AI Damage2004 Pontiac Montana: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Pontiac Montana filed 39 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and latches, locks, linkages. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 39
- involving a crash
- 8
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 2 Latches, locks, linkages 13% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 10% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 8% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 8% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel system 8% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 8% of all complaints
- 8 Equipment 5% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 5 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Latches, locks, linkages: 5 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 4 complaints (10% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (8% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 3 complaints (8% of all), 1 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 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 39 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 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Backover prevention | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
2004 montana air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle was involved in a head on collision. The consumer sustained chest, leg, and chest injuries.
I was stopped at a stop sign and some young man came flying around the corner and hit me head on as I was stopped, and my air bags never went off , the body shop man said the sensors were sheared right off, the pontiac 2004 van is now totaled and I still hurt.
Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was in neutral, the throttle engaged and the vehicle accelerated. The contact shifted the gear into reverse and backed into a tree to get the vehicle to stop.
My wife was traveling on highway 401 in canada when she lost control of our 2004 gm montana and went straight into the center concrete medium the front of the van was pushed in 3 inches, but no airbags were deployed . The damage to the van was 22000.
I have two complaints that no one seems to be interested in. First one is the back up sensor not correctly installed. People at the service department said it was working fine, but it only worked occasionally.
Vehicle comes equipped with a sensor that alerts the driver when reversing. When vehicle is 2 feet away from an obstacle this sensor is malfunctioning and works intermittently.
Putting gas in tank and it just started pouring out from under the van. This happen at a gas station and I worried about an explosion.
Whenever the vehicle was started, the strong odor was prevalent and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 151,613. Updated 09/27/16
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 6,011 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 16% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Montana has 88 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 39, below average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Latches, locks, linkages. Door, hood and tailgate latches, especially near the impact.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Pontiac Montana?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, latches, locks, linkages, air bags. Total complaints: 39. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (10%), smoke, burning smell, fire (5%), airbags did not deploy (3%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 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 2004 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 2004 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.