1999 Pontiac Trans Sport review from North America

Notorious intake manifold gasket failure at 89000.

Water pump & serpentine belt replaced at 89000.

Tie rod end replaced at 70000.

Driving/fog lamp burned out at 70000; cannot easily be replaced by owner and requires front wheel and fender liner removal to do so.

Suspension bushing replaced at 70000.

Clunking in front end during third year of ownership; dealer couldn't diagnose and problem disappeared.

Air bag warning light has appeared intermittently since new; dealer has reset several times. I ignore it now.

Factory stereo volume control is finicky; volume sometimes goes up when turned down.

Tachometer sometimes stops functioning.

Driver's seat replaced during second year of ownership after plastic piece wore through the fabric from underneath.

Fortunately I keep an eye on fluid levels and caught the coolant leaks (manifold gasket, water pump) before the thing ran dry and could damage the engine.

This van was a pleasure to own for the first four years or so, despite the nagging faults noted above, as it is comfortable and handles well for a van. However after 70000 kilos it has become a maintenance nightmare, costing us over $2000 this year alone.

In my opinion the intake manifold gasket fault merits a class action lawsuit.

My advice to TransSport/Montana owners: get rid of it as soon as the warranty is up. I wish I had.

General Motors has lost a customer... for good.