Do not buy a pontiac monatna EVER

[Angielou1079]

So about 10 months ago we got a pontiac montana from Drivetime. In less than a month the drivers side window stopped working. No big deal we got it fixed under our warranty. Now last Sunday DBF was coming home from a gig over an hour away the overheating light came on and less than 30 seconds later it just up and died (its a 2002)....Had to wait until 10 am Monday morning for the DriveTime Repairs call center to open we had to pay to have it towed $100 to a mechanic shop which was a $100 ...even though we were told by drivetime that this would be covered. Mechanic advised DBF that his best bet would be to rent a car since it would take a few days to even look at and figure out what was wrong with it. So fast forward to last night. We had to wait until after 5pm to call drivetime for them to give us a quote on what was wrong with the vehicle. They told DBF it will cost $2300 to fix the vehicle for them to start fixing it we have to pay them $1132 then they charge you $280 a month for the next four months which is on top of the $190 every other week that we have to pay. Of course our warranty ended four months ago and supposedly wouldn't have covered it anyways We also have to rent a vehicle for ANOTHER wk because once they start fixing it it will take at LEAST that to fix which is another $130 on top of the $130 we've already spent to rent one for the past few days...I don't get how an engine and water pump blow on a six year old vehicle anyone else know? We always change the oil and all the other normal maintenance stuff you are suppose to do. I understand that we would have to pay more monthly etc because we both have horrible credit but now this on top of it? DBF is pretty sure that there was something wrong with it when we got it but of course we can't prove it. On top of THAT I am going to have a baby in like four weeks and won't be able to work for at least six weeks after that...cause I'm having a repeat c-section....anyways I just wanted to warn everyone about this vehicle because the mechanic told us that GM knows about these vehicles but will not do anything to recall them

 

[swald91]

The way the economy is now-I don't see us buying another (new or used) for quite sometime. I love my jeep but tough to keep that gas tank full!

 

[dis-happy]

Who exactly is DriveTime? A car dealer? A mechanic? I would get a written estimate of the exact repairs they want to make and then call a couple of other independant mechanics to see what they would charge. You may have to pay to have the car towed again but it would be worth it if you come out ahead dollar-wise. If you need to look up some good mechanics try the Car Guys website, there's a list there with people recommendations by city/zip code. Also, get on the internet and see if you can rent a car for less than $130. a week. Sorry it's been such a bad week, hang in there!!!

 

[Chelley00]

Sorry, but the dealer is full of crap about GM needing to recall the Montanas. We had an '02 Montana that we just traded in last summer. It had 189,000 miles on it and the only thing we ever had to do besides routine maintenance was a new alternator. It sounds like your vehicle wasn't taken of properly by the first owner.

 

[Angielou1079]

Thanks...yeah we're calling around to see about other pricing...the mechanic is also calling to see if he can get a better quote on the parts than what drivetime (they're a dealer) quoted us....thanks for that website I checked and the place where we have the van come recommended highly so I guess I feel better about that.....looked around on the internet where we are renting the car is the best deal in our area....we live about an hour from disney world...renting from EZ rent a car.....its like $78 a wk after taxes fees charges etc comes to about $130 a wk which isn't bad considering everywhere else is around $200....its just the point of having to pay to rent a vehicle and the towing which is aggrevating to me probably the fact that I'm pregnant and about four wks from having our daughter doesn't help my mood either trying to be as patient as possible

 

[mousefanmichelle]

I have a 2004 Montana and I have 130,000 miles on it and have not had 1 problem. I drive it very hard too - lead foot, hard braker, etc... It isn't my favorite vehicle I have ever had but it gets the job done.

I would look around for maybe a different dealer or is there any thing your BF can do like maybe the pump? look for an engine at a junk yard and change it out himself? Takes longer but would save a lot of money.

Good luck and congrats on the baby girl!

 

[Jen117]

I agree, we have a 2004 Montana and it has been the most reliable vehicle we have owned. There are always lemons out there. We previously had a 2000 Chrysler Voyager and there were 26 pages of maintenance records. I swear the vehicle was in the shop more than on the road and pretty much every part of it was replaced at some time due to a breakdown. My response to that... don't buy Chrysler. It happens, but it doesn't mean that all Montana's are junk.

 

[teresajoy]

So about 10 months ago we got a pontiac montana from Drivetime. In less than a month the drivers side window stopped working. No big deal we got it fixed under our warranty. Now last Sunday DBF was coming home from a gig over an hour away the overheating light came on and less than 30 seconds later it just up and died (its a 2002)....Had to wait until 10 am Monday morning for the DriveTime Repairs call center to open we had to pay to have it towed $100 to a mechanic shop which was a $100 ...even though we were told by drivetime that this would be covered. Mechanic advised DBF that his best bet would be to rent a car since it would take a few days to even look at and figure out what was wrong with it. So fast forward to last night. We had to wait until after 5pm to call drivetime for them to give us a quote on what was wrong with the vehicle. They told DBF it will cost $2300 to fix the vehicle for them to start fixing it we have to pay them $1132 then they charge you $280 a month for the next four months which is on top of the $190 every other week that we have to pay. Of course our warranty ended four months ago and supposedly wouldn't have covered it anyways We also have to rent a vehicle for ANOTHER wk because once they start fixing it it will take at LEAST that to fix which is another $130 on top of the $130 we've already spent to rent one for the past few days...I don't get how an engine and water pump blow on a six year old vehicle anyone else know? We always change the oil and all the other normal maintenance stuff you are suppose to do. I understand that we would have to pay more monthly etc because we both have horrible credit but now this on top of it? DBF is pretty sure that there was something wrong with it when we got it but of course we can't prove it. On top of THAT I am going to have a baby in like four weeks and won't be able to work for at least six weeks after that...cause I'm having a repeat c-section....anyways I just wanted to warn everyone about this vehicle because the mechanic told us that GM knows about these vehicles but will not do anything to recall them

Did they mention anything about the intake manifold gasket? We had to have ours replace two years ago on our Chevy Venture, these vans are known for this going out. Something about the antifreeze I've heard.

Other than that, which we were quoted $3000 to repair at our local Chevy dealer, but got fixed at our regular mechanic for $300 we have really liked the van. Although like many of these vans, the windshield wipers stick straight up! We have 112,000 miles on it .

 

[livndisney]

This sounds to me more like a "Drivetime" problem than a Pontiac Montana problem. I know where I live, Drivetime is known for charging a lot more than "standard" for repairs (and for purchasing a car).

I also would check online for a less expensive rental.

Hope everything works out.

 

[amandaraye]

. Although like many of these vans, the windshield wipers stick straight up! We have 112,000 miles on it .

That's so funny because We own a Venture that when we drove it off the lot in the pouring raina nd got going down the highway both wipers flew off .

anyhoo....we owned and LOVED our 2001 Montana... It was getting high in miles so we decided to trade it in for this Venture that had a DVD player and also 8 passenger seating which is harder to find around here than I realized. Our Venture has been in the shop NUMEROUS times and gosh I wish I had my Montana back!!! It feels more like a quality vehicle than the Venture does, too.

 

[Belle & Ariel]

We have both a Venture and a Montana. We love them both and knock on wood, have been trouble free. I think the problem is from the dealer and not GM. Extended warranties usually do not cover much and are a waste of money.
Good luck on your van and baby!

 

[mom2munchkins]

Sorry about all the added stress. We have a 2003 Montana. It has some weird electric things. Power locks are tempormental.Weird stuff like that.

 

[bdoyledimou]

The OP bought a used 6 year old minivan and is blaming the Original manufacturer for their issues with it.. going so far as to NEVER purchase that make/model EVER?

In 2005, the Montana received a serious under-the-hood makeover. It is very different than even the 2004 model. So there is 0 comparisons between 2002 and today.

On top of that, who knows what/how/who treated what with the original purchase.

(I own a 2005 Montana and have only had two issues with it..

1) A Sensor in the steering column would fail during a heavy rain due to flaw in the casing, it would get wet and short out, causing me to lose power steering.

2) Another sensor went on the van (the night before a drive from Toronto to Disney World in March 2005) which caused the van to think it had rolled. The gas pump shut down (to prevent fires) and the ABS system engaged. The problem was, i was driving 100 km/ph on a highway in Toronto, in the middle lane. The van came to a screeching halt, and within seconds the Onstar lady was on the line comforting me and ensuring me that the police and ambulance were on thier way. Luckily it was late at night and there was little traffic or that could have been a huge mess.

In both cases GM addressed the issues quickly (in the shop at 7 am and out by noon!) and i havn't had any issues beyond that with 140,000 Kms on the van.

 

[BellesMom72]

yes, please don't blame the manufacturer for those problems.

You simply do not know how the person who had the car before you ever treated it, and that's a risk you take when you buy a used car.

Around these parts, for the person that asked, Drivetime is where you go to get a car when you can't get a car anywhere else. Usually they are marked up at twice the real value, they have questionable warranties, and the cars have been around the block a time or two. They aslo charge an outragous amount of interest. From those I know that have used them in the past, you will always owe more than what the car is worth.

I'd suggest looking for a car in the paper and asking a mechanic you trust for their opinion before ever buying a car from drivetime.

 

[4winks]

I loved, loved, loved my Montana (2001). I am still bummed that we had to get rid of it to get a vehicle that would haul our camper.