Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Pontiac Montana owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
The "air shocks" that propel and hold up the liftgate of our 2005 Pontiac Montana sv6 failed. There was no evidence of possible failure prior to the actual failure. The lift gate is extremely heavy and it poses a safety hazard. It does not hold itself up once opened and should it fall, the heavy liftgate door would slam shut injuring anything or anyone in its way. We have used it on the rare occasion that we had to, and it is extremely difficult and heavy to hold up and open, and we must gingerly close it to prevent the back window from breaking should it close too hard. We were fortunate that our failure occurred when we were trying to open it and it wouldn't open as it should. We fear that a severe injury or death could result should the failure of the liftgate occur while it is already open.
Whistle noise from front of vehicle around 60 MPH. Dealer has replaced the front windshield seal, door seal, and a gasket under the hood but this has not helped. The dealer told me that they didn't hear the whistle unless they drove it 90 MPH!!! I was told that this is a problem with Pontiac's design and it can not be fixed. Passenger side sliding door doesn't stay shut and doesn't open when outside handle is pulled and motor running too long and grinding after door has closed. The door motor has been replaced yet there is still a grinding noise when the door shuts. Headlights surging causing me to constantly be bright lighted by oncoming traffic. The dealer told me that this is normal!
The door design is poor. If one is not directly up against the door it jams and a child could get trapped. If one is in the doorway it takes a lot of force to reopen the door. The consumer stated that the sliding door poses a safety hazard for small children. The consumer stated that a child could not exhert the force necessary to cause the door to reopen and could be injured while being dragged / pushed by te door until they are lodged between the door and the jam.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Pontiac Montana. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35mph, the driver side sliding door open independently without warning. Also, the contact mentioned that the vehicle dvd player turned on by its self and when the contact attempted to turn it off it was extremelly hot to the touch. The dealer and manufacturer were made aware of the failure. The approximate failure was 23,000.
[redacted] is in custody an his car is abounded on the 200 block of hobart an vine st the van do not have any windows no tags on it an all four of the tires are flat I need drive here dot com to come repo this car because eric is in jail and can not make anymore payments on the car also eric took the tracking device off the ' '
Tl contact owns a 2005 Pontiac Montana sv6. While driving approximately 15 MPH the rear sliding door opened and the child safety lock was on. The contact stated that she noticed on several occasion the door didn't lock properly. The manufacturer will be notified. The vehicle will be taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The failure and current mileages were 110,131.
Tl contact owns a 2005 Pontiac Montana. The contact stated that when the vehicle was parked on a hill or small angle, the rear sliding door closed without warning. The contact stated that the door hit her on the elbow and left a bad bruise on her arm. The dealer did not inspect the vehicle. The current mileage is 17,116 and failure mileage was 16,500.
Passenger electric cargo door did not open electrically after outside door handle was used to release latching mechanism. Vehicle was driven with no indication through the monitoring/warning system that the door was not fully closed and locked. Under GM case# 8477192, it was decided to replace the door latch actuator for a voltage spike issue.
Body complaints in other Montana years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2005 Pontiac Montana?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the body & structure of the 2005 Pontiac Montana, 26% of the model year's 81 complaints. The component named most often is body › door (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Pontiac Montana body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2005 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 2005 Pontiac Montana body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 31,000 miles, and 46% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 8 injuries to body & structure 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.