Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Pontiac Montana owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
Engine-low coolant light evaluated and found to have faulty intake gasket-repaired, would like GM to cover under recall, service manager stated "it happens alot more often than GM wants to admit in the 3.4 and 3.8l engines in searching recalls, noted several petitions with same complaint. Steering--hard left turns at low speeds, evaluated and service dept (GM) stated no current recalls for the '99 Montana, the recall ended with the '98 transports. The same problem seems to have continued, would like GM to extend the recall to cover the '99 Montana's November 1, 2003 update:low coolant light came on and I had it inspected at harry's Pontiac, 819 patton ave. Asheville, nc 28806 on jan 07,2003. They recommended replacing the lower intake gaskets and did so on the 8th. …
My wife & I own a 1999 Pontiac Montana. In September with 53,000 miles we noticed that the low coolant light came on. We added coolant and about 2 weeks later the light came on again. I then contacted my personal mechanic (since the vehicle was no longer under warranty). He told me that the intake manifold was bad and that this was a very common problem with this type of engine. He also told me that GM dealers told him that it was a result of the intake manifold being made of plastic and that the dexcool was eating up the gaskets and the plastic manifolds. The cost of the repair on the intake portion of the engine was $392.57. He also told us that as a result of this, coolant spilled into our engine oil. This means that we have a good chance of engine failure in the near future and would have to replace the engine. Replacing the engine would cost $2000 -$2500. …
I had a local GM dealer repair the intake manifold gasket on our 1999 Pontiac Montana in dec. 2002. We had to have the water pump replaced also and have the cooling system flushed at the same time. The cost of those repairs was in the range of $1,000 and was done in a very satisfactory manner by the dealer. The service manager knew exactly what was wrong as soon as I described the symptoms. He seemed to have seen a lot of the same problems from other owners. Our car began to lose coolant and then the oil began to look orange and finally the coolant was dripping on the ground. These problems began about 70,000 miles. We are the second owners of this van and bought it from the repairing dealership as a program, used vehicle with 20,000 miles on the odometer. I have saved all our receipts for the aforementioned repairs in hope that GM might have a recall for these problems. …
My wife and I own a 1999 Pontiac Montana. In September of 2002 (~53000 miles)we noticed that the low coolant light came on. So we added coolant. Then again in November the light came on again so we contacted our personal mechanic since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. He told us that the plastic upper intake manifold and the gasket was bad. He told us that this was a common problem with this type of engine. He said that GM dealers in the area told him that it was due to the manifold being made of plastic and the fact that GM uses dexcool coolant, which eats up the plastic and the gaskets. He also told us that because of this some of the coolant spilled into the engine oil. The cost of the repairs were $392.57. We now will have a good chance of spending $2000 - $2500 on a new engine because of the coolant in the engine oil. …
On feb. 3 of 2004 we purchased a used 1999 Montana. The low coolant light was coming on so we took it back to the dealer. They "couldn't find anything wrong" but it was low on coolant. I checked this web site and found many complaints about manifold gasket failure around 60,000 miles. Our van had less than this so we kept our eyes open to why this light kept coming on and even asked the dealer to make sure it wasn't leaking antifreeze into the engine. They said it was low but there was no leak. Then in feb of 05 we had to replace the water pump and one week later a new noise started, so we took it back to a mechanic who found antifreeze leaking into the engine, $800 later it seems to be working fine. Why can't Pontiac be made to fix this obvious problem. We no longer have dex-cool for antifreeze!! …
I have just taken in our 99 Montana and have learned that I have an engine gasket leak. This will be the 2nd gasket leak the engine has incurred. The first one was a head gasket and this most recent gasket is a lower intake. The reason this concerns me is that I had a dear friend have an automobile issue where he had to pull over on the side of the highway. It happened to be Friday with heavy traffic. Too make a long story short, while he went out for repairs his vehicle was rear ended while on the side of the road and he lost his first son and his second son had brain damage. The reason I bring this up is because I've been lucky as far as catching these gasket issues in their early stages of failure. I could have been that guy stuck on the highway with a gasket that has failed, not once but maybe twice. …
I have a 1999 Pontiac Montana that the coolant light came on and noticed water missing from coolant recovery tank. This had happened before so I took the vehicle to a local GM dealer. After they tested it I was told that the intake manifold and head gaskets were leaking and would need to be replaced at a cost of $1540.39. After doing a small amount of research on the internet I found hundreds of websites of people having the same problem with this vehicle. I contacted GM for assistance and I was told that my vehicle was out of warranty and they were not aware of this type of problem from anyone else. I know two other people that own Pontiac Montana's in the town I live in that have had the same problem. They both called GM and were given the same story I was told. …
Coolant light coming on and noticed coolant always missing from coolant recovery tank. Took vehicle to local GM dealer and after testing found that the intake manifold and head gaskets were leaking. After very little research on the internet I found alot of people are having the same problem. I contacted GM for assistance and was essentially told I was on my own they would pay nothing. GM acted as if I was the only one having the intake/head gasket problem. I have an uncle and a friend of mine that live in the same town I do that own a Pontiac Montana and both have had the same gasket problem. They both contacted GM and were told the same thing I was told. I feel like GM should acknowledge the problem with there 3.4 v6 engines, stand behind there product and pay for these repairs. I have always been an avid GM supporter but this really is begining to change my way of thinking.
Engine complaints in other Montana years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1999 Pontiac Montana?
NHTSA has 99 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1999 Pontiac Montana, 42% of the model year's 235 complaints. The component named most often is engine (31 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Pontiac Montana engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 1999 Pontiac Montana, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1999 Pontiac Montana engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.