no report yet
Doors: latch
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…
1998 Pontiac MontanaProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 49 owner complaints about the 1998 Pontiac Montana, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through April 28, 2014. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 1998 Pontiac Montana has problems
49 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
13Engine and engine cooling
5Electrical system1 crash/fire/injury
5Structure
4Power train
4Visibility
4Exterior lighting
3Air bags
3Seat belts
2Latches/locks/linkages
1611 other systems1 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and engine cooling | 13 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 5 | 1 |
| Structure | 5 | 0 |
| Power train | 4 | 0 |
| Visibility | 4 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 |
| Air bags | 3 | 1 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 0 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 1 |
| 11 other systems | 16 | 1 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
3 recalls
1998 Pontiac Montana recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Doors: latch
Risk. 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…
no report yet
Doors: latch
Risk. AN UNRESTRAINED OCCUPANT COULD FALL OUT OF THE VAN AND BE INJURED.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Pontiac.
Best & worst years
1998 vs. every other Montana year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Montana median. How we score
'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
8 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 1998 Pontiac Montana, and the recalls they led to.
- AIR BAG INFLATORLed to recall 02V-027
- SAFETY BELT ASSEMBLY FAILURENo recall
- REAR AXLE TRAILING ARM FAILURENo recall
- AIR BAG TEAR DURING DEPLOYMENTNo recall
- SHOULDER HARNESS CLIPNo recall
- POWER-SLIDING DOORLed to recall 04V-597
- TRACTION CONTROLLed to recall 98V-072
- UNEXPECTED OPENING OF SLIDING DOORLed to recall 01V-067
In owners' words
What Montana owners report
Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
I NOTICED I HAVE BEEN USING A LOT OF ANTIFREEZE IN THE VAN BUT NO LEAKS UNDER IT. I TOOK IT TO THE GARAGE TO CHANGE THE THERMOSTAT AND TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. THEY TOLD ME MY HEAD GASKETS ARE BAD AND NEED TO BE REPLACED, WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER HE SAID I NEEDED A NEW RADIATOR TOO! I HAVE BEEN…
A YEAR AGO,I PUCHASED A PREVIOUSLY OWNED 1998 PONTIAC MONTANA TRANSPORT VAN WITH APPROXIMATELY 58,000 MILES ON IT. I AM A CERTIFICATED AIRCRAFT MECHANIC WITH OVER 10 YRS OF EXPERIENCE. SO, I AM AWARE OF POTENTIONAL PROBLEMS WITH USED VEHICLES. I DID NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE UNTIL 3…
WE PURCHASED THE 1998 PONTIAC MONTANA IN MARCH 1998. SINCE WE PURCHASED THE CAR, WE HAVE HAD THE RIGHT TURN SIGNAL SOCKET REPLACED THREE TIMES DUE TO MALFUNCTION. IN OCTOBER 2002, WE TOOK THE AUTOMOBILE IN FOR PROBLEMS NOTED. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT WE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE TURN SIGNAL SOCKET AGAIN,…
Own a 1998 Montana?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.