Your vehicle report
2002 Pontiac Aztek
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 121
- Received Feb 2002 to Apr 2017
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline17 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Wheel bearings fail prematurely17 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Air conditioner blows hot air or fails6 complaints · 5.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #07V349000On 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).
- Recall #03V250000Certain 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 2 crashes, 1 fire, 2 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 13 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 5 |
| 2003 | 17 |
| 2004 | 15 |
| 2005 | 22 |
| 2006 | 16 |
| 2007 | 8 |
| 2008 | 17 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 4 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 4 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 121 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 17 | 14% | – | NHTSA recall #07V349000 |
| Wheel bearings fail prematurely | 17 | 14% | – | |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 6 | 5.0% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 5 | 4.1% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 5 | 4.1% | – | |
| Plastic intake manifold cracks and leaks coolant | 5 | 4.1% | – | |
| Tailgate or trunk latch fails | 4 | 3.3% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 3 | 2.5% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 3 | 2.5% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 3 | 2.5% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 3 | 2.5% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 3 | 2.5% | – | |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 3 | 2.5% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #07V349000August 8, 200720,594 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage
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).
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.
NHTSA recall #03V250000July 15, 20031,707,825 vehicles affected
equipment: other: owners/service/other manual
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.
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2002 Pontiac Aztek.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN