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Pontiac Montana Electrical System Instrument Panel Safety Report | Nov 23, 2009
Reported on Nov 23, 2009
| THIS IS A 2004 PONTIAC MONTANA VAN WITH ABOUT 50,000 MILES ON IT. NO SAFETY RELATED ISSUES WITH THE VAN UNTIL NOVEMBER 2009. AT THAT POINT, VAN WAS DRIVEN ON AN EXTENDED TRIP OF ABOUT 200 MILES. DURING THE DRIVE, THE SPEEDOMETER, FUEL GAUGE, AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE ALL BECAME ERRATIC. THE FIRST SYMPTOM NOTICED WAS THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WAS SLOWLY INCREASING, EVEN THOUGH THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET AND THE VAN WAS NOT ACTUALLY SPEEDING UP. EACH TIME THE CRUISE WAS DISENGAGED TO SLOW DOWN, THE SPEEDOMETER READING WOULD NOT DECREASE. INSTEAD, IT WOULD REMAIN AT THE HIGHER SPEED. THEN, WHEN SPEEDING UP AND REENGAGING THE CRUISE CONTROL, THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD INCREASE. EVENTUALLY BY THE END OF THE TRIP, THE SPEEDOMETER WAS OFF THE SCALE. EVEN WHEN COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE SPEEDOMETER REMAINED AT ITS MAXIMUM POSITION. (THE OTHER GAUGES BEHAVED SIMILARLY, INCREASING TO MAXIMUM VALUES WHILE DRIVING.) WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS, IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE THE REAL SPEED OF THE VEHICLE. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT WE COULD DRIVE AT UNSAFE SPEEDS AND/OR RECEIVE SPEEDING TICKETS BECAUSE THE SPEEDOMETER IS MALFUNCTIONING. WE HAVE DISCOVERED THAT CYCLING THE IGNITION SWITCH MANY TIMES WILL EVENTUALLY RESET THE GAUGES. HOWEVER, ON LONGER DRIVES, THE PROBLEM RECURS QUITE CONSISTENTLY. THE DEALER AND GM REPRESENTATIVES HAVE CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM AND THEY WANT APPROXIMATELY $400 TO REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR OTHER GM MAKES AND MODELS FOR THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM, AND GM AGREED TO REPLACE THOSE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AT NO COST TO THE CUSTOMER. HOWEVER, THE PONTIAC MONTANA WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. *TR | |
| Make: | Pontiac |
| Model: | Montana |
| Manufactured by: | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. |
| Year: | 2004 |
| Was a crash reported? | N |
| Was an injury reported? | |
| Was a death reported? | |
| Was a fire reported? | N |
| Location: | KOKOMO IN |
| Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): | 1GMDX13E44D |
| Mileage: | 49000 miles. |
| Speed: | 70 MPH |
| Number of cylinders: | |
| Vehicle type: | |
| Vehicle fuel: | |
| Was a police report filed? | N |
| Tire size: | |
| Dealer name and location: | |
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