1998 Pontiac Montana problems
The 1998 Pontiac Montana has 62 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (19%) concerns engine. Next are brakes (8%) and electrical system (8%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 62 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 19% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 3 and 1
- Injuries and deaths
- 2 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 75,000 miles 23 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 4 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 1 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 2 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 5 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 2 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 5 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 1 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 2 |
What the data shows
Of the 23 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 75,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 3 complaints mention a crash; 1 complaint mentions a fire; 2 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1998 ranks 7th most-complained-about out of 10 model years of the Pontiac Montana with enough data (43 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
While traveling 45 MPH, vehicle swerved to avoid another vehicle, and ran into a telephone pole. Neither driverside air bag nor passenger air bag deployed.
While driving on march 16,2004 I hit black ice in the road,went off the road, rolled over and both front doors came open by themselves and I suffered a head injury that I am still recovering from due to the doors opening. It could have been alot more seroius because during rollover I felt my legs go outside the vehicle.
I was driving down the street when I noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood of my vehicle. I pulled off of the road into a parking lot and ran inside a business to call for help. Within 2 minutes my vehicle was englufed in flames. I called 911. The vehicle is a total loss. We had just had the vehicle serviced and oil changed a month ago.
We have had problems with both the left and right power windows. The right power window started sticking half way up. It was repaired at 36,000 52,000 and 80,000 miles. The symptoms were always the same except at 80,000 the window stuck down (during a very rainy weekend). It was no longer under warrenty and we had to pay for the repair. Now at 90,000 miles the driver window is sticking half way up again. It will totally freeze soon.
The engine just turned off while starting to turn a corner. Lost power steering and power breaks, but the car just rolled on. Put car in neutral and turned key it started and then drove normally. This has now happened 4 times. The previous owner, when contacted, said, just restart the car! Does this relate to GM ignition switch recall?