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2002 Pontiac Montana

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2002 Montana.

Body VANTransmission Automatic 4-spd

Defined as a van utilizing an Automatic 4-spd transmission, the 2002 Pontiac Montana returns EPA fuel economy of 16/22/18 mpg and requires 4.5 qt of 5W-30 API oil. Reliability records for this specific year indicate 5 recalls and 135 total owner complaints, with the top complaint area designated as Engine & Engine Cooling. Contextualizing these figures within the 1997-2008 model history reveals a trajectory that peaked at 262 complaints in 1999 and reached a low of 1 in 2008, positioning the 2002 model as a moderate entry in the generation's lifespan. This placement indicates a vehicle that had moved past the peak failure rates of the late nineties but had not yet reached the minimal complaint levels of the final production years.

Model year2009 2005 2004 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 economy16/22/18 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 Note the factory front wiper blades and cabin air filter are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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 sizeP225-60R16OEM · 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	19301810
Front wiper blades	10329207 discontinued · alt 10329206
Serpentine belt	12588408 alt 12576454
Thermostat	24507563 alt 10226107
Cabin air filter	10322538 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	16 / 22 / 18 mpg
Drivetrain	4-Wheel or All-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. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

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
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	7.77 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	78
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	600 cca

Service checks

Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	52-59
Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum	59.0 psi
RPM	42-56 @ Idle rpm
Injector Primary Resistance	11-14 na ohms
Engine Compression	100
Engine Compression	100 Minimum psi
Engine Oil Pressure	60 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPM	1850 rpm

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

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

1	44 ft. lbs.	44 ft. lbs
2	95 degrees.	95 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the 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 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.

The 2002 Pontiac Montana sits on the descending side of a complaint curve that crested at 262 in 1999 and 250 in 2000, with its 135 complaints representing a substantial decline and continuing the downward arc through 2003 (97) and 2004 (39). Recall activity stepped down to 5 from the 2001 generation peak of 11, and the single open investigation is the lowest tier seen across the model's federal record. Service-bulletin volume, however, keeps climbing — 439 TSBs versus 387 in 2001 and 301 in 2000 — a pattern typical of an aging population rather than a defect indicator on its own. The 2002 model year's complaint concentration is led by Engine & Engine Cooling (20), followed by Exterior Lighting (11), Fuel System/Gasoline (10), and Latches/Locks/Linkages (8), with only 3 crash-related and 1 fire complaint filed, which is a relatively low severity profile for this generation. Bottom line: 2002 is one of the stronger years in this generation to consider, but a pre-purchase inspection should specifically validate the cooling and fuel systems and confirm that all five recalls were performed.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

439

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

135

Owner complaints

3 involved a crash · 1 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01’02’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 135 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling20

Exterior Lighting11

Fuel System, Gasoline10

Latches/Locks/Linkages8

Fuel/Propulsion System7

Structure7

Visibility7

Service Brakes, Hydraulic7

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 5 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…

07V349000Fuel System, Gasoline:StorageReported 08/08/2007

ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, VARIATIONS IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS OR EXPOSURE TO HIGH AMBIENT TEMPERATURES MAY LEAD TO FRACTURE OF THE FUEL TANK INLET CHECK VALVE (ICV). Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK. THE RECALL WILL BE MAILED IN TWO PHASES WITH THE FIRST PHASE BEGINNING ON DECEMBER 4, 2007. THE SECOND PHASE WILL BE MAILED ON DECEMBER 13…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 439 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP5601C	2025-07-18	Unknown Or Other	This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIP5358D	2025-02-19	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
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…

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. 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 19301810

Reference guides

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

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

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2002 Montana take?

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

Does the 2002 Montana have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Montana get?

EPA figures are 16 city / 22 highway / 18 combined mpg.