What breaks most · 2001 to 2005 model years
Pontiac Aztek problems by year
Owners have filed 566 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Pontiac Aztek across model years 2001 to 2005. Three years stand out: 2001 for electrical system complaints, 2003 for electrical system complaints and 2002 for engine and cooling complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2001, 2003, 2002
- Complaints on file
- 5662001 to 2005, all trims
- Worst year
- 2001216 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 2813 fires · 32 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 61kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 18Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 216 | 14 | 6 | Electrical system (40) | |
| 121 | 2 | 3 | Engine and cooling (21) | |
| 128 | 5 | 4 | Electrical system (25) | |
| 67 | 5 | 4 | Electrical system (15) | |
| 34 | 2 | 1 | Electrical system (9) |
What fails on the 2001 Pontiac Aztek
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 19% |
40 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2001 Pontiac Aztek |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 13% |
29 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2001 Pontiac Aztek |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 13% |
28 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2001 Pontiac Aztek |
| Air bags | 13% |
27 | 9 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Equipment and infotainment | 13% |
27 | 0 | — |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 13% |
27 | 1 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2001 Pontiac Aztek |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 10% |
22 | 2 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2001 Pontiac Aztek |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 6% |
13 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 2001 Pontiac Aztek |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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The car was park! The keys in, i pulled keys out n the car rolled backwards i hop in the car n turn the wheel and i flew out and the car ran me over tire on my back the car didn't stop i pushing the brakes nothing!
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Since october 31st. My car has shut off about 15 while driving, i lose power of my steering and cannot move my car. I saw today that there is a GM ignition recall but my car is not involved when i call GM.
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Failure of intake manifold gasket as indicated by check engine light and shaking of vehicle when driving. Took to dealer and was determined to need replacement of lower intake manifold gasket. Replacement cost was $1200.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Pontiac Aztek years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2001, 2003, 2002 carry the most filings on the Pontiac Aztek. The 2001 alone has 216 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Pontiac Aztek problem?
On the 2001 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 40 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Pontiac Aztek problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Pontiac Aztek complaints that include mileage is about 61,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.