Problems · by component
2003 Pontiac Aztek electrical system problems
26 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2003 Pontiac Aztek cite electrical system, 18% of all 141 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
26
18% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
5
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the electrical system
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 PONTIAC AZTEK. AFTER THE CONTACT TURNED THE ENGINE OFF, BLACK SMOKE AND FLAMES APPEARED UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNAVAILABLE.”
“NOT EXACTLY SURE OF THE DATE OF THESE INCIDENTS, BUT I CAN SMELL FUMES COMING THROUGH THE VENTS WHEN I AM DRIVING, HAD TO GET THIS CHECKED A FEW WEEKS AGO. THE MECHANIC SAID THE GAS WAS LEAKING REPLACED THIS PART. I AM STILL SMELLING SOMETHING IN THE ENGINE AREA. I AM NOT SURE WHAT AND WHY. THE VEHICLE ALSO FEELS LIKE IT IS SHAKING WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES, AND THE BRAKES ARE FINE. IT USUALLY DOES IT WHEN I AM BRAKING AND ALSO WHEN I GO PAST 40MPH. IT HAS GOTTEN REALLY BAD THAT I AM THINKING ABOUT GETTING RID OF VEHICLE AND NOT HAVING A VEHICLE. ALSO, I CAN HEAR A CRANKING NOISE IN THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN I AM TURNING THAT MAKES ME THINK THE VEHICLE IS BREAKING IN HALF. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE GAS CAP LAST YEAR AS WELL FOR FUMES. *TR”
“SINCE OCTOBER 31ST. MY CAR HAS SHUT OFF ABOUT 15 WHILE DRIVING, I LOSE POWER OF MY STEERING AND CANNOT MOVE MY CAR. I SAW TODAY THAT THERE IS A GM IGNITION RECALL BUT MY CAR IS NOT INVOLVED WHEN I CALL GM.”
“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…”
“IN THE MIDDLE OF TURNING ON A BUSY ROAD I SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER TO MY CAR. IT SEEMED AS IF MY CAR WAS SHUT OFF BUT THE IGNITION WAS STILL IN THE ON POSITION. I ALMOST HIT/SIDE SWIPED 3 DIFFERENT CARS. THIS HAS BEEN A RECURRING ISSUE SINCE ABOUT FEB. 2014. I HAVE GONE TO DIFFERENT SHOPS AND NO ONE CAN SEEM TO TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG. FIRST IT WAS AN O2 SENSOR, THEN POSSIBLY A BAD SEAL ON MY GAS CAP, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. I'VE GONE THROUGH FIXING EVERYTHING THEY SAY AND NOW EVERYONE SEEMS TO BE AT A LOSS. I'VE HAD THIS ISSUE BOTH WHILE DRIVING AND WHILE SLOWING DOWN TO TURN. *TR”
Showing 6 of 26 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.