2001 PONTIAC MONTANA Latches/locks/linkages Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 PONTIAC MONTANA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT LATCH WHEN CLOSING, CAUSING THE DOOR TO OPEN WHEN DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE LATCH FAILED. AFTER CONTACTING THE DEALER, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 01V067000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH). THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 PONTIAC MONTANA. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT WHEN THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCK WAS DEPRESSED TO OPEN THE DOORS, THEY WOULD NOT OPEN. THE CONTACT HAD TO MANUALLY PUSH THE LOCK DOWN SO THAT IT WOULD FUNCTION PROPERLY. HE CONTINUED TO NOTICE THE FAILURE INTERMITTENTLY. IN NOVEMBER 2009, THE DOORS STOPPED LOCKING ALTOGETHER WHICH PROGRESSIVELY BECAME WORSE UNTIL THE DOORS WOULD NOT CLOSE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO TOLD HIM THAT THERE WAS A RELATED RECALL FOR THE FAILURE BUT THE REPAIR HAD BEEN PERFORMED PREVIOUSLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE; THE DEALER INFORMED HIM THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY A DIAGNOSTIC FEE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 133,000.

Mileage: 55,000

WHILE I WAS ON A BUSINESS TRIP IN OCTOBER, 2007, MY WIFE CALLED ME AND ADVISED ME THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO CLOSE THE MANUAL SLIDING DOOR ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF OUR PONTIAC MONTANA MINIVAN AFTER RETURNING HOME FROM RUNNING MY CHILDREN AROUND. SHE WAS FINALLY ABLE TO CLOSE IT AFTER SEVERAL FRUSTRATING ATTEMPTS. UPON RETURNING FROM MY TRIP THE FOLLOWING WEEK, I EXAMINED THE DOOR AND NOTICED THAT IT DID NOT CLOSE PROPERLY DUE TO THE MISALIGNMENT OF THE LATCH. IT SEEMS THAT THE DOOR MAY HAVE DRIFTED SLIGHTLY FROM ITS TRACK. I LOOKED CLOSELY AT THE LATCH MECHANISM AND NOTICED THAT THE BLACK PAINT HAD CAME OFF WHERE THE LATCH WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE HOOKED ON. OBVIOUSLY, THE CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS THAT THE DOOR WILL UNLATCH WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION POTENTIALLY CAUSING HARM TO MY CHILDREN. THE MINIVAN IS ALMOST 7 YEARS OLD AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO INVEST A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY TO FIX WHAT SEEMS TO BE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT OR DESIGN FLAW. *TR

Mileage: 146,000

MY FIVE YEAR OLD SON OPENED THE PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR AND STEPPED OUT FROM THE VAN. WHEN THE DOOR HAD BEEN CLOSING, HE FORGOT TO REMOVE A TOY FROM HIS SEAT, SO HE REACHED INSIDE AND THE SENSOR DIDN'T REGISTER THERE WAS SOMETHING BLOCKING AND CONTINUED TO CLOSE. WHICH THANKFULLY, MY HUSBAND WAS THERE TO PHYSICALLY OPEN THE SLIDING DOOR FROM CRUSHING MY LITTLE BOYS ARM EVEN FURTHER. MY SON HAD PART OF HIS ARM STUCK IN THAT DOOR!( RIGHT ABOVE HIS ELBOW.)MY LITTLE BOY WON'T EVEN SIT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE ANY LONGER. AND DOESN'T LIKE EVEN GOING NEAR THAT SIDE. SHOULDN'T THERE BE A BETTER, MORE SENSITIVE SENSOR ON THOSE DOORS? ONE TIME THE DOOR DIDN'T EVEN DISCONTINUE FROM CLOSING WITH MYSELF TESTING IT. *NM

Mileage: 70,115

NO EVENTS LEAD UP TO FAILURE. WHEN MY 5 YEARS OLD DAUGHTER OPENED THE DRIVER SIDE SLIDING DOOR OF OUR 2001 PONTIAC MONTANA EXTENDED MINIVAN FROM INSIDE, THE SLIDING DOOR FELL OFF AND LANDED ON THE GROUND ATTECHED ONLY BY BOTTOM BOLT.*AK IF ANY SMALL CHILD HAD BEEN PRESENT OUTSIDE THE MINIVAN THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED BY THE FALLING DOOR. WE HAVE BEEN THE SOLE OWNER OF THE MINIVAN, THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN GARAGED AND MAINTAINED. THE VEHICLE HAS ~42K MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT LONG'S PONTIAC IN FRAMINGHAM, MA I AM CONCERNED THAT AS THESE FAMILY VEHICLES AGE A CHILD MAY BE INJURED FROM A FALLING DOOR. THE REPAIRS CONSISTED OF PARTS REPLACEMENT AND REPAIRING DAMAGED CAUSED TO OUTSIDE OF DOOR AS HIT DRIVEWAY SURFACE. NO MODIFICATIONS WERE KNOWN TO MAKE SURE THIS EVENT NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.

Mileage: 42,000

I HAVE A 2001 PONTIAC MONTANA VAN. APPROX 18MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE NEW, I EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP (3/03) WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND THEY REPLACED THE CONTACTS. IN 6/03 I AGAIN EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS, THEY SANDED THE CONTACTS AND WORKED FOR A LENGTH OF TIME. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO SAND THE CONTACTS WHEN THE PROBLEM REOCCURS. I HAVE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE DOOR OPENING. I HAVE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE DOOR NOT STAYING SHUT, MEANING WHEN THE BUTTON IS PUSHED AND THE DOOR CLOSES IT WILL REOPEN. MY MOST RECENT PROBLEM HAS OCCURED IN 2/05. THE POWER SLIDING DOOR WHEN OPENED WOULD OPEN AND THEN IMMEDIATELY START SHUTTING AGAIN. AGAIN I RETURNED IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY HAVE FIXED THIS PROBLEM. THIS POWER SLIDING DOOR HAS BEEN A CONTINUAL PROBLEM SINCE MARCH 2003.*AK

Mileage: 26,000

I WOULD LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THE 2001 PONTIAC MONTANA MINI VAN THAT I HAVE. AFTER ABOUT 3 MONTHS THAT I OWNED THE VAN MY TWO SLIDING DOORS (NOT POWER SLIDING) THE LOCKS ON THEM EITHER STARTED TO EITHER NOT LOCK OR WOULD LOCK AND STICK. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR AWHILE AS WELL AS THE REAR POWER WINDOW MOTORS ARE OUT AND THE WINDOWS WILL NOT OPEN AT ALL THIS JUST HAPPENED WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND I THINK THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE SOMETHING DOES HAPPEN TO ANY ONE. *JB

Mileage: 63,000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS MALFUNCTIONING. REAR WINDOWS HALF OPEN AND WILL NOT CLOSE. FRONT WINDOWS WILL OPEN, BUT WILL NOT CLOSE. LIGHTS (INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL) WILL FLICKER IF I TURN ON THE RADIO, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, RAISE OR LOWER WINDOWS. LOCKS WILL ENGAGE AND DISENGAGE ON THEIR OWN OVER AND OVER AGAIN, EVEN IF THE VEHICLE IS AT REST. BRAKES ARE CONSTANTLY GOING BAD. I HAVE HAD TO GET THE BRAKES FIXED 4 TIMES IN THE PAST 18 MONTHS. A/C IS NOT WORKING. NO COLD AIR COMES OUT, ONLY HEAT.*AK

POWER SLIDING DOOR ON A PONIAC MONTANA MINIVAN: THE PASSENGER WAS OPENING THE POWER SLIDING DOOR FROM THE INSIDE AND GOT HER FOREARM TRAPPED BETWEEN THE INSIDE DOOR HANDLE AND THE SEAT (HAND PULLING BACK ON THE HANDLE AND AS THE DOOR SLID OPEN HER ELBOW WAS PINNED AGAINST THE SEATBACK). SINCE THE DOOR DID NOT AUTOMATICALLY REVERSE, IT CONTINUED TO OPEN AND EVENTUALLY BROKE ONE OF THE BONES IN JONIT'S FOREARM. *AK

PROBLEMS WITH PASS SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR. IT OPENS BACK UP AFTER IT IS ALMOST SHUT. DOOR DOESN'T UNLOCK ITSELF UNLESS YOU BANG ON IT. OPENED ONCE BY ITSELF. HAS BEEN IN FOR SEVICE 3 TIMES BUT NOT REPAIRED.TS

Mileage: 29,000

WHEN OPENING DOOR CONSUMER'S RIGHT THUMB GOT CAUGHT IN SLIDING DOOR HANDLE. ALSO, HANDLE WAS TRAPPED BETWEEN CONSUMER'S FINGERS AND THUMB, WHICH MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO RELEASE. THIS WAS A RENTAL VEHICLE. *AK RIGHT REAR DOOR OPENED ON CONSUMERS RIGHT WRIST, ELBOW, AND SHOULDER, CONSUMER COULD NOT GET HIS HAND OUT OF THE DOOR HANDLE, CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DRIVER DOOR OPEN SWITCH SHOULD BE DISABLED OR INACTIVATED, AND ALSO THE SWITCH ON THE DOOR COLUMN RIGHT SIDE BEHIND THE PASSENGER SHOULD BE REMOVED, CONSUMERS FINGER WAS INJURED, VEHICLE HAD BEEN RENTED FROM NATIONAL RENT A CAR. *SLC