Most common 2005 Pontiac Montana problems
Share of the 81 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 →
2005 Pontiac Montana recalls (5)
Suspension › Rear
The braun corporation has notified NHTSA about a defect in certain model year 2005-2008 general motors mobility conversion, handicapped accessible low floor minivans. During conversion, the driver or passenger side trailing arm modification May not have been adequately welded.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and will have a supply of retrofit parts available to remedy the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on June 4, 2010. Owners May contact braun at 1-800-488-0359.
Air bags › Frontal
Certain vehicles originally built with cloth seats that were equipped with an automatic air bag passenger sensing system and later reupholstered with aftermarket leather seat cover kits are involved. Testing has indicated that the aftermarket leather seat covers can cause the passenger sensing system to malfunction.
Remedy: Because a replacement leather seat cover that is compatible with the passenger sensing system is not available, general motors (GM) will repurchase these vehicles in accordance with the terms stated in GM's letter to…
Parking brake
Certain sport utility vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 135, 'passenger car brake systems.' to meet the standard, the vehicle must not move for five minutes when stopped on a steep hill with the parking brake applied and the vehicle in neutral (n).
Remedy: Dealers will inspect for parking brake lever slippage at each rear brake caliper and replace the caliper if lever slippage is identified. The recall began on November 14, 2005.
Seats › Mid/rear assembly
On certain minivans, the outboard release handle on the impact-side second-row bucket seat May be actuated and the rear latches May unlatch early in a side impact crash. This was discovered in a side impact test run by GM, under conditions similar to NHTSA's new car assessment program (ncap) side impact test.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the seat latch release handle and install a black plastic cap over the exposed metal stud to eliminate the side impact safety concern free of charge. The recall began on April 5, 2005.
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…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2005 Pontiac Montana:
Power sliding door opening
Odi has received reports that the power sliding doors opened without command while the vehicle was in motion on model year 2005 and 2006 general motors minivans (Chevrolet uplander/venture, Pontiac montana sv6/montana, Buick terraza, and Saturn relay).some reports indicate that the door May not have been closed and latched before driving away causing the door to reverse (open) at low vehicle speeds.however, other…
Electrical harness damage
The office of defects investigation opened this investigation on November 29, 2005, based on one consumer report to odi and a technical service bulletin issued by general motors.the bulletin, no. 1613174, issued on February 21, 2005, states in part, some customers May report a stall and/or no crank, no start condition after the wipers are used.analysis of the available data indicates that the problem experience…
Power sliding door
Odi evaluated general motors' (GM) data, conducted consumer interviews, inspected and tested my 2005-2007 GM minivans with regard to the alleged defect of a power sliding door (psd) opening while the vehicle is out of park.odi identified a high warranty claim rate.however, these claims are related to various problems associated with doors not properly opening or closing and not specifically to doors opening while…
What 2005 Pontiac Montana owners say
Body & structure all 21 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Pontiac Montana. While driving approximately 10 MPH, the rear sliding door opened. The contact pulled over to the side of the road to a complete stop. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 151,000.
Beginning at 15K miles the power sliding doors began not functioning properly. The would automatically open as if there was an obstruction in the doorway. At 18K miles there was a complete failure to the motor drive assembly. After repair both doors continued to auto open. During normal driving conditions at interstate speed the door did come open with no passengers in it. When the doors are not functioning properly you must deactivate lock out rocker switch on overhead console, then manually close. If you re-energize the lock out switch door will auto open. At times the door ajar chime will sound while the doors are shut and locked and will not turn off, once to the point of running out the battery. When doors do not want to shut they force themselves open repeatedly. Multiple occasions a month since 2006, I have had it in for service numerous times with no success. …
Locks & latches
This is a safety issue involving ABS system for my 2005 Pontiac sv6 Montana. On or about August 11, 2006 my ABS light came on while under normal operation of the van. This has been an intermittent problem over the past 6 weeks. I took it to a local independent shop to have it diagnosed and the local shop informed me that the codes were to new that I would have to take it to a dealership. After taking it to the dealership they diagnosed it as having an electrical problem. There were no faulty modules but that this was a wiring problem. I am the only owner of an 05 Pontiac Montana that I know. Recently I have had various other problems with the power sliding door intermittently opening whenever you engage the transmission into reverse (right side only). My 6 year old sits in the right rear seat. Hope this doesn't happen while driving down the highway. …
Getting ready to leave from a shopping center during the middle of a snow storm, my wife and I loaded both kids in the back of the van (1 and 3 years) and tried to close the doors. The automatic doors would not close. We tried the key fob, the upper roof console buttons and the buttons on the b-posts. Nothing worked. We then tried manually to close the doors but they would not latch. We turned the ignition key on and off the 3 times and tried to use buttons after each restart. Finally after ten minutes of trying we got them to close and latch by using the key fob. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the repair sheet indicates they replaced the module and the fobs. It has only happened once since then, but I am not sure if the repair that was done is adequate since it has happened again since the repair.
Electrical system
For several days we noticed as strong chemical like smell in the car and then noticed that the mirror control no longer worked. I took off the driver's side door switch panel to investigate the mirror problem and found the mirror control had been smoldering for days. The assembly was completely charred and mating connector had also melted.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Pontiac Montana. While driving approximately 10 MPH, the rear sliding door opened. The contact pulled over to the side of the road to a complete stop. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 151,000.
2005 Pontiac Montana engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 23 / 18 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Pontiac Montana a good car?
Based on 81 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 Montana rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Montana at the same age. 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 2005 Pontiac Montana?
The body & structure — 21 complaints, 26% of all complaints for this model year, most often about body › door. Next are the locks & latches (19) and electrical system (17).
How many recalls does the 2005 Pontiac Montana have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2005 Pontiac Montana, the most recent from March 19, 2010 (rear). 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 2005 Pontiac Montana problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 38,000 miles; 68% 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.