NHTSA Complaint #10133610 — 2000 PONTIAC MONTANA

2000 PONTIAC MONTANA 3.4 LITER NUMEROUS COOLANT LEAKS AT INTAKE AREA AT ABOUT 60,000 MILES. ALSO COOLANT COOLER ALLOWED OIL TO GET IN TO THE COOLANT SYSTEM. I RETORQUED INTAKE AND ALEVIATED PROBLEM FOR ABOUT 10,000 MILES AND THEN CAME BACK. ENDED UP HAVING DEALER REPLACE INTAKE GASKETS AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT GM HAD REDESIGNED THE GASKETS BECAUSE OF AN EPIDEMIC OF THIS EXACT PROBLEM. THE DEALER DESIGNATED 1 MECHANIC TO SPECIALIZE WITH THIS DEFECT AND I TALKED TO THE MECHANIC AND HE INGFORMED ME THAT HE HAD DONE THIS SO MUCH THAT HE COULD DO THE WOKK IN ABOUT 3 HRS VERSUS THE ORIGINAL 6 TO 7 HOURS IT TOOK HIM THE FIRST TIME HIS QUOTE "YOU DO IT AS MUCH AS I HAVE AND YOU GET VERY EFFICIENT". GM SHOULD HAVE RECALLED AND MADE GOOD ON THE REPAIR. IN THE LAST 20 YEARS I HAVE BOUGHT 6 NEW GM VEHICLES AND I AM VERY DISSAPPOINTED THAT THE DEALER/CORPORATE WOULD NOT MAKE GOOD ON THE REPAIR. IT COST ME $550.00 FOR DEALER REPAIR. I WANT TO BE REIMBERSED FOR THE REPAIR COST FOR THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT THAT GM CHOSE TO IGNORE OTHER THAT MAKING SURE THAT THE NEWER MONTANAS (3.4L) HAVE THE NEW DESIGNED GASKETS.