AI Damage2003 Pontiac Montana: common problems
Owners of the 2003 Pontiac Montana filed 84 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and exterior lighting. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 84
- involving a crash
- 8
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 18% of all complaints
- 2 Exterior lighting 17% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 17% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 14% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 12% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 7% of all complaints
- 7 Latches, locks, linkages 6% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 15 complaints (18% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Exterior lighting: 14 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 14 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 12 complaints (14% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 10 complaints (12% of all).
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 2 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 84 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 12 | 6 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 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.
Van crashed with damage to the front when it ran off the road and went into a culvert/ditch and air bags did not deploy resulting in paralyzation of the wife of the owner after van had been apparently donated to Charity Cars as junk vehicle or salvage vehicle.
Not only was my seatbelt ineffective, but the airbag did not open. I did sustain chest injury. Iran a stop sign in town.
Multiple electrical problems: tail light goes out and is replaced, then driver headlight goes out. Water leaks inside drivers side headlight when it rains. The tail plug in for tail light bulb had gotten so hot it had melted the plug in both tail lights. Random electrical failure with windows and door locks occurring.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 60 mph, there was a loss of vehicle control without warning and the vehicle crashed into a highway barrier. The driver sustained minor injuries and there a police report was not taken. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined the rear axle fractured.
Since the shoulder belt did not hold the contact in the upright position, the air bags did not deploy, the contact sustained severe facial lacerations. The injuries required stitches, and caused severe bruising. A police report was taken, and the vehicle was considered a total loss.
I rented a 2003 pontiac montana van from alamo car rental in may, 2003. While driving home from arizona with four of my family members on a clear day, with good road condition, and within speed limit; the left rear tire had a blow out and resulted in a roll-over. The tire brand was general.
While in a stationary mode after parking to get air for my tires, the steering column locked. Took about 20 minutes with assistance to unlock, this I feel is unsafe with the climate of the world today, you need to be able to get in your vehicle turn it on and be on your way.
In addition, the power steering made an abnormal winding noise. The dealer (stoops buick gmc, [address], plainfield, [ZIP], [phone]) informed the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 216,000.
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 3,956 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 11% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Montana has 88 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 84, about average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Pontiac Montana?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, exterior lighting, fuel system. Total complaints: 84. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (14%), smoke, burning smell, fire (7%), windows, sunroof (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2003 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 2003 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 2003 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.