Most common 1999 Pontiac Montana problems
Share of the 235 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Pontiac Montana complaints by model year
Best Montana years: 1997, 2006, 2004. Years to avoid: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002. Compare all years →
1999 Pontiac Montana recalls (5)
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
On certain minivans equipped with second-row bucket seats or captain's chairs and a power sliding door on the passenger side of the vehicle, a passenger using the interior handle to open the power sliding door could be injured.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the power sliding door interior handle on the passenger-side. If the vehicle is equipped with a power or manual sliding door on the driver-side, the interior handle will also be replaced for…
Air bags › Frontal
On certain passenger vehicles and Mini vans, the driver's air bag inflator modules could produce excessive internal pressure. In the event of a crash that would trigger a driver's air bag deployment, the increased internal pressure can cause the inflator module to explode.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver air bag module. Owner notification began February 1, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within…
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
Vehicle description: 1997-2001 Chevrolet venture, Pontiac montana/transport, and Oldsmobile silhouette Mini vans equipped with passenger side power sliding doors that were serviced in campaign 01013 (01v-067) from April to August 2001.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if required, install a new power sliding door unlatch actuator assembly. Owner notification began on October 22, 2001.
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
Vehicle description: minivans equipped with passenger side power sliding doors. The door closes but May not be latched. If this happens, the power sliding door can open while the vehicle is in motion, particularly when the vehicle ascends a hill, makes a turn, or travels over a rough road surface.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new un-latch actuator assembly to the power sliding door. This recall has been continued under safety recall 01v-264.
Steering › Gear box › Shaft sector
Vehicle description: passenger Mini vans. The left and/or right front lower insulator to cradle center metal sleeve is collapsed, which can result in loss of clamp load in the joint. If the clamp load is reduced or lost, the bolt can be lost or broken and the joint can separate.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the left and right front lower cradle-to-suspension insulators and the attaching bolts.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 7 possible defects involving the 1999 Pontiac Montana:
Unexpected opening of sliding door
There is no summary currently available
Traction control
Power-sliding door
Subject vehicles are available with an optional power sliding door.the interior handle is oriented in the vertical position in the door panel and lines up at the elbow level when the occupant is seated in the 2nd-row outboard position.if the occupant holds the interior handle in the thumb up position during power-assisted opening, the arm/wrist can be push back with force against the 2nd-row bucket seat or captain's…
Shoulder harness clip
Air bag tear during deployment
Rear axle trailing arm failure
On November 18, 2002, odi opened a preliminary evaluation (pe02-086) to evaluate allegations of rear axle trailing arm failures in the subject vehicles (u-van) which included two reporting crashes.on April 9, 2003, odi upgraded pe02-086 to an engineering analysis (ea03-005) to continue its examination of the issue.
Air bag inflator
What 1999 Pontiac Montana owners say
Engine & cooling all 99 →
Vehicle spontaneously caught fire while stuck in snow drift. Fire was all consuming - fire truck had to come out it out - just shell of van was left. We were able to get out as fire was slow to take off. Fire started in engine compartment. Fire chief said we would never know cause as no engine compartment remains.
Engine: intake manifold gasket leaking. I followed thru with a complaint to the bbb and to Pontiac's 800 number. I was told I needed to have the van diagnosed at a GM dealer before anything could be done by Pontiac. My dealer quality Pontiac in cocoa, florida looked at the van and agreed the intake manifold gasket was leaking (November 2002). Quality informed me it would be about $500 to repair. A phone call to Pontiac's 800 # put pressure on the dealer and they performed the work for $100 plus extra for a coolant flush. The total was around $180. Supposedly the work came with a 12 month 12000 mile warranty. I think the van had 58000 miles on it when this work was performed. Looking back I have a feeling it started leaking earlier. Today we have 70500 miles on the van and the check engine light is coming on. The codes indicate that engine cylinder 5 is misfiring. …
Transmission & drivetrain all 32 →
Tl* - the contact owns a 1999 Pontiac Montana. The contact stated that on the passenger's side of the vehicle the bracket , big steel bar - universal joint, which holds the axle in place broke right in the center, and the wheel went right under the bumper and almost flipped the vehicle over. Universal joint sheared off, letting the axle rip through harness sensor hub, steel brake line, shocks, muffler, rubber insulators, and the rear coil springs were found on the ground. The contact was pulling out of a school parking lot driving 2 MPH and in the middle of a turn when this happened. The contact has pictures of the incident. The contact filed a claim with the manufacturer ,and the manufacturer denied any responsibility. The current and failure mileage were both 12700.
Engine. Poor gasket/coolant design allowed coolant to leak into engine causing cam bearings to sieze causing my cam shaft to break. Vehicle is still 1,500km away at a dealership who is currently replacing with new engine. My cost= engine+labour+extra week holiday for being stranded+plane ticket to return home {and to fly back to pick it up once everything is repaired} I checked the internet on a hunch and was absolutly amazed at the extreamly high amound of people having the same problem. The smacks of a bad design/ insufficient testing/ and cover-up on GM's part even with their bullitens for this available on the internet.
Air bags all 32 →
I owned a 1999 Pontiac Montana van. On the December 19, 2004 around 2300 hours my grandson was driving the van on the us 31 bypass in south bend in. He was headed westbound around 50 to 55 miles per hour. It had rained and snowed some then it froze. A car in front of my grandson spun out of control, and he panicked and hit the brakes, and spun out into the concrete median dividing wall. There was considerable damage to the front of the van. Radiator was shoved into the block with fender, hood and bumper damage. One thing that didn't happen was the air bag did not go off on the drivers side or passenger side of the vehicle. There is a apparent defect in the system. The van has 35,330 miles on it. The insurance company deemed it totaled, and it will be or was salvaged. My grandson had minor injuries to his knee ,and a seat belt abrasion to the left side of his neck. Thank you
I had an accident where a car fish tailed in front of me slid directly in front of mine. I hit the other car while going 40 MPH, it was a t*bone collision. My front air bags deployed at the time of collision. After getting out of the vehicle I noticed that the passenger side air bag was laying in the front passenger seat with the air bag still inflated. I do remember that for a long time before today the red airbag light was on. I thought this would cause the air bags not to work. I do have pictures of the damage, and the defect with the air bag.
1999 Pontiac Montana engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.4L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 23 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1999 Pontiac Montana a good car?
Based on 235 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1999 Montana rates avoid: 3.1× as many complaints as a typical year of the Montana at the same age. It is one of the Montana years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Pontiac Montana?
The engine & cooling — 99 complaints, 42% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (32) and air bags (32).
How many recalls does the 1999 Pontiac Montana have?
There are 5 recalls for the 1999 Pontiac Montana, the most recent from December 22, 2004 (latch). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Pontiac Montana?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 1997, 2006 and 2004. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. See the full Pontiac Montana years comparison.
At what mileage do 1999 Pontiac Montana problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 60,000 miles; 23% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.