NHTSA Complaint #10170815 — 2002 PONTIAC AZTEK

I HAVE HAD THREE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH MY AZTEK. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY A FEW MONTHS OLD, THE COMPUTER SYSTEM WENT OUT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS, OF COURSE, WAS COVERED BY THE WARRANTY, BUT WAS A HARBINGER OF THINGS TO COME. BOTH THE CONDENSER AND THE COMPRESSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED, NEITHER OF WHICH WAS COVERED BY THE WARRANTY; I WAS WITHIN THE ALLOTTED TIME, BUT HAD A FEW HUNDRED MORE MILES ON THE VEHICLE THAN WHAT WAS ALLOWABLE. VERY EXPENSIVE. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, I BEGAN TO HAVE TROUBLE WITH TRANSIENT OVERHEATING. THINKING THAT THE THERMOSTAT MIGHT BE STICKING, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, WHO AT FIRST SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. WHEN I WENT TO PICK IT UP, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD DISCOVERED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS LEAKING AND THAT THE CAR WAS NOW INOPERABLE. THE REMEDY DUE TO LABOR WAS CLOSE TO $1000. I WAS QUITE UPSET, AND TOLD THE DEALER THAT, SINCE THEY HAD SOLD ME THIS CAR, WHICH HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS, THAT I THOUGHT THEY SHOULD EITHER FIX IT OR PROVIDE ME A FAIR TRADE. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE CAR, WHICH I PAID $26K FOR, IS NOW ONLY WORTH ABOUT $6K BECAUSE OF ITS POOR RESALE VALUE. I REALLY FEEL LIKE A VICTIM AND THAT THE LEMON LAWS SHOULD BE REVISED TO INCLUDE VEHICLES THAT HAVE MULTIPLE SYSTEM FAILURES. *NM