2002 Pontiac Montana Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Montana years
- More complaints than other years 4th of 12 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 126 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Pontiac Montana. That ranks 4th out of 12 Montana model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (24 complaints, 19%), typically at around 55,000 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 1 fire, 6 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 126owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 Pontiac Montana problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 24 | 19% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 12 | 10% | 58,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 12 | 10% | 90,342 | — | — |
| Power Train | 11 | 9% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 11 | 9% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 11 | 9% | 37,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 10 | 8% | 56,834 | — | — |
| Structure | 10 | 8% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 9 | 7% | 68,808 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 8 | 6% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 7 | 6% | 72,800 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 7 | 6% | 112,602 | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 5% | 45,174 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 4 | 3% | 32,558 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 2% | 80,150 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 2% | 141,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 2% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 1% | 87,160 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 224,750 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 1% | 91,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | 17,548 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Pontiac Montana recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage
Problem: On certain vehicles, variations in the manufacturing process or exposure to high ambient temperatures may lead to fracture of the fuel tank inlet check valve (icv).
Risk: A fracture may allow fuel vapors to pass through and allow droplets of fuel to accumulate on the side of the fuel tank. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel tank. The recall will be mailed in two phases with the first phase beginning on december 4, 2007. The second phase will be mailed on december 13, 2007. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668. The vehicle population includes buick rendezvous and pontiac aztek vehicle built in may 2003; chevrolet venture and pontiac montana vehicles built from june through august 2002; and all vehicles registered in nevada, arizona, virgin islands, puerto rico, and hawaii.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: 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.
Risk: If a passenger uses the interior handle to open the power sliding door and holds onto the handle while it is being opened by the motor, the passenger's arm may be pushed into the seat back or armrest and a wrist or lower arm injury may result.
Fix: 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 appearance reasons. Note: before the vehicle is serviced, gm advises owners to not use the interior door handle to open the door. The driver can open and close the door from switches at the driver's position or by using the remote key fob. The driver should tell passengers to use the switch located in front of the door to open or close it. The driver should use the override switch to prevent operation of the power door by children or by others who are not familiar with its use. The owner notification letter mailing will be conducted in phases with the first phase beginning on may 31, 2005. The second phase mailing began on july 18, 2005. The recall began on may 31, 2005. Phase 2 began on july 18, 2005. Phase 3 (final phase) began on august 24, 2005, to all remaining customers. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; pontiac at 1-800-620-7668; or oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Certain passenger, mini vans, and sport utility vehicles have an air bag inflator on the driver's side that could fracture at a weld during a deployment.
Risk: Pieces of the inflator could strike and injure vehicle occupants and the air bag cushion would not inflate fully, reducing the capability of the bag to protect the driver.
Fix: Dealers will inspect, and replace, if necessary, the air bag module assembly on the driver's side. Owner notification began august 15, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact buick at 1-800-521-7300, cadillac at 1-800-458-8006, chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, gmc at 1-800-462-8782, oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537, or pontiac at 1-800-762-2737.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Power-sliding door (PE04064) — opened Sep 17, 2004, closed Dec 22, 2004, led to recall 04V597000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 pontiac montana. After the vehicle was driven and parked, the contact noticed a strong odor of fuel emerging from the rear. The contact checked under the vehicle and noticed fuel coming out the side of the fuel tank where the seal was making a puddle on the floor. The…
The fuel tank is leaking around the seal where the elbow connectes,. This seal has been disconutined. The dealership said i would have to replace the fuel tank. I cant afford a new tank. If they cant replace the seal they should have to replace the tank, there has been two recalls on the gas tank…
The fuel tank inlet check valve can crack and leak recall.. I went out to take my kids to school and smelt gas. Looked underneath can see gas dripping.had it looked it and sure enough hole/crack in fuel tank and now the fuel gauge is not working .checked under the recall and mine is not in it..
2002 pontiac montana. While the vehicle was parked in the garage, i smelled a strong odor of fuel outside the vehicle. I noticed a small amount of fuel spilling from the lower portion of the fuel tank. There were no warnings prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for a…
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 pontiac montana. The contact stated that there was an abnormal fuel odor coming from the rear of the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the fuel tank was fractured at the inlet. The vehicle was previously repaired; however, the failure recurred. The…
Other Pontiac Montana years
← 2001 Montana · 2003 Montana →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 Montana | 1 | 1 |
| 2007 Montana | 0 | 1 |
| 2006 Montana | 37 | 2 |
| 2005 Montana | 81 | 5 |
| 2004 Montana | 39 | 3 |
| 2003 Montana | 84 | 5 |
| 2002 | 126 | 3 |
| 2001 Montana | 156 | 9 |
| 2000 Montana | 228 | 5 |
| 1999 Montana | 235 | 5 |
| 1998 Montana | 49 | 3 |
| 1997 Montana | 18 | 1 |
See all Pontiac Montana problems by year, every Pontiac model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Pontiac models
Embed this 2002 Pontiac Montana badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Pontiac Montana?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, exterior lighting, fuel system, gasoline problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 24 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Pontiac Montana?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 Pontiac Montana a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Montana model years, the 2002 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.