2001 Pontiac Aztek Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Aztek years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 5 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 216 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 Pontiac Aztek. That is the most of any Aztek model year in the database (5 years). The most reported problem area is electrical system (40 complaints, 19%), typically at around 60,200 miles. Complaints mention 14 crashes, 6 fires, 18 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 216owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 14complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2001 Pontiac Aztek problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 40 | 19% | 60,200 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 29 | 13% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 28 | 13% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 27 | 13% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 27 | 13% | 46,100 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 27 | 13% | 39,565 | — | — |
| Power Train | 22 | 10% | 52,819 | — | — |
| Visibility | 13 | 6% | 10,873 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 11 | 5% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 10 | 5% | 17,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 5% | 35,566 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 9 | 4% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 9 | 4% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 8 | 4% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 7 | 3% | 36,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 7 | 3% | 16,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 3% | 4,772 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 1% | 128,827 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 3 | 1% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 1% | 162,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 1% | 160,000 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | 44,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | 56,918 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | 100,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2001 Pontiac Aztek recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage
Problem: On certain vehicles, variations in the manufacturing process or exposure to high ambient temperatures may lead to fracture of the fuel tank inlet check valve (icv).
Risk: A fracture may allow fuel vapors to pass through and allow droplets of fuel to accumulate on the side of the fuel tank. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel tank. The recall will be mailed in two phases with the first phase beginning on december 4, 2007. The second phase will be mailed on december 13, 2007. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668. The vehicle population includes buick rendezvous and pontiac aztek vehicle built in may 2003; chevrolet venture and pontiac montana vehicles built from june through august 2002; and all vehicles registered in nevada, arizona, virgin islands, puerto rico, and hawaii.
Equipment:other:owners/service/other manual
Problem: Certain minivans, passenger and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage system." the owner's manual does not explain the meaning of the location symbols for the child restraint lower universal anchorage system.
Risk: This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
Fix: Owners will be provided with a supplement for their owner's manual. This supplement describes and shows the location symbols for the child restraint anchors that are located in the vehicle and on the child restraint or booster cushion. Owner notification began august 18, 2003. Owners should contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, or oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: On certain passenger, sport utility vehicles and mini vans, some of these vehicles have a passenger air bag that was manufactured without a check valve pin. An air bag without the check valve pin could produce increased pressure at the onset of the air bag deployment and reduced pressure afterward.
Risk: This could increase the severity of injury to a person who was not properly restrained and who was close to the passenger air bag at the time of deployment. It could also reduce the ab8ility of the air bag to protect a restrained front seat passenger.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger air bag. Owner notification began december 16, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, pontiac at 1-800-762-2737, oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537, or saturn at 1-800-553-6000, prompt #3.
Seats:front assembly:recliner
Problem: Vehicle description: certain mini vans built with second row 50/50 split bench seats or captain's chairs, fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." the seat latch anchor wire diameter is greater than 6.1 mm.
Risk: If the connector for a latch-type child restraint is not attached correctly to the anchorage points, the restraint will not properly protect a child in the event of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the latch anchor wires and repair those with an improper diameter. Owner notification began april 10, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537, or pontiac at 1-800-762-2737.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger, sport utility vehicles and minivans. The passenger air bag inflator modules were built without the correct amount of generant, which produces the gas that fills the air bag. Some were built with a double load of generant and some were built without generant.
Risk: In the event of a crash that would trigger a passenger air bag deployment, a double load of generant can cause the inflator module to explode. If the air bag module explodes, metal and plastic debris could cause severe injury to vehicle occupant. A module with no generant would not inflate the air bag, and the occupants could receive more severe injuries.
Fix: Dealers will replace the passenger air bag module. Telephone calls were made to owners on january 29, 2001. Follow up owner mailing began on april 17, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, pontiac at 1-800-762-2737, or saturn at 1-800-553-6000.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Fuel tank leakage (EA07006) — opened Apr 18, 2007, closed Sep 13, 2007, led to recall 07V349000.
- Fuel tank leakage (RQ06009) — opened Dec 14, 2006, closed Apr 18, 2007.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Bout 3 weeks ago car just keep acting up had it for one year cant read codes on car keep overheating replaced radiator cvl axle brakes oil change transmission fluid car just decided to not pass 50mph be driveable one day driving it went to a stop sign brake car cut off i see check gauges come on…
I have replace 2 ignition switches, and still having problems..the key will not come out/unlock when switching car off..which kills the battery because i can't turn off the car this is terrible ..it's the ignition switch or the steering column, this happens when putting the car in park!!!!key will…
Gm has issued a safety bulletin in regards to a broken fuel tank that could cause explosions, or fire. I have tried to get them to perform the repair but they are refusing. The problem is for all years of the pontiac aztek and buick rendezvous. I have a leak from this location, the fuel inlet, and…
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 pontiac aztek. The vehicle failed to start without warning. The contact charged the battery and started the vehicle, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that it was not a battery issue. The technician suspected an…
The driver side seat airbag deployed after the driver shut their door, while the car was in park.
Other Pontiac Aztek years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Aztek | 34 | 0 |
| 2004 Aztek | 67 | 3 |
| 2003 Aztek | 128 | 3 |
| 2002 Aztek | 121 | 2 |
| 2001 | 216 | 5 |
See all Pontiac Aztek problems by year, every Pontiac model, or the VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Pontiac Aztek?
Owners most often report electrical system, fuel system, gasoline, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 40 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2001 Pontiac Aztek?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2001 Pontiac Aztek a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Aztek model years, the 2001 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.