Door Lock & Latch complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
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.
I have two complaints that no one seems to be interested in. First one is the back up sensor not correctly installed. People at the service department said it was working fine, but it only worked occasionally. It finally showed me that it wasn't working on a date that I backed into a parked car not knowing it was so close, and I had to maximize all the space I could to get out of my parking space. Luckily, there was no damage to their or my vehicle, but it's the idea of a part of my vehicle that I paid extra for not working. Also, after hearing of the recall on the motorized door, I thought it was for the pressure the door put on and object before realizing there was something there, but apparently it's only for the handle on the inside. You might want to question how hard the door shuts before it will retract when an arm, leg, body, etc is in it. …
I have a 2004 Pontiac Montana van with a passenger side power sliding door. My grandson pushed the power button while I was in the doorway and the door squashed me pretty hard, no bruises or injuries though. It concerned me because I have young grandchildren. I played with the door to see how much force it takes to stop it with my hand. I had to push hard and it pushed me backwards a ways before I could stop it. I took it to the dealer and they reprogrammed the door, which did nothing to fix the problem. The next day after reading the manual that said it takes more force to stop it the more closed the door is, I played with it some more but this time I couldn't reverse the door at all with my hand pushing against it with all my weight, starting when the door was fully open. …
Dt: consumer has a back sliding passenger door on the driver's side that opens at random. Speed is not a factor. When putting vehicle in gear and sometimes in park the door opens by itself. Vehicle was taken to the dealership 3 times for work but problem has still not been resolved. Dealer claims that there is no problem. After van was picked up on Friday night door had been scratched up with sandpaper. This was undocumented on the paper work. All that was included on the paper work was oil change. The van was taken to dealer for oil change, and to have the door fixed. The receipt only mentioned oil change. Also, ignition started by itself. When the key was turned in the upright position the van cranked ,and driver's hand was not on the key. In addition, there is water in front headlight cover which was replaced 3 times . …
We purchased our Mini van brand new in 2003, since then the driver side automatic sliding door bounces open. The door does not open while driving, but intermittently the door will not close, it will continue to reopen. Sometimes the door will only partially close. I have taken this vehicle to the dealership numerous times, all parts on the door have been replaced. I have called GMC customer service, they have extended the warranty on the door, but the problem seems to be getting worse and nobody seems to be interested in making sure it's properly fixed. I have recently been told that a "diagnostic" needs to be run on the door, how would this make a difference...the parts on this door have all been replaced. I am very frustrated.
1) all four doors (minivan) both the driver, passenger and both sliding door latches and lock assemblies are defective. Doors do not always latch when closed and also will open during operation of the vehicle. Have had both cases of doors not latching when trying to close and also open during operation. Dealer has replaced all four latches at my cost with no consideration to the real problem of a defect. Below I have indicated on incident date, but has occurred many times. Have contacted Pontiac but have received no satisfaction.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Pontiac Montana. While closing the sliding door the contact's son reached into the vehicle and it closed on his hands. She was unable to open the door once it closed. The fire department had to open the door. The failure caused bruising and swelling on both of his hands. The contact stated that there wereno sensors on the sliding door to detect motion. The dealer has not inspected the vehicle. The current and failure mileages were 50,000.
Related recalls (3)
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.
NHTSA investigations
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…
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…
Frequently asked questions
Which Pontiac Montana years have door lock & latch problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2005 (19), 2000 (13), 1999 (12), 2001 (11) and 2002 (8) model years. Door Lock & Latch complaints make up 23% of all complaints for the 2005.
Is there a recall for Pontiac Montana door lock & latch problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 04V-597 (latch, Dec 22, 2004); 01V-264 (latch, Aug 21, 2001); 01V-067 (latch, Mar 8, 2001). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Pontiac Montana door lock & latch problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 53,000 miles; 65% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the doors › latch (62 mentions), followed by the hood › latch (1).
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.