2003 Pontiac Aztek Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Aztek years
- More complaints than other years 2nd of 5 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 128 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Pontiac Aztek. That ranks 2nd out of 5 Aztek model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (25 complaints, 20%), typically at around 78,372 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 6 fires, 6 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 128owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 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 | 25 | 20% | 78,372 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 22 | 17% | 72,200 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 17 | 13% | 49,177 | — | — |
| Power Train | 14 | 11% | 68,180 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 14 | 11% | 68,180 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 12 | 9% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 12 | 9% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 8 | 6% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 7 | 5% | 29,473 | — | — |
| Engine | 6 | 5% | 146,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 4% | 104,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 4 | 3% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 3% | 68,180 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 3% | 35,985 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 4 | 3% | 113,690 | — | — |
| Wheels | 4 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 2% | 27,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 2% | 18,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 2% | 14,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 2% | 164,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 1 | 1% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | 127,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Pontiac Aztek recalls (3)
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.
Steering
Problem: In some of these sport utility vehicles, the diameter of the steering column intermediate shaft is too small.
Risk: This condition could allow the intermediate shaft to spin inside the steering column coupling, resulting in loss of steering control of the vehicle. If this were to happen while the vehicle is moving, a crash could resulting without prior warning.
Fix: Dealers will inspect, and replace if necessary, the steering column intermediate shaft. Owners were notified by telephone on february 7, 2003, with a follow-up letter on february 11, 2003. 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 buick at 1-800-521-7300 or pontiac at 1-800-762-2737.
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.
Since we first bought the car in 2005, whenever the fuel tank is filled to 3/4 or higher the car starts to smell of fuel fumes. If it is filled up full to the top, it literally spills fuel onto the ground (about 16oz). I called GM and they told me to bring it to the dealership. The dealership…
"takata recall"" stalls when i'm driving or when i'm coming to a stop it will completely shut off and when i start it up and throughout the ride is shakes and vibrates sometimes it won't start sometimes it'll start right away i don't replace spark plugs coils oil changed i'm still doing the same…
Firewall leaks a lot of water into both driver and passenger side floor areas. The water leaking in causes those interior areas to become soaking wet and dangerous (fuse box located where water is leaking), especially when it rains (even wet due in the morning can cause water to leak into the front…
I recently borrowed my mother-in-law's vehicle. When i returned to my home i parked in the attached garage. Later, when my daughter came home she asked why it smelled like gas. I went to check and upon entering the laundry area (directly attached to the garage via access to the house) i noticed the…
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…
Other Pontiac Aztek years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Aztek | 34 | 0 |
| 2004 Aztek | 67 | 3 |
| 2003 | 128 | 3 |
| 2002 Aztek | 121 | 2 |
| 2001 Aztek | 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 2003 Pontiac Aztek?
Owners most often report electrical system, fuel system, gasoline, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 25 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Pontiac Aztek?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 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 2003 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.