2008 Toyota MATRIX: complaints, problems and recalls

DRIVING NEW TOYOTA MATRIX (<400 MILES) ENTERING FREEWAY, HEAR A POP BEHIND DRIVER. CAR CONTINUES TO DRIVE FINE. WHEN STOPPED, NOTICED THAT ENTIRE REAR QUARTER WINDOW GLASS IS SHATTERED. NO EVIDENCE OF HAVING BEEN HIT BY ANYTHING (HIGHLY IMPROBABLE GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES OF WHEN POP WAS HEARD). NO HOLE IN WINDOW. BY THWE NEXT DAY SHATTERED WINDOW GLASS IS FALLING OUT OF FRAME. DEALER NOTIFIED , TAKING NO ACTION AS YET. REAR PASSENGER, IF PRESENT, WOULD HAVE BEEN ENDANGERED BY THE SHATTERED GLASS. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 399 miles reported. Look up ODI 10219567 at NHTSA ↗

ON MAY 16TH I WAS REAR-ENDED WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. MY 2008 MATRIX XR WAS PUSHED INTO THE BACK OF A SCHOOL BUS. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT CRUMPLED THE FRONT END OF MY CAR, YET THE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. SHOULD IT HAVE? I CAN SEND YOU PHOTOS OF THE ACCIDENT AND THE DAMAGE TO MY CAR. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 4,735 miles reported. Look up ODI 10241400 at NHTSA ↗

WITHOUT WARNING MY 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP. I'M TOLD I NEED A NEW ONE, AND MY CAR HAS ONLY 60,560 MILES. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 60,560 miles reported. Look up ODI 10243429 at NHTSA ↗

2008 TOYOTA MATRIX XR....CAR DRIFTS SEVERELY TO THE LEFT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS...ESPECIALLY WHEN IN THE LEFT LANE. I REALIZE THERE IS A CROWN TO EVERY ROAD, BUT OUR OTHER VEHICLES DO NOT DO THIS ON THE SAME STRETCH OF HIGHWAY IN ANY LANES. TO GIVE AN INDICATION OF THE SEVERITY, AT 65+MPH, THE CAR WOULD BE IN THE MEDIAN WITHIN 2-3 SECONDS WITHOUT THE CONSTANT RIGHTWARD PRESSURE ON THE STEERING WHEEL. I DID NOT NOTICE THE DRIFT ON THE TEST DRIVE AT THE DEALER. FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, THE NEW ROADWAY NEAR THE DEALER IS NEARLY PERFECTLY FLAT. ALSO, TH…

Owner-reported narrative. 10,750 miles reported. Look up ODI 10246310 at NHTSA ↗

2008 TOYOTA MATRIX HAS PREMATURE TIRE WEAR IN TIRES AFTER ONLY 15,000 MILES. TOYOTA SAYS THIS IS NORMAL AND THAT I HAVE TO PAY TO REPLACE THE TIRES. THE TIRES ARE NOT DEFECTIVE, IT IS THE ALIGNMENT IN THE CAR. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 15,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10246587 at NHTSA ↗

VERY SIMILAR TO ODI ID NO. 10219567 EXCEPT I WAS ALREADY ON THE INTERSTATE. LEFT REAR PASSENGER WINDOW SHATTERED SPONTANEOUSLY. SUNNY DAY, TEMPERATURE NEAR 70, TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE AT ABOUT 69 MPH, NO TRUCKS NEARBY. WINDOW HAS NOW BEEN REPLACED; DEALERSHIP SAID IT SEARCHED FOR BUT COULD FIND NO EVIDENCE OF ROCK OR PEBBLE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 9,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10247788 at NHTSA ↗

ON THE EVENING OF JANUARY 26, 2010, I WAS DRIVING MY 2008 TOYOTA MATRIX AND REAR ENDED ANOTHER DRIVER. PRIOR TO THE CRASH, I HAD BEEN TRAVELING AT ROUGHLY 35 MPH. THERE WERE NO OTHER PEOPLE IN MY CAR AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. THE IMPACT WAS GREAT ENOUGH FOR THE DRIVER AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. THE REAR SEATS ARE A 60/40 SPLIT; THE 60 SIDE HELD A CHILD'S BOOSTER SEAT AND THE 40 SIDE HELD A CHILD'S CARSEAT. BOTH SIDES WERE LOCKED INTO PLACE PRIOR TO THE CRASH. AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH, THE 60 SIDE FLEW FORWARD, SMASHING THE BOOSTER SEAT IN BETWEEN …

Owner-reported narrative. 25,735 miles reported. Look up ODI 10303113 at NHTSA ↗

THE BRAKES ON MY 2008 TOYOTA MATRIX FAILED AGAIN JANUARY 30, 2010. THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL NOT DEPRESS FOR A MOMENT AND THEN ONCE THE PRESSURE IS TAKEN OFF AND REAPPLIED IT WILL ENGAGE. IT HAS BEEN AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THAT STARTED SEPT. 2009. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE ORIGINAL DEALER ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AND THE TECHNICIANS COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THE CASE WENT TO ARBITRATION AND WAS FOUND IN FAVOR OF TOYOTA. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO TOYOTA SEVERAL TIMES AFTER ARBITRATION. THEY KEPT IT FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND PUT 4 MILES ON THE VEHI…

Owner-reported narrative. 32,120 miles reported. Look up ODI 10305295 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2010-02-03 (February 3, 2010)

GULF STATES TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2010 VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1, 2005 AND JUNE 2, 2008 WITHOUT THE REQUISITE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS.

Consequence: THIS DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARD REQUIREMENTS.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. DEALERS WILL ALSO CORRECT THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GULF STATES TOYOTA AT 713-580-3300.

Reported: 2010-08-26 (August 26, 2010)

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2008 COROLLA AND COROLLA MATRIX VEHICLES. THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) FOR THE SUBJECT MODELS EQUIPPED WITH THE 1ZZ-FE ENGINE AND TWO-WHEEL DRIVE MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT A CRACK MAY DEVELOP AT CERTAIN SOLDER POINTS OR ON VARISTORS ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD.

Consequence: THERE ARE A VARIETY OF WARNINGS AND CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEFECT. THE ENGINE WARNING LAMP COULD BE ILLUMINATED, HARSH SHIFTING COULD RESULT, THE ENGINE MAY NOT START, OR THE ENGINE COULD SHUT OFF WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. AN ENGINE SHUTOFF WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN INCREASES THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE PRODUCTION NUMBER OF THE ECM AND REPLACE THE ECM IF NECESSARY. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. TOYOTA WILL MAIL AN INTERIM OWNER NOTIFICATION THE MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER 2010 TO ADVISE OWNERS OF THIS DEFECT AND RECALL. THIS INTERIM NOTIFICATION WILL INFORM OWNERS THAT THEY WILL RECEIVE A FUTURE NOTIFICATION WHEN PARTS BECOME AVAILABLE TO HAVE THE FREE REMEDY PERFORMED ON THEIR VEHICLE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 29, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.