NHTSA Complaint #10200266 — 2004 PONTIAC AZTEK

HEAD GASKET BLOWN ON 2004 PONTIAC AZTEK RALLY, 3.4L ENGINE, 39,880 MILES. I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED 3 MONTHS AGO WITH 37,000 MILES AT SOUTHTOWNE HYUNDAI IN RIVERDALE, GA - 770-471-1000. THEY TOLD ME THE CAR WAS MECHANICALLY SOUND AND HAD PASSED A 60-POINT INSPECTION. RECENTLY, UPON DRIVING UP A 5-MILE HILL, ABOUT MIDWAY THE CAR STARTED OVERHEATING. I LET IT COOL DOWN, TURNED OFF THE A/C, TURNED ON THE HEATER AND DROVE BACK APPROX. 5 MILES TO THE NEAREST SERVICE STATION. THE CAR DID NOT INDICATE ANY MORE OVERHEATING. TECH'S COULD NOT FIND A LEAK. THERE WAS NO MORE OVERHEATING UNTIL A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER. ON MY WAY TO GET AN OIL CHANGE, IT HAPPENED AGAIN. TOOK IT TO PONTIAC SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THEY DIAGNOSED A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. I RESEARCHED THE INTERNET, THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON FAILURE FOR THIS PARTICULAR CAR. PONTIAC SAID IT WILL FIX FREE OF CHARGE IF I PAY $1,100 FOR MAINTENANCE SERVICE (REPLACING ALL FLUIDS - WHICH HAD BEEN DONE 3,000 MILES AGO AT THE SOUTHTOWNE HYUNDAI). LUCKY FOR ME, THE HEAD GASKET DID NOT BLOW ON A HIGHWAY OR HEAVY TRAFFIC BUT CLOSE TO THE DEALERSHIP. I AM NOW WAITING FOR REPAIRS THROUGH PONTIAC. *TR