The Pontiac Aztek has 9 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 2001–2005. On average a defect was admitted 2.53 years after the car was built, the slowest took 6 years. The most recalled system is Fuel System, Gasoline (2 campaigns). Owners also filed 411 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Pontiac Aztek
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Fuel System, Gasoline 2 Read
What's 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
Fix. 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…
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles, a weld between the fuel tank inlet check valve and the fuel tank can fail
Risk. If these parts separate, the driver may notice an odor of fuel, the service engine soon or check engine light may illuminate, and/or fuel may leak onto the ground. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire
Fix. Dealers will inspect the serial number of the fuel tank to see if it is on the list of affected tanks. If the serial number matches, the fuel tank will be replaced. Owner notification began november 4, 2003. Owners should contact buick at 1-866-608-8080 or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668
What's 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
Fix. 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…
Air Bags 2 Read
What's wrong. On certain passenger, sport utility vehicles and mini vans, some of these vehicles have a passenger air bag that was manufactured without a check valve pin. An air bag without the check valve pin could produce increased pressure at the onset of the air bag deployment and reduced pressure afterward
Risk. This could increase the severity of injury to a person who was not properly restrained and who was close to the passenger air bag at the time of deployment. It could also reduce the ab8ility of the air bag to protect a restrained front seat passenger
Fix. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger air bag. Owner notification began december 16, 2002. 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 chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, pontiac at…
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger, sport utility vehicles and minivans. The passenger air bag inflator modules were built without the correct amount of generant, which produces the gas that fills the air bag. Some were built with a double load of generant and some were built without generant
Risk. In the event of a crash that would trigger a passenger air bag deployment, a double load of generant can cause the inflator module to explode. If the air bag module explodes, metal and plastic debris could cause severe injury to vehicle occupant. A module with no generant would not inflate the air bag, and the…
Fix. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag module. Telephone calls were made to owners on january 29, 2001. Follow up owner mailing began on april 17, 2001. 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…
Fuel System, Other 1 Read
What's wrong. Certain delphi fuel pressure regulators, p/nos. Fp10020-11b1, fp10026-11b1, and fp10027-11b1, sold after january 9, 2007, as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles listed above. The universal pressure regulators (upr) were produced without an o'ring and retainer
Risk. Fuel may leak, possibly resulting in a fire
Fix. Delphi will notify owners and replace the upr free of charge. The recall began on april 23, 2007. Owners can contact delphi at 877-411-8770
What's wrong. Certain delphi fuel pressure regulators, p/nos. Fp10020-11b1, fp10026-11b1, and fp10027-11b1, sold after january 9, 2007, as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles listed above. The universal pressure regulators (upr) were produced without an o'ring and retainer
Risk. Fuel may leak, possibly resulting in a fire
Fix. Delphi will notify owners and replace the upr free of charge. The recall began on april 23, 2007. Owners can contact delphi at 877-411-8770
What's wrong. Certain delphi fuel pressure regulators, p/nos. Fp10020-11b1, fp10026-11b1, and fp10027-11b1, sold after january 9, 2007, as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles listed above. The universal pressure regulators (upr) were produced without an o'ring and retainer
Risk. Fuel may leak, possibly resulting in a fire
Fix. Delphi will notify owners and replace the upr free of charge. The recall began on april 23, 2007. Owners can contact delphi at 877-411-8770
Electrical System 1 Read
What's wrong. On certain sport utility vehicles, contamination on ignition relay contacts can cause high resistance. This can affect signals to the powertrain control module and, could cause intermittent vehicle stalls at any time
Risk. The vehicle cannot be restarted immediately. If this were to occur, it could result in a vehicle crash
Fix. Dealers will replace the ignition relay free of charge. The recall began on may 4, 2005. Owners may contact pontiac at 1-800-620-7668 and buick at 1-866-608-8080
Equipment 1 Read
What's 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
Fix. 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…
What's 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
Fix. 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…
What's 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
Fix. 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…
Steering 1 Read
What's 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
Fix. 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…
Seats 1 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: certain mini vans built with second row 50/50 split bench seats or captain's chairs, fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." the seat latch anchor wire diameter is greater than 6.1 mm
Risk. If the connector for a latch-type child restraint is not attached correctly to the anchorage points, the restraint will not properly protect a child in the event of a crash
Fix. Dealers will inspect the latch anchor wires and repair those with an improper diameter. Owner notification began april 10, 2002. 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 chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020,…
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 2.53 years |
| Slowest campaign | 6 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 23.5% |
| Campaigns on record | 9 |
Which Aztek years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Fuel System, Other | |
| 2004 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 2003 | Steering | |
| 2002 | Equipment | |
| 2001 | Air Bags |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Go deeper
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Pontiac Aztek have?
9 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 2001–2005. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my Aztek still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 2.53 years, and the slowest campaign came 6 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.