2001 PONTIAC MONTANA Engine And Engine Coolingengine Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 PONTIAC MONTANA. THE CONTACT STATED HE NOTICED ENGINE COOLANT LEAKING FROM THE HEAD GASKET. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THE DEALER ADVISED THE HEAD GASKET WAS DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 102,000.

I WAS JUST DRIVING TO THE STORE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WITHOUT WARNING MY VAN STARTED TO OVERHEAT AND SMOKE THE TEMP GOT TO ABOVE 260 AND IT JUST STOPPED IN THE ROAD. I HAD MY CHILDREN WITH ME AND HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED. MY 17 YEAR OLD SON HAD TO PUSH ME OUT OF THE ROAD AND I CALLED MY BROTHER AND HE DROVE OUT TO ME AND CHECKED THINGS OUT WHO IS A MECHANIC AND HE SAID I BLEW A HEAD GASKET, HE SAID THESE THINGS HAPPEN BUT IT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED AT 79,000 MILES. I CALLED AROUND TO SEE HOW MUCH IT WOULD BE TO FIX AND SO FAR NO ONE WILL DO IT BECAUSE IT IS ALOT OF TROUBLE. *TR

I HAD NO HEAT IN MY VAN AND TOOK IT IN TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THE AUTOMOTIVE PLACE THAT I TOOK IT INFORMED ME THE GASKET WAS LEAKING FLUID AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED IMMEDIATELY OR IT COULD SEIZE THE MOTOR. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THESE VEHICLES WERE KNOW FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE COST WAS TO REPAIR IT WAS IN EXCESS OF $850. A SUM WHICH I COULD NOT AFFORD BUT HAD TO PUT ON CREDIT AS I NEED THE VEHICLE TO GO BACK AND FORTH TO WORK. IF THIS MAKE AND MODEL ARE FAMOUS FOR THIS PROBLEM WHY HAVE THEY NOT BEEN RECALLED. IT WOULD SURE BE A GESTURE OF GOOD WILL ON PONTIAC IF THEY DID. *NM

I HAD THE OIL CHANGED AND THEN A FEW DAYS LATER THE VAN DEVELOPED A LEAK OF A RED/PINK FLUID. I TOOK IT IN TO THE PLACE WHERE I HAD THE OIL CHANGED AND THEN TO A LOCAL PONTIAC DEALER WHO ALSO FOUND THE SAME PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE LOWER GASKET WENT BAD. IT WOULD TAKE 1200 TO 1500 USD TO REPLACE IT. BOTH THE LOCAL PONTIAC DEALERSHIP AND THE GOODYEAR TIRE DEALERSHIP THAT FIRST CHANGED MY OIL SAID THAT IT THEY FOUND IT A COMMON REPLACEMENT ON THIS ENGINE, THE 3.4 L GM. *NM

BOUGHT A 2001 PONTIAC MONTANA WITH 102,400 MILES ON IT AND WITHIN THREE DAYS OF OWNERSHIP THE INTAKE GASKETS ARE BLOWN. REPAIRS ARE ESTIMATED TO BE $700-$900 WITHOUT KNOWING IT HAS DONE MORE DAMAGE THAN THAT. LOOKED ONLINE AND FOUND A WEBSITE THAT OVER 9600 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED THAT THEY HAD PROBLEMS WITH THAT SAME ENGINE 3.4L V6. THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL FROM GM AND I THINK THAT THERE SHOULD BE. WHY ARE WE STUCK WITH A BILL THAT HIGH, WHEN IT SUPPOSEDLY GOT RECTIFIED IN 2002 VEHICLES. I AM SURE THAT THERE IS MORE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE HEAD AND INTAKE GASKETS ON THESE VEHICLES THAT HAS NOT YET SIGNED THE PETITION. THE WEBSITE ADDRESS IS: HTTP://WWW.PETITIONONLINE.COM/GMCNSMRS/PETITION.HTML PLEASE REVIEW! THANK YOU. *NM

CAR BEGAN LEAKING ENGINE COOLANT FROM THE BACK OF THE ENGINE WITH ONLY 60,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. UPON EXAMINATION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE COOLANT LEAK WAS COMING FROM THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. THIS CAR HAS ALWAYS RUN HOT (BETWEEN THE HALF WAY MARK AND THE RED AREA OF THE GAUGE). THE CAR FINALLY OVERHEATED. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THERE WAS NO COOLANT IN THE ENGINE, HOWEVER THE BURP TANK WAS NEARLY FULL, WITH NO SPILLAGE. THE DEALERSHIP INSISTED THAT IT OVERHEATED BECAUSE OF THE LEAKING INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. WE RELUCTANTLY AGREED TO REPLACE THE GASKET TO A TUNE OF $1,376.00. THE CAR STILL RUNS TOO HOT IN MY OPINION, BUT HAS NOT YET OVERHEATED. *NM

PROBLEMS WITH INTAKE MANIFOLD AND AIR CONDITIONER. *MR *SC *JB

OIL FILTER LOCATED NEXT TO THE STARTER W BURNED A HOLE IN AIR CONDITIONER LINE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

FREON SPLASHED OUT THROUGH ENGINE COMPARTMENT. DEALER HAS REPAIRED VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK