AI Damage1997 Pontiac Montana: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Pontiac Montana filed 18 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and exterior lighting. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 18
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 44% of all complaints
- 2 Exterior lighting 17% of all complaints
- 3 Seat belts 11% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 11% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 11% of all complaints
- 6 Visibility 11% of all complaints
- 7 Air bags 6% of all complaints
- 8 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 8 complaints (44% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 3 complaints (17% of all).
- Seat belts: 2 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 2 complaints (11% of all).
- Suspension: 2 complaints (11% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 18 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The seatbelts did not lock and the airbags did not work..the vehicle was inspected and everything was said to be working fine..the van is fully loaded and all the elctronics are working perfectly, as far as I knew.
The metal cable on the spare tire winch had failed due to corrosion and allowed the tire to fall. Had this happened even 20 minutes earlier, when I was driving on the expressway, the tire would have been bouncing around on the highway, in moving traffic.
Pontiac transport montana was parked in a parking lot for 1/2 hour or so and became ingulfed in flames. Fire marshall thinks it was from battery/ electric. Destroyed our car and 5 others. No humans hurt...thank god it was parked and my son was not driving it.
The seat belt buckle in the middle row, center and right side seat is coming apart.
Intermittently vehicle had difficulty making a left turn, or was unable to make a left turn while in motion . Consumer received a recall notice concerning this problem back in october 23, 2003. But was not able locate that information in nhtsa data base.
A/c heat - air conditioning / heat unit in rear of van failed in 2001. Have not attempted to have it repaired to date. A/c and heat is ok front. Body - passenger automatic sliding door. Rattled almost from the day we bought the car. It also at times would not closed (in park).
Lens cover over the headlights fell out of both headlights on seperate occcasions. I had to buy the whole headlight assembly. I was driving down the road and they just fell out and broke on the road. We currently have a problem with it overheating have replace thermostat and water pump still having same problem.
The headlight on drivers side fell out while driving. The passenger side headlight fell out after the trunk was closed.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 8,624 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 24% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Montana has 88 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 18, below average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Pontiac Montana?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, exterior lighting, seat belts. Total complaints: 18. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (17%), overheating, coolant loss (17%), seat belts (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Pontiac Montana?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1997 Pontiac Montana from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1997 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.