ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate Primary Health Care attributes and analyze the association between the fulfilment of these attributes and problem-solving capacity of services for elderly patients. Methods A cross-sectional, observational, quantitative study. The Primary Care Assessment Tool, designed to assess Primary Health Care attributes, was employed to evaluate elderly users of Primary Care Units located in the south region of the city of São Paulo (SP). Results Many attributes assessed at the reference services were considered as unsatisfactory by users. Overall scores were also below the cut-off point. “First contact access – use”, “longitudinality” and “coordination – information system” were the only attributes considered as satisfactory. Also, more than half (62.7%) of respondent patients reported having been referred to specialized services. A combined analysis of these three outcomes revealed users referred to other services had a significantly better perception of Primary Health Care attributes. Conclusion The study provides important insights on satisfaction of elderly individuals and the problem-solving capacity of health care services, especially for the study population. Findings reported emphasize the association between Primary Health Care attributes and the problem-solving capacity of health care services at this level.