NHTSA Complaint #761958 — 1999 PONTIAC MONTANA

I WENT TO THE DEALER COMPLAINING OF NO HEAT COMING OUT OF HEATER ALTHOUGH THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS NORMAL. THE SERVICE ADVISER SAID I PROBABLY HAD A GASKET LEAK, OPENED THE HOOD, AND IMMEDIATELY POINTED TO THE SPOT WHERE IT WAS LEAKING. IT WAS NOT LEAKING ENOUGH TO MARK THE PAVEMENT, IT WOULD JUST LEAK ONTO THE MOTOR AND EVAPORATE. OBVIOUSELY HE HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. I TOOK MY VAN TO GET IT FIXED AND A GASKET COULD NOT BE FOUND IN INDIANAPOLIS. ONE DEALER HAS 15 VEHICLES DOWN WAITING FOR GASKETS AND ANOTHER HAS, I BELIEVE THE NUMBER WAS 60 GASKET SETS ON BACK-ORDER. YET GM SAYS THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT THEIRS TO BE CONCERNED WITH. MY MECHANIC SAID THAT THERE IS A NATIONWIDE BACK ORDER LIST FOR THIS PARTICULAR GASKET, WHICH GOES ON THE PONTIAC MONTANA, CHEVY VENTURE, AND OIDS SILHOUETTE. IN ONE WEEKLY PAPER HERE IN CENTRAL IN, THERE ARE 33 MONTANAS AND SILHOUETTES, FROM 1998 TO 2001 LISTED FOR SALE. THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM. CAN YOU HELP?*AK