2003 PONTIAC AZTEK Complaints

I'M HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY BRAKES AND HEAD LIGHTS AND ALSO MY BATTERY. I THINK IT'S A ELECTRICITY PROBLEM. EVERY SINCE I HAD THIS TRUCK I HAVE HAD TO CHANGE MY BRAKES ABOUT 10 TIMES AND MY HEAD LIGHTS ABOUT FIVE TIMES AND BATTERY TWICE. THERE'S A GRAWL AND ROAR SOUND COMING FROM THE BRAKES. THE BRAKES WENT OUT ON ME ONE TIME CAUSE ME TO RUN OUT IN FRONT OF CARS. THIS COULD HAVE KILL ME AN D MY CHILD. I ASK FOR ANOTHER CAR INSTEAD OF THIS. *JB

I PURCHASED A USED 2003 PONTIAC AZTEK IN OCT OF 2006, IT HAS 43K MILES. THE NEXT DAY, I NOTICED A SQUEALING NOISE WHEN I TURNED, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS ADVISED IT WAS DUE TO THE VEHICLE BEING "ALL WHEEL DRIVE". ABOUT 4 DAYS LATER, I NOTICED THAT WHEN I AM ON AN UNEVEN ROAD OR HIT A BUMP JUST RIGHT, THE VEHICLE SWERVES BADLY, SOMETIMES INTO THE OTHER LANE. I CALLED PONTIAC AND WAS ADVISED THAT THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD NOT JUST TO THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE BUT TO OTHERS ON THE ROADS ALSO. THEY TOLD ME THAT I NEED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET A DIAGNOSIS. I ADVISED THEM THAT THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THE SAME THING & THESE PEOPLE HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS & IT IS STILL NOT FIXED. I ADVISED PONTIAC THAT THIS IS GOING TO CAUSE A MAJOR WRECK ONE DAY & THEY ARE GOING TO BE LIABLE FOR NOT RECOGNIZING THE PROBLEM & FIXING IT. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED A SMELL OF FUEL WAS NOTICED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A DRIVEWAY. THE CONTACT FILLED THE GAS TANK SHORTLY BEFORE THE SMELL WAS NOTICED, AND BELIEVED THAT SOME FUEL MAY HAVE SPILLED CAUSING THE SMELL. A WEEK LATER, THE CONTACT NOTICED A PUDDLE OF FUEL UNDER THE VEHICLE WHILE IT WAS PARKED. UPON VISUAL INSPECTION, THE CONTACT NOTICED GAS LEAKING FROM THE WELD WHERE THE FILLER NECK MET THE TANK. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE INDEPENDENT DEALER WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FROM. THE INDEPENDENT DEALER CONTACTED AN AUTHORIZED SALES DEALER TO CHECK FOR ANY RECALLS. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, #03V454000, REGARDING THE FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE: STORAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. BOTH DEALERS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE GAS TANK WHICH IS PLASTIC DEVELOPED A CRACK AND STARTED TO LEAK, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

2003 AZTEK WITH 65000 MILES HAVE TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION. CONTACTED GM SAID I DID NOT HAVE FLUID CHANGED AT 50,000 MILES THAT THE TROUBLE WAS MY FAULT. I CONTACTED GM THEY SAID NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I CONTACTED 3 OTHER TRANSMISSION SHOPS---ALL 3 SAID CHANGING THE FLUID WOULD NOT HAVE STOPPED THE PROBLEM. GM THEN TELLS ME THEY CAN NOT TAKE THE WORD OF ANOTHER MECHANIC BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT GM CERTIFIED. I WILL NEVER BUY GM AGAIN. I WAS TOLD THIS WOULD BE A VERY DEPENDABLE CAR. NOT EVEN 3 YEARS OLD. I SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. *JB

1. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT COME OUT OF PARK WITHOUT SHUTTING IT OFF IF I LEAVE IT RUNNING AND PUT IT IN PARK LIKE AT A DRIVE-THROUGH ETC. HAVE NOT HAD IT CHECKED OR REPAIRED BECAUSE OUT OF WARRANTY AND CANNOT AFFORD TO FIX. 2. THE REAR WINDOW HATCH WILL NOT OPEN PROPERLY. I HAD THE DEALER REPAIR ONCE WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY BUT IT IS DOING IT AGAIN. 3. FRONT WHEEL BEARING REPLACED ONCE AND IS ROARING LIKE IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. 4. THE BACK MIDDLE SEAT BELT FELL APART AND IS TOO EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. 5. THE VEHICLE GOES THROUGH BRAKES RATHER QUICKLY. HAS BEEN LESS THAN A YEAR AND THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. *NM

WHILE THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING - VEHICLE IS IN PARK - VEHICLE WILL NOT COME OUT OF PARK AND GO INTO GEAR. YOU HAVE TO TURN IT OFF AND RESTART THE VEHICLE TO GET IT TO COME OUT OF PARK. *JB

FUEL CELL CRACKED WHERE NECK MEETS BODY OF FUEL CELL. COULD SMELL IT FOR ABOUT A WEEK BUT NO LEAK WAS EVER SEEN, UNTIL A FEW WEEKS LATER. *NM

(1) 2003 PONTIAC AZTEK, 41500 MILES IN SERVICE 2 YEARS 3 MONTHS, WITH NO IDENTIFIABLE CAUSE STARTED TO LEAK GAS AT THE FILLER NECK. (2) GAS LEAKED VERY QUICKLY WHEN TANK WAS FILLED. (3) DUE TO WARRANTY BEING ONLY 36000 MI DEALER EXAMINED LEAK FOR $100 DIAGNOSTIC CHARGE, BUT NOT PART OF TSB AND NORMAL BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY EXPIRED DUE TO MILEAGE, DEALER WANTED $900 TO FIX IT. AFTER APPEALING TO PONTIAC CORPORATE, GOODWILL EXTENSION OF WARRANTY GOT TANK REPLACED. DEALER KEPT PART. I PERSONALLY THINK IF NO CAUSE OF LEAK IS FOUND (AS IN COLLISION TYPE DAMAGE/VANDALISM) GAS TANK SHOULD BE COVERED AS PART OF EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM (5 YEARS/100,000 MILES I THINK...). WHAT GOOD IS AN EVAPORATIVE VAPOR COLLECTION SYSTEM IF YOU ARE LEAKING GAS ALL OVER HIGHWAY? *NM

I HAVE A 2003 AZTEK AND THE FUEL TANK HAS BEEN LEAKING FROM THE WELD AT THE CHECK VALVE AND THE TANK. I HAVE FOUND A RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE 2004 MODELS WHEN I CALLED PONTIAC THEY SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL BUT IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE RECALL. *JB