2001 PONTIAC AZTEK Complaints

FUEL LEAKAGE: SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONING-INABILITY TO MAKE A GOOD SEAL... TANK-LEAKAGE FUEL/EMISSIONS- DETECT PROBLEM CURRENTLY PASSENGER AIR BAG MAY NEED PIN REPLACE: WISH TO HAVE ALL CHECKED OUT! SAFETY CHILD SEAT HOLDER MAY NOT BE FUNCTIONAL. *TR

IN EARLY JULY, 2008, SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. DEALERSHIP REPLACED GAS CAP BECAUSE DIAGNOSTIC CODE INDICATED FUEL VAPORS ESCAPING. SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON NEXT DAY. RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP, EXPLANATION WAS THAT THE CODES MUST HAVE NOT BEEN RESET. SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON NEXT DAY. DIAGNOSTIC CODES INDICATED THAT FUEL VAPORS ARE ESCAPING. CRACK @ FUEL FILL TUBE IS DIAGNOSED. I HAD RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE MANUFACTURER (GM) ABOUT THIS IN JANUARY 2008. THE LETTER INDICATED THAT REPAIRS WOULD BE MADE IF THIS PROBLEM MADE IT NECESSARY, BUT NOT TO REPAIR UNLESS INDICATED (THERE WAS NO RECALL). THE PART WAS ORDERED MID-AUGUST OF 2008. I WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO PARTS IN INVENTORY, NATIONWIDE. AFTER COMPLAINING TO GM CUSTOMER SERVICE, I WAS TOLD THAT THE PART WOULD SHIP ON SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2008. AS OF OCTOBER 9TH, THERE IS STILL NO PART, STILL NO REPAIR. THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT IS STILL ON, FUEL VAPORS ARE STILL ESCAPING FROM THE VEHICLE. IS THIS SAFE??? *TR

I NOTICED FUEL LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR ONTO THE PAVEMENT. UPON CLOSER OBSERVATION I DETERMINED THAT THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK WAS THE JOINT WERE THE FUEL FILLER NECK ENTERS THE FUEL TANK. THIS JOINT APPEARS TO BE LEAKING THROUGH THE PLASTIC WELD. MY VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. BUT IT IS MY INTENTION TO TRY AND GET GM TO COVER THE COST OF REPLACEMENT. *TR

MY CAR STARTED TO RUN HOT AS SOON AS THE CAR WAS DROVE ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE, BUT THE FLUID WASN'T HOT. MY HUSBAND REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT, HOSES, A COOLING SENSOR, AND SOME OTHER THINGS. WHEN NONE OF THAT WORKED, WE TOOK IT TO A RADIATOR SHOP AND THEY TOLD US WE NEED HEAD GASKETS. WE HAVE A 2001 AZTEK AND WHEN WE GOT THE CAR IN 2004, THE GASKETS BLEW BUT IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THAT IS AN EXPENSIVE JOB. GM NEEDS TO RECALL THIS VEHICLE AND GIVE US ALL SOME RELIABLE CARS AND TRUCKS! *TR

WE HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH OUR REAR HATCH OPENING PROPERLY SINCE WE PURCHASED THIS AZTEC NEW IN 2000. ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO, THE PROBLEM DEVELOPED INTO NOT BEING ABLE TO OPEN THE REAR HATCH WITH THE KEY FOB, DASH RELEASE BUTTON AND THE MOST FRUSTRATING AS WELL AS DANGEROUS ASPECT IS IT WOULD NOT OPEN EVEN BY USING THE VEHICLE KEYS. IT HAS NOW INCREASED TO THE POINT THAT THE CARS ALARM SYSTEM WILL GO OFF ON ITS OWN, THE AIR CONDITIONER QUITS WORKING, THE REMOTE ENTRY DOOR SYSTEM BECOMES USELESS AND ENTIRE VEHICLES ELECTRICAL DOOR LOCK SYSTEM FAILS. SINCE ONLY THE TWO FRONT DOORS WILL OPEN WITH THE VEHICLE KEY AND WE ALMOST ALWAYS HAVE CHILDREN IN CAR SEATS IN THE REAR, THIS HAS BECOME A DANGEROUS SITUATION. IN SEARCHING THE INTERNET, WE FOUND THAT IF WE PULLED THE FUSE THAT CONTROLLED THE VEHICLES COMPUTER MODULE, CALLED THE BCM, THE MODULE WOULD RESET ITSELF AND IT WOULD TEMPORARILY FIX THE PROBLEM. ESTIMATES TO FIX THIS BY THE DEALER ARE UPWARDS OF $ 700.00 AND HE DOESN'T KNOW FOR SURE IF THIS WILL FIX THE PROBLEMS. AN AC DELCO BRANDED BCM REPLACEMENT ON THE INTERNET CAN BE PURCHASE FOR LESS THAN $ 170.00. I BELIEVE GM SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS PRODUCT OR AT LEAST OFFER TO FIX THE PROBLEM AT A REASONABLE COST TO THE CONSUMER. *TR

2001 PONTIAC AZTEK I HAVE REPLACED THE UPPER AND LOWER INTAKE GASKETS AS WELL AS THERMOSTAT AT QUITE AND EXPENSE AND NOW THE HEAD GASKETS ARE BLOWN. THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 3.4 L FROM GM AND IT STILL HASN'T BEEN RECALLED OR FIXED TO THE CONSUMERS BEHALF?I HAVE READ THAT IT WAS BLAMED ON THE DEX-COOL COOLANT THAT GM USED FROM MID 90'5- PRESENT IF THAT'S THE CASE WHY ISN'T GM HELD RESPONSIBLE IF THEY KNOW THEIR COOLANT IS THE CAUSE OF GASKET BREAKDOWN? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 PONTIAC AZTEC. THE VEHICLE WAS LOCKED IN THE PARK POSITION. THE CONTACT READ THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND ATTEMPTED TO RELEASE THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE CUPHOLDER AS INSTRUCTED. SHE COULD NOT DO SO ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND WENT TO THE PASSENGER SIDE INSTEAD. SHE WAS ABLE TO RELEASE THE LOCK AND WAS ON HER WAY BACK TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE WHEN THE VEHICLE KNOCKED HER DOWN. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE VEHICLE MADE AN L AND STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND HAS NOT YET BEEN DIAGNOSED. UPDATED 08/27/08. *LJ UPDATED 08/27/08. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 PONTIAC AZTEK. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS RECEIVING A FREE OIL CHANGE, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE INTO THE ENGINE. GENERAL MOTORS ADVISED HIM TO TAKE HIS VEHICLE TO A PONTIAC DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT WORK ON THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE WARRANTY AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE HIS VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER. GENERAL MOTORS STATED THAT THEY WOULD REPAIR THE VEHICLE UNDER WARRANTY, BUT LATER CHANGED THERE MIND. THE REFERENCE NUMBER FROM GENERAL MOTORS WAS 71-616597877. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 89,595 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,575.

AIR CONDITIONING REPLACED 4 TIMES AT MY OWN EXPENSE ONCE WHEN IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. SHORTLY AFTER IT BROKE AGAIN DUE TO DEFECT IN MANUFACTURING AS STATED BY THE DEALERSHIP. HOLE IS CREATED DUE TO BRACKET AND COOLANT LEAKS OUT. THE PURCHASE AND INSTALL OF A NEW ONE HAS COST ME $1200 EACH TIME IT HAPPENS AND FOR THE PAST 4 YEARS I'VE JUST DRIVEN WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING DUE TO THE COST FACTOR AND KNOWING IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN IN THE NEXT 2 MONTHS. EVERYTIME IT WAS REPLACED IT WAS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM A HOLE IN THE CONDENSER. I'VE HEAR COMPLAINTS FROM EVERY ATZEK OWNER I'VE MET ABOUT THE AIR CONDITIONING AND STILL PONTIAC REFUSES TO FESS US TO THE MANUFACTURING DEFECT. FOR THE PAST 4 YEARS I'VE HAD TO DRIVE AROUND IN 90+ DEGREE HEAT WITHOUT AIR BECAUSE OF THIS. I'M A FIELD TECHNICIAN AND I'M TRAVELING YEAR ROUND. I HAD AN 88 GRAND PRIX PREVIOUSLY AND THAT HAD ISSUES WITH THE BRAKES AND I SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON BRAKES ONLY TO RECEIVE A LETTER 2 YEARS AFTER I GOT RID OF THE CAR CLAIMING I CAN GET MONEY BACK DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE BRAKES. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO SUFFER FROM HEAT EXHAUSTION DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE WAY PONTIAC DESIGNED THE AC. THEY SHOULD ATLEAST BE ABLE TO DESIGN SOMETHING THAT WON'T CORE A HOLE IN THE CONDENSER. THEY ALSO HAVE ISSUES WITH THE TAILGATE AND REAR LIGHTS PEELING. I HAVE TO OPEN MY TAILGATE 2 TIMES AND USE THE KEY WHILE PULLING THE TAILGATE UP. I'VE GOTTEN THE PARTS REPLACED 2 TIMES AND IT HASN'T SOLVED THE PROBLEM THEY TELL ME EVERYTIME I OPEN THE TAILGATE I HAVE TO MANUALLY ADJUST THE STOPS SO THAT THE TAILGATE WILL OPEN AGAIN. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DO THIS. I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THESE ISSUES EVERYONE IS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 PONTIAC AZTEC. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT HIS VEHICLE MAY CATCH FIRE DUE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V349000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE). THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 35,785.