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2000 Pontiac Montana EXT

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2000 Montana EXT.

Body VANTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2000 Pontiac Montana EXT is a van configured with a four-speed automatic transmission and EPA-estimated fuel economy of 17 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 19 mpg combined, requiring 4.5 quarts of 5W-30 API oil at service intervals. With 250 owner complaints on record—concentrated primarily in Engine & Engine Cooling—and seven factory recalls issued, this model year represents a particularly volatile period in the Montana's production history, signaling significant durability concerns that overshadow its practical utility.

Model year2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy17/24/19 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 78 · 600 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731175. Note the factory front wiper blades, serpentine belt and cabin air filter are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 78 · 600 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP215-70R15OEM · verified

Wheel / rim6-J inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731175 alt 25322835
Engine air filter	19166106
Fuel filter	10290491
Spark plug	19301813
Front wiper blades	10329207 discontinued · alt 10329206
Serpentine belt	19172683 discontinued
Thermostat	24507563 alt 10226107
Cabin air filter	19238408 discontinued

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	201.2 in
Overall width	72.8 in
Overall height	68.1 in
Wheelbase	120.1 in
Curb weight	3942 lb
Track (front / rear)	61.4 / 63.4 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	59/41

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	17 / 24 / 19 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Regular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	Upper: 18 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	12 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts	7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts

100 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-2-3-4-5-6
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance	5000-7000 ohms
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Gap	0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque	11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	8.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	78
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	600 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	20 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	188-206 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	52-59
Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum	59.0 psi
RPM	42-56 @ Idle rpm
Engine Compression	100
Engine Compression	100 Minimum psi

Brakes

Brake Application	WITH REAR DISC
Torque Caliper to Bracket	33 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	92 ft-lbs
Brake Application	WITH STANDARD
Torque Caliper to Bracket	63 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	137 ft-lbs
Brake Application	WITH STANDARD
Torque Caliper to Bracket	63 ft-lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 10,000 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 mi	Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 10,000 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Underbody (inspect)
Every 15,000 mi	Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 100,000 mi	Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
At 150,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2000 Pontiac Montana EXT lead in one area — the engine & engine cooling, 59 of 250 reports (24%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 7 recall campaigns target the engine & engine cooling, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 14 of the reports describe a crash and 7 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the engine & engine cooling pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

301

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

250

Owner complaints

14 involved a crash · 7 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 250 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling59

Structure23

Air Bags16

Electrical System14

Visibility13

Power Train12

Exterior Lighting10

Service Brakes, Hydraulic9

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 7 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

09E005000SteeringReported 17/02/2009

DORMAN IS RECALLING 979 STEERING KNUCKLES, DORMAN P/NOS. 697-902 AND 697-903, SOLD UNDER DORMAN'S "OE SOLUTIONS<SUP>TM</SUP>" BRAND NAME, AND NAPA P/NOS. 7-8502 AND 7-8503 WHICH WERE SOLD FOR REPLACEMENT USE ON THE… Remedy: DORMAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE STEERING KNUCKLES FREE OF CHARGE AND REIMBURSE THE REPAIR FACILITY OR OWNER FOR LABOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 23, 2009…

01V264000Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:LatchReported 21/08/2001

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: 1997-2001 CHEVROLET VENTURE, PONTIAC MONTANA/TRANSPORT, AND OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE MINI VANS EQUIPPED WITH PASSENGER SIDE POWER SLIDING DOORS THAT WERE SERVICED IN CAMPAIGN 01013 (01V-067) FROM APRIL… Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF REQUIRED, INSTALL A NEW POWER SLIDING DOOR UNLATCH ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON OCTOBER 22, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 301 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP4723J	2024-10-25	Electrical System	This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIT5099H	2024-09-12	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5099H	2024-09-12	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
General Communication	2024-08-26	Electrical System	Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It…
18-NA-099	2024-06-17	Unknown Or Other	This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Montana EXT. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 78 battery Vehicles taking 4.5 qt Engine oil filter 12731175 Engine air filter 19166106 Fuel filter 10290491 Spark plug 19301813

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2000 Montana EXT take?

4.5 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2000 Montana EXT have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Montana EXT get?

EPA figures are 17 city / 24 highway / 19 combined mpg.