2002 Pontiac Montana Reviews - Page 6 of 8

35000kms rear wiper motor died.

Annoying thud from rear of vehicle when stopping or accelerating.

Trim around front windshield poorly made, keeps popping up. Had in to dealer once to fix the problem, but it came back up within one week.

The engine is thankfully free of the dreaded intake gasket problem, however I changed the dexcool at 45000kms as it was cooked.

Nice family van, very comfortable.

Passes well on the highway, gas mileage is good too.

No major problems yet, I drive about 80kms to work one way.

Other than bringing it in 3 times to the dealer because of valve train noise, that they insist is just the fuel injection and "normal", I've only had to have an oil switch put in, under warranty. Also brought in because it shuts off when going down a hill with your foot off of the gas.

It's a mini van, an American made one at that, so needless to say it is cheaply built inside and out. It's like any other Chevy, plastics are thin, electronics are less than high tech, and the engine and transmission are less than desirable. The braking is good, but the pedal feels mushy. The engine starts well, and runs decently for it's size. The Montana needs a 3.8 engine like it had in the 90's. The 3.4 feels very base. Gas mileage is somewhere at 25 MPG on the highway. Van is noisy at any speed when it goes over bumps. Uses no fluids and does not do anything out of the ordinary. I can say for sure, that at over 100K miles, it would be a nightmare. If you're going to get a van of this year, take a look at Dodges Caravan.

On delivery:

* 600 miles on odometer

* Scratched bumper, cracked paint on the door, two of four headphones missing, DVD remote missing, and a wheel out of balance.

During ownership:

* Driver door handle replaced

* Sliding door seals replaced

* Radio replaced

* DVD player fixed

* Seat belt replaced

* Key-less remote replaced

* Lug covers replaced

* Window switch fixed

Although the engine and transmission were very smooth and powerful, the ride was poor over bumps. When crossing railroad tracks or other bumps, it always sounded like we had a load of dishes in the van. The paint job was also poor with dirt in the paint in several locations. The overall fit and finish quality was poor both inside and out.

The gas tank produces a "thud" sound when 100% filled. Sound gradually disappears as gas level drops, until it's totally gone starting at 50% and down.

Busted left side dash-bulb on the air con panel after 31,000 kilometers.

Left rear power window is intermittent.

After a series of driving test at my dealer, the service representative told me that the "thud" sound on my tank is "normal". They only have solution for this particular problem on Montana 98 & 99 model. He said they don't have the replacement straps needed for 2003 model. I have to tell him that it's not "normal" as it is a faulty design on their part. I'm sure nobody would want to buy a vehicle with an annoying sound that dealer would say as "normal".