Problems · NHTSA complaints
2003 Pontiac Aztek problems
Owners filed 141 complaints about the 2003 Pontiac Aztek with NHTSA between Apr 2002 and Aug 2022. The most-cited component is electrical system (26).
Complaints
141
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
6
Reported by owners
Fires
7
Reported by owners
Injuries
8
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Electrical system26
- Fuel system, gasoline23
- Engine and engine cooling21
- Service brakes, hydraulic15
- Power train14
- Suspension13
- Fuel/propulsion system12
- Steering10
- Visibility7
- Engine6
- Structure6
- Equipment5
- Service brakes5
- Electronic stability control (esc)4
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
1
15
21
20
8
21
13
5
4
6
3
2
9
4
2
2
4
0
0
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2003 | 15 |
| 2004 | 21 |
| 2005 | 20 |
| 2006 | 8 |
| 2007 | 21 |
| 2008 | 13 |
| 2009 | 5 |
| 2010 | 4 |
| 2011 | 6 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 9 |
| 2015 | 4 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Electrical system
26 reports5 fires
“I HAVE BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH MY AZREK SHUTTING OFF ON ME IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING AND NOW IT WINT EVEN START. I HAVE REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND VAPOR SENSOR DUE TO IT NOT GETTING ANY FUEL PRESSURE. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND THERE ARE 2 DIFFERENT RECALLS FOR MY VEHICLE WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN DONE DUE TO MY VIN NOT BEING ACNOWLEGED WITH THE RECALL”
Fuel system, gasoline
23 reports1 related recall
“DASH LOSING DIFFERENT COMPONENT OPERATION. STARTED WITH FUEL GAUGE AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE THEN AFFECTED RADIO LIGHTS AND LCD DISPLAY. NOW VEHICLE SPEEDOMETER HAS BECOME ERRATIC AND UNTRUSTWORTHY. RADIO LIGHTS AND DISPLAY AN INCONVENIENCE BUT THE COMBINATION OF FUEL AND NOW THE SPEEDOMETER NOT READING PROPERLY IS CAUSING A CONCERN FOR SAFETY. AT THE RATE THIS IS GOING THE WHOLE DASH WILL BE MALFUNCTIONING SOON. ACCORDING TO WHAT I SEE THE PARTS ALONE CAN BE $300 - $500 PLUS THE REPAIR CHARGES. INTERNET HAS COUNTLESS ENTRIES ABOUT THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ON THE PONTIAC AZTEKS BUT NO SERVICE BULLETINS ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE AND NO MENTIONING OF ANY RECALLS BY PONTIAC. WHY ISN'T THE NHTSA LOOKING INTO THIS WITH SO MANY PROBLEMS BEING SHARED ON THE INTERNET? WHY ARE THE OWNERS BEING REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS SINCE IT'S SUCH A WIDESPREAD AZTEK ISSUE? *TR”
Engine and engine cooling
21 reports
“IT STARTED RUNNING ON ITS OWN AND THE RPM'S WENT UP TO 3000 IN PARK GEAR. I TOOK IT BACK TO COLONIAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THEY LOOKED AT IT AND DECIDED THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE MY IAC - IDLE AIR CONTROL MOTOR REPLACED. THE NEXT DAY 4/28/11, I PICKED UP MY CAR AND DROVE IT HOME. IT SEEMED AS THOUGH EVERYTHING WAS FIXED AND WORKING FINE. UNTIL, I DROVE MY CAR ON 4/30/11. THAT IS WHEN MY CAR'S RPM WENT UP TO 3500 IN PARK GEAR. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR FROM SOUTH BOSTON, MA ALL THE WAY TO THE CAR DEALERSHIP IN WATERTOWN, MA WITHOUT STEPPING ON THE GAS PEDAL AT A SPEED OF 40 MPH. NOW THE DEALERSHIP IS SAYING I NEED TO REPLACE THE TPS - THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. I AM NOT SURE THIS IS GOING TO FIX MY PROBLEM BUT I KNOW THAT I NEEDED TO REPORT THIS TO NHTSA. MOST LIKELY YOU WILL BE RECEIVED ANOTHER EMAIL FROM ME SHORTLY. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESS AND RESOLVED. I DO NOT WANT TO BE IN MY CAR AND HAVE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. I DON'T WANT IT TO SEEM LIKE THIS PROBLEM WAS NEVER REPORTED TO PONTIAC OR NHTSA. THIS CAN SAVE A LOT OF PEOPLES LIVES. PLEASE HAVE SOMEONE RESEARCH THIS PROBLEM AND GET BACK TO ME. PREVIOUS EMAIL SENT TO [email protected] ON…”
Service brakes, hydraulic
15 reports1 crash
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC AZTEK. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP THE CONTACT DROVE ONTO THE GRASS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER CONDENSATION PIPE CAUSED THE BRAKE LINE TO ROT. THE BRAKE LINES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. UPDATED 03/01/17*LJ *CN”
Power train
14 reports1 crash
“I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 30MPH WHEN MY VEHICLE JUST SHUT DOWN W/O WARNING/SYMPTOMS. MY LIGHTS STILL WORKED BUT THE VEHICLE TOTALLY SHUT DOWN AND LOCKED UP OTHERWISE AND I COASTED TO A STOP MID ROADWAY. KEY WAS STUCK IN IGNITION AND IN THE ON POSITION AND WOULDN'T LET ME TURN KEY TO ANY OTHER POSITION AND KEY WOULDN'T COME OUT SO I SAT UNTIL BATTERY DIED WHICH SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF.WHEN VEHICLE INITIALLY LOST POWER AND CAME TO A STOP I TRIED TO PUT VEHICLE INTO PARK AND ATTEMPT A RESTART WHICH IS WHEN I REALIZED THE KEY AND IGNITION WOULDN'T MOVE AND THEN VEHICLE WOULDN'T MOVE OUT OF PARK EITHER.ALSO AT THE MOMENT MY CAR SHUT DOWN,I GLANCED DOWN AT DASH AND SAW SYSTEM WARNING MESSAGE FLASH STATING ABS ERROR BUT WAS UNSURE IF THIS WAS THE ONLY MESSAGE IT HAD FLASHED OR IF THIS WAS JUST THE LAST ONE THAT I CAUGHT AND THEY HAD POSSIBLY ALL FLASHED AS PART OF THE MALFUNCTION BUT HAD NEVER HEARD OF ANYTHING BRAKE RELATED CAUSE AN ENTIRE VEHICLE SYSTEM TO SHUT DOWN TOTALLY AND BE DEAD AS A RESULT WITH TOTAL LOCKUP OF ALL CONTROLS.I HAD TO HAVE VEHICLE TOWED HOME AND HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT CONFUSION FROM ALL OF THE TOW TRUCK DRIVERS, MECHANIC FRIENDS, ETC.AS TO WHAT OR WHY…”
Suspension
13 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC AZTEK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES DID NOT ALWAYS RESPOND AND NEEDED TO BE APPLIED REPEATEDLY IN ORDER TO FUNCTION AS NORMAL. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP, WHERE FAULTY SENSORS WHERE REPLACED; HOWEVER THE WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO FOUND A LEAK ON THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE THEN EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY DRIVING UPHILL. THE VEHICLE'S SPEED DECREASED AND THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE PIVOTAL JOINTS IN THE REAR WHEELS WERE DEFECTIVE AND CAUSED UNUSUAL TREAD WEAR AND TEAR OF THE TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS 07E021000 (FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICES) AND 07V349000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE, HOWEVER NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED DUE TO MILEAGE ON VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 160,000.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.