2003 Pontiac Montana Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Montana years
- More complaints than other years 5th of 12 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 84 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Pontiac Montana. That ranks 5th out of 12 Montana model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (15 complaints, 18%), typically at around 24,200 miles. Complaints mention 8 crashes, 1 fire, 20 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 84owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 8complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 15 | 18% | 24,200 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 14 | 17% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 13 | 15% | 78,200 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 12 | 14% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 10 | 12% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 6 | 7% | 15,829 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 5 | 6% | 15,829 | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 5% | 10,163 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 5% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 4 | 5% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 5% | 104,350 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 4% | 134,505 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 4% | 66,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 2% | 111,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 2% | 149,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 2% | 4,200 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 2% | 35,700 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 1% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | 32,700 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | 12,448 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 1% | 68,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Pontiac Montana recalls (5)
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.
Equipment:other:owners/service/other manual
Problem: Certain minivans, passenger and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage system." the owner's manual does not explain the meaning of the location symbols for the child restraint lower universal anchorage system.
Risk: This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
Fix: Owners will be provided with a supplement for their owner's manual. This supplement describes and shows the location symbols for the child restraint anchors that are located in the vehicle and on the child restraint or booster cushion. Owner notification began august 18, 2003. Owners should contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, or oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: On certain mini vans, passenger and sport utility vehicles, some of these vehicles have a driver's side air bag that may not deploy as designed. In addition, the air bag inflator could rupture.
Risk: This could result in reduced capability of the air bag to protect the driver. Also if the air bag inflator ruptured, pieces of the inflator could strike and injure the vehicle occupants.
Fix: Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, install a new driver's air bag. Owner notification began on march 11, 2003. 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, or pontiac at 1-800-762-2737.
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.
Van crashed with damage to the front when it ran off the road and went into a culvert/ditch and air bags did not deploy resulting in paralyzation of the wife of the owner after van had been apparently donated to Charity Cars as junk vehicle or salvage vehicle. Vehicle was apparently repaired by…
I was in a accident and hit a truck broadside. I ended up hitting the steering wheel with my chest. Not only was my seatbelt ineffective, but the airbag did not open. I did sustain chest injury. Iran a stop sign in town.
While in a stationary mode after parking to get air for my tires, the steering column locked. Took about 20 minutes with assistance to unlock, this i feel is unsafe with the climate of the world today, you need to be able to get in your vehicle turn it on and be on your way. No image or document to…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC MONTANA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS IN WET CONDITIONS, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE POWER STEERING MADE AN ABNORMAL WINDING NOISE. THE DEALER (STOOPS BUICK GMC, 1251 QUAKER BLVD, PLAINFIELD, IN, 46168, [redacted])…
Check the airbags something with brake light an electrical.
Other Pontiac Montana years
← 2002 Montana · 2004 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 | 84 | 5 |
| 2002 Montana | 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Pontiac Montana?
Owners most often report electrical system, exterior lighting, fuel system, gasoline problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 15 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Pontiac Montana?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 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 2003 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.