What breaks most · 1997 to 2008 model years
Pontiac Montana problems by year
Owners have filed 1,054 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Pontiac Montana across model years 1997 to 2008. Three years stand out: 1999 for engine and cooling complaints, 2000 for engine and cooling complaints and 2001 for engine and cooling complaints. The quietest years are 1997, 2004 and 1998.
- Years to check closely: 1999, 2000, 2001
- Fewest complaints: 1997, 2004, 1998
- Complaints on file
- 10541997 to 2008, all trims
- Worst year
- 1999235 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 7217 fires · 128 injuries · 6 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 60kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 56Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 1 | 1 | Engine and cooling (8) | |
| 49 | 3 | 3 | Engine and cooling (13) | |
| 235 | 16 | 7 | Engine and cooling (99) | |
| 228 | 14 | 7 | Engine and cooling (69) | |
| 156 | 10 | 11 | Engine and cooling (36) | |
| 126 | 3 | 5 | Engine and cooling (24) | |
| 84 | 8 | 7 | Electrical system (15) | |
| 39 | 8 | 5 | Latches and locks (5) | |
| 81 | 7 | 7 | Body and structure (21) | |
| 37 | 2 | 2 | Electrical system (8) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Air bags (1) |
What fails on the 1999 Pontiac Montana
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 42% |
99 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1999 Pontiac Montana |
| Air bags | 14% |
32 | 13 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 14% |
32 | 0 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 1999 Pontiac Montana |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 10% |
23 | 1 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1999 Pontiac Montana |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 9% |
22 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 1999 Pontiac Montana |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 6% |
14 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1999 Pontiac Montana |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 5% |
12 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 1999 Pontiac Montana |
| Latches and locksDoor latches and actuators | 5% |
12 | 0 | Shop latches and locks parts for the 1999 Pontiac Montana |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Coolant leak and gasket failure on a 1999 pontiac montana 3.4 l engine. I have had to replace the water intake gaskets twice on this m.v. They fail approx. Every 80,000 miles. *jb
-
Manifold intake gasket failure at 125,000 miles replaced at cost of $1100, mechanic told me this was common problem for vehicle, because original gasket was plastic and failed often. Would like at least partial refund for repair.
-
Dexcool coolant leakage signs out of intake manifold, service professional reported it as a problem with GM 3.4 engines and would lead to costly engine repair if not fixed. Replaced gaskets etc cost $956. 66000 klm. *nm
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Pontiac Montana years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1999, 2000, 2001 carry the most filings on the Pontiac Montana. The 1999 alone has 235 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common Pontiac Montana problem?
On the 1999 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 99 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Pontiac Montana problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Pontiac Montana complaints that include mileage is about 60,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.