Most common 2000 Pontiac Montana problems
Share of the 228 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 →
2000 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…
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.
Seat belts
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles, light duty trucks, sport utility vehicles, and Mini vans equipped with trw seat belt buckle assemblies. The buckle base of these seat belt assemblies were not properly heat treated and therefore do not pass the load bearing requirement of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicle's safety belt buckle assembly date codes and, if necessary, will replace any safety belt buckle assembly.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: Mini vans with extended wheelbase. Some of these vehicles have inoperative fuel tank rollover valves and fuel leakage would exceed the permissible amount in a rollover test. This does not comply with the requirements of FMVSS no. 301, "fuel system integrity."
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicles to locate and replace those fuel tanks that could have inoperative rollover valves.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2000 Pontiac Montana:
Unexpected opening of sliding door
There is no summary currently available
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 inflator
What 2000 Pontiac Montana owners say
Engine & cooling all 72 →
I did not realize every owner of a Pontiac Montana all had same problems. Every owner. Here is one of the websites. Http://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/comment/3340529. The dealer sold me a Pontiac Montana. The second day I drove it, I ran out the gas because the gas gauge read full, but actually it was empty. I did not realize the gas gauge stops working until every owner had the same problem. Every owner had a condenser problem. Every owner. Which in turn makes the head gasket go. I am a single parent and did not understand that numerous calls to GMC were made and no recalls has been done. It is shameless, how people like me are struggling and these car dealers made billions with faulty equipment. If you google Pontiac complaints. Every owner had the same problem. Every owner. I cant afford to replace a motor because of the head gasket. I am still making payments on this car loan. …
This is a addon from the previous one I submitted just now. I want to point out. I was almost killed when I ran out of gas on the highway, because the gas gauge read incorrectly. When the engine become hot, it almost started a fire. I am a single parent with a ten year old. Dealers are still selling these Pontiac Montana's. We do not know how many deaths it May have already caused. Or how many women and children were stranded, because the gas gauge reads incorrectly, it will say its full but it is actually empty. The condensers go, which cause a blown head gasket. I cannot afford to replace the motor, and I already put out close to a thousand dollars already. The first month I bought it from a dealer. Every owner has had the same exact problem. Every owner. Here is one of the websites I did not realize every owner of a Pontiac Montana all had same problems. Every owner. …
Body & structure all 31 →
Driver side rear strut/shock mount, part of the inner wheelhouse assy., rusted at a weld and cracked in both directions, not sure when it happened but it has been like that for a long time. The crack is rusted all the way down the crack in both directions until the ripped part starts where the part finally failed. Then it ripped out driving down the road. Van has never been wrecked. Took it to the GM dealership they said it was a defective part, body shop that fixed it said the same thing. After three months and many phone calls to the dealer (s) we have finally got it to the point where they are calling it a product liability . Took a GM rep. To take the time to come and see it. Originally they did not bother since they were originally calling it a warranty issue and were blowing us off. The general manager at the dealership has been very helpful however. …
Problems with paint, gaskets, brakes and cooling system. There was a hissing noise which had come from the tire area due to misalignment, low coolant light had come on, the gaskets ,oil pump and drive o-ring were replaced, the brake pedal had gone to the floor while stopped at a light which happened more than twice and seemed as if they weren't going to work at all and had to pump the pedal to bring the pedal back enough to allow stopping. There was an incident where the consumer had to activate the emergency brake to avoid an accident. The warning light never had come on. The master cylinder was replaced, the front brake pads, resurfaced rotors, cleaned and adjusted rear brakes. Other problems are as followed: the trim on the driver side windshield had come apart, the handle on the back latch had come off, and both turn signal bulbs needed to be replaced.
Electrical system all 22 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Pontiac Montana. The contact stated that after driving and parking the vehicle for 10 minutes she noticed smoke coming from the dashboard. She tried to put the fire out with water but when she did flames started to come out of the vents. Wires were melted and the heating system and the cd player were also destroyed. The fire department responded and put the fire out. The police were not called. The manufacturer had not been contacted at the time of the complaint. The failure and current mileages were approximately 158,171. The VIN was unknown.
We have a 2000 Pontiac Montana, my little girl and I were driving home from the store that's 15 min from home I noticed a burning smell, then smoke came pouring out of the dash buy the time we got out the security lite was on check motor light was on and it would only go ten miles an hour, so the next day I took apart the dash and found the wiring burnt up, and now I cant even start it so im stuck with a broken down van, that I just had a $600 dollar fix so now im out $600 and a van. I cant fix it because I don't have the money too so all old parts are available for some $$.
2000 Pontiac Montana engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.4L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2000 Pontiac Montana a good car?
Based on 228 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2000 Montana rates avoid: 2.7× 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 2000 Pontiac Montana?
The engine & cooling — 72 complaints, 32% of all complaints for this model year, most often about cooling system. Next are the body & structure (31) and electrical system (22).
How many recalls does the 2000 Pontiac Montana have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2000 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 2000 Pontiac Montana problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 67,000 miles; 25% 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.