Pontiac Aztek

mark156

Clintonjohn, just think, you will have a collector automobile on your hands! That's what happened to the Ford Edsel, so start the club now to be ahead of the game!

Although I've never cared for the looks of the Aztek myself, your points about the utility of it are very true. Enjoy you new Aztek!

For the choices of vehicles that you mentioned comparing price, you did get a lot of vehicle for the money.

Mark

mattchalmers

Why is it so hard to imagine that someone would like to buy a car that
you might find ugly. My wife and I have been driving our Aztek for
three and a half years now and we still enjoy it very much. While many
people have commented about how they dislike the exterior, all have enjoyed
the interior. While the car's resale value is low, that makes no
difference because we are keeping the car. I am glad that I have the ability
for independent thought and didn't buy a vehicle because other people
like the looks.

When was the last time someone bought a car as an investment anyway?
clintonjohn got a solid vehicle for a very reasonable price, but you
would have spent the same $15k on a Civic with high resale? Remind me to
come back to you next time I need car buying advice.

sdcmex

I have a 2003 Aztek, and have a bad tire and need to replace the whole lot. Anybody have any recommendations? I have read reviews on many tires, but has anybody in an Aztek had good experience with a peticular tire?

ray80

I haven't had to replace ours yet, but I know of some that did. What size tires do you currently have?

sdcmex

I have 16 inch, 215 70 tires. They are Firestone Affinity HT which are original. They are no good.

ray80

That is one of the more difficult sizes to get a good selection of tires for. One person I found changed to Michelin LTX M/S and likes them pretty well, if pricey. Feel free to send me an e-mail and I can send you somewhere for more thoughts.

jimqa

I have a 2002 Aztec, that I have added running board and a brush guard and up to now I have been very safisfied. I had it service, last month, having the transmission, coolant and oil, changed. we have taken great car of it and 2 day ago when we started it there was water in the oil. I have had the dealer tow it determine the problem they have not gotten back to me. it only has 46000 miles on it and up till now it's run great. has anyone else had this problem.

sdcmex

Hi, I have been investigating getting new tires for my 2003 Aztek and have found rave reviews on the Yokohama tires. The only thing I see is that fuel economy with this tire is an issue and some say it won't balance causing vibration and noise. Anybody know anything about that?

ray80

Sounds like you may have intake manifold gasket leak, unfortunately a common problem on 3.x engines on many gm vehicles from 97~02(or 03). It was a bad part that has an undated version avaiable. I have a couple pictures of what you may see to indicate you have that problem. Please fell free to e-mail me and I can send you a link to them, and possibly more info.

ray80

We have a GT model and I'll try to find out the GT specific options for you, I do know we don't have moon-roof, 10 speaker system, or captains rear seats, and I don't think the sliding cargo tray was part of the package. As far as AWD/FWD, I know there are many in northern climes that are happy with FWD and traction control (standard on 2001's FWDS I believe) and all-season tires (at least until they get old). AWD could add a little to start-up 'go' factor and also control going down the road (more so when your driving half in/ half out of winter slop). AWD also adds 4 wheel disc brakes and independant suspension which may or may not be important to you. I believe the AWD also adds 400 pounds or so of low weight which might give a slight advantage in rollover resistance. Please feel free to send me an e-mail and I can get you more info.

jimqa

I have a 2002 Blue Aztec, up until now I have liked it and have taken good care of it. the Aztec has 46000 miles and now it either has a blown head gasket or a cracked block. I'm sorry to say that I have lost fauth in it.

has anyone else had this kind of problem.

oakjefferson

Hello,

I have recently made the decision to become an Aztek owner. I have settled on a 2001 Aztek GT FWD.

I'm looking for some advice/help from current owners.

Is the AWD worth it? For me, the FWD on 2001 models is about $1500-$2000 (CDN$) cheaper then an apples to apples AWD. The AWD's are heavier, suck up more gas and are much much more expensive to repair. Am I wrong? Should I go for a AWD?

I have also searched and searched the net in hopes of finding a down-loadable sales brochure for the 2001 model. I am trying to get something that will tell me what the standard features and options are on both the base and GT.

Please ley me know which of the following features are standard on the GT package, and which are optional.

Steering Wheel Audio Controls
HUD
Power Moon-roof
Rear Bucket seats in place of bench
Center Console/Cooler
Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel (it may be leather "like" actually)
Power Seats
10 Speaker Audio System
Rolling Cargo Floor in the back

Any other advice, things to look for when selecting the right one etc. would be greatly appreciated. This will be my first car not counting the jalopies I had in college that would make even Archie blush.

(Thanks Ray)

mike40

Hello, first time poster here...

My wife has a 2002 Aztek that has just started exhibiting a strange problem with handling. I was wondering if anyone else has a similar problem and if what the cause might be.

The rear end feels like is sliding (sometimes pulling) to one side as if the vehicle hit a patch of ice. We first noticed it when we had some icy roads and attributed it to that. However, it also happens on dry pavement, and it doesn't matter if it is a straight road or curved. Vehicle speed doesn't seem to matter either as it happens at in-town speeds (30 MPH or less) or at freeway speeds (55-75 MPH).

I don't know if this is related to the problem or not, but about the same time, the air compressor would cycle at odd times. Even when there was only one occupant in the vehicle and no cargo, the compressor would turn on and off briefly.

Other particulars:

1) vehicle has about 43,000 miles
2) equipped with VersaTrak system
3) equipped with ABS
4) all scheduled maintenance (including oil changes) done by Pontiac dealer
5) all scheduled maintenance current on vehicle

Thanks

keanm

Another first time poster:

My vehicle has the same particulars but instead of a handling problem we get a winding/groaning noise when turning either way. This occurs when moving not when stopped. I don't know if this is related to the AWD or not. Do you experience these noises? Thanks.

ray80

Mike, Thats a strange one I haven't heard of before. Perhaps a caliper is stuck (or sticking at times). Have brakes been done recently? Are you using parking brake during real freezing weather?
Keanm, I would guess yours may be wheel bearing, what year is yours? I had one go bad and found it doing a wobble test (not the correct way to test, but it worked for me), I jacked up vehicle in front one ones side, then grabbed right and left side (or top and bottom) and wiggled it so see how much play there was, then did other side. If one has much more play, it could very well be bad. Feel free to send me an e-mail and I can most likely get you more info. Ray

unrequitedlove

My wife and I bought a 2001 Aztec used. We Immediately fell in love!

We have been fortunate not to have many of the problems I've heard about(Blown Head,leaky sunroof,brakes,door hinges,etc.)But it began acting weird about six months ago with the starter screeching and then the door locks started pulsing, then windows stopped working regularly, followed by the hatch not opening and now the idiot lights flicker and the radio cuts out. Also the door locks don't work and the horn goes off while the headlights flash or shut off while driving!

The last couple of days I've had to resort to pulling the fuses for the headlights because when you turn the car off they stay on! Now I have to disconnect the battery and reconnect it to start the vehicle!

Can anybody Help Because we love this car and don't want give up. It's like having a loved family member in a comma- you can't walk away

ray80

Lights radio horn door locks and idiot lights can all come under the guise of the BCM. Quite a few have had that happen. It is my understanding that there is a updated BCM. The new part could cause you some issues as far as programmimg. I'll try and find out more info on that. Feel free to e-mail me and I'll try to get more info to you.

mike40

Ray,

Thanks for the reply. The brakes have not been done recently on this vehicle. I thought about a sticking (or grabbing) caliper but don't really know how to check for that.

The parking brake was used when I was in Texas, but I have not used it since I moved to New York for the reason that you stated.

BTW, this is the first vehicle that I have owned that has 4-wheel disc brakes. How long should the rear brakes last? I assume that it would be shorter than drum brakes but not as short as front disc brakes.

Thanks

Mike

ray80

Mike, it is very difficult to even venture a guess as to how long they should last. The fronts still do most of the work in braking, and the usual suspects city/highway driving and driver habits can make a real differance. I can to tell that we just changed the rears on ours at around 49k after they started complaining.

keanm

Ray,

I spoke to a GM master mechanic about the noise he said it sounds related to the AWD transfer case. He recommended that I change the transfer case fluid, drive it for a short period of time, and change it again. Somehow the older fluid is making the AWD activate prematurely.

ray80

Keanm , I have heard of that happening in a couple cases. Hopefully just the fluid change will cure it. It is possible it could be more then that.

luvaztek

Hi,

We just a 2003; yup, I grew up on old iron back in the 1960's. I bought this for my wife, I'm driving a loaded 99 Maxima. Have to beg to trade cars here. Just came home from Sams with a load of stuff that wouldn't even begin to fit in the trunk of mine.

Ugly? Don't think so; different and refreshing-you bet.

Although as a kid we had a 58 Edsel Citation with a big honkin' 410 engine.

regards

avstudio1

I am having very similar problems. The hatch won't open at all, the battery is draining mysteriously, and for a while, the hatch would open every time the vehicle was placed into park.

2001 Pontiak Aztek

If its the BCM, should I just take it to the dealer, or can I install this myself????

Any help is appreciated.

cands

We have been experiencing a drain on our battery as well. The service engine soon light has come on and we want to know what the BCM is?

ray80

BCM is the Body Control Module and in some part controls many functions. A new one would require programming at the dealer.

andino

Just traded in my 2003 base matrix for a 2003 fwd aztek with 15000km. We are very happy with it, got it loaded with abs/side airbags,1sb equipment group, trailer towing pkg., traction control, tent, storage pkg etc.

Still learning about the many features but very happy for our choice. We test drove quite a few new suv's and we were tempted by the GMC 2005 Jimmy offer here in canada for 20K $ CAN cash price but we test drove the aztek and made our choice.
I have a question regarding the use of syntetic oil, is there any real benefit to using it since the the owners anual advices for oil changes once a year for what I understand. I will apreciate any input on this .

Thx.

ray80

Congrats on the new ride. I don't have an opinion synthetic/dino oil, its a matter of preferance. I believe your 03 should have the oil life monitoring system. IF you have Driver Information Center you can switch modes to see % of oil life left before change recommended. Without DIC the oil life monitor will turn on oil change light when needed, most likely somewhere between 3000 and 7000 miles depending driving conditions. The one year interval is saying to change oil AT LEAST once a year regardless of usage

clintonjohn

personally, i view oil as cheap insurance, especially when you think about all the stuff that oil traps and suspends to keep away from your engine, as well as the chemical additives in oil, which i would imagine wear out after time. for $20-$30 you can get the oil and filter changed, less if you do it yourself. although my father is the sort who changes it twice a year-spring and fall, i use mileage as my guage. I'll go 4-5 thousand miles between changes, which works out to about every three or four months.
as far as synthetic-it's pricey, but i think it is a better product. however, is it better enough to justify the extra cost? in the winter(chicago) i'll put a mix of 1/2 regular oil and 1/2 synthetic. synthetic is not supposed to thicken like regular oil in cold weather and thus is quicker to get to engine parts at startup.

gocom

Headache after headache with my '02 Aztek. Tonight, for no apparent reason, all of the instrumentation lights went out...check the fuses and relays--all appear okay.
Everything else electrical-wise works in the car. But no dash lights, radio lights, or power window lights. Map lights, lighter, A/C, wipers, headlights all work fine. Anyone have a clue? I once loved this vehicle, but have had problem after problem. Would never buy another GM product. SOOOOO unreliable!

ray80

Could be a few things. First is it possible dimmer switch inadverntantly got adjusted? Could be a ground wire or possibley BCM issue (it got it hands in lots of stuff). You didn't mention odometer, is that out also? If so perhaps instrument panel cluster troubles. I asked elsewhere from someone more knowedgeable and if they suggest other things I'll let you know.

aztekred

I have a 2005 Aztek, can the spoiler be removed?
In addition to being able to block headlights (good), you can not see the face of people behind you, if they are mad or cute. Can this be done without bolts or holes visible?

ray80

I checked elsewhere and it appears removing it wouldn't be to much of a problem, however there would be holes to deal with and finish where it attachs may not be smooth and would also have to be dealt with

aztekred

I have a 2003 I just bought new a few months ago. I love it. The rear spoiler does block the lights of cars following you (good), but you can not see the drivers faces behind you in city driving (Bad). Can they be removed without bolts or holes exposed?

sben

I am an owner of a 2003 Aztek. I experienced the same problems - a humming and grinding problem when in drive and turning the wheel. My problem turned out to be a bad wheel bearing on the front right - at 41,000 miles - not under warranty and $300.00 later. Get it checked out.

aztekred

Thanks Ray, if you hear of someone having done this I would love and update. I actually think it looks better without it.

pamelam

I had a remote keyless entry installed by dealer at time of purchase. I now continually get the "check car for service" light on and tire pressure light. It's the light on the lower left side of console. I was told that the lights come on because I had the entry installed. It messes up the electrical system.??

ray80

Have you checked tire pressures to see if that light is correctly on? Has the keyless entry been working correctly for some time without light(s) coming on? Please feel free to e-mail me and I'll try to get some info.

pamelam

I just had my 03 Aztek towed to the dealer. The transmission wire harness was rubbing against the air cleaner box. 39,000 miles later it actually wore a hole through the wires, causing fist and second gears not to work. This work was not covered under original warranty or the GMPP extended plan. Talk about poor design! Has anyone else had this problem?

ray80

Ugh, thats the first time I have heard of that happening. Do you know if there was something loose or not properly mounted?

y2jasmine

I have a 2001 Aztek that I love. I’ve been having some recent problems with bulbs burning out. The first one, the one in the gear shifter I found the solution on the boards here. The second one, is a little tougher. I have the dual temperature control and first my driver’s side was burnt out, but now my passenger side also burnt out. Does anyone know how to replace these burnt out lights? I did a search online but can’t even find a mention of it. Thanks.

mattchalmers

The BCM seems to be a common problem. My wife's 01' has had the BCM replaced three times. All under warranty, but I would guess at that first. Of course it is not a cheap part, so you may want to go by the dealer first.

ray80

I talked with someone more knowledge then I am about your problem. They have heard of it before, but are not sure if there is a TSB or anything about it. You are only at 39,000 miles? If so I would suggest you might want to call Pontiac assistance line and very nicely ask them about it, perhaps they could help out in some way

ray80

y2jasmine, I found elsewhere someone with same problem. It appears those lights are part of the HVAC control panel and not really intended for individual replacement (panel is $400) at dealer. This person however can do soldering and replaced burnt bulbs with Radio Shack part number (272-1154). If you want to attempt it yourself, I would suggest first dis-connecting battery and be very wary of static electricity potential (possible damage to sensitive circuts)

texas_ford_guy

what i was trying (very delicatly) to point out is that not only is this heap as ugly as day old sin, but there is no way to think of it as a financially good move either. i bet pontiac wont make the mistake of letting the designers run wild again. a helluva concept - chop the tail off a chevrolet venture, then beat what remains into the most unsightly thing on four wheels. i cant imagine driving a car knowing everybody else on the road is laughing at me.

clintonjohn

people may be laughing at me, but i'm still laughing all the way to the bank. it may be ugly, but it's a 2005 ugly with power everything and tons of cargo space that i got for under $15000 brand new. who buys a new car thinking that it is a financially good move anyway? i didn't buy it thinking that i was going to hold it for ten years and sell it to jay leno for fifty thousand. i bought it to serve it's purpose-drive me around and haul things, both of which the aztek does. my parents just bought a toyota highlander which serves the same purpose as my aztek. the toyota may be more pleasing to the eye, but they also paid nearly twice as much.

pamelam

I did call the Pontiac Customer Assistance line and got no help whatsoever. I asked the dealer to save all parts and not touch the car as I first want to take pictures of the damage caused by the poor design of this car. The dealership was able to get approval to pay for these repairs. After the camera shoot they probably figured they had a nut on their hands who was not about to give up! They were right about that! Also it was the 3 or 4 time they've seen that problem. Could some of the transmission issues I've read in this forum be caused by these wires being slowing damaged?

ray80

Sounds like they did take care of it for you anyway. Thats good. I am very interested in the problem, is there anyway you could scan pics and send them to me? We could possibly help out other owners and avoid haveing the troubles ourselves. This is in the area of the air-box on drivers side of engine compartment, correct?

tcb1

BCM went bad in mine as well. You can save a little money by replacing it yourself, but then you will have to pay the dealer to program the thing with your VIN or your radio will be locked and your airbags wont work etc. but you can drive it (mine wants 75$ for reprogramming) the part costs $250 and it took me about 4 hours to install it (I'm obviously no mechanic). Aztek = faulty BCM!

lexusrocks

Is it true that Pontiac will phase out the Aztek after 2005? And will it be replaced by the new Torrent? I really think the two vehicles should be sold side by side. If you can get over the Aztek's styling, it actually offers a lot in terms of value, comfort and interior space.

stever

The Aztek is officially going away. The way GM is doing lately, Pontiac itself may be gone, not to mention Buick. Just like the Olds brand.

Lutz Considers the Possibility of Death for Buick or Pontiac (Inside Line)

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