2005 Toyota MATRIX problems and owner complaints

MY WIFE BOUGHT A NEW 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX ON JULY 24, 2004. FIVE DAYS LATER, WITH ONLY ABOUT 85 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AS SHE WAS AT A STOP LIGHT. WHAT WAS WORSE, SHE WAS ON A HILL AND THE CAR STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS. *AKWE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER THAT DAY AND THEY FOUND THAT THE ACTUATOR HAD FAILED AND WAS LEAKING. WE DON'T MIND WAITING FOR THE SPARE PART TO COME IN AND EVERYTHING IS UNDER 100% WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THE 2004 COROLLA THEY GAVE HER AS A LOANER, WITH ABOUT 1,200 MILES ON IT, ALSO…

Owner-reported narrative. 85 miles reported. Look up ODI 10083161 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS HALTED IN THE LEFT TURN LANE OF A 6 LANE HIGHWAY BEHIND ANOTHER CAR ALSO WAITING TO TURN. MY CAR(1,600 MILES) WAS IDLING IN DRIVE. SUDDENLY THE ENGINE BEGAN RACING AND BY VIRTUALLY STANDING ON THE BRAKE I PREVENTED FORWARD MOVEMENT AND AFTER A FEW SECONDS I SLIPPED IT INTO NEUTRAL. WHEN I DID THAT, THE ENGINE SEEMED TO RACE ALL THE MORE - VIRTUALLY SCREAMING. I FINALLY THOUGHT TO TURN THE IGNITION OFF. THE CAR PROMPTLY RESTARTED AND THE PROBLEM DID NOT RECUR AGAIN. THE POTENTIAL FOR A SERIOUS ACCIDENT FROM THIS PROBLEM IS HUGE. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 1,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10134676 at NHTSA ↗

CLUTCH FAILURE IN 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX XRS W/6 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. FAILURE OCCURRED AT 21,300 MILES, AND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY BURNING SMELL DETECTABLE IN THE CAR WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. TOYOTA REFUSED TO ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAILURE. TOYOTA DISTRICT MANAGER REFUSED TO CONTACT ME TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 21,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10138514 at NHTSA ↗

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT TRANSMISSION MAD E A THUMPING NOISE WHEN APPROACHING A STOP. HE SUSPECTED IT WAS THE SOUND OF THE TRANSMISSION CHANGING GEARS. ALSO, THERE WA S VIBRATION THAT FOLLOWED THE NOISE. THIS WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. THE DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE WHAT WAS CAUSING THE NOISE. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE AT THIS TIME. *AK UPDATED 09/16/09 *BF UPDATED 09/17/09.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. 35 miles reported. Look up ODI 10141685 at NHTSA ↗

DT: THE CLUTCH WAS DIFFICULT TO DEPRESS/TO ENGAGE THE STARTER. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WHEN TRYING TO WORK THE CLUTCH BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH ROOM IN THE FLOOR AREA ,AND THE WHEEL WELL MADE A HUMP IN THIS AREA. ALSO, THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED WITH A FOOT REST THAT THE CONSUMER HAD REMOVED BECAUSE IT MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE STALLED. TWICE IT PUT THE CONSUMER IN DANGEROUS SITUATION ALTHOUGH, THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN AUGUST 2004. THE SECOND T…

Owner-reported narrative. 300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10134314 at NHTSA ↗

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED EACH TIME. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE IS A 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX. *AK UPDATED 12/26/2006 - THE CONSUMER FELT THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY BUT THE DEALER INDICATED THAT IT WAS WORKING AS DESIGNED. THE CONSUMER NOTICED A LONG CRANK TIME WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER NOTICED A VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEE…

Owner-reported narrative. 16,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10166335 at NHTSA ↗

STEERING COMPONENT PROBLEMS HAVE LED TO EXCESSIVE CUPPING/TIRE WEAR ON 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX (29,000 MILES). HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT STEERING ISSUES SINCE PURCHASE (ORIGINAL OWNER) AND WAS ALWAYS TOLD THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES PROBLEMS - SOMETIMES - BUT CANNOT FIND ISSUE AND RESOLVE. I FEEL THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 29,157 miles reported. Look up ODI 10195085 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL WIRING FOR THE AIR BAGS FAILED. THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE FOR THE SUPPLEMENT RESTRAINT ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 99,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10503887 at NHTSA ↗

ON JULY 17, 2013, MY CAR HAS MADE SEVERAL INCIDENTS OF ENGINE SHUTTING OFF EITHER AT INTERSECTONS, OR WHILE IN MOTION. GOOD THING IT DOES START BACK UP BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL AUTO SHOP AND IT WAS DIAGNOSE AS CODE TO REPLACE THE THERMOSTAT AND GASKET COOLANT SENSOR. TWO WEEKS LATER, ENGINE SHUT-OFF AGAIN WHILE DRIVING SEVERAL TIMES. RETURN IT BACK TO THE LOCAL AUTO SHOP AND HAD THEM LOOK AT IT AGAIN. THEY FOUND NO OTHER PROBLEMS. HOWEVER, THEY INFORMED ME TO TAKE IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, AS THE ECM MAY BE AT …

Owner-reported narrative. 128,078 miles reported. Look up ODI 10542532 at NHTSA ↗

TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP IN JULY, 2006, BECAUSE THE A/C WAS BLOWING HOT, A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON, AND IT WASN'T ALWAYS STARTING, AND/OR SPUTTERING WHILE DRIVING. THEY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP, A NEW A/C CONTROL SWITCH, AND A SENSOR IN THE ENGINE BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD NOT GO OFF AND THEY COULD FIND NOTHING ELSE WRONG. REPAIRS OCCURRED OVER A TWO WEEK PERIOD WITH ME HAVING TO RETURN THE CAR TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE FOR THE SAME THREE COMPLAINTS A TOTAL OF THREE TIMES- A/C BLOWING HOT, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, AND SP…

Owner-reported narrative. 32,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10171536 at NHTSA ↗

MY CAR HAD BIG NOISE COME FROM UNDERNEATH, I HAD THE DEALER CHECK AND THE DEAL FIND THE FUEL TANK FELL DOWN FROM THE CAR BECAUSE METAL STRIP WHICH HOLD IT WAS BROKEN. THE PROBLEM SHOW UP WHEN I HAVE NORMAL DRIVING. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10245591 at NHTSA ↗