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 looked at it and determined that it is a bad weld on the fuel tank filler neck and also confirmed that the car is exhibiting the same symptoms as listed in multiple safety recalls regarding this fuel tank. The vin of this vehicle is within the range of safety recall bulletin number 06230, and is exhibiting the exact issues mentioned in that bulletin, but GM is saying that the specific vin is not included and that I need to contact the federal safety agency to have my vin added before they will fix it. The car only has 130,000 miles on it and this has been an issue for over 17 years. The dealership chat agent also told me to fill the car up to the top before bringing it in even though I told them that it's dangerous and will spill fuel. Now the vehicle is stuck at the dealership because they are saying that it's too dangerous to drive but they can't fix it until this vin is included in the recall by the federal safety agency. Upon further inspection of carcomplaints.com this appears to effect a lot more of these vehicles than the amount listed in the recall bulletin. I am certain that there are many vehicles driving around like mine that are posing a risk to the public. The car smells like an open gas can and seems like if someone were to smoke a cigarette in front of it that it would explode. This is dangerous. The crack is on top of the tank which is a place I could not have possibly caused the crack, this is 100% a manufacturing issue and my vehicle should have been included in this recall. I need my car back but can't risk my family in it until it is fixed. The dealership inspected it and GM told me to make this report.
The worst 2003 Pontiac Aztek problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Fuel system36
- Electrical25
- Engine23
- Brakes18
- Transmission14
- Suspension12
- Steering8
- Visibility7
- Driver assistance6
- Lights4
- Wheels4
- Airbags3
- Body3
- Locks3
- Acceleration2
- Seat belts2
- Tires2
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Pontiac Aztek
Fuel leak 13Fuel smell 10ABS 7Stalling 7Wipers 7Won't start 7Fire or smoke 6
Recalls 3
Fuel system, gasoline: storage
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 07V349000 · Recall details
Equipment: other: owners/service/other manual
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 03V250000 · Recall details
Steering
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 03V052000 · Recall details
See all 3 recalls for the 2003 Pontiac Aztek
Defect investigations
Fuel tank leakage
Gm is recalling (the federal safety agency recall no. 07v‑349) certain model year (my) 2002-2004 buick rendezvous, chevrolet venture (regular wheelbase) and 2001-2004 pontiac aztek and montana (regular wheelbase) vehicles to replace fuel tanks and correct a defect that may allow fuel leakage.the vehicle recall population is rendezvous and aztek vehicles built in may 2003, venture and montana vehicle built in june through august 2002 and certain same model vehicles registered in nevada, arizona, virgin islands, puerto rico and hawaii that were built through nov/dec 2003 (depending on model).the total number of vehicles recalled is 20,594 (includes 15,196 subject aztek and rendezvous vehicles). In addition to the recall, gm will extend the warranty on my 2002-2004 rendezvous and regular wheel base venture vans and my 2001-2004 aztek and regular wheelbase montana vans not included in the recall to provide warranty coverage for a period of 10 years or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first.gm will begin notifying owners in december 2007.gm reports that the fuel inlet pipe containing the inlet check valve (icv) may fracture and allow fuel vapors or fuel to leak out.gm data revealed that elevated ambient temperatures, higher carbon content in the icv and variation in the manufacturing process were the contributing factors for potential cracks in the icv.beginning december 2003, gm built vehicles with a redesigned fuel tank/icv.subject vehicles not included in the recall or extended warranty did not show a failure trend similar to the above vehicles..for additional details, see recall 07v‑349.this investigation is closed.
EA07006
Fuel tank leakage
Certain subject vehicles may exhibit leakage of odor and/or fuelfrom the lower portion of the fuel tank inlet filler pipe (inlet check valve).the inlet check valve (icv) and the fuel tank are joined together using a hot plate welding process for plastic parts.gm reports that its analysis of field returned parts show evidence of process variations for different manufacturing periods.these variations produced some icv to fuel tank joints with poor melt flow lines.odi's analysis of gm's warranty claim data finds more frequent fuel tank replacements in the hotter climate states.this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea07-006) to further assess this matter.
RQ06009
Technical service bulletins for the 2003 Pontiac Aztek 416
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
- This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on OnStar Module 2G Sunset Information.
- Unknown or other
- Electrical system
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles
- This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves...
- This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as...
- This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming System (SPS)...
2003 Pontiac Aztek fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.4L 6‑cyl | FWD | 17 | 24 | 20 |
| 3.4L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 16 | 22 | 18 |
What 2003 Pontiac Aztek owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
"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
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 cabin area). Vehicle stationary and either in a parking lot or side street. I will take pictures/video the next time it occurs and upload them as described below.
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 smell. I inspected the garage and thought, perhaps, the smell was coming from a weed wacker. Later, I went to check on some laundry and the gas smell was even worse. I opened the door to access the garage and then recalled the weed wacker was actually broken and was only there to be discarded in the trash next pickup. I was concerned and went and woke my husband saying I smelled over-powering gas smell and to please come check. He indicated he thought it may be his mom's car. He came down, smelled the gas too, and we pulled the car out and parked it in the driveway and left the garage door open for a bit. The smell went away. My mother-in-law has been ill for a period of time but previously she would complain of her gas gauge not working properly. That said, I inspected both the garage and the driveway or leaks and found none. When I did move the car I did smell gas outside of the car but not nearly as strong as when it was enclosed inside the attached garage. My in-laws keep this vehicle parked in the driveway so the chance of them smelling the issue and thinking anything seriously wrong was slim. I'm not comfortable driving the car and wouldn't recommend anyone else drive it until it is evaluated by a certified mechanic (my opinion by a dealership mechanic)
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 my VIN not being acnowleged with the recall
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 pontiac aztek. After the contact turned the engine off, black smoke and flames appeared under the hood of the vehicle. The fire department extinguished the flames. A fire report was not filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN and failure mileage were unavailable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 pontiac aztek. While attempting to stop at a stop sign, the brake pedal traveled to the floor and the vehicle failed to stop the contact drove onto the grass on the side of the road in order to stop the vehicle. The dealer diagnosed that the air conditioner condensation pipe caused the brake line to rot. The brake lines needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 82,000. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. Updated 03/01/17*lj
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 pontiac aztek. After re-fueling the vehicle, the contact noticed strong fuel fumes inside the vehicle and near the fuel tank. The fuel and temperature gauges fluctuated up and down. The vehicle was diagnosed by a mechanic more than once. The contact also notified two different dealers to try to schedule a repair appointment. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 07v349000 (fuel system, gasoline). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 pontiac aztec. When there was half a tank of fuel in the vehicle, there was no leak present. However, when the vehicle had a full tank of fuel, there was a progressing leak. The contact noticed a puddle under the vehicle and strong fuel fumes were present inside and outside the vehicle. The dealer and an independent mechanic were notified. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign numbers: 07v349000 (fuel system, gasoline) and 07e021000 (fuel system, other). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000. Updated 01/26/17*lj
The smell of gas, changing the fuel pump more than once. Problem reading the level of gas. Vehicle was driving when it start shaking and stop(2nd time). The vehicle was park and could not start(1st time).
Compare the 2003 Pontiac Aztek
Other model years
Questions about the 2003 Pontiac Aztek
Is the 2003 Pontiac Aztek reliable?
Owners have filed 128 complaints about the 2003 Pontiac Aztek, close to a typical Aztek model year.
What is the 2003 Pontiac Aztek year score?
The 2003 Pontiac Aztek scores 72 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Pontiac Aztek: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Pontiac Aztek?
Fuel and propulsion system, with 36 complaints, typically around 78,000 miles. Next is electrical (25).
How many recalls does the 2003 Pontiac Aztek have?
3 recalls, covering fuel system, gasoline, equipment and steering.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Pontiac Aztek fuel system?
Yes, 1 recall: 07V349000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Pontiac Aztek have the most fuel system problems?
The Pontiac Aztek model years with the most fuel system complaints are 2001 (39 complaints), 2003 (36 complaints) and 2002 (27 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2003 Pontiac Aztek get?
Official estimates for the 2003 Pontiac Aztek range from 18 to 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.4L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 17 city and 24 highway.
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