4th May 2006, 06:52
My 2005 Montana is a gem. Not one problem with it, it has 41,500 miles and not one single thing has fallen off of the van. Not one interior piece, not one exterior piece. And that is after rear ending another car with it. Nothing has been required other than gas and oil changes, and a new set of wiper blades. Sounds to me like this review is totally bogus, as my mother has a 2002 Montana with 120,000 miles, that has held up in the same manner as mine, and has not had the intake manifold problem either. I'm truly convinced (and others should beware!) that reviews like this one can make this site a bit inaccurate at times. Thank you.
23rd May 2006, 08:58
I have a 2001 Montana. It drives great, but I am one of the people who all had to replace the intake manifold gasket at 80,000 km and at 84,000 km had to replace the engine. Anti-freeze had leaked into my engine, mixing with the oil and my engine seized. I also find the steering has always been very stiff. The bearings have been replaced twice in the steering column and it is still stiff and makes a rubbing sound with every turn.
3rd Aug 2006, 12:43
I recently purchased a 01 Montana. It drives and rides great. I bought it from someone I know, who purchased the vehicle new. I believe he had the intake manifold gasket replaced at about 60K miles. On June 29, the transmission died on me. It's costing me $2,500 to have it rebuilt. I was wondering if anyone else had this problem.
26th Aug 2006, 16:50
I own a 2001 Montana with 120000km, the transmissions has just died. Needs to be replaced ($2500).
27th Aug 2006, 04:54
I think coming to forums such as this before throwing down hard earned cash of a vehicle is the wisest way to start searching for a new vehicle. Then go test drive and inspect the vehicle before making the final decision. If you find out the seats are missing after the purchase, don't tell us about it.
I'm in the Navy and away from my family at the time. The need for a new vehicle came up. My wife and I decided on a 2001 Montana with 90,000 miles on it and no significant problems in it's history. Having read up on them I know they tend to have their problems, but I think other things factor in such as preventive maintenance and yes, luck. Not sure how long I'll hold onto it, but for a steal of a price (which was paid in cash) and an excellent history, I'm happy and more importantly, the wife is happy.
14th Sep 2006, 08:17
My mechanic told me I would probably have to replace a gasket around 75,000 miles on the 3.8 litre engine. Evidently it is the 3.8 problem across the board. My problem is the left rear tail light seems to be getting water into the electrical connection. Has anyone else had this problem whether it be 01 or other year?
26th Feb 2007, 06:46
I just brought my 2001 Montana in to get the intake manifold gasket replaced. It has a 3400 engine in it. The mechanic told me 3100 and 3400's have that problem around 50, 000 kms, and will likely happen every 50, 000kms or so afterward. Until I found out about this problem I thought it was a pretty good van.
14th Apr 2007, 11:30
I recently got a 2001 Montana and love it. Because of some of the negative reviews also bought a warranty plan. I love my van and plan to drive it about 12 hours to New York tomorrow. My only complaint is the front windshield wipers are stuck in an upright resting position. A minor repair. I think with any vehicle it's about proper care. I will update on how the van handled the 12 hours of straight driving.
19th Apr 2007, 11:50
I have a 2001 Pontiac Montana- bought 1 year ago. When I first got it, it was smooth and in good condition. First thing I did- took it to san diego from WA and back. Ran good. Found out there was a leak in the AC. Ran good up until now- need to replace the Transmission and Engine mounts- The engine keeps coming up, I got the mounts replaced last year in May 2006. True the exterior parts do come off easily. The front right bumper part is hanging and flaps as I drive. Also in the rear right it is coming off. It is reliable when in good shape. But when it's down it is down.
9th Aug 2007, 17:45
I have a 1999 Montana that has been nothing, but trouble. Lots of brake repairs and now the roof where it meets the windshield is rotten and the windshield/roof could fly off anytime. I have heard that this happens so I am curious to find out if this has happened to anyone else.
5th Dec 2007, 13:41
Purchased 2001 Montana from in-laws with 70,000 kms. Some minor inconveniences (rear wiper not working, all dash warning lights always stay on) but ran well with no problems... until now. 150,000 kms and transmission just went. Read about this when we purchased it, but didn't think it would happen to me. Have to say that the number of people who are writing great reviews regarding their Montana with 40-60,000 kms might want to consider selling it now. Will buy Japanese for next van.
2nd Jan 2008, 15:22
He probably did have these problems. But the guy before him probably pieced the vehicle back together for sale down the road. Reviews like this is what gives people like us the smarts to look right past it and delete. Its obvious that everything is dramatically written"typed" get a grip. GM is light years way past the 70's and even then how was anything back then? So freedom of your review is good, but wow please LOOK YOUR NEXT VEHICLE OVER BEFORE PURCHASING. kenjackson1977@yahoo.com.
24th Mar 2008, 09:04
I have a 99 Montana. We bought it used with 63,000 miles.
We had to replace the front right wheel bearing (I bought it knowing that, but drove it another 10k miles before actually replacing it).
At 90k miles, I replaced the intake gasket. Then again at 99k I replaced it, but once again am finding coolant in the oil.
The fuel gauge becomes erratic when fuel level goes below half tank. The right side marker/flasher has a bulb out that I've replaced repeatedly (I've stopped bothering, all flashers still work).
Aside from the intake gasket, I'd call the other problems minor, and the van has performed superbly on several 2000-mile family vacations. It's very comfortable, I've driven it for 10 hours straight without the typical aches afterwards. It's not a race car and I'd prefer more power, but it can get up and go when you punch it.
My wife and I love the van, but I'm now, at 100k miles, we're looking for something else.
3rd May 2006, 09:33
You didn't test drive the vehicle before you bought it? Or was it given to you?
Anyway, your comment about teenagers may be true from a parents point of view, but neither of my teenagers would have anything to do with my Venture (same vehicle) when I was looking to replace it. They just didn't want to drive a mini-van. So I ended up trading it in. I traded it in because I didn't want to be responsible for selling it. It wasn't as bad as the Montana you describe, but I didn't trust the engine (which had the intake gasket replaced already, under extended warranty), transmission, or the stupid wipers that kept coming loose. I could deal with fixing it if it was still in the family, but I didn't want to deal with complaints from somebody I sold it to.