Chevrolet Monte Carlo Engine Problems
Owners have filed 197 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the Chevrolet Monte Carlo across 11 model years. The 2001 model year has the most (48). The words owners use most often: “engine cooling” (32% of reports).
- 197engine complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 6mention a crash
- 11mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- 23%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Engine cooling: mentioned in 64 of 197 complaints (32%)
- Caught fire: mentioned in 20 of 197 complaints (10%)
- Valve cover: mentioned in 14 of 197 complaints (7%)
- Department extinguished: mentioned in 11 of 197 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 133 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 197 complaints, 6 mention a crash, 72 a fire, 11 an injury.
Chevrolet Monte Carlo engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 Monte Carlo | 2 | 5% | 38,200 |
| 2006 Monte Carlo | 6 | 5% | 72,141 |
| 2005 Monte Carlo | 4 | 3% | 107,700 |
| 2004 Monte Carlo | 23 | 10% | 119,295 |
| 2003 Monte Carlo | 32 | 20% | 123,928 |
| 2002 Monte Carlo | 38 | 17% | 127,000 |
| 2001 Monte Carlo | 48 | 17% | 123,000 |
| 2000 Monte Carlo | 28 | 12% | 127,500 |
| 1999 Monte Carlo | 9 | 7% | 125,000 |
| 1998 Monte Carlo | 6 | 6% | 180,000 |
| 1996 Monte Carlo | 1 | 1% | 50,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe; engine and engine cooling:engine
Model years: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.
Risk: Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.
Fix: The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engineÂs front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, or 15V-201 that have not yet received the original remedy will instead receive the improved remedy under the original recall number. The recall began on February 19, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Oldsmobile customer service at 1-800-442-6537 and Pontiac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15757. Note: Until the improved remedy has been applied, owners are advised to park their vehicle outside since the fire risk exists even when the vehicle is unattended.
Engine and engine cooling:engine
Model years: 2004
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on April 2, 2015, that they are is recalling certain model year 2004 Buick Regal vehicles manufactured April 9, 2003, to June 1, 2003, 2004 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured April 8, 2003, to June 23, 2003, and 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles manufactured April 7, 2003, to June 23, 2003. On May 18, 2015, GM expanded the recall to cover an additional 49,751 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles manufactured January 6, 2003, to June 25, 2004. In the affected vehicles, the valve cover gasket may leak.
Risk: The leaking engine oil can drip onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will remove the plastic cover and plastic oil fill tube extension and replace the front valve cover and gasket. These repairs will be done free of charge. The recall began on April 24, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14574.
Engine and engine cooling
Model years: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
Problem: General motors is recalling 1,497,516 my 1997-2003 buick regal, my 1998-2003 chevrolet lumina, monte carlo and impala, my 1998-1999 oldsmobile intrigue, my 1997-2003 pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l v6 naturally aspirated engine. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which drops of engine oil may be deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking.
Risk: If the manifold is hot enough and the oil runs below the heat shield, it may ignite into a small flame and may spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel and beyond increasing the risk of an engine compartment fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the engineâs front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engineâs plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537, and pontiac at 1-800-620-7668 or http://www.pontiac.com or http:www.gmownercenter.com.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I keep rewriting this because for some reason it keeps timing out everytime I look for the video to attach. I brought the car to taska twice for underhood fire and ignition. No head gasket got fixed no spark plugs there is several issues water keeps getting in tires are rotted electrical problems…
I took my car into Freeland Chevrolet for the recall my car was running great,when i picked it up it was idling rough and smoking on my way home it was stalling out at every stop causing me to loose control of power steering and braking creating a safty haszard called them the next day and told…
The service manager told me the Engine cover will be removed and NOT replaced. This downgrades the vehicle as the engine cover is part of the appearance element and gives a certain amount of protection to some components and wiring harnesses. It will soon be a Classic and the engine cover is part…
Engine, fire under hood. Have contacted dealer & GM, they said there is nothing they can do about it. Faulty replaced parts by dealer.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a burning odor blowing through the air vents into the cabin of the vehicle. While depressing the accelerator pedal, the oil gauge increased to high. Additionally, the engine overheated. The…

Frequently asked questions
Do all Chevrolet Monte Carlos have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 197 owner complaints about engine for the Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Chevrolet Monte Carlo engine?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list engine. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about engine problems on the Chevrolet Monte Carlo?
The most frequent phrase is “engine cooling”, in 64 of 197 complaints, followed by “caught fire” (20).
Other Chevrolet Monte Carlo problems
See all Chevrolet Monte Carlo problems.