden change in speedometer can cause a wreck or crash.”

   NHTSA complaint #10344991, filed 2010-07, 70,000 miles
5. 5
   Body and structure

   Front hub, bearing and steering noise

   • 10 complaints (12%)
   • median 44,888 mi at 3.4 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2005–2015

   Complaints describe play or noise developing in the front wheel hubs and bearings, sometimes caught at state safety inspection, and creaking, popping or clunking from the front end when turning the wheel at low speed. A few owners also note front stabilizer or suspension looseness and swaying at speed. According to complaints, dealers and shops sometimes declined warranty coverage past the mileage limit or could not identify the noise. Reported from around 12,000 miles up to about 90,000 miles, often in the 30,000-50,000 mile range.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether front hubs or wheel bearings have been replaced, and listen for creaks or clunks while turning the wheel slowly in a parking lot. Check for any play by having a mechanic inspect the front hubs.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Creak,pop,clunk noise coming from the front of the vehicle. The noise is noticeable during slow parking lot maneuvers, and is mostly evident in a completely stopped condition when turning the steering wheel left and right. I spend money trying to get my car fit, and no one could find what the problem was.”

   NHTSA complaint #10485795, filed 2012-11, 87,000 miles

   “Our 2005 Pontiac Montana sv6 minivan, less than 3 years old with 44,888 miles on it, recently failed the north carolina vehicle safety inspection because both front wheel hubs had developed unacceptable play. Pontiac refused to correct the problem under the vehicle warranty because the vehicle was over the 36000 mile limit (but under the 3 year time limit). …”

   NHTSA complaint #10225559, filed 2008-04, 44,888 miles

Buying note. Check the power sliding doors carefully on any test drive, since they are the most frequently reported problem, and ask for records on ABS, hub and electrical repairs. Many reports come at low mileage, so a thorough inspection matters more than the odometer reading alone.

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.