NHTSA Complaint #766416 — 2002 PONTIAC MONTANA

CAR DID NOT COME WITH AN ASHTRAY AND NONE ACCORDING TO THE DEALER IS AVAILABLE IN THAT MODEL THIS YEAR. WHAT THE DEALER OFFERED WAS A PLACE IN ASHTRAY TO GO IN THE CUPHOLDER. THIS I TOOK AS A REPLACEMENT TO THE UN-OFFERED AND NOT AVAILABLE ASHTRAY. HOWEVER SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER GETTING THIS NEW CAR I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT AND WENT TO PUT OUT MY CIGARETTE. BECAUSE THERE WAS NO LIGHT AND THE DASHBOARD HAS NO LIGHTS IN THAT AREA MY CIGARETTE HEAD HIT THE FRONT OF THE CUPHOLDER DROPPING THE LIT HEAD ON THE FLOOR. IMMEDIATE PANIC ENSUED RESULTING IN ME REMOVING MY EYES FRON THE ROAD TO RECOVER THE LIT HEAD OF THE CIGARETTE. I ASKED THE DEALER IF PONTIAC OFFERED A LIGHT FOR THAT AREA AND THE ANSWER WAS NO,. I VERIFIED THAT WITH PONTIAC CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AND THEY SAID THERE IS NOT EVEN A SMOKERS PACKAGE AVAILABLE. I WOULD HAVE NOT UPGRADED FROM MY 1998 MONTANA WHICH HAD AN ASHTRAY IF I KNEW IT DIDN'T BEFORE TAKING DELIVERY. THIS IS NOT ONE OF YOUR MAJOR CASES BUT SHOULD BE LOOKED AT AS A POSSIBLE FIRE OR SAFETY HAZARD. *AK