RoadVitals

2003 Pontiac Aztek Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Oct 20, 2018
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
6%
of 128 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Pontiac Aztek submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming driver-assistance

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistanceEngineFuel system
Filed Oct 20, 2018

"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 THING EVERY PLACE I GO SAYING THE SAME THING YOUR SAYS POSSIBLE MISFIRES CYLINDER 5 FUEL AND C2O OXYGEN SIMPSON AND I ALSO REPLACE THE FUEL FILTER STILL NO DIFFERENT STILL WRITES THE SAME WAY RUNS HOT LIKE IT'S NOT GETTING NO WATER TO THE ENGINE

NHTSA ID
11141535
Incident
Sep 20, 2018
Mileage
160,007 mi
Driver assistanceFuel systemSteering
Filed Nov 7, 2015

KEY KEEPS GETTING STUCK IN IGNITION, STEERING COLUMN GETS STUCK.FUEL TANK IS LEAKING AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND STAYING ALONG WITH SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT. FUEL PUMP KEEPS GOING OUT REPLACED 3 TIMES.

NHTSA ID
10789037
Incident
May 30, 2012
Mileage
120,000 mi
Driver assistanceEngine
Filed Aug 30, 2014

ENGINE RPM SURGES TO OVER 3000 WITHOUT WARNING. THIS OFTEN HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS INITIALLY PLACED IN DRIVE AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE. THE DRIVER MAY NEED TO SUDDENLY APPLY THE BRAKE IF BEHIND A CAR. THE HIGH RPM ALSO ACTS AS AN UNDESIRED "CRUISE CONTROL" SYSTEM, THOUGH THE VEHICLE IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH "CRUISE". THE DRIVER MUST ALSO FIRMLY HOLD THE BRAKE PEDAL DOWN WHILE STOPPED AS THE CAR WILL LURCH FORWARD. *TR

NHTSA ID
10629545
Incident
Aug 28, 2014
Mileage
164,000 mi
Driver assistanceElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Sep 24, 2011

THE ELECTRICAL HAS DONE NOTHING BUT MESSED UP FIRST THE RADIO LIGHT WENT OUT AND NOW THE DASH LIGHT IS OUT SO THERE IS NO VISIBILITY AT NIGHT TO SEE YOUR SPEED, THE ANTI LOCK LIGHT STAYS ON UNTIL THE ANTI LOCK LIGHT COMES ON, ALSO THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE KEEPS DISABLING, I HAVE REPLACE 3 OF THE 4 HUBS THAT WERE EATEN THROUGH AND NOW ITS LOOKING LIKE ANOTHER ONE IS GOING. THE BRAKE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND DINGING, I HAVE TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON TO GET IT TO STOP, I AM EATING THROUGH THE BRAKE PADS BECAUSE OF THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES DON'T TURN OFF RIGHT AWAY, ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS WHERE THE CAR WHEN YOU START IT UP DOES NOT START IT JUST GOES RIGHT TO BATTERY LIGHT BUT YET NOTHING WRONG JUST GLITCHING. I HAVE READ ALOT OF FORUMS ON THE AZTEK AND THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO ALOT OF AZTEKS AND I HAVE TALKED TO PEOPLE THAT I KNOW THAT OWN AZTEKS AND THEY HAVE ALOT OF THE SAME ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10427035
Incident
Oct 12, 2010
BrakesDriver assistanceSuspension
Filed Sep 19, 2011

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

NHTSA ID
10425989
Incident
Apr 29, 2011
Mileage
101,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Sep 10, 2004

WHEN AT A STOP VEHICLE IDLED TOO FAST, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO JERK FORWARD. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID
10091800
Incident
Aug 10, 2004
Driver assistance
Filed Aug 4, 2003

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHENEVER VEHICLE MAKES A TURN AROUND AT A CORNER AT ANY SPEED AND HITS A BUMP, THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE SKIDS TOWARDS THE FRONT OF VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER WHO DISMISSED IT AS NORMAL.*AK

NHTSA ID
10032051
Incident
Jul 23, 2003
Driver assistance
Filed Aug 4, 2003

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHENEVER HE TURNS A CORNER AND HITS A BUMP THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO WANT TO SKID AROUND TO THE FRONT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS HANDLING NORMALLY.*AK

NHTSA ID
10032050
Incident
Jul 17, 2003

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .