AI Damage2001 Pontiac Montana: common problems
Owners of the 2001 Pontiac Montana filed 156 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 156
- involving a crash
- 10
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 23% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel system 10% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 8% of all complaints
- 7 Latches, locks, linkages 7% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 7% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 36 complaints (23% of all).
- Electrical system: 20 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 20 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 15 complaints (10% of all).
- Service brakes: 15 complaints (10% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.4 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 3 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 156 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 | 36 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 20 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 20 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 15 | 4 | 0 |
| Structure | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| Visibility | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| Suspension | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 5 | 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 smell of gasoline is strong at times but a cursory examination by a mechanic doesn't show anything. After viewing the recalls concerning gas leaks I am worried. Can you tell me by the vin how many of the recalls shown on your page this vehicle has had and what it has missed before it burns me to death?
The contact's vehicle sustained damages to the driver and passenger side headlights and the hood. The vehicle was taken to the dealer in april and june of 2007 regarding this failure.
2001 pontiac montana was involved in an accident and none of the air bag equipment deployed. The consumer was broadsided by another vehicle, her vehicle spun around and turned over onto the drivers side. The consumer believed the side air bags should have deployed.
Upon impact, both frontal air bags failed to deploy. Driver and three passengers sustained minor injuries, and were taken to the hospital. Vehicle was towed to a garage for inspection. However, the cause had not been determined at this time.
The vehicle's tie rod failed. This caused the steering wheel to pull to the left. Please provide additional information.
The consumer was wearing a seat belt and suffered a concussion. The vehicle was totaled in the accident.
The van when in park will revive the engine and jump, when stopping with new brakes and all that fun stuff when the van is doing this reviving state it takes longer to stop and like the van is fighting it. It sometimes over shifts when in this state when taking off from a light (does the reviving thing when moving.
The tank leaks fuel at the inlet on the tank. Customer is able to put no more than enough gas in the tank where is below the level on the inlet on the tank.
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 2,546 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 7% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Montana has 88 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 156, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Pontiac Montana?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 156. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: A/C or heater (10%), windows, sunroof (8%), headlights and tail lights (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 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 2001 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 2001 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.