2003 PONTIAC AZTEK Complaints

IN APRIL 2011 ON BUMPY ROADS A GRINDING NOISE WOULD COME ON AND IT TOOK LONGER TO STOP THE CAR. I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT WAS PROBABLY THE ABS SYSTEM AND COULD BE A NUMBER OF THINGS, THE COMPUTER MODULE MAY BE BAD, THE SENSORS ON EACH WHEEL COULD BE BAD. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE IN MAY, HAD TO REPLACE THE WHEEL BEARINGS ON ONE WHEEL AND WAS TOLD IT WAS FIXED $540. THEN IN JUNE THE CAR STARTED DOING THE SAME THING, TOOK IT IN AGAIN, WAS TOLD ANOTHER WHEEL NEEDED NEW BEARINGS $740 WITH A WARRANTY. IN AUGUST CAR STARTED THE VIBRATING AND GRINDING AGAIN, YOU CAN HEAR A VIBRATION LIKE A MOTOR OR SOMETHING COMES ON AND THEN WHEN YOU TRY TO STOP YOU HAVE TO PUSH REALLY REALLY HARD. AT THAT POINT I WENT ON LINE TO CHECK IT OUT, SEEMS LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO OWN EITHER A 2003 PONTIAC AZTEK OR A 2003 BUICK RENDEVOUS ARE HAVING THESE SAME ISSUES. THE DEALERS ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF A DEFECT IN THE CAR. ALL THE BLOGS THAT I SAW ONLINE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. MANY PEOPLE HAVE REPACKED THE BEARINGS ON ALL WHEELS, REPLACE SENSORS AND THE HARNESS TO THE COMPUTER MODULE AND NOTHING SEEMS TO WORK AND THE DEALERS DON'T SEEM TO KNOW HOW TO FIX IT ONCE AND FOR ALL. MY CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN WORKED ON BY THE DEALER. SO FAR MY DEALER HASN'T MENTIONED THE COMPUTER SENSOR BUT I'M SURE AFTER I'VE REPLACED ALL WHEEL BEARINGS THEY WILL GET TO THAT. BOTTOM LINE IS IF ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS SAME SAFETY ISSUE, YOUR DEPT NEEDS TO LOOK AT IT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM AND NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. WE ARE KEEPING OUR CARS LONGER AND THEY SHOULD LAST WELL OVER 100,000 MILES WITH PROPER MAINTENANCE. SO NOW I HAVE A PERFECTLY GOOD CAR WITH A PERFECTLY GOOD ENGINE, BUT NO ABS BRAKING SYSTEM AND IT CAN'T SEEM TO BE FIXED! *KB

2003 PONTIAC AZTEK HAS BEEN BUILDING FROM ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS AND CHIMES TO FUEL GAGE LOSSES ALL INTERMITTENT. VEHICLE LOCKS UP AND WON'T START OR HAS STARTED STARTING ON ITS OWN IN THE GARAGE. IT IS REMINDING ME OF BEING A KID IN THE 60S AND PLAYING PINBALL WITH ALL THE LIGHTS AND "SPECIALS" LIGHTING UP! READING FROM ONLINE STUFF I AM IN A GROUP OF MANY OWNERS HAVING PROBLEMS THAT ARE THE SAME. ONE COMMON THEME IS THE BODY CONTROL MODULE! IS GM HIDING THEIR HEADS IN THE SAND OVER THIS PROBLEM. I AM GOING TO BE REPLACING MY MODULE AS I DON'T WANT MY CAR GASING US TO DEATH AT NIGHT IN MY GARAGE. LUCKY MY DOOR TO THE GARAGE WAS OPEN TODAY! I AM TOTALLY DISAPPOINTED THAT GM HAS NOT AND THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT MADE THEM SET UP AND TAKE CARE OF THESE PROBLEMS. NO FIRE YET NO DAMAGE YET NO CRASH YET! AND THEY ARE LUCKY IF THIS HASN'T HURT SOMEONE YET. *KB

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 4/24/11- DEAR SIR OR MADAM, I AM PRESENTLY HAVING A PROBLEM WITH MY 2003 PONTIAC AZTEK. WITHIN THE LAST FOUR DAYS, WHILE DRIVING MY CAR IT STARTED COASTING/DRIVING ON ITS OWN WITH ME NOT HAVING TO PRESS THE GAS PEDAL. LIKE ON 4/24/11, I WAS DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 40 MPH ON THE ROAD. I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO DRIVE BY ITS SELF AT THAT SPEED AND I WAS NOT USING THE CRUISE CONTROL. MATTER OF FACT I NEVER USE THE CRUISE CONTROL. WHEN I STOPPED THE CAR AND IT IN PARK THE RPM NEEDLE WENT BETWEEN 2000 -3000 RPMS. SURGE OR REVING MY ENGINE VERY LOUD. I BELIEVE THIS IS VERY DANGERS AND WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO TELL ME WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I TOOK IT TO THE COLONIAL GMC CAR DEALERSHIP IN WATERTOWN, MA ON 4/18/11 AND 4/23/11 BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM IS NOT SHOWING UP.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC AZTEC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND NOTICED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS IN DRIVE WITH THE ENGINE OFF. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SHIFT IN TO PARK AND THE VEHICLE STARTED AS NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT EXAMINED FOR THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AND THERE WERE NO REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 123,557.

OUR GAS TANK INLET CHECK VALVE IS LEAKING ON OUR 2003 AZTEK. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS EXACT PART IN 2007. WE WERE NOT THE OWNERS AT THAT TIME AND THEY OWNERS DID NOT TAKE CARE OF IT. IT IS NOW LEAKING AND GM IS REFUSING TO LET US USE THIS RECALL. THEY ARE SAYING IT MAY BE COVERED UNDER A SPECIAL COVERAGES POLICY BUT THAT WE HAVE TO PAY TO TAKE IT IN. THEY WILL NOT HAUL IT IN, BUT WE WILL HAVE TO DRIVE IT WHICH IS VERY UNSAFE FOR A LEAK THAT EXCESSIVE. *TR

2003 PONTIAC AZTEK - FUEL SMELL FOR SEVERAL WEEKS WITH NO OBVIOUS CAUSE. WEATHER WARMED DURING THIS PERIOD AND SMELL BECAME STRONGER WITH INCREASED AMBIENT TEMPS. ABOUT THREE OR FOUR WEEKS LATER, FUEL WAS FOUND ON THE GROUND BENEATH THE FILLER VENT TUBE BEGINNING WITH A SMALL DAMP SPOT AND EVENTUALLY BECOMING A PUDDLE (ONLY WHEN TANK WAS FILLED). TOOK IT LOCAL DEALER WHERE THEY INFORMED ME THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE 2003 MODEL YEAR AND IT WOULD COST ME $1200 TO REPLACE THE TANK. I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WOULD ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE VEHICLE OR ACCIDENTS IF I CHOSE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN THIS CONDITION. I WENT HOME, RESEARCHED THE RECALLS AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE 2004 MODEL YEAR. MY VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN MAY OF 2003 AND THE RECALL BEGAN IN OCTOBER OF 2003 FOR THE 2004 MODEL YEAR. I RETURNED TO THE DEALER, TOLD THEM THAT THEY HAD 12 HOURS TO MAKE UP THEIR MINDS ON HOW THEY WANTED TO HANDLE IT. MY FAMILY HAD TO GO TO DULUTH THAT WEEKEND AND WE HAD NO OTHER TRANSPORTATION. I TOLD THEM THAT IF ANYTHING HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF THAT TRIP, THEY COULD CLAIM ALL THEY WANTED THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE BUT A JURY WOULD CERTAINLY SEE IT MUCH DIFFERENTLY. THEY CALLED ME THE NEXT MORNING AND SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT TO REPLACE THE TANK AND I AGREED TO PONY UP $100 OF THE COST JUST TO BE FAIR. THE VEHICLE HAD ABOUT 60,000 ON IT AT THE TIME. *TR

A FEW YEARS AGO, THE RADIO LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING & A CD WAS STUCK IN THE PLAYER. SEVERAL TIMES, THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE GONE OUT. WE REPLACE THEM BUT THEY GO OUT AGAIN. A FEW MONTHS AGO, NONE OF THE INSIDE POWER PORTS WORKED. I REPLACED THE FUSE. I PLUGGED IN AN MP3 PLAYER CHARGER. AFTER DOING THIS, WHEN LEAVING THE CAR, THE LIGHTS WOULD NOT GO OUT UNLESS YOU PULLED THE FUSE. WHEN YOU WOULD SHUT THE DOORS, WITHOUT THE KEY BEING IN IT, THE DOOR LOCKS WOULD LOCK BY THEMSELVES. AS A CONSEQUENCE OF POWER STILL RUNNING TO THE LIGHTS THAT WOULD NOT GO OUT, IT DRAINED THE BATTERY AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING. AFTER A WEEK OF HAVING TO PULL THE FUSE TO GET THE LIGHTS TO GO OUT, THE FUSE TO THE POWER PORTS BLEW AGAIN AND THEN THE LIGHTS STARTED WORKING CORRECTLY. NOW THE BLINKER LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. I TOOK THIS CAR TO A MECHANIC ONLY FOR HIM TO TELL ME HE THOUGHT THE LIGHT SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I DID NOT PAY TO DO THIS AFTER LOOKING AT HUNDREDS OF ONLINE COMPLAINTS ABOUT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS IN THE PONTIAC AZTEK AND INDIVIDUALS SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY FOR REPAIRS, ONLY TO FIND THAT IT DOES NOT FIX THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WE ARE EXPERIENCING. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD WHEN ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ARE CAUSING BRAKE LIGHTS, HEADLIGHTS, AND BLINKERS TO FAIL. AS HUGE OF A PROBLEM THAT THIS IS, PONTIAC SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIRING THIS WITH A RECALL. *TR

I JUST BOUGHT A USED 2003 PONTIAC AZTEK YESTERDAY FROM A USED CAR DEALER, AND TODAY THE FUEL SYSTEM IS LEAKING GAS. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN WRECKED. I HAVE NOT ORDERED A CARFAX TO VERIFY HIM. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF RECALLS FOR THIS PROBLEM ALREADY BUT A PONTIAC MECHANIC SAID OVER THE PHONE THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT AFFECTED. IT SEEMS LIKE MY VEHICLE SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE RECALL LIST BECAUSE OF SO MANY SIMILARITIES. THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 21,000 UNITS AFFECTED BY THE CURRENT RECALLS. IT JUST DOES NOT SEEM ACCURATE THAT ALL OF THOSE FUEL SYSTEMS WERE CONSIDERED FAULTY AND THAT MY AZTEK'S FUEL SYSTEM IS CONSIDERED FINE WHEN IT IS LEAKING GAS. MY AZTEK WAS MANUFACTURED IN NOVEMBER 2002. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT IS ON AND STAYS ON MOST OF THE TIME. THE DEALER SWORE THE PROBLEM WAS JUST A LOOSE GAS CAP AND THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE WRONG WITH IT. WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR, THE TANK WAS FILLED JUST ABOVE EMPTY AND I FILLED THE TANK THAT EVENING WITH 15.8 GALLONS OF 87 OCTANE GAS AND WOKE UP TODAY WITH THE ENTIRE INSIDE OF MY HOME SMELLING LIKE GASOLINE. MY HUSBAND WAS ABLE TO SEE THAT THE GAS IS LEAKING FROM AROUND THE JOINT BETWEEN THE FILLER HOSE AND THE FUEL TANK. THE LEAK IS NOT HEAVY OR FLOWING IT IS JUST STEADILY SEEPING. THE VEHICLE STILL DRIVES REALLY SMOOTH. BUT I AM NOT SURE HOW EXPLOSIVE A GAS LEAK IS AND I AM NOT DRIVING IT UNTIL I DO. I HAVE A SCAN GAUGE AND IT ESTIMATES THE CAR GETTING AROUND 7MPG. THE VEHICLE HAS 92,500 MILES ON IT AND ONLY ONE PREVIOUS OWNER. ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT I HAVE RESEARCHED ONLINE SEEM IDENTICAL. I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF THIS FUEL LEAK IS FROM A COMMON FAULTY PART THAT THE MANUFACTURER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR. *TR

1. FAILURE OCCURS WHEN THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE ACTIVATED (INCLEMENT WEATHER, WINDSHIELD WASHER). 2. THE WIPERS BIND TOGETHER AND LOCK UP ON THE WAY BACK TO REST POSITION. THE BINDING HAPPENS FREQUENTLY, AND THIS INCIDENT IS APPROXIMATELY THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED ON THIS VEHICLE. THERE IS CONSTANT RISK THE WIPERS COULD BIND AT ANY TIME DURING WIPER OPERATION. CONSEQUENCES INCLUDE LOSS OF FORWARD VISIBILITY WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT, VEHICLE FIRE DUE TO MOTOR BURNING OUT WHILE WIPERS ARE STUCK (MOTOR TRIES TO MOVE WIPERS TO REST POSITION EVEN WHEN WIPERS ARE SWITCHED OFF), OR PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH IF STRUCK WHILE GETTING OUT OF THE VEHICLE AT THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE IN HEAVY RAIN OR SNOW TO UNBIND THE WIPERS. 3. CORRECTIVE ACTION: THE DRIVER MUST IMMEDIATELY STOP THE VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE IN HEAVY RAIN OR SNOW AND GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE TO MANUALLY UNBIND THE WIPERS TO RESTORE FORWARD VISIBILITY AND TO REMOVE RISK OF VEHICLE FIRE DUE TO WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR BURNOUT. WIPERS WERE REPLACED AT THE DEALER, BUT INCIDENT RECURRED. WIPERS WERE REPLACED AGAIN AT AUTO PART STORE AND CORRECT BLADE SIZES WERE VERIFIED TO BE CORRECT, BUT INCIDENT RECURRED. *TR

ELECTRICAL MECHANICS IN THE CAR, I HAVE BEEN STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF CITY TRAFFIC AND CANNOT GET THE CAR TO MOVE. IT STALLS OUT IN TRAFFIC. *TR