Pontiac Montana Reliability
1,451 NHTSA complaints (1997–2008). Complaint rate: 10992.4 per 1,000 vehicles.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Bottom line: Avoid the 1999–2001 Pontiac Montana. The 2008 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Pontiac Montana Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 82 | 0.0% |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 71 | 0.0% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 65 | 6.2% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 64 | 0.0% |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 62 | 3.2% |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 61 | 0.0% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 56 | 0.0% |
| AIR BAGS | 46 | 39.1% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 42 | 0.0% |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 34 | 64.7% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997GOOD | — | 25 | 2 | 1 | View 1997View→ |
| 1998GOOD | — | 62 | 3 | 1 | View 1998View→ |
| 1999AVOID | — | 329 | 18 | 2 | View 1999View→ |
| 2000AVOID | — | 310 | 16 | 4 | View 2000View→ |
| 2001AVOID | — | 208 | 13 | 4 | View 2001View→ |
| 2002 | — | 161 | 3 | 1 | View 2002View→ |
| 2003 | — | 117 | 19 | 1 | View 2003View→ |
| 2004GOOD | — | 46 | 11 | 1 | View 2004View→ |
| 2005 | — | 130 | 11 | 3 | View 2005View→ |
| 2006GOOD | — | 61 | 2 | — | View 2006View→ |
| 2008GOOD | — | 2 | 0 | — | View 2008View→ |
See also: Pontiac Montanaaccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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