2002 Pontiac Montana

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 PONTIAC MONTANA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEAD GASKET AND THE INTAKE GASKET HAD CORRODED FROM A COOLING LEAK. SHE ALSO EXPERIENCED OVERHEATING AND THE ONLY COOLANT THAT THE DEALER IS TELLING HER TO USE IS DEX COOL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS TYPE OF COOLANT HAS BEEN KNOWN TO CAUSE FAILURES AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME OTHER TYPE OF COOLANT TO USE. SHE STATED THAT THE POWER DOOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HAS SIGNS OF CORROSION, THE FUEL GAUGE IS ERRATIC AND PREVENTS HER FROM KNOWING THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE HUB IS LOOSE, THE OVERHEAD CONSOLE FOR THE TEMPERATURE AND COMPASS HAS FAILED, AND THE AIR CONDITIONING HAS A HOLE IN THE HOSE. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER, SINCE THE CONTACT CHANGED HER OWN OIL, THAT IS THE REASON SHE IS EXPERIENCING SO MANY FAILURES. THEREFORE, THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY ARE NOT LIABLE. THE VIN IS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 70,000.

THE A/C ON MY 2002 MONTANA VAN WAS BLOWING WARM IN APRIL 2006. AT THAT TIME MY VAN HAD 54K MILES ON IT. SINCE SUMMER WAS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, I BROUGHT THE VAN TO MY MECHANIC AND AN A/C LEAK TEST WAS PERFORMED. $961.91 LATER, THE A/C CONDENSER WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE NECESSARY PARTS FOR IT. (OFFICIAL DIAGNOSIS = REPLACE LEAKING A/C CONDENSER. EVACUATE AND RECHARGE SYSTEM TO SPECS) AUGUST CAME AND ONCE AGAIN THE A/C WAS ACTING UP. THE AIR WAS NOT VERY COLD AND THERE WAS A HISSING / FLUTTERING NOISE COMING FROM THE VENTS. I BROUGHT THE VAN BACK TO MY MECHANIC. AT THIS TIME THE MILEAGE WAS 58K. THIS TIME IT WAS THE REAR A/C LINE/HOSE THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. MY MECHANIC STATED THAT HE TYPICALLY SEES THE REAR A/C OF MONTANA VANS HAVING ISSUES FIRST, NOT THE CONDENSER. AND HE HAD CHECKED THE REAR FIRST BACK IN APRIL AND IT WAS FINE. SO, $482.64 LATER THE FOLLOWING HAD BEEN FIXED: "REMOVE & REPLACE LEAKING REAR EVAPORATOR FEED A/C TUBE. EVACUATE AND CHARGE SYSTEM TO SPECS." AFTER READING THE OTHER COMPLAINTS, I FEEL THAT THERE MAY BE A PATTERN HERE OR AT LEAST GM DID NOT USE EFFICIENT PARTS WHEN THEY PUT THE A/C UNITS IN THESE VEHICLES. *JB

(1) BOUGHT VEHICLE AS A CERTIFIED USED VEHICLE WITH 20,000 MILES ON IT. JUST BEFORE 32,000 MILES, THE A/C STARTED BLOWING WARM AIR. THE CONDENSER WAS REPLACED DUE TO A CRACK IN IT. (2) VEHICLE NOW HAS ONLY ABOUT 75,000 MILES ON IT. ONCE AGAIN, A/C STARTED BLOWING WARM AIR. DEALER IS TELLING US THAT CONDENSER HAS A LEAK AGAIN. AS AN ASIDE, THE DEALER SAYS IF WE PAY FOR REPLACEMENT IT HAS A LIFETIME WARRANTY, BUT PREVIOUS SERVICE UNDER VEHICLE-WARRANTY DOES NOT HAVE A LIFETIME WARRANTY... INCONSISTENT! *NM

THERE ARE MODULES THAT WE KEEP HAVING TROUBLE WITH. THEY LOCK & UNLOCK DOORS WHILE DRIVING, LOCK IN IGNITION KEY RECEIVER, TURN ON AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT AND DISENGAGE THEM, SHOW "SERVICE ENGINE" LIGHT, ETC..I AM TOLD THEY CONTROL THE HEADLIGHTS ALSO. THEY ARE A VITAL PART TO THE CAR\\'S SAFTEY BECAUSE THEY CONTROL SO MANY ELEMENTS OF THE CAR. THE TRANMISSION HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEM. WHEELS SPIN FIRST AND THEN ENGINE LOCKS IN A FEW SECONDS LATER. THEY TRIED TO REPAIR IT TWICE, THEN WE DROVE JUST A FEW BLOCKS FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD TO BRING CAR BACK (SERVICE RECORDS DO NOT SHOW THIS AS AN ADDITIONAL SERVICE) AND HAD TOO BRING IT BACK AGAIN A FEW DAYS LATER. NOW WE ARE TOLD THAT THEY ARE PUTTING IN A NEW TRANSMISSION AND REFUSE TO CONSIDER THE CAR A LEMON BECAUSE A NEW TRANSMISSION IS BEING PUT IN. WE HAVE LOST CONFIDENCE IN THE CAR AND CONSIDER IT UNRELIABLE AND UNSAFE. A NEW TRANSMISSION ONLY ADDRESSES ONE OF THE PROBLEMS. WE WANT OUT OF THE VEHICLE. IT IS CURRENTLY IN REPAIR NOW, AND WE HAVE HAD A RENTAL CAR FOR ALMOST TWO WEEKS. ALTOGETHER, THE CAR HAS BEEN IN SERVICE FOR ABOUT 43 DAYS SINCE WE HAVE OWNED IT..JUST ONE YEAR!!

CAR DID NOT COME WITH AN ASHTRAY AND NONE ACCORDING TO THE DEALER IS AVAILABLE IN THAT MODEL THIS YEAR. WHAT THE DEALER OFFERED WAS A PLACE IN ASHTRAY TO GO IN THE CUPHOLDER. THIS I TOOK AS A REPLACEMENT TO THE UN-OFFERED AND NOT AVAILABLE ASHTRAY. HOWEVER SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER GETTING THIS NEW CAR I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT AND WENT TO PUT OUT MY CIGARETTE. BECAUSE THERE WAS NO LIGHT AND THE DASHBOARD HAS NO LIGHTS IN THAT AREA MY CIGARETTE HEAD HIT THE FRONT OF THE CUPHOLDER DROPPING THE LIT HEAD ON THE FLOOR. IMMEDIATE PANIC ENSUED RESULTING IN ME REMOVING MY EYES FRON THE ROAD TO RECOVER THE LIT HEAD OF THE CIGARETTE. I ASKED THE DEALER IF PONTIAC OFFERED A LIGHT FOR THAT AREA AND THE ANSWER WAS NO,. I VERIFIED THAT WITH PONTIAC CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AND THEY SAID THERE IS NOT EVEN A SMOKERS PACKAGE AVAILABLE. I WOULD HAVE NOT UPGRADED FROM MY 1998 MONTANA WHICH HAD AN ASHTRAY IF I KNEW IT DIDN'T BEFORE TAKING DELIVERY. THIS IS NOT ONE OF YOUR MAJOR CASES BUT SHOULD BE LOOKED AT AS A POSSIBLE FIRE OR SAFETY HAZARD. *AK