Van crashed with damage to the front when it ran off the road and went into a culvert/ditch and air bags did not deploy resulting in paralyzation of the wife of the owner after van had been apparently donated to Charity Cars as junk vehicle or salvage vehicle. Vehicle was apparently repaired by towing company and offered for sale at at a used car dealership in Zanesville, Ohio. The passenger side lower dashboard had a white wire hanging down which may have been connected to a defective replacement airbag. I am an attorney representing the owner and the owner's wife. Black box was analyzed in 2019, but not with the latest program.
Pontiac Montana no deployment problems
25 of the 1,054 owner complaints about the Pontiac Montana describe airbags did not deploy in a crash, most of them for the 2000 model year.
- owner complaints
- 25
- worst model year
- 2000
- typical mileage
- 90,000
Is there a fix? There are 6 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Seat belt 2Headlights 2Check engine light 2Won't start 1Wipers 1Fire or smoke 1Ball joint 1
What owners say
In left turn lane in the intersection..oncoming vehicle hit head on. Airbag failed to inflate on drivers side. Driver airlifted to trauma hosp.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 pontiac montana. The contact stated that the driver was traveling 10 MPH when another vehicle crashed into the driver's side rear of the vehicle, causing it to go into a tail spin. The contact was a passenger in the vehicle and stated that the seat belt did not restrain her and the passenger seat fractured. In addition, the air bags did not deploy. Both the driver and the contact sustained injuries to the upper part of the body and both were transported to the emergency room for observation. The vehicle was towed and destroyed. The police were notified and a report was filed. The manufacturer was notified of the incident but provided no assistance. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 pontiac montana. The contact was driving approximately 45 MPH and crashed into a tree while attempting to avoid hitting an animal. There was damage to the front end of the vehicle and driver side door. The air bags failed to deploy with the significant impact. The contact sustained bruises on the body from the tightening of the seat belt. A police report was filed of the incident. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 131,042.
Addition to filed airbag accidents the federal safety agency-farm bureau-still insuring the unsafe vehicle. As I drive with a head injury. Other injurys and expected to care for adult child with tbi. Farm bureau stopped paying her pip benefits. The federal safety agency id-=my accident 11-11-2010 daughters 3-18-2010 seatbelts did not lock down. 2 tbi accidents same year. No air bags deployed. No one asked if seat belts locked.did not know to report.
I was in an accident. Hit andrun.on 3-18-2010. Insured by farm bureau. Who still insures the faulty vehicle. The impact was from a large white truck. Traveling at a high speed rate turning through a red light as I crossed an intersection. No air bag deployed.registered on11-28-2010.realized the seat belts did not activate either. No one asked.yes it was connected.mothers accident on 11-11-2010 rearend collision. Stopped hit by a truck traveling 35mpg no air bags. No seat belt lock down. Emt said saw her go over steering wheel in front of mclaren hospital. They did not admit her. No investigation. Farm bureau still insures faulty vehicle. State farm insured. Was on drugs or drinking. City police let her go. And for mine they had several reports of white truck hit and runs no investigations. Done in city. Lack of funds.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 pontiac montana. The contact was driving approximately 60 MPH and crashed into a deer. The air bags did not deploy and there was damage to the hood, head lights, fender and passenger side door. The contact sustained a bruised eye and injuries to the lips. The passenger sustained a broken finger and wrist and the rear passenger sustained a puncture wound to the forehead. The contact stated that the air bag and check engine warning lights were illuminated and the tail lights became inoperable immediately after the crash. The brake lights would operate erratically. The contact was able to drive the vehicle from the scene of the crash. The manufacturer was contacted and sent an inspector to inspect the vehicle who confirmed that the air bags were defective. The contact referenced the recall associated with the federal safety agency campaign id number: 06v417000 (air bags: frontal) but the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 78,900.
Daughter-in-law was driving our 2000 montana van and rear-ended a pickup truck. Caused $3700 damage, bent in bumper, radiator, A/C condenser, hood and broke headlight. Airbags did not deploy in this instance.
I was stopped at a red light in front of a hospital's pedestrian walkway. A woman in a 1994 silverado truck rear ended me. She was traveling 35mph. Did not see stopped traffic. My steering wheel airbag did not deploy nor any other airbag. The second impact this year and no airbag deployment insurance,deems vehicle still safe. They came and looked at damage. Knowing daughter suffered a tbi in march for same defect they are not recognizing.
Daughter 23yrs old. Began to cross into intersection with traffic. A white truck came turning left hitting the vehicle to her right and clipping the front right side of the pontiac montana. The vehicle to her right lost a piece of the bumper which was a dodge they did not stop.she lost conciousness.found herself stopped.and traffic was passing by her no one stopped.pieces of the cars were left in the intersection. We have pictures.her air bag did not deploy.
Related recalls
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- Certain vehicles originally built with cloth seats that were equipped with an automatic air bag passenger sensing system and later reupholstered with aftermarket leather seat cover kits are involved. Testing has indicated that the aftermarket leather seat covers can cause the passenger sensing system to malfunction.
- Risk
- If the passenger sensing system malfunctions, the front air bag on the passenger side may be disabled when it should be enabled, or enabled when it should be disabled. In either case, in the event of a crash that requires air bag deployment, a front passenger's level of injury may be increased.
- Remedy
- Because a replacement leather seat cover that is compatible with the passenger sensing system is not available, general motors (gm) will repurchase these vehicles in accordance with the terms stated in gm's letter to owners. The recall began on november 6, 2006. Owners should contact gm at 1‑877‑477‑1022 to begin the process of repurchasing their vehicle.
Recall number 06V417000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- On certain mini vans, passenger and sport utility vehicles, some of these vehicles have a driver's side air bag that may not deploy as designed. In addition, the air bag inflator could rupture.
- Risk
- This could result in reduced capability of the air bag to protect the driver. Also if the air bag inflator ruptured, pieces of the inflator could strike and injure the vehicle occupants.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, install a new driver's air bag. Owner notification began on march 11, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact buick at 1‑800‑521‑7300, cadillac at 1‑800‑458‑8006, chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020, gmc at 1‑800‑462‑8782, or pontiac at 1‑800‑762‑2737.
Recall number 03V051000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger, sport utility vehicles and mini vans, some of these vehicles have a passenger air bag that was manufactured without a check valve pin. An air bag without the check valve pin could produce increased pressure at the onset of the air bag deployment and reduced pressure afterward.
- Risk
- This could increase the severity of injury to a person who was not properly restrained and who was close to the passenger air bag at the time of deployment. It could also reduce the ab8ility of the air bag to protect a restrained front seat passenger.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger air bag. Owner notification began december 16, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020, pontiac at 1‑800‑762‑2737, oldsmobile at 1‑800‑442‑6537, or saturn at 1‑800‑553‑6000, prompt #3.
Recall number 02V329000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger, mini vans, and sport utility vehicles have an air bag inflator on the driver's side that could fracture at a weld during a deployment.
- Risk
- Pieces of the inflator could strike and injure vehicle occupants and the air bag cushion would not inflate fully, reducing the capability of the bag to protect the driver.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect, and replace, if necessary, the air bag module assembly on the driver's side. Owner notification began august 15, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact buick at 1‑800‑521‑7300, cadillac at 1‑800‑458‑8006, chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020, gmc at 1‑800‑462‑8782, oldsmobile at 1‑800‑442‑6537, or pontiac at 1‑800‑762‑2737.
Recall number 02V222000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles and mini vans, the driver's air bag inflator modules could produce excessive internal pressure. In the event of a crash that would trigger a driver's air bag deployment, the increased internal pressure can cause the inflator module to explode.
- Risk
- Metal and plastic debris could cause severe injury to vehicle occupants.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the driver air bag module. Owner notification began february 1, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact pontiac at 1‑800‑762‑2737.
Recall number 02V027000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger, sport utility vehicles and minivans. The passenger air bag inflator modules were built without the correct amount of generant, which produces the gas that fills the air bag. Some were built with a double load of generant and some were built without generant.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash that would trigger a passenger air bag deployment, a double load of generant can cause the inflator module to explode. If the air bag module explodes, metal and plastic debris could cause severe injury to vehicle occupant. A module with no generant would not inflate the air bag, and the occupants could receive more severe injuries.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the passenger air bag module. Telephone calls were made to owners on january 29, 2001. Follow up owner mailing began on april 17, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020, pontiac at 1‑800‑762‑2737, or saturn at 1‑800‑553‑6000.
Recall number 01V026000 · Recall details
Questions about the Pontiac Montana no deployment
Which Pontiac Montana years have airbags did not deploy in a crash problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2000 (12 complaints), 1999 (5 complaints) and 2003 (3 complaints).
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