1999 Pontiac Montana window and wiper problems

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED (60MPH OR GREATER) THE WIPER WILL OVER RUN THE WINDSHIELD WHEN INITIALLY TURNED ON. THIS IS RESULTING IN DESTROYING THE BLADE AND CREATING A SAFETY PROBLEM. IT HAS HAPPENED FOR SEVERAL YEARS BUT THE GM DEALERS TELL ME THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD BY A FORMER BOSCH (CURRENT MANUFACTURER) VICE-PRESIDENT THAT WHEN BOSCH PURCHASED THIS MANUFACTURING LINE FROM UT AUTOMOTIVE, THEY NOTICED THE PROBLEM AND ADVISED G.M. OF THE ISSUE. G.M. CHOSE TO DO NOTHING. WHILE MY CAR IS OLDER, THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN PRESENT EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS NEWER. I AM REPORTING IT NOW BECAUSE IT IS GETTING WORSE. *TR *UPDATED 12/12/07 *BF UPDATED 12/12/07

NHTSA complaint #10202424 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED, WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY RAIN AT 50 MPH., THE WIPER BLADES ON THE WINDSHIELD COLLIDED WITH EACH OTHER. THE DRIVER SIDE BLADE/ASSEMBLY WAS TORN FROM THE WIPER ARM AND THE PASSENGER BLADE/ASSEMBLY WAS TWISTED OUT OF POSITION FOR PROPER OPERATION. UPDATED 07/25/06.

NHTSA complaint #10161480 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

ENGINE: INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAKING. I FOLLOWED THRU WITH A COMPLAINT TO THE BBB AND TO PONTIAC'S 800 NUMBER. I WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO HAVE THE VAN DIAGNOSED AT A GM DEALER BEFORE ANYTHING COULD BE DONE BY PONTIAC. MY DEALER QUALITY PONTIAC IN COCOA, FLORIDA LOOKED AT THE VAN AND AGREED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS LEAKING (NOVEMBER 2002). QUALITY INFORMED ME IT WOULD BE ABOUT $500 TO REPAIR. A PHONE CALL TO PONTIAC'S 800 # PUT PRESSURE ON THE DEALER AND THEY PERFORMED THE WORK FOR $100 PLUS EXTRA FOR A COOLANT FLUSH. THE TOTAL WAS AROUND $180. SUPPOSEDLY THE WORK CAME WITH A 12 MONTH 12000 MILE WARRANTY. I THINK THE VAN HAD 58000 MILES ON IT WHEN THIS WORK WAS PERFORMED. LOOKING BACK I HAVE A FEELING IT STARTED LEAKING EARLIER. TODAY WE HAVE 70500 MILES ON THE VAN AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS COMING ON. THE CODES INDICATE THAT ENGINE CYLINDER 5 IS MISFIRING. WE HAD NEW SPARK PLUGS PUT IN AND WILL NOW TRY NEW SPARK PLUG WIRES. IF THAT DOESN'T FIX IT THEN WE MAY NEED TO PUT IN NEW FUEL INJECTORS. MY COMPLAINTS TO DATE WITH THIS VEHICLES ARE: 1. ORIGINAL TIRES WORE OUT AT 24000 MILES $500 2. BATTERY DIED IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS. $0 3. DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED $ 156 - AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. 4. INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED $180 5. SLIDING POWER DOOR MODULE FAILED 4 TIMES. $0 6. FRONT BRAKES DRUMS WARPED AT ~35000 MILES $250. FRONT ROTORS CUT AND PADS REPLACED. 7. WINDSHIELD BUZZED FROM THE DAY WE BOUGHT IT (2 YEARS) AND TOOK US THREATENING THE LEMON LAW TO GET IT FIXED.

NHTSA complaint #10069738 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

AS APPEARS TO BE COMMON WITH THE ENGINE IN THIS VEHICLE, THE INTAKE GASKET FAILED CAUSING DEXCOOL TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE AND THUS CONTAMINATING NOT ONLY ENGINE OIL, BUT CAUSING FAILURE OF CRITICAL INTERNAL COMPONENTS DUE TO THE FACT THAT DEXCOOL DETERIORATES/WEAKENS CERTAIN METALS, ETC. IN OUR CASE, THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE COMPLETELY FAILED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON A 6 LANE EXPRESSWAY WITH NO PRIOR INDICATION OF PROBLEMS. GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS INFERIOR DESIGN! A RECALL SHOULD BE BEGUN IMMEDIATELY. WITHOUT QUICK, CALM REACTION MY PREGANANT WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN COULD HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED AND SEVERLY INJURED OR KILLED. HOW WOULD GM DEAL WITH THE PUBLICITY OF THAT LAWSUIT!

NHTSA complaint #10070316 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL NOT RETURN WHEN OFF, THEY RUN BUT STAY UP WHEN OFF.

NHTSA complaint #10016989 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

THERE WAS A RATTLE OR BUZZING NOISE COMING FROM THE WINDSHIELD. NLM

NHTSA complaint #786461 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR

PASSENGERS ELECTRICAL MIRROR GEAR WAS STRIPPED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint #565244 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

WINDSHIELD WIPERS SUDDENLY STOPPED WHILE WE WERE DRIVING IN A TORRENTIAL 3-HOUR DOWNPOUR. HAD TO PULL ONTO SHOULDER AND DRIVE WITH NO FORWARD VISIBILITY UNTIL REACHING A TOWN WITH A GARAGE. THIS WAS ON HIGHWAY 77 IN SOUTH TEXAS, A VERY HEAVILY TRAVELLED ROAD. WE WERE LUCKY TO HAVE AVOIDED BEING HIT FROM BEHIND. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE WIPER DRIVE ARM HAD COME OFF THE BALL-SHAPED STUD ON THE DRIVE CRANK. ONE OF THE TWO 5 MM SCREWS HAD COME OUT OF THE CLAMP HOLDING THE DRIVE ARM TO THE DRIVE STUD. THIS IS A SERIOUS WEAKNESS IN THIS VEHICLE AS A MORE SECURE LOCKING METHOD SHOULD BE USED FOR THIS CLAMP (I ADDED LOCKNUTS TO THE SCREWS ON MY CLAMP). THIS ARM MOUNTING UNDERGOES A LOT OF CYCLES WITH FAIRLY HEAVY ALTERNATING LOADING, AND SHOULD BE MUCH MORE POSITIVELY FASTENED THAN IT IS. I SUGGEST THAT THESE VEHICLES BE RECALLED AND A BETTER LOCKING SYSTEM ADDED TO THE WIPER DRIVE ARM.

NHTSA complaint #754663 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR

ON ONE OCCASION REAR GLASS HAS EXPLODED AND SHATTERED FOR UNKNOWN REASON. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND REPLACED WINDOW WITHOUT CHARGES. APPROXIMATELY TWO YEAR LATER PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED, AND DEALER REFUSED TO ASSIST WITHOUT CHARGES TO CONSUMER. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE US WITH ANY FURTHER INFOMATION ON THIS MATTER.

NHTSA complaint #889968 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

WHILE DRIVING AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR OPENED UP, CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE IN TO HAVE IT INSPECTED AND WAS ADVISED THERE WAS A PROGRAMMING FUNCTION THAT NEEDED TO BE REPORGRAMMED, THE DOOR WORKED FOR A FEW DAYS AND THEN IT STARTED ACTING UP AGAIN SO CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW MOTOR ACTIVATOR, THE DOOR WORKS FINE BUT SOMETIMES THE BUZZER GOES OFF FOR NO REASON, DEALERSHIP STATED THAT IS OK AS LONG AS DOOR IS WORKING.

NHTSA complaint #561095 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. WHILE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE IN MOTION THEY BEGIN TO INTERLOCK WITH EACH OTHER. WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAVE BEEN FIXED ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS.

NHTSA complaint #881041 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

OIL PAN HAS HEAVY OIL RESIDUE FILM WHICH GM CLAIMS TO BE NORMAL DUE TO ALUMINUM CASTING OIL PAN DESIGN THAT ALLOWS OIL TO SEAP THROUGH THE OIL PAN. A HEAVY OIL RESIDUE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE OIL PAN DOES NOT SEEM NORMAL AND APPEARS TO BE A LEAK. BURNING OIL CAN BE SMELLED INSIDE THE VEHICLE WHILE STOPPED. A FILE # HAS BEEN OPENED BY GM CUSTOMER SERVICE TO RECORD MY COMPLAINTS. RIGHT HAND DOOR POWERED MIRROR IS LOOSE AND LOSES SETTING WHEN DOOR SHUT.

NHTSA complaint #720571 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.