Electrical complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I was leaving school and I started to smell gas, so I stopped and checked to see if there was any leaking and there wasn't. A week had went by and I didn't smell the gas anymore but my radio and dash lights had quit working. So I had the fuses changed and the speedometer started working again but not the radio. Several months later my temp gauge started shooting all the way up to hot right after it was cranked. So I had it checked and my vehicle wasn't running hot. The one night I was driving home from town and my car shut off and a temp light was blinking. I popped the hood and my hoses from the radiator to the motor had busted from all the pressure built up. The next day I brought my car to a shop and had a new motor put in. And low and be-hold my transmission starts shifting really hard when I go to start off. I had it looked at but they couldn't find anything with it. …
I purchased a new 2005 Pontiac Aztek on July 1, 2005. Seven days later, with 611 miles on the vehicle, it completely shut down while I was on the road. I was unable to restart the vehicle, turn on my hazard lights, or even remove the key from the ignition. When the tow truck arrived, the driver jiggled the wires leading to the battery. Although he said they didn't feel loose, the vehicle did start after that. I drove it to the dealership I bought the vehicle from, they tested it, and told me they could find no problems nor duplicate the problem. The problem occurred while I was stopped at a light. However, about five minutes prior, I was moving down the road when the anti-lock brake light suddenly came on and the radio station changed (without help from me). After about a second, the light went off and the radio returned to my original station. …
My car turn off on my children and I on the highway thank god we was able to coast on the side of the road. My mechanic said that my ignition control module went out outta no where not only that crankshaft sensor and fuel line exhausted system something wrong engine light still on. With that being said I'm great my children was not hurt doing this ordeal. I learned that these cars have few complaints. But do have some issues with electrical system and vacuum how's exhausted. Just got the car I March and found out bout this recall I'm so disappointed scared to drive this car right now.
Key stuck in ignition once car turned off. This has happened intermittently since first occurred in 2010. The only way to remove key is to override park shift indicator, which would allow key to be removed while vehicle in motion, thereby disabling power steering and braking. There is no fix that does not involve overriding park shift indicator per dealer.
On 2/8/2004 consumer started the vehicle and turned the windshield wipers on. The windshield wipers stopped operating and began to smoke. The vehicle caught on fire due to a malfunction in the windshield wiper motor which was replaced by the dealer. Two weeks after being repaired the windshield wipers failed twice during inclement weather, causing poor visibility to the driver while on the highway. The vehicle had an electrical fire. The windshield wipers wires were burnt up making a hole in the windshield fluid container. The consumer requested reimbursement for missing work, stress, and car payment.
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 2002 Pontiac Aztek. While driving 45 MPH, the alarm system sounded, the locks operated on their own, and the trunk opened without being prompted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 180,000.
Service engine light on. Taken to Pontiac dealership, told it was the ECM (electronic control module) had gone bad. The ECM wiring harness plugs into a receptacle on the under carriage of the car (on drivers side, in between the front and rear seats), which is exposed to the weather elements and road debris. Corrosion caused the malfunction. No repair available. $934 repair cost to fix/replace entire ECM harness. I went to the Aztek owners website and saw several hundred complaints regarding this same item. Some complaints were about the ECM and the BCM (body control module). ECM supposedly controls all the electronics with the brain/computer of the vehicle. Since a car cannot be inspected with a service engine light on, I was forced to have it repaired$$. Two days later, the AWD disable light has come on. …
Related recalls (1)
Electrical system › Ignition
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.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA investigations
Ignition relay failure
On November 10, 2004, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate the failure, malfunction, or other unsatisfactory performance of the engine control system which May result in engine stalling in certain model year (my) 2004 Buick rendezvous (gmt250) and Pontiac aztek (gmt250) vehicles allegedly caused by ignition relay failure.odi is aware of 68 non-duplicative…
Frequently asked questions
Which Pontiac Aztek years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2001 (40), 2003 (25), 2002 (18), 2004 (15) and 2005 (9) model years. Electrical complaints make up 19% of all complaints for the 2001.
Is there a recall for Pontiac Aztek electrical problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 05V-157 (ignition, Apr 20, 2005). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Pontiac Aztek electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles; 38% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the wiring (7 mentions), followed by the ignition (7).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.