We found the following complaints for TOYOTA MATRIX (2003)
Read complaints for TOYOTA MATRIX (2003)
I took the car in to the grossinger toyota service center in chicago to have the airbags changed as per the nhtsa nationwide recall: http://www.nhtsa.gov/about+nhtsa/press+releases/dot-calls-for-national-recall-of-takata-driver-air-bagsthey told me it was in an "interim" stage and couldn't do anything.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received a notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14v312000 (air bags) in september of 2014; however, the dealer stated that the parts needed to do the repair were still not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received a notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14v312000 (air bags) and stated that the part needed was unavailable to repair the vehicle. The dealer was unable to inform when the part would become available. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v013000 (electrical system) and 14v312000 (air bags); however, the part needed to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received a notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v312000 (air bags) however, the part needed to repair the vehicle was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v285000 (air bags) and 15v043000 (air bags); however, the parts were not available in the contact's region. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 13v209000 (air bags), 15v043000 (air bags) and 15v285000 (air bags) however, the parts to do the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts are not available.
The contact owned a 2003 toyota matrix. While driving approximately 50 mph, the contact rear ended another vehicle. The front end of the contact's vehicle was severely damaged, but the air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained an injured chest and shoulder, which required medical treatment. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. A police report was filed. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 190,000.
I want you to be aware of this email below i just sent to toyota with a safety complainant."hello customer service rep,i am contacting you regarding the air system on my matrix and i had many recalls/ repairs during the last few years first replacing the air harness in march of 2013. Then replacing the passenger air bag inflator in august 2014 and then replacing the driver side bag in early october 2014. Last replacing the center airbag senor assembly in mid october 2014. All these items were covered under safety recalls except the driver side airbag which cost me $1196.69 which i was told it had to be replaced because it was inoperative. I think this should be covered under a safety recall and you give me a refund of $1196.69 so could you tell me why this is not under a safety recall?thank you,[xxx]information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v043000 (air bags) and 14v312000 (electrical system); however, the parts needed to do the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v043000 and 14v312000 (air bags) however, the parts to do the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Updated 6/17/15 updated 11/23/2015
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact stated received a notification for recall nhtsa campaign number: 14v312000 (air bags). The contact indicated that after contacting the dealer and the manufacturer on multiple occasions he was informed that the parts needed to repair the vehicle were not available and no estimated time to receiving the parts could be given.the vehicle had not experience the failure.the vin was not available.
The 2003 toyota matrix i was driving hit the back of a pick-up truck when the brakes locked up and the vehicle began to skid.the matrix went partially under the truck, causing severe damage to the front end of the matrix.none of the airbags in the 2003 toyota matrix deployed.thanks to the fact that i was wearing my seatbelt, i received only minor injuries.
My air bag light won't go off. Toyota says the drivers seat belt is the problem and will be replaced. I believe air bag problems are common in the toyota matrix.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v043000 (air bags); however, the part needed to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the air bag sensor light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the failure was due to a fractured cable in the steering wheel. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 207,000.
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v043000 (air bags). The part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact stated that the recall notice for nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v285000 (air bags) and 15v043000 (air bags). After contacting the dealer and the manufacturer on multiple occasions, the contact was informed that the parts needed to repair the vehicle were still not available and no estimated time for receiving the parts could be given. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v286000 (air bags) and 15v043000 (air bags). The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Ma 10/6the consumer stated the air bag light illuminated. Updated 01/25/16.
I have gotten the "takata recall" letter and took my car on march 18, 2018, with mike briseno from toyota here near my place 1901 s figueroa st, los angeles, ca 90007.they offered me an uber ride home from the dealership with my husband and said it will take 2-3 hours. Got the call from mike briseno and said that my car is ready. I got there and he said they did not do anything and had to order the parts. Called the dealership on may 16, 2018, talked to mike said he will call me to see back order and never responded if the parts ever arrived since may 2018. Car was never fixed.
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v043000 (air bags) and 15v285000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v043000 (air bags) and 15v285000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was notified. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v043000 (air bags) and 14v312000 (air bags). The contact stated that the part was not available within a reasonable amount of time to repair the vehicle. The dealer did not give a specific date for when the part would become available. The manufacturer was notified. The contact had not experienced a failure.ma 10/15/2015updated 10/17/2017
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the air bag sensor light illuminated indicating that the air bag system was faulty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received a notice for nhtsa campaign number 14v312000 (air bags) on january 26, 2015. After contacting the dealer and the manufacturer, the contact was informed that the parts needed to remedy the failure were not available and no estimated time for receiving the parts could be provided. The failure mileage was not available.updated 3/31/15
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. While the contact was idling at a red light, the seat belt air bag restraint system erroneously activated and forcefully secured the driver into the seat. During the incident, no crash had occurred. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer (baierl toyota, 19045 perry hwy, mars, pa), but the cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified and an investigator was sent to examine the vehicle. The failure mileage was 200,000.
Takata recall: many times over the past2 1/2 years we have called toyota of terre haute about performingthis recall.each time we get an excuse;the last time they claimed to have one of the parts necessary but not the other. They promised to call us back with and update and solution.that was last fall. (approx )
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated continuously. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v043000 (air bags) and 15v285000 (air bags); however, the parts were unavailable to perform the repairs. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall remedy. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. While driving 45 mph, a tire detached from a commercial vehicle, struck the contacts vehicle, and caused a crash. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v285000 (air bags) and 15v043000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vin was invalid. The failure mileage was 154,000.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v285000 (air bags); however, the part needed to perform the repair was unavailable. The manufacturer stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. While driving approximately 15 mph, the contact's vehicle crashed into the rear end of another vehicle. The frontal air bags failed to deploy. It were no injuries sustained. It was unknown if a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.updated 5/29/15the consumer stated there was too much damaged caused for such a low speed impact accident. The bumper, radiator and engine were all damaged durning the accident.updated 11/6/15
The airbag indicator on my car lit up. I scheduled an appointment with toyota to have it diagnosed, and they said that i needed a new spiral clock spring cable, which is part number 84306-02110. This is an expensive part, over $300.after doing some searching, i found out that 1) many other toyota matrix and corolla owners have had this issue and 2) there was a recall on this part for toyotas of a slightly different make, model, and year.i believe that this part is defective, and that toyota should cover the replacement cost, including labor.
2003 toyota matrix.consumer writes in regards to installation of airbag part issues.the consumer stated even though the dealer had the part, the couldn't install it.the consumer did not go any further in detail.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v043000 (air bags) and 14v312000 (air bags); however, the parts needed to repair the vehicle were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified. The vin was invalid. The contact had not experienced a failure.updated 8/10/15
2003 toyota matrix.consumer writes in regards to the airbag inflator recall notice issues.the consumer was informed the parts were not available.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact stated that the air bag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic was performed, which located the failure at the air bag spiral cable. The air bag spiral cable was replaced however, the failure was not corrected. The air bag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to dealer where a second diagnostic was performed. The failure was located at the air bag wiring harness. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure.the failure mileage was 95,163 and the current mileage was 95,311. Updated 01/09/13*lj updated 1/22/2013 status update. 01/24/13 updated 01/30/13*lj
We have been trying to resolve this safety issue for the last few years to no avail.this letter is in response to your 1/31/15 report re: the electronic components for the above named car.toyota has been arguing that this problem is our responsibility and not theirs.but based on your latest report, it seems that we are correct in holding them responsible for repairing it.over the last few years we have had this car into different toyota dealers in response to air bag system electronic component recalls.to date our vehicle has not been prepared properly.the air bag warning light remains on, which leads to our concern that the air bag system is defective.the dealers and toyota corporation indicate that this is not part of the recall, but we believe otherwise.if the recall was due to a faulty electronic component air bag system and the dealers were supposed to have repaired it, then why does it persist?? we believe toyota is responsible for this problem and would like it repaired once and for all by toyota, as it is a potentially dangerous safety issue and i do not want my family to become another fatality statistic.
Takata recall is taking way too long to complete.it has been almost one year, and my toyota dealer still does not have the necessary parts to complete this recall.something is wrong.it should not take this long.i think they are stalling and hoping that everyone with a 2003 model year car, sells it.as i understand it, this is a serious problem.they should be made to produce these parts, even if it means working 24 hour shifts until they have sufficient parts.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received a notification for a manufacturer recall related to the air bags. However, the part needed to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Side airbag did not deploy in a side impact collision while moving.
I have a2003 matrix since new, the airbag warning light on the dash has remained on for years, because of limited funds can not go to dealership and pay $$$$ for service fee, diagnostic fee, and parts and labor for someone to "work" their way through the problem over several visits.i now however after several years of state inspections, have to spend this money in order to pass inspection.i was informed that airbag warning lights now have to operate properly in order for a vehicle to pass inspection. Upon googling any recall information online i discovered hundreds of postings of similar complaints, as well as two complaints on this website of airbags that did not deploy during crashes. Did they have similar dash lighting malfunctions as mine??
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification nhtsa campaign number: 15v043000 (air bags) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The car was parked in the carport. I put my keys and powered on. The air bags exploded for no reason, breaking the windshield and dash. There was not any kind of accident with the car before or during this incident.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v312000 (air bags) and stated that the parts needed were not available. The dealer did not provide a specific date for when the parts would become available. The manufacturer was contacted and could not provide an estimated date for when the vehicle would receive the recall repairs. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Takata recallmy wife and i had an accident in the freeway on our way home more than 7 years ago. We were travelling at around 50-55 mph when suddenly the car in front of us stopped. Resulted in hitting the back bumper of the car in front of us. The car sustained just minor scratched but our car was really damaged. My wife was hurt as a result of the accident who was sitting in the front passenger. The car's air bag did not deploy. I was still wondering until now, why? the damaged to the car was worth more than $8,000. Our insurance company, which was state farm did not mention anything about the air bag. I just found that out when i received the recall notice last week form toyota.i can't really recall the date it happened, but i can get some information from state farm insurance.medical attention was not required when the incident happened but medical attention was required aftera day or 2 after the accident.
Air bag warning light started flashing, received (airbag) recall notice as well from toyota and made appointment for airbag recall fix. Toyota dealership said they fixed recall, but airbag light came back on shortly after recall fix. Took to dealer second time, dealer said there was a short to drivers side seat belt squib? squib works with air bag deployment and seat belt tensioner deployment. Dealer wanted to replace unit at my expense but i argued that this should be covered under a recall since it is part of a faulty air bag issue. Today i found an article on a consumer recall site that states that toyota has acknowledged faulty circuits on 2003 -04 corolla and matrixthat are susceptible to shoring in airbag / tensioner wiring harness. The resulting heat could damage the components and cause the airbags and or seat belt pretensioners to malfunction, increasing risk of injury. The seat belt pretensioners are what is causing our airbag warning light according to toyota dealership diagnostics. In the past i have gotten the run around by toyota dealerships on this matter as well as our car will not pass upcoming state safety inspection.i am greatly concerned for my families safety concerning possible faulty deployment of the airbags or seat belt pretensioners not working in an accident. Please investigate and hold toyota accountable to fix this very extremely important airbag / tensioner safety issue. Thank you
I was involved in an automobile accident and my airbag did not deploy causing me more injury to my neck.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. While making a left turn at a yellow light, another vehicle crashed into the front passenger side of the contact's vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The driver sustained minor abrasions and the passenger suffered a fractured thumb, which required medical attention. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The speed was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 93,000.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 14v350000 (air bags) however, the parts were unavailable to perform the repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.updated 01/07/14*lj updated 6/11/2015
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v285000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v312000 (air bags) however, the part needed to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact had not experience a failure.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v043000 (air bags) and nhtsa campaign number: 14v655000 (air bags). However, the parts needed were not available. The contact mentioned that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for repair. The dealer stated the parts needed for repair were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the delay. The contact had not experienced a failure.
While i was sitting at a drive thru window at mcdonald's the teller was reaching me my order and all of a sudden she and i heard a loud popping sound she said what was that, i said i don't know she said it came from your car she said madam it came from inside your car, your car is smoking so i turned my head and noticed the seat belt over my shoulder was smoking and as i turned my head around the seat belt on the passenger side of the car popped open and it started smoking so i said what is going on with this car, and when i turned my head forward the airbag on the passenger side popped out so i said i don't know what is happening with this car but i need to get out of it. I noticed that there were cars behind me in the drive-thru so i pulled the car out from under the window to the middle of the parking lot so that the cars behind me would be able to get out and as i turned the wheel the driver side air bag popped out in from of me and hit me in the chest and bruised my left arm then the car started filling up with smoke so i didn't know if the car was catching on fire or what i just knew that i needed to get out of the car. I turned off the engine in the middle of the parking lot grabbed my purse and jumped out of the car. All the customers and workers at mcdonald's ran out when the car started smoking and no one could believe what was happening because all these things popped out and there was no other car there the manager at mcdonald's came to me and said he was calling the fire department since the car was smoking and we didn't know what was going to happen next. The fire dept. Came and said madam what happened i told them what happened and they asked if i had hit anything and i told them no i was just sitting at the drive-thru when all of these things just started popping out of my car. The windshield also shattered when the airbag hit it. The firemen told me to stand in front of mcdonald's and they opened the hood to check for fire and disabled to battery.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in a recall for the air bags and was repaired. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The dealer was informed of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case regarding the failure. The nhtsa campaign number was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 275,000.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification nhtsa campaign number: 15v285000 (air bags) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.updated 11/18/15*ljthe consumer stated that it had been almost a year and the parts still had not come in.updated 1/14/2016updated 01/15/16.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact stated that the notice for nhtsa campaign number: 14v312000 (air bags) was received in april of 2015. The parts needed for the repair were not available. After contacting the dealer, the contact was informed that no appointment could be scheduled until the parts became available. No further information was available. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. While driving approximately 65 mph, the brakes were applied and the vehicle failed to stop which resulted in a crash. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact sustained unknown injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to by the insurance company. A representative with the manufacturer also inspected the vehicle and was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure and current mileages were 88,208.
I met with an accident on 8/23/2010 at 4 45 ppm approximately in pleasoanton california.there was a collision between two cars and there was heavy damage to front of my car.i owned a matrix toyota 2003 model.car license plate..[xxx]vin number--[xxx]the air bag dint open or release.my car was totaled ofas there was heavy damage.i collided against a mercedes .the other car airbags opened but not mine.i have filed a insurance claim with farmers insurance .the claim number-[xxx]information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
I was involved in an automobile accident and my airbag did not deploy causing me more injury to my neck.
2003 toyota matrix, in extreme cold weather the running lights come on when the car is off, draining the battery.this has happened many times.
Consumer believes he has the solution to the toyota acceleration problem. *grthe consumer stated his daughter drives a 2003 toyota matrix and she has been experiencing random dashboard light activity.the consumer stated he has reviewed the wiring diagrams and her dashboard lights are controlled by the integration relay otherwise known as the body control module. It appears that the lack of relay over-voltage suppression on any of the relays in the vehicle has caused damage to the integration relay and there was no way to tell how much damage has been done to the engine control module.
Abs, brake, & service engine lights came on. Took it to midas, they replaced speed sensors. When i got car back it shifted gears (automatic) funny & hesitated significantly shifting from 2nd to 3rd. Immediately returned car to midas. They re-diagnosed & suggested i take it to toyota dealer (john elway's crown toyota). They said it was speedometer cluster & replaced it which did not resolve my problem so declined to pay & asked them to put back my old speedometer cluster. They didn't & didn't charge me for the new one. Had car towed back to midas. They disconnected speed sensors & told me it was drivable. Got on freeway next day & car wouldn't shift from 3rd to 4th gear, engine revved to 6000 rpms, got off freeway & called midas corporate to complain. They said they would have franchise owner call me. He called but did not identify himself as the person i originated dealt with at midas shop, i know this because i called the number they called from & it was the midas shop. Went to midas, today (8/27/10), they asked me to bring car in tomorrow & they would put back old speed sensors & see what happens. They think it's the car's computer but in the meantime i'm out a thousand dollars.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. While driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle lost power and stalled without warning. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. Prior to the failure, when the vehicle was started, an abnormal knocking sound emitted from under the hood of the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 171,580.
Ltr on behalf of mrs. Lola betancourt (va)re a electrical fire in her 2003 toyota matric( vin: 2r1k32e13co48258) originating at the driver side door near the power window and locks area, reply to the alexandria district ofc, dot/i#2004-5249.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v043000 (air bags) and 14v312000 (electrical system); however, the parts needed to do the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Theinstrument panel light was dim, which caused impaired vision.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v013000 (electrical system) and 14v312000 (air bags); however, the part needed to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
My 2003 toyota matrix xr sometimes accelerates uncontrollably. Usually when i am cruising at highway speeds, when i let off of the gas pedal, the car's throttle still feels like it's in the open position, causing the car to speed up instead of slowing down. It almost feels like if the cruise control is turned on and the car is trying to maintain speed. My cruise control was turned off during each of these incidents, and there was no indication that they were turned on at the time of the incidents. This problem occurs once every few months and i usually don't pay attention to them. The car will accelerate for a few seconds then eventually the throttle will close and the car will slow down and then i will apply the brakes gently. I have informed my toyota dealer of this but they usually just brush the complaint off and say they couldn't find any problems. I personally think it's an electronics issue where the cruise control system override the manual system without the input of the driver.
While driving my car, it will start to miss out and then stall.upon restarting, the engine light comes on.i took it to the dealer where they replaced the computer.that helped for about 6 months and then problem recurred.i took it back to the dealer and we then replaced the ignitors.once that was complete the car ran fine for 2 months.now it is happening again, and is very dangerous.it happened to me today for instance while i was in the middle of an interstection making a a turn.when the car stalls, i have limited steering.this also happens to me while i'm on the interstate.clearly there is a severe problem with this car that goes beyond the computer and ignitors.it is very dangerous to drive, but i have no choice since it is the only car that i have.
Clutch switch which completes circuit for ignition switch is hard to engage, especially for my wife when wearing shoes with heels. If car is inadvertantly killed while starting from a stop on a hill, it makes for a hazardous situation since it requires excessive force to press on the clutch so as to engage starter motor.toyota claims no defect exists.
Instrument panel lighting is very poor,obstructing the consumer'sabilityto see speedometer, gas gauge, and oil pressure. *la
Takata recall: many times over the past2 1/2 years we have called toyota of terre haute about performingthis recall.each time we get an excuse;the last time they claimed to have one of the parts necessary but not the other. They promised to call us back with and update and solution.that was last fall. (approx )
I have a toyota matrix 2003. On february 19, 2010 i was driving north on highway 101 in california. I was driving at about 35 mphmy distance from the car in front of me was about 1/2 a block. Suddenly the traffic slowed down and i immediately started slowing down, but the car would not stop and it felt like it was accelerating instead. I crash into the car in front of me with several damages to my car, total loss of the car in front of me and with body injuries to myself. This is not the first time it happened on a toyota matrix in 2006 i had another accident that put me out of work and with permanent disability problems. Both incidents due to similar circumstances.i will like to do farther investigation on this issue.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. While driving at 35 mph, a very loud noise emitted from the engine. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The results of the diagnostic were unknown, but the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 112,000. Ma 10/14updated 10/19/2017
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. While driving, the check engine sensor indicator illuminated and the vehicle experienced hard shifting. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the ecm was faulty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 107,000.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. While driving approximately 30 mph, there was a loss of power steering without warning. Additionally, an unusual burning odor emitted inside the vehicle. The steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road for a few moments where the engine was turned off. After restarting the vehicle, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic from the residence. The mechanic discovered that a bolt fractured and the fragments remained in the engine. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 147,000.
I was approaching a stop light and all of a sudden the engine started to accelerate; this has never happened before.i pressed on the brake as hard as i could but the brake wouldn't go all the way down and it was very stiff.since i was going slow i was able to get the car to stop but the engine was revving as if i had the gas pedal to the floor.i decided to put the car in neutral so it wouldn't accelerate while i was at the stop light (the whole time the engine is revving to its max and the brake was stiff; i also used the hand brake.when the light turned red i placed the car in drive since i had to move and the car wanted to take off so i kept my foot planted on the brake this was at full strength.i was able to get the car into a parking lot and then home an hour later.i was driving the car locally so i was about one mile from home.i have never seen a car do this in my life.i did call toyota about it and they said it wasn't sudden acceleration and said what do you want from toyota which i thought was extremely rude.i feel if i was going faster say on the highway i would have lostcontrol of the vehicle.
I have received several different recall notices from toyota regarding this vehicle. I have also had several problems with the vehicle since purchasing it. It is currently not running at all and immediately afteri paid the vehicle off, things like door handles and interior fixtures began breaking off.i work full time and have a very strict budget which does not allow me to take time off of work to have to take my car to the dealership with every recall notice i have received. I just want my money back. I paid more than three times the vehicle blue bookvalue but i believe it is still possibly worth $3500.00.your help would be greatly appreciated in trying to facilitate a deal with toyota wherein they pay me the $3500 and take the vehicle back. I would be satisfied with that and will not contact an attorney until i get a response regarding this request.thank you very much and god bless.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. While driving 15 mph,the engine stalled and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart on the second attempt; however, the failure recurred. The first time the vehicle was diagnosed the dealer was unable to determine the failure and disengaged the check engine warning sensor. The failure recurred and the vehicle was taken to a second dealer. It was diagnosed that the seal on the fuel cap failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The vin was excluded from nhtsa campaign number: 10v384000 (engine and engine cooling). The failure continued. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.
I was exiting on a ramp from the highway. I stopped the car before coming off the ramp on an incline when the engine suddenly revved up with my foot on the brake. I immediately put the shifter in neutral and it returned to normal rpms. This is the second time that this has happened in three weeks.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. While driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle lost power and stalled without warning. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. Prior to the failure, when the vehicle was started, an abnormal knocking sound emitted from under the hood of the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 171,580.
Dt: the contact stated the check engine light cameon constantly. This started 3-4 months ago. The dealer has had to reset the codes several times.the light will stayed off for only a couple of days and then the light cameback on. She said the cardied o4 times, and she has had to reboot it. The battery was good. No one was able to tell her why the car would not start. She said the car was running good.
I went to the toyota dealer to have my check engine light check and found out the i need to replace my catalyst converter and ecu replace.dealer says that i need to pay $3000 plus tax.the reason why i need to replace the catalytic converter and the electronic control module because they have a new module.i own my car since 2003.this is toyota's fault, i should be inform when a new module comes out in the market and i should not have to pay for that.this is a safety hazzard.if i don't get it fix, my car will not start and i am not able to renew my tab because of the check engine lights.
While driving my car, it will start to miss out and then stall.upon restarting, the engine light comes on.i took it to the dealer where they replaced the computer.that helped for about 6 months and then problem recurred.i took it back to the dealer and we then replaced the ignitors.once that was complete the car ran fine for 2 months.now it is happening again, and is very dangerous.it happened to me today for instance while i was in the middle of an interstection making a a turn.when the car stalls, i have limited steering.this also happens to me while i'm on the interstate.clearly there is a severe problem with this car that goes beyond the computer and ignitors.it is very dangerous to drive, but i have no choice since it is the only car that i have.
I took the matrix in twice shortly after i bought it because the car would unexpectedly lunge forward while at a complete stop.i also complained that the brakes felt "loose" and did not "catch" as they should.i was advised both times by the service manager that they could not duplicate the problem and that nothing abnormal was found with car. While i was beginning to look into "lemon laws", in september of last year i was at a stop light with the brake pedal fully engaged.due to my previous experiences with the car lunging forward, i would keep several feet between me and the car in front of me to avoid an accident.this time the car not only lunged forward, but it was like the accelerator stuck-i had my foot on the brake but could not stop the car after it lunged forward and i hit a car that was in front of me at the light.my car did not stop until i was almost parallel with the other car on the passenger side!i have had the case looked at by toyota, and their legal department has advised that nothing is wrong with the car-their only explanation is that the vehicle operates to "normal" specifications.they have advised that the car will lunge forward while the air conditioner is as when the ac compressor cycles, it increases the engine rpm and the vehicle will move forward.my air conditioner was not on at the time of this accident, however. *la
2003 matrix engine quit working while driving.took to repair shop and they stated the engine has ceased up.puzzled because clean oil, taken extreme care of, regular oil changes. Frustrating.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact stated that while his wife was at a red light the check engine light came on and the vehicle stalled. It was restarted and then driven about eight miles and it stalled again. The vehicle would not restart and was towed to the dealer. They advised him that the ecm needed to be replaced.the vehicle was repaired. The current and failure mileages were 101,000.
Re: ? toyota usa case #?s 20812220115, 200812310223, etc..on november 29, 2008 i bought a 2003 toyota matrix with 44,598 miles on it.the check engine light came on, it was over a quart low on oil.this happened again which toyota has a letter from me.after this, i drove the car 50 miles and it used around 2/3 a quart of oil.i called the toyota experience center and told them the problems i was having and they told me to take it to the local dealer to have it checked.the person i talked to, looked up the vin # and told me that the engine on this car had been rebuilt at 41,459 miles, in november 2007 at headquarters toyota, in miami, florida.he also told me that toyota would probably pick up the repair since it had less than 4,000 miles on a rebuilt engine (currently the car has 45,398 mile on it).i took the car to my local dealer l&s toyota, in beckley, wv on december 23, 2008.they did a compression test on the engine and it failed.the service manager at l&s toyota told me the engine block should have been replaced when headquarters toyota rebuilt the engine, but hadn't been.after about 10 calls to toyota corporate and numerous case numbers the verdict was in.terr, the service manager at l&s toyota said they will not fix the engine unless i pay for the repair myself.john lino from headquarters toyota, miami told me they would take care of the repair but i would have to bring the car there, which is 950 miles away. The matrix engine has blown twice within 45,398 miles and toyota is offering no assistance. Both of these dealerships are governed by toyota motor sales, usa, so how can the one get authorization to do the repair but the other one can?t?the 2003 matrix that i am referring to is the 8th toyota that i have owned, because of their reliability.
Factory defect on engine part.had to spend over $4,000 for engine replacement & repairs.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was inspected by a mechanic, but the mechanic was unable to locate a failure with the vehicle. The contact had the engine replaced but the failure recurred within one year. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer were it was found that the engine control module needed to be replaced. The failure mileage was unknown.
While driving, consumer attempted to make turns and steering was very hard.consumer visually noticed a fluid leaking from under vehicle.dealer diagnosed that the power steering pump had failed. Tsthe next day, consumer noticed more fluid leaking.dealer replaced crankshaft and keyway.dome lit inoperative.bulb replaced.check engine light was on.dealer found evaporative system malfunctioned.
I'm an owner of a 2003 toyota matrix and my engine has the famous sludge issue related to past toyota autos of recent years.i don't have all my receipts (i really almost never save them) for maintenance but i have a few...well, toyota is refusing the warranty and i'm starting to see more complaints about possible engine problems with the car!my car has 36,000 miles on it and is still under warranty and just today i've been told the engine can't be saved!i'm livid and feel that there is something else wrong causing these issues but toyota isn't saying either way.i'm retaining a lawyer and possibly dropping the car if this issue isn't addressed!there are 4 similar complaints on the nhtsa site already and i be we see more as these models cross the 24k mile marker!
My son was driving our 2003 toyota matix, accelerating up to speed after pulling onto the interstate on-ramp when the engine began to make a loud clicking sound.there was no engine warning light or smoking from the engine or exhaust system.he reduced speed, pulled over and exited at the next exit.although the car had lost significant power, he was able to continue to drive to the dealership, located nearby.the oil pressure switch had failed and the oil had leaked out.there was no level on the dipstick.after replacing the switch, adding oil, the engine still has a loud knocking sound, is low on power and will not idle.it is not burning oil.diagnosis is internal engine damage and that engine must be replaced.the car has 129,000 miles on it, has been regularly maintained at the dealership and was one month and 1500 miles short of its next oil change.dealer verbal estimate is $5000 for replacement engine, from a breaker's yard.independent estimate is $3000 - 4000. Basically, the car is an economicwrite-off.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix.while driving 65 mph, the engine failed in the middle of the road.the road conditions were not a factor.there were no warning lights illuminated prior to the failure.the contact was driving in rush hour traffic at the time; therefore, he was accelerating and decelerating before the failure occurred.roadside assistance pushed the vehicle out of the middle of the freeway and it was towed to the repair shop.the vehicle was inspected for two days and engine sludge was determined to be the cause of the failure due to improper lubrication, although there was oil present in the engine.the manufacturer stated that the engine failure was not covered for the matrix; however, the camry was covered.the camry and matrix have the same exact engine and the contact feels that it should also be covered.he was provided with reference number 200810070867.the vin was unknown.the failure mileage was 111,000.
I was driving vehicle for about 4 hours prior to problem.vehicle starting making a tapping noise as if the valves were knocking. Oil started leaking out from under vehicle, and then the engine threw a connecting rod through the engine block and lower oil pan destroying the engine.the dealership is fighting me and concluded that there was no oil in the engine when all the oil came out when the rod struck the hole in my pan.
Consumer visually noticed oil leaking from vehicle.dealer diagnosed that the crank shaft key had failed and replaced. Ts
I have a 2003 toyota matrix with approximately 38,000 miles on it. Vehicle was driven for about 6 or more hours when it began a loud knocking sound, and started to lose power. Then there was a loud bang. As it turned out, the car had thrown a rod through the front of the block, as well as blew the starter from the transmission housing.in addition there was a hole in the back of the oil pan about 3 inches in diameter. From the spot where the engine blew up i took measurements. The initial oil spot was 121" long by 18" wide. From there the car sprayed oil 1104' averaging 15" to 18" wide as it coasted downhill to a stop where it made another oil spot about 15" wide by 24" long. The dealership (newark toyota 1344 marrows rd.. Newark, de 19711) is alleging that the care had no oil in it although i provided maintenance records and a video of the oil spill from the start of the breakdown to the finish. They said they were denying the warranty work for lack of maintenance. *la
I was driving the vehicle home when the check engine light came on steady.i did not pay much attention to it as i realized that more than likely the problem was an oxygensensor or something emissions related.5 more minutes went by and the light started blinking, accompanied by a pinging sound coming from the engine that coincided with engine rpms.within 30 seconds the car died.after a local repair shop received thetowed vehicle, they diagnosed the problem.the pinging"was caused by the piston hitting the spark plug. Translation, i needed a new engine.when this happened for 30 seconds it caused an electrical short which caused the car to suddenly fail.the car had 82,000 miles on it , and i had babied it since day one with nothing but synthetic oil.
On 6 september 2007,my wife was driving the 2003 matrix, when without warning the motor started to make an excessive noise in the engine, she pulled over a called me, i met her where she was and verified the noise sounded terminal, called for a wrecker, had car towed to the dealer, 2 days later, i was informed that the engine had thrown 3 rods, mileage on the car was 60,886, just out of warranty, spent the next week in toyota usa arbitration,they deem lack of lubrication caused the damage and washed their hands of the engine repair. On 21 september, i paid almost $4500, for what was supposed to be a new short block. Well, the new short block has as much road grime as the transmission, and 52 miles later the engine was "whistling", opened the hood to check the engine, the coolant was 1/2 gallon low,the oil is 1/2 quart low and a couple of loose bolts, one of which mounts the accelerator cable/bracket to the engine. Called the dealer, the service department was closed, but the receptionist recommended i go buy antifreeze and oil at the local supermarket. I once again, called toyota usa, created another ticket with them.. Currently impatiently waiting for monday morning when i can go to the dealer/service department..
The air conditioning started to blow hot air, then the engine started stalling and the engine check sign came on. Toyota said it was a stone that got into the radiator and provokeda leaking. No signs of damage in the front bumper. How can a stone get there and how do they make such fragile cars? i had to pay for the damages although it is a brand new car.
The air conditioning started to blow hot air, then the engine started stalling and the engine check sign came on. Toyota said it was a stone that got into the radiator and provokeda leaking. No signs of damage in the front bumper. How can a stone get there and how do they make such fragile cars? i had to pay for the damages although it is a brand new car.
My check engine light came on, and the local toyota dealership charged me about $50 to tell me my catalytic converter needed replacement at a cost of over $1,000 for my 2003 matrix with about 92,000 miles.seemed unlikely, so i took it to a local non-toyota repair shop, his computer also showed catalytic converter, but he said the way the car was performing, it might be the oxygen sensors.he replaced both, and the car has been great ever since.too bad my local toyota dealer wanted to gauge me.
A strong chemical fume entered through the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
2003 toyota matrix. Consumer states burned out catalytic converter *tgwthe consumer stated the engine light illuminated to let her know there was a problem and there was also a sulfur smell at times. Updated 10/08/10
My husband, william palmer-taylor, bought our 2003 toyota matrix in the boston, ma area before joining me in california. Because of a programming failure, the 2003 toyota matrix (izz-fe engine) catalytic converter burns out early emitting a noxious sulfur dioxide odor. The problem is probably more of finances than health (the repair cost is $1200 at least). Toyota is aware of this, evidenced by tsb issued 10/8/04, ego26-04. However, no recall has been in effect and the consumer is at risk. The warranty on the catalytic converter ends at 80,000 miles. Mine burned out at 100,000. Toyota has refused any accountability. They should be accountable for at least the part and reprogramming of this.
I bought a used 2003 toyota matrix in may of 2007.because it had the toyota name on it, i assumed it would be a quality car - wrong!now it is march 2008, less than one year after i bought the car.i have already had to spend almost $1000 to replace the clutch(an item i have never had to replace in any car i've owned).now the catalytic converter is burning up.i went to the dealer & they said the repair would be $1700, but they would be willing to pay for half of it - still leaving me to pay $850 for a part that i should not have to be replacing at 90k miles.after going home & doing some research, i found that the catalytic converter fails in virtually every 2003 & 2004 matrix, but toyota does not want to do the respectable thing - issue a recall!!!i did not expect to be spending $2700/year in repairs (outside of regular maintenance) for a toyota - the reputation is really undeserved.
Tail pipe assembly (catalytic converter inside of muffler) is bad . I
Consumer stated the sun light on the dash board causes severe visibility to see the instrument gauges. Problems affects consumers vision. Dealer has been notified.
Dt*:the contact stated since purchase there was an intermittent drip under the vehicle while parked.the contact determined the condensation from the air conditioner had been dripping on the power steering support causing rust.the vehicle has not been inspected by a mechanic.
The daytime running lights turn on mysteriously at night while the car is turned off.symptoms included a dead battery after not driving the car for three days, and the dashboard panel lights turning off whenever the turn signal is used.dealership denied there was a problem.
The auto headlight system that turns the headlights on and off does not function properly.it turns the headlights on at all times of the day, more often on bright sunny days when driving through shadows.this make it very difficult to read guages, speedometer etc.
Accelerator in 2003 matrix toyota stuck while driving on two separate occasions in the last 6 monthswhile daughter was driving.
Dt:2003 toyota matrix.the consumer states the vehicle is leaking gas from the fuel tank due tointernal flapper breaking.this problem has not been fixed, it will cost $688.when pumping gas it would take a long time, and the mileage was real bad.when they looked they found gas was leaking.
While driving, consumer attempted to make turns and steering was very hard.consumer visually noticed a fluid leaking from under vehicle.dealer diagnosed that the power steering pump had failed. Tsthe next day, consumer noticed more fluid leaking.dealer replaced crankshaft and keyway.dome lit inoperative.bulb replaced.check engine light was on.dealer found evaporative system malfunctioned.
Check engine light came on. Took my matrix to dealer the very next day(am).diagnosed as faulty charcoal fuel canister. Dealer informed me that the repairs would cost $430.00 and that the problem is caused when the gas tank is "topped-off" when being filled completely.since the vehicle is beyond the 36,000 mile warrantee, i'm expected to pay for the repair. I don't think that it's good or fair customer service. Especially,since it's illegal in the state of nj to fuel your own vehicle ,and then becomes a circumstance beyond my control.toyota needs to make people aware of this problem or fix it! from reading on the internet, it's a very common problem in most of toyota's product line.
Toyotamatrix 2003 (also applies to pontiac vibe 2003) as instruments are the same. Use of all "red" colored instruments, (speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, etc.) makes them difficult to read, reading trip meter requires removing sunglasses to read. Can become impossible to read in bright sun. Because speedometer is difficult to read, driver can easily be put in position of driving with excessive speed because speedometer is hard to read ot may require sunglasses to be removed to read speedometer. Personal experience tells me that by taking a few seconds to read instruments can put a driver in a potientallly dangerous situation when in some traffic situations. Could lead to accidents or death."complaints" about this problem are noted in the reviews entered by individuals on the web site www.edmunds.com, specifically: http://www.edmunds.com/used/2003/toyota/matrix/100074126/ratings_consumersdetail.html?dcr_sid=100074126&dcr_usein=u&tid=edmunds.u.ratings_consumer.content..4.toyota*.please also see also car & driver 6/2002 page 62 in an article titled "comparison test: boxes size small", which states in part: "...the red instruments are hard to read through sunglasses, and the dials seem peculiarly located down in dark tunnels...".please note that both toyota and pontiac corrected this in their 2004 models of the toyota matrix and pontiac.action requested: require both toyota and pontiac to offer owners of the 2003 models the choice of updating their instrument panels to the 2004 model instruments.
I was slowly pulling into my garage (in the basement of my house), gradually braking as i had done many times before.i was stopping the vehicle in its usual position when the engine suddenly began racing and the car accelerated forward.it struck some shelves i had against the wall of the garage, crumplingboth the shelves and the front of the car's hood.everything happened so fast at that point that i am not sure just what happened, but i ended up with the car stopped up against the garage wall and the car in park.i believe i threw it into neutral, then applied the brake since it was still moving, then tried to back up, and finally put it into park.the car was declared a total loss by my insurance company.i experienced the same problem of sudden acceleration when stopping several times previously, but none of those incidents caused any damage.in each of those situations i was able to get the car into neutral, stop it with the brake, and continue on my way.in this instance there was not enough space ahead of me to do that successfully.i know that a number of incidents of unintended acceleration of a toyota matrix have already been reported for a number of different model years.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. While driving 15 mph,the engine stalled and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart on the second attempt; however, the failure recurred. The first time the vehicle was diagnosed the dealer was unable to determine the failure and disengaged the check engine warning sensor. The failure recurred and the vehicle was taken to a second dealer. It was diagnosed that the seal on the fuel cap failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The vin was excluded from nhtsa campaign number: 10v384000 (engine and engine cooling). The failure continued. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.
Consumer stated that they were having problems seeing the functions in the instrument panel due to the lights. Dealer notified. The instrument and radio light faded out when driving in sun light. In shade or at night, this happened a lot. *ph
Consumer called complaining about having problems with the speedometer.the speedometer has a red back light and as a result the driver cannot see the vehicles speed while driving during the day light. The driver has no problems while driving during night time.the manufacturer was contacted and stated this was not a safety issue for them. *nlm
The gauge cluster in the 2003 toyota matrix is in red.in bright sunlight, it can be impossible to read the gauges.i have tried various makes of sunglasses and some seem to help somewhat.but it is still a hazard.
The instrument panel lighting is inadequate. Most of the time i simply cannot ready the instrument panel, including the speedometer. While i haven't had any accidents or tickets, i believe this is an unsafe situation. I have taken it to the dealer and they said it works as designed.*la
While driving, consumer attempted to make turns and steering was very hard.consumer visually noticed a fluid leaking from under vehicle.dealer diagnosed that the power steering pump had failed. Tsthe next day, consumer noticed more fluid leaking.dealer replaced crankshaft and keyway.dome lit inoperative.bulb replaced.check engine light was on.dealer found evaporative system malfunctioned.
Front passenger door handle shattered on opening, door was unlocked, this was the second one on this car to shatter, the rear passenger door handle broke in the same way about 1 year ago.doors are unable to opened from the outside, besides not being able to open doors normally, this occurrence could hamper rescue measures if door/handle breaks when rescuers are trying to get victims of an accident out of the vehicle in an accident prior to the proper rescue equipment arriving on scene.mileage current failure - 110,100previous mileage failure - @90,000.
I have a 2003 toyota matrix.there is a thin metal covering on the door handle. The metal has separated from the plastic base.it is like a razor blade, so when you go to open the door your fingers get sliced.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix.when the contact entered the vehicle, the front driver's side door handle shattered into pieces.the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the handles were being dried out by the sun.the vehicle was repaired at the cost of $111.the failure mileage was 10,541 and current mileage was 10,559.updated 6/8/09 the consumer stated this was the second handle that had cracked on the vehicle. Updated 06/11/09.
Consumer stated that while driving55 mph, the hood just popped up and smashed the windshield and almost caused an accident.*scc
Parking brake doesn't hold vehicle on slope. Mechanic has fixed twice, but problem re-occurs in about two years. This is a safety issue since this is also the emergency brake and there is no warning when brake will start slipping again after repairs.
There was no drag when driving with the parking brake fully applied.the consumer was afraid the parking will not work in an emergency.mrscc
My 2003 toyota matrix had a failure in the rear main bearing of the manual transmission. The cost was $1800 to rebuild the transmission with new bearings. The problem has occurred again, at 133,000 miles, due to design defect. The transmission oil does not properly reach the rear main bearing, which causes failure.
The transmission failed. Has been serviced regularly. This seems like it is a common problem with this make and model car. I believe this should be a manufacture recall issue. The transmission could have locked up while driving and caused an accident. Looks like it will cost between $2000 and $3000 to repair. This is a problem that should not have happened.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. While driving various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the third and fourth gears were not getting any oil and tearing the bearing and transmission apart. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.
While driving, the car seized up and locked - dead in the middle of the road. Luckily we had taken side streets and not the freeway, where we would have surely been rear ended. My 8-year-old was in the backseat. Mechanic is saying a gear blew out and tore through, melting part of the transmission core. We already replaced clutch at 80,000. Car is not salvageable. This is very dangerous. We sat (unable to push the car, it was locked up - 6 people tried) in the middle of the street, a few feet from the intersection - nearly hit several times, with flashers on until tow truck could come. This is not the first report of this - it needs to be made public so people can get their transmission looked at and fixed before someone dies.
Clutch began slipping at 35000 miles while still under warranty. Dealer claimed there was no problem and no adjustment required. Clutch continued to get worse. On subsequent trips to the dealer, they repeated that there was no problem and that the clutch was normal. An independent shop told me otherwise. The slipping continued to get worse until by 75000 miles it was undrivable. Then the dealer said it needed a clutch and that the wear was normal.i have driven manual transmission cars for 40 years and never encountered such a short lifespan on a clutch or a more unresponsive dealer. I have service records indicating that the dealer was notified about the problem within the warranty period and on more than one other occasion and that they did not adequately inspect for this issue.
Driving down the highway our (03 toyota matrix, manual trans),(north bound i-45 conroe, texas) the car abruptly started a thumping slapping sound. From the frount end.asap!pulled to the side of the road, stopped and turned the car off.my husband arrived, to figure out the problem. He had me turn the car on without starting and pushed the vehicle.the thumping, slapping sound is coming from under the engine. To be continued.
It seems to be nearly a class action lawsuit over the 5 speed manual transmissions used in the matrix< corolla< vibe and a few other models as the lay shaft bearings fail after so many miles! is there a recall or recourse to get factory assistance for this issue! si there any financail help for this problem out there?
My transmission had been racing off and on for a couple of weeks.the car just didn't feel right.i went to make a left turn out of my street and my car just stopped moving.i was in the middle of the road and nothing would happen when i stepped on the gas pedal.it turns out my transmission died and i had to spend several thousands dollars to have it replaced.after 8 months my check engine light is still on and everything i try doesn't work.i've replaced oxygen sensors, speed censors, etc.i've put more money into this car in the last year than i should have.i see that other people have transmission problems, too.i can't imagine whey this hasn't been addressed by toyota yet.
Excessive transmission noise in tranny and noise stop when clutch is push in.
The throwout baring in my 2003 toyota matrix xr 5-speed transmission went out at approximately 23,000 miles and caused the transmission to fail. Toyota replaced the transmission at the love lexus toyota dealership in st. Albans, wv, where the vehicle was purchased brand new with zero miles. This second transmission, at approximately 64,000 miles, failed as well with the same prescribed issue (throwout baring in the transmission). After researching this issue (http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0d9b0e/497#msg497) this issue has occurred in a plethora of toyota matrix' 5 - speed transmissions that toyota had placed in the 2003 - 2005 toyota matrix'. Please, please, please help recall these transmissions and hold toyota accountable for placing faulty transmissions in these vehicles before another one goes out and i have to fork over another $3200 + for a new transmission. I have receipts to prove all of these claims and will be glad to share any information i need to in order to help a recall come to light.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. While driving, the check engine sensor indicator illuminated and the vehicle experienced hard shifting. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the ecm was faulty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 107,000.
2003 toyota matrix xrs transmission problems, slipping gears or clutch while under load, recurring problem for the duration of owning the car. It is very unsafe on the highway as it does not get up to or maintain speeds. Filed a complaint with toyota with no response. Toyota said there was no problem with it when i took it in to get looked at, but it was slipping the whole drive home and since then. I believe there is a definite problem with the transmission and i am not the only one that believes this, how many people must complain or does someone have to die for them to take some action?
My son was shifting from 1st to 2nd gear when there was a loud popping metal sound; he took the car out of gear, coasted out of harms way and then got the car towed. My son said that it was dangerous and unexpected. We had just had our mechanic change the oil and test drive the car last week after putting on new tires.the car was diagnosed with needing a new transmission. This is the 2nd transmission that has been replaced as defective on this car. Am a single mom with multiple jobs and cannot afford to pay for a billion dollar company's'mistakes..(when providing a service or product to the public that costs money, if i make a mistake i admit it, correct it, am sorry and make it right at my expense).
Prior to incident, vehicle ran and shifted fine. Vehicle was never used for towing or other extreme use. Transmission fluid was changed at these mileages:31,669;61,023;92,012;and 105,330.vehicle was otherwise well-maintained, and driven with care by experienced users of manual transmissions. The first three tranny fluid changes done at toyota dealership. On jan. 1, 2012, toyota matrix (2003) , w/manual 5-speed transmission had sudden, severe failure on tollway. Roadway was clear. Vehicle did not hit anything in the road to precipitate this. Vehicle was just starting to decelerate for toll booth when sudden, harsh, grinding, metal-on-metal sound began. Car was then unable to shift into first gear, and shifted into second with difficulty. Vehicle was pulled over to side of road immediately and towed away. An independent transmission specialist removed & disassembled tranny. Diagnosis is: everything in 5th gear is broken. Fifth gear literally broke. Pinion shaft & everything housing ring gear is also broken. Apparently 1st through 4th gears look ok. Transmission re-build is advised, using toyota factory parts. Estimated cost $3,100. In addition, i had vehicle towed 45 miles from rural site of failure ($160). And i had to rent a car to get home from failure site ($225+). I still must return to fort wayne, in to pick up repaired vehicle when ready. I have now read of widespread tranny failures in matrixes. Toyota dealers and toll-free number personnel admit no knowledge of such issues. But, every independent source i've consulted acknowledges these drivetrain issues. Since these failures are so common, toyota should take responsibility. A recall, or at least toyota admitting and taking financial responsibility for this is in order. I loved my 1989 camry, but no longer have any trust in toyota. Nhtsa, please help us. Thank you.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact stated that while driving various speeds, there was an abnormal grinding noise when the vehicle was decelerating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician advised the contact that the transmission would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vin was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 97,700.
5-speed manual: for the last 10k miles, engine compartment has been making an unusual noise when gas is applied or when downshifting. At 120k miles, problem became much worse and when applying gas, sometimes a loud whirring noise, like a spinning sawblade, comes and goes. Mechanic drained transmission and found metal particles. $2200 for rebuilt transmission.
I own a 2003 toyota matrix 5-speed with 75k miles on it.serviced every 5k miles by the dealership until 60k, and has had regular oil changes and all manufacture suggested maintenance.purchased new by me from toyota & scion of lake city in seattle.on 6/17/2007, i was driving on state route 520 through east king county (divided, limited access highway).the car suddenly began making a loud high-pitched noise, then lurched to a sudden stop.i was able to pull off the highway but if i hadn't been right next to the exit when the noise started, i would have frozen in a lane of traffic moving at 60 mph.i had literally 90 seconds to deal with the sudden loss of the drive train, and absolutely no advance warning to any impending mechanical failure.currently, toyota is reviewing whether they will extend the power train warranty (60k/5year) to cover my car.
While driving 20 mphvehicle stalled. Vehicle was towed to the dealership, and mechanic determined that automatic transmission failed. Automatictransmission was repaired, but the problem recurred.
While shifting gears a noise was heard coming from underneath the vehicle. Transmission would down shift on its own.consumer was able to drive the vehiclehome.the next day, vehicle would start up but the transmission would not engage.consumer had vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection, andmechanicdetermined transmission needed to be replaced due to worn out parts.
Transmission went bad before 100,000 miles.
Abs, brake, & service engine lights came on. Took it to midas, they replaced speed sensors. When i got car back it shifted gears (automatic) funny & hesitated significantly shifting from 2nd to 3rd. Immediately returned car to midas. They re-diagnosed & suggested i take it to toyota dealer (john elway's crown toyota). They said it was speedometer cluster & replaced it which did not resolve my problem so declined to pay & asked them to put back my old speedometer cluster. They didn't & didn't charge me for the new one. Had car towed back to midas. They disconnected speed sensors & told me it was drivable. Got on freeway next day & car wouldn't shift from 3rd to 4th gear, engine revved to 6000 rpms, got off freeway & called midas corporate to complain. They said they would have franchise owner call me. He called but did not identify himself as the person i originated dealt with at midas shop, i know this because i called the number they called from & it was the midas shop. Went to midas, today (8/27/10), they asked me to bring car in tomorrow & they would put back old speed sensors & see what happens. They think it's the car's computer but in the meantime i'm out a thousand dollars.
2003 toyota matrix, 64000 miles and the transmission went out, bought it used 10/2007 certified toyota and thank goodness we bought the extended warranty. Just took it into the dealer and they stated the transmission fluid was dirty and had metal shavings in pan also hydraulic went out and had a faulty sensor in trans axle. Dealer will replace it butthank goodness we had the extended warranty and will we have the same problem with the replacement???? we purchased this car for our daughter because toyota is suppose to be reliable, but we have never had a transmission go out in any of our other cars and we usually keep them for 10 years.....
I have a 2003 toyota matrix auto transmission, that has 58,000 miles on it. A month ago the 1st and reverse gears started to slip and was hard to get into gear.i took it to the toyota dealer and they said they couldn't find anything wrong. I left the dealer and it started again.2 days later i was not able to get it in to reverse at all.i took it to a transmission shop since the 'check engine' light came on and they checked the codes and looked at the transmission. The engine needs to be rebuilt now and will cost me $2400.i love this car.i baby it all the time. I change the oil regular and always keep up on the maint. I don't understand how a transmission can go out on a car that is only 5 yrs. And 4 mo. Old and only 58,000 miles on it !i did call toyota and they said nothing was reported and all was fine. I asked them to pay for the fix and they said the warranty was only 5yrs. 60,000 miles. I'm over by 4 mo. I found a website that has about 10 other people with this same yr and make car that had transmission issues.
Own a 2003 toyota matrix-1st owner of this car. This car was purchased with 9 miles in it.when it was first purchased within 2 days there was a noise coming from the transmission bearings. The vehicle was taken back to the toyota dealer where purchased and the technicians said there was no noise. The noise never went away and the dealer just ignored it-never fixed it. Also, the back seat belt would get stuck for no reason, this was also brought to the attention of the dealer techs, but also "nothing was wrong" up to this date, the seat belts keep getting stuck and my kids use it that way. Another defective thing about this car were the sensor daylights, once the car was turned off, the lights automatically would go on and of course the next day the battery was dead. This was brought to the attention on the dealer and finally, they decided to fix something of this car. I was told that it was a defect from the manufacturer.
Toyota differential failed at 100k. According to the mechanic, the problems must have been existent for a significant amount of time.
While driving my car, it will start to miss out and then stall.upon restarting, the engine light comes on.i took it to the dealer where they replaced the computer.that helped for about 6 months and then problem recurred.i took it back to the dealer and we then replaced the ignitors.once that was complete the car ran fine for 2 months.now it is happening again, and is very dangerous.it happened to me today for instance while i was in the middle of an interstection making a a turn.when the car stalls, i have limited steering.this also happens to me while i'm on the interstate.clearly there is a severe problem with this car that goes beyond the computer and ignitors.it is very dangerous to drive, but i have no choice since it is the only car that i have.
My wife was driving on the interstate in our 2003 toyota matrix with two of our three young children in the car when she heard a loud bang and felt what she describes as the car jumping off the ground.she slowed the car down to a crawl, exited the interstate and limped it home.presently it sits in the yard and will only move forward.in fact, even in neutral the car can't be pushed backward.upon searching for answers on the internet i found a forum with what appears to be dozens of people who have had transmission failures with 2003 to 2005 matrixes.i am filing this complaint because my wife came close to going off the road when the transmission failed and it appears that toyota is aware of the issue but won't take any action to remedy it.they had a recall on the windows because it was a safety issue but i can't imagine that a broken window would have scared my wife as much as the bang she described and the jerking of the car it caused.thank you.
I had my '03 toyota matrix xrs serviced on 08/08/08 at a toyota dealership in berkeley, ca.they told me everything was fine, and i have never had any problems with my car.the next day (today, as i write) i was driving on i-80 eastbound past reno, nv and my speed dropped 20mph for no reason.my car then began to smoke, and i pulled over to find a trail of transmission fluid behind my car and my engine service light on.after the tow back to reno, the toyota dealer service station told me they weren't receiving any response from my transmission and that it would be upwards of $6,000 to repair.i have never had one, single problem with my car and have had it serviced regularly.it has 66,000 miles and was serviced yesterday.i find this outrageous, unsafe, and deceptive.
I was pulling into a parking spot at an apt. Complex; i had my foot on the brake so as not to hit the curb; the car became airborne, jumped the curb and landed onto a children's playground stopping just short of hitting a tree.i still had my foot on the brake, now pressed to the floor.i asked my passenger to get out of the car, i then backed up over the curb and back onto the macadam.
My 2003 toyota matrix xr sometimes accelerates uncontrollably. Usually when i am cruising at highway speeds, when i let off of the gas pedal, the car's throttle still feels like it's in the open position, causing the car to speed up instead of slowing down. It almost feels like if the cruise control is turned on and the car is trying to maintain speed. My cruise control was turned off during each of these incidents, and there was no indication that they were turned on at the time of the incidents. This problem occurs once every few months and i usually don't pay attention to them. The car will accelerate for a few seconds then eventually the throttle will close and the car will slow down and then i will apply the brakes gently. I have informed my toyota dealer of this but they usually just brush the complaint off and say they couldn't find any problems. I personally think it's an electronics issue where the cruise control system override the manual system without the input of the driver.
Purchased used 2003 matrix in oct 2005, paid for quality guard plus deluxe through nissan dealership where i purchased the car to cover mechanical problems. By april 2006 it was missing gears and car just died. Took it to toyota dealership after calling nissan because i was pointed there. Toyota had it for 5 days fix it supposedly then november 10th, 2006 transmission gave up on it again needing it to be towed from friends place to home. Noises heard under the car before it stalled. They fixed problem before with remanufactured trans. But problem recurred. Being shuffled back & forth now that i am claiming for what i paid for with quality guard plus. Toyota don't have quality guard, nissan does but my car is not a nissan car. Should have called before they will cover anything such as towing and car rental. Too much red tape and hassles in asking to provide coverage i paid for and only one phone line 1-800-888-5245 that places you on hold for 30-50 minutes, talks to you briefly then place you on hold again.
When vehicle is parked on and upgrade, consumer states the vehicle rolls backwards.the vehicle is an automatic.cause is unknown. Please provide any further information. Ts
2003 toyota matrix - clutch burns too easily.i learned how to drive on a std, have driven them for 15 year and never had this burning problem.this is one that needs to be addressed by toyota.
Been having problems with my clutch - on hills, you can smell it burning.the breaking point has gradually been getting further and further out.i learned how to drive on a clutch and have been driving one for almost 20 years.this should not be happening at 30k miles.
My clutch went out at 29k miles.this is not acceptable.i have been drving a stnd for years now and never had this problem.the clutch on the 2003 toyota matrix xrs is a design error and should be recalled.too many people have had this problem for it to be drving habits.toyota should take care of it's customers and rectify this situation!
I have an 2003 toyota matrix xrs. Clutch started slipping and you can smell it most of the time.has 53,000 miles.i have driven many standards over the years and never had this much trouble with a manual transmission.the last clutch i had to replace was on a 1991 suzuki swift that had over 220,000 miles.toyota used to be a good vehicle.they really need to fix this issue.have read lots of problems from other people onhttp://www. Matrixowners.com.
The clutchon my 2003 matrix failed at 32,000 miles.i've owned manual transmission cars all my life and have never had this happen until at least 65,000 to 85,000 miles were put on the vehicle.toyota refuses to replace the clutch blaming me for improper driving technique and or abuse.it's nice to see that im not the only one with this problem.hopefully in the near future toyota will be held responsible for the defective clutch.
Toyota matrix 2003 xrs on 2nd transmision and still having problems. Clutch is also nasty. Many others with same car having simmilar problems. Www.matrixowners.com has a forum with at least 30 people with probelms alone.
At 34,000 miles the clutch began slipping.toyota stated that it was from misuse, that my wife was driving it improperly.my wife, age 57, has been driving clutch cars all her life and averages 100,000 miles per clutch.the tires are still good and worn evenly, which shows lack of abuse.toyota has not stood by their vehicle on this one, we're apparently on our own for the repair.so much for the 60,000 mile warranty.
Premature clutch failure, the clutch start slipping around 15000 miles, the dealer said will not replace clutch due to wear and tear. Have another 92 corolla for 6 years with clutch never had a problem. Others are complaining about that matrix xrs clutch too, not just only me. Feels like toyota betrayed their customers.
Annoying squeak when clutch is disengaged.this as occurred since purchase date.clutch slave cylinder has been replaced, lubed approximately 7 times, clutch set replaced.still squeaking!*la
Premature clutch wear caused by heavier vehicle.original clutch was intended for the toyota celica gts 2 door. The same clutch is now being used for the matrix xrs 4 door wagon wich is approx. 200+ pounds heavier than the celica. Www.matrixowners.com has several posts from owners all over the us and canada reporting the same issue. The clutch is starting to show failure at 15,000 miles and dealers are refusing to cover this under warranty.
I bought a used 2003 matrix in may of 2007.in november (90k miles), i started noticing that the transmission was slipping.when i took it to the dealer where i bought it, they said that i needed a new clutch ($1200).i was shocked because i have driven stick shifts for over 15 years now & have never had to replace a clutch.found another mechanic to install the new clutch for $800.he informed me that this is not the first time the clutch had been replaced in this car.apparently the clutch in the 2003 matrix is made to burn out every 50k miles!toyotas are supposed to have a better reputation than this !@#$%!
Manual clutch failed at 6500 miles. Dealership states this is due to my driving habits, even though i have been driving stick-shifts for 10 years, and even though i have never worn down a clutch in 150k miles of driving them. Cost me $1277, which was a *discounted* price!!*nlm
I have had problems with my clutch since i bought my car new in aug 2002.it is hard to get it to go into reverse and first gear at times.i have taken it to the dealership and they cant make it happen so they cant fix it.the clutch pedal had developed a squeak that they were able to correct.the clutch in this car is not right.it sometimes smells horribly as well.i have read several complaints from other people at www.matrixowners.com .
Clutch on the 2003 toyota matrix xrs smokes and slips and has since 3500 miles.
Driving under normal conditions you can smell the burning coming from the clutch which is normal after a couple days of driving whe it started to turn out to months it became skeptical....the clutch began to slip a lot takes long to catch on..nothing was done to correct problem for now until clutch goes out.....the burning smell still continues
Clutch failed within the 36 thousand warranty period. Dealer and toyota say that it is a wear item and not covered. Many of the same reports of owners with same vehicle and same issue.
I own a 2003 toyota matrix xrs and the engine intermittently shuts off when i push in the clutch.this happens on city streets when i am going slow.today it happened twice when i was slowing to make a right turn.it has happened many many times since i bought the car last november.i have been unable to get it to happen with anyone from the selling toyota dealer or from the toyota region in my car.i do have at least 4 witnesses who have been in my car when it happened.i know of another matrix owner in southern calif with the same problem.another matrix owner in kansas had the same exact problem in 2002 and he got toyota to replace the throttle body and the problem has not resurfaced.i am at my wits end as to how to get my car fixed.it is dangerous and i am going to cause an accident one of these days.any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.thanks. *la
I own a 2003 toyota matrix that on july 30, 2007, had a little over 105,000 miles on it. Driving either in town or on the highway a clinkiing sound was noticed by drivers and passengers along with an intermittent increased difficulty in shifting gears. On july 30, 2007, driving on the highway the clinking noise become more pronounced. I parked my vehicle to do some errands and came back the car would start, but would not enter into any gear. The car was locked in a gear that was not neutral. I was stranded about 30 miles from my home and had to call a towing company to come and tow the vehicle to the iowa city toyota company. From there, toyota inspected my 2003 toyota matix and found that the gear teeth in the manual transmission has completely eroded and broke off. Toyota had to replace the full transmission and clutch costing close to $3000.
Original '03 toy. Matrix xrs mfg. Clutch burnt out @ 37k mi of normal (not racing) driving.clutch assembly had to be replaced. No burning smell - just higher revving, no power.i have been driving sticks for 18+ yrs(mostly toyotas - this is not normal)!
While driving. Clutch failed at 38,000 miles. Contacted the dealer. However, the problem recurred.
My car has 30,000 miles and the clutch has burned out.the dealership is refusing to repair without charge to me.they want $1084.my car is only 2 years and i'm the original owner.
Numerous times i have been unable start the vehicle due to being unable to push the clutch in far enough.i have had to remove my shoes to be able to push the clutch in far enough for the switch to activate and start the vehicle.i also have had problems when in traffic and the 'self-adjusting' clutch fails and stalls the vehicle.
2003 toyota matrix xr manual transmission - 70,000. The transmission needs to be completely replaced. Subtle engine knocking, more noticeable when lift foot off accelerator. Sudden onset while exiting freeway- rpms hovered when shifted into neutral, difficult to put in 1st on start, then horrible noise when started moving forward then completely seized in place. Whole process in less than 60 miles. Assessed at private shop and then dealership which quoted over $4,000. Corporate/regional district office offered no assistance, compensation, or acknowledgment of issue. This is a frequent problem that has been reported in numerous cases in the 5-speed matrix and pontiac vibe.
Our son's 2003 toyota matrix had it's transmission completely fail 2 nights ago. He had an extended warranty ( 100,000 miles). Unbelievably he was 1600 miles over his warranty. I lookedon the internet and found dozens and dozens of complaints about 2003 and 2004 matrix transmissions. Our son is a rather poor college graduate who can't afford the $3300 it will take to replace the transmission and clutch. I would like some advise on how to pursue some action against toyota. There should be a way to pursue "consideration" for this type of situation something is wrong here!please respond if you can...
I have an 2003 toyota matrix xrs. Clutch started slipping and you can smell it most of the time.has 53,000 miles.i have driven many standards over the years and never had this much trouble with a manual transmission.the last clutch i had to replace was on a 1991 suzuki swift that had over 220,000 miles.toyota used to be a good vehicle.they really need to fix this issue.have read lots of problems from other people onhttp://www. Matrixowners.com.
A rattling noise started under the car.it would disappear when the clutch pedal was pushed down.over a 2 day period, the noise became very loud and became more like a clacking noise, but not constant.we took the car to a transmission specialist.the transmission is shot and we've ordered a new transmission. I told the technician there were lots of reports about the '03 and '04 transmissions.when the service technician spoke to toyota about any frequency of this happening with the '03 matrix, toyota said they hadn't had any reports on it.(i understand they fixed problems by '05)this is the 3rd toyota we have had.never had transmission problems.i hope the replacement transmission does not have the same problems.
Whilst driving at 55 mph the transmission started to grind and then locked up. At 66,000 miles the transmission was shot. Reading on edmunds this appears to be a common problem. Here is the link. Http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/webx/.f0d9b0ei had to put a used transmission in at a cost of $2,000 and suspect the same failure will happen with this one.i'm filing a complaint now due to the amount of other matrix drivers this is happening too.
Main bearing in the manual transmission failed. Needed new transmission and clutch. Toyota canada and my dealer covered 60% of cost 5mth past warranty.
I am the second owner of mt toyota xr and brought the car for the excellent reputation toyota has as i knew i would be driving it a lot as a regular commuter. I have had the oil replaced frequently and took the car to the toyota dealership for its services in the hope that this would mean it would last well. One week after my 90,000 service ($700) the transmission went out. I have driven a manual car all my life and know it was no due to bad driver habits. According to the garage a ball bearing dropped into the transmission and "shredded it" we have spent $3000 having the transmission replaced and feel let down by toyota, a car that was meant to last a lifetime has malfunctioned despite our best efforts at care. After having the transmission replaced and the clutch to be safe we now have an error code p0121 indicating a problem with the throttle pedal position sensor. Feeling very frustrated with toyotas response that this has just been bad luck.
Own a toyota matrix 2003 xr have been hearing odd sounds for about 6 months.had mechanic do a check and couldn't find anything.never stopped to think it could be the transmission on a manual transmission with less than 100k miles.a week later, driving on highway in the middle of the night, heard a loud explosion type sound and swerved off the road.mechanic said its a bad bearing in the transmission.toyota has yet to respond to my complaint.the entire transmission needs to be replaced.
While driving down the highway one evening, an odd clicking sound was heard from the front end of our 2003 toyota matrix (manual transmission with 88,000 miles). The sound was louder with acceleration. After getting off the highway, the sound was noted to be louder in higher gears, and absent when the clutch was pressed down. The vehicle was brought in for service at our local toyota dealer the next morning.after paying a $95 diagnostic fee, we were toldthe vehicle needed a new transmission at the estimated cost of $3300, with nothing being covered by any warranty or recall. We brought the car to a transmission specialist for a rebuild. The bearings, rings, and two transfer gears were replaced, along with the clutch, at a cost of $2100. It is noted that the mechanic had a delay in getting the parts due to a manufacturer back order, reportedly from a high demand due to many others with the same problem with this make/model car! this is our first toyota, which we bought due to their good reputation. It has been regularly maintained and subjected to only normal driving conditions. We have never had a vehicle with transmission problems and are shocked that this expensive repair was needed on such a young car.toyota should be held responsible for covering the cost of what appears to be widespread transmission failure due to defective/inferior parts used on this vehicle!
My 2003 toyota matrix completely broke down in the middle of a highway.the transmission is dead at 94,542 miles.toyota refuses to take responsibility.
After 200 mile round trip, noticed a grinding noise when accelerating.took matrix to dealer, who told us the bearings in the transmission were bad, and needed replaced.2003 matrix, 115,000 miles (mostly highway, we have a long commute to work)bearings replaced and clutch work done for $2063.when asked about this, was told "sometimes things break".
I own a 2003 toyota matrix with a manual transmission.the car only has 92,000 miles and the tranny needs to be replaced due to a bad bearing.from my research on the web i have seen this happen to many others.i spoke to a repair shop that does rebuilds and he informed me that toyota had gotten bad bearings and used them on a series of transmissions and they tend to go bad around 80k to 120k miles.he himself has rebuilt many.
The transmission on my 2003 toyota matrix died after 100,000 miles and it's a manual.i purchased the car used and it had about 70k miles on it.i had a transmission fluid flush at about 80k.the car started making noises and then i couldn't shift it into gear and then it completely died.i had to have a new/rebuilt transmission put into the car for about $2,500.apparently this is fairly common with the matrix and i don't think it's specific to the 2003 car.
Toyota matrix 2003 xrs on 2nd transmision and still having problems. Clutch is also nasty. Many others with same car having simmilar problems. Www.matrixowners.com has a forum with at least 30 people with probelms alone.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix.while driving at any speed, the contact hears a ticking sound coming from the transmission.prior to the noise, the transmission would slip gears occasionally.the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the transmission needed to be replaced.the current and failure mileages were 63,000.
Manual transmission failure in a 2003 toyota matrix. Mostly highway miles, maintained regularly at the dealer. Noticed a noise and took it to the dealer and they said everything was fine. A few thousand miles later, there was a high pitched whine out of fifth gear. Upon stopping and restarting, pretty much all the forward gears were grinding, popping, squealing. Repair at the dealer was quoted $2500 for a used transmission and $3200 for a new! about half the value of the car.
I have a 2002/03 toyota matrix that had the transmission replaced at 70k miles.it was covered under warranty.the car has 130k miles now and i am being told the bearing in the transmission is bad.
I own a 2003 toyota matrix that on july 30, 2007, had a little over 105,000 miles on it. Driving either in town or on the highway a clinkiing sound was noticed by drivers and passengers along with an intermittent increased difficulty in shifting gears. On july 30, 2007, driving on the highway the clinking noise become more pronounced. I parked my vehicle to do some errands and came back the car would start, but would not enter into any gear. The car was locked in a gear that was not neutral. I was stranded about 30 miles from my home and had to call a towing company to come and tow the vehicle to the iowa city toyota company. From there, toyota inspected my 2003 toyota matix and found that the gear teeth in the manual transmission has completely eroded and broke off. Toyota had to replace the full transmission and clutch costing close to $3000.
My 2003 toyota matrix has a manual transmission. A bearing in the transmission started to fail (noise) at 80,000 miles. This type of failure is common for both the matrix and the pontiac vibe (identical car). Luckily i had it changed before any accident occurred. Neither toyota nor gm are providing any customer support despite numerous complaints regarding the 2003 manual transmission.
After normal driving and wear and tear (103,000 miles), manual transmission on 2003 toyota matrix has gone bad, resulting in a needed replacement of the transmission, clutch, and clutch plate.
2003 toyota matrix xrs transmission problems, slipping gears or clutch while under load, recurring problem for the duration of owning the car. It is very unsafe on the highway as it does not get up to or maintain speeds. Filed a complaint with toyota with no response. Toyota said there was no problem with it when i took it in to get looked at, but it was slipping the whole drive home and since then. I believe there is a definite problem with the transmission and i am not the only one that believes this, how many people must complain or does someone have to die for them to take some action?
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix.the contact stated that the transmission bearings were faulty.while driving at an unknown speed, she heard an odd sound coming from the engine compartment.the dealer found failure with the transmission and verified that the bearings needed to be replaced.the manufacturer was not willing to assist with the repairs.through online research, the contact discovered that the manual transmission failures were common for her year, make, and model vehicle.the failure and current mileages were less than 130,000.
I heard a scraping and grating noise as i exited the freeway that i thought was some trapped debris under the front end or in the wheel well.i pulled into a gas station to investigate, finding a loose plastic plate ( a recurring problem with the cheap plastic screws and fasteners used) i rigged something to hold it up and get home. After a few more blocks the sound intensified and the car began to shudder and shake and i heard a pop.i pulled over, got towed home, and the next morning had it towed to a shop.the mechanic informed me that my transmission was shot and would need to be replaced.the car only has 140,000 miles on it, and i do not drive it like some crazed maniac. An internet chat room has recorded lots of matrix owners with the same transmission issues...i am going to need a new transmission and a new clutch.
Transmission completely ruined at 72,000 miles 5 speed manualtoyota matrix 2003.
Was traveling from illinois to colorado, transmission began failing, grinding.made it to colorado, had to have entire transmission replaced around ($4300, out of warranty).no help from toyota.toyota transmission failure at 80,000 miles?c'mon, what's up with that?
My 2003 toyota matrix xr with a 5 speed manual transmission had a complete transmission failure.i was traveling on interstate i-565 in light traffic.the car was in fifth gear and cruise control was set at about 70 mph.after being on the interstate for about 3-4 minutes, the car started decelerating.so i responded by canceling cruise control and pressing the accelerator to the floor with no effect.the car continued to decelerate.so i downshifted to fourth gear and pressed the accelerator to the floor.again the car continued to decelerate.so i pulled over and stopped the car on the shoulder of the interstate.i turned the car off and started it back on.the engine started normally, but i could not put the gear shifter into any gear.i pressed the accelerator to rev the engine up and the engine made a high pitched, weaning sound.so i turned the car off and tried to push the gear shifter into gear with the car off and was not able to get it into any gear.i had the car towed to a transmission shop and they inspected it and determined that the transmission had completely failed.the odometer reading on the car when this incident occurred was approximately 63,050 miles.toyota's powertrain warranty on this car is 60,000 miles.i contacted toyota to ask for goodwill assistance because it is so unusual for a manual transmission in a toyota to completely fail at such a low mileage.however toyota was unwilling to provide any assistance.i purchased a new transmission from the local toyota dealer and had it installed by an independent transmission shop.the cost of the transmission was $2,343.17 (including tax) and installation costs were $450.so this failure cost me a total of $2,793.17.
Driving down the highway our (03 toyota matrix, manual trans),(north bound i-45 conroe, texas) the car abruptly started a thumping slapping sound. From the frount end.asap!pulled to the side of the road, stopped and turned the car off.my husband arrived, to figure out the problem. He had me turn the car on without starting and pushed the vehicle.the thumping, slapping sound is coming from under the engine. To be continued.
2003 toyota matrix manual 5 speed transmission has completely come apart due to being built with bad throw out bearings.loud rattling noise began 6 months ago even though the transmission and the entire vehicle has been maintained flawlessly.two weeks ago, on march 9, 2009 my boyfriend was driving on the 15 freeway going north when the car began to make a horrible rattling noise.my boyfriend pulled the car over to safety off the freeway and took a look.he knew it was the tranny, he didn't need to see anything...the first clue was that it would not go into 1st or reverse gear at all.we had to get it to a place that we could park it legally, so he started it in second gear and the car wailed and whined and sounded like metal was breaking apart as the car literally limped it's way the entire short ride.warranty good for 100,000 miles, but my car is out of warranty at 105,000 miles.toyota will not acknowledge the fact that the entire 2003 matrix line is experiencing this issue, and will not even do anything as a goodwill gesture.a brand new tranny from toyota is $4000+/-, and the problem will most certainly happen again - as i have seen many, many people attest to.a rebuilt transmission is less $...toyota needs to be held accountable for this.my car could have been involved in an accident due to this failure on the freeway, to say nothing of the fact that it's very scary and unsafe to leave your vehicle on the side of the road, as well as breaking down in the middle of the night.
Manual transmission bearing failure at approximately 61,200 miles. Warranty expired at 60,000 miles.toyota would make no adjustment.
Noticed and increasing grinding noise coming from the transmission.had the transmission fluid changed also having the mechanic look for metal shaving with none found.took to transmission specialist who confirmed the "differential" was going to fail soon and advised to not drive the car until repaired.
2003 toyota matrix transmission failure after 57,000 miles.extended warranty company replaced it with a used rebuilt transmission.i've seen many complaints online about this same thing happening on the manual transmissions of the 2003/2004 models.
I recently noticed a strange extra noise in my transmission, noise is a low purring sound and at lower speeds in lower gears.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact stated that the driver side seat belt exploded and fractured into pieces. The seat belt warning lights were illuminated and could not be turned off. In addition, the power windows would open independently and could not be operated manually. The dealer was notified who diagnosed the failure as the inside cylinder of the seat belt control being defective and offered no assistance. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure and the current mileage was 98,514. Updated 09/11/12*ljupdated 09/13/2012
While i was sitting at a drive thru window at mcdonald's the teller was reaching me my order and all of a sudden she and i heard a loud popping sound she said what was that, i said i don't know she said it came from your car she said madam it came from inside your car, your car is smoking so i turned my head and noticed the seat belt over my shoulder was smoking and as i turned my head around the seat belt on the passenger side of the car popped open and it started smoking so i said what is going on with this car, and when i turned my head forward the airbag on the passenger side popped out so i said i don't know what is happening with this car but i need to get out of it. I noticed that there were cars behind me in the drive-thru so i pulled the car out from under the window to the middle of the parking lot so that the cars behind me would be able to get out and as i turned the wheel the driver side air bag popped out in from of me and hit me in the chest and bruised my left arm then the car started filling up with smoke so i didn't know if the car was catching on fire or what i just knew that i needed to get out of the car. I turned off the engine in the middle of the parking lot grabbed my purse and jumped out of the car. All the customers and workers at mcdonald's ran out when the car started smoking and no one could believe what was happening because all these things popped out and there was no other car there the manager at mcdonald's came to me and said he was calling the fire department since the car was smoking and we didn't know what was going to happen next. The fire dept. Came and said madam what happened i told them what happened and they asked if i had hit anything and i told them no i was just sitting at the drive-thru when all of these things just started popping out of my car. The windshield also shattered when the airbag hit it. The firemen told me to stand in front of mcdonald's and they opened the hood to check for fire and disabled to battery.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. While the contact was idling at a red light, the seat belt air bag restraint system erroneously activated and forcefully secured the driver into the seat. During the incident, no crash had occurred. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer (baierl toyota, 19045 perry hwy, mars, pa), but the cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified and an investigator was sent to examine the vehicle. The failure mileage was 200,000.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The vehicle was parked when the contact noticed a bolt detached from the anchor inside of the front passenger side seat belt. The entire seat belt was attached with a wire and could be easily removed. There were no warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The authorized dealer was notified to schedule an appointment for a service repair. The vin was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 150,000.
The dates and vehicle mileage stated above are only estimates. About 5-6 years ago the seat belt retractors stopped working.i checked with 2 dealers that told me i would have to pay around $500 to have them repaired.i wrote toyota in torrance california and reported the problem. Their response was that the seat belts were not covered by warranty and that i would have to pay for the repair.considering the ongoing problems that toyota has had with seat belt assemblies on all of their cars, i would think that they would accept responsibility in my case, but no such luck.
I wish to question the safety of seat belt design, as my son has now--3 times--gotten so tangled in his rear-seat belt that it had to be cut to get him loose.we have a toyota matrix, but i don't think this problem is specific to that model car.it happened once before in a rental car whose make i don't recall.no question our young, squirmy son did something weird; we think he put the shoulder strap behind him and then turned in some odd way.but after that, the design is such that the lap belt just kept getting tighter and tighter the more he tried to get free.unfastening the belt did no good.and it seems quite dangerous for there to be no way to release it.there should be some kind of manual override mechanism for such cases.or at the very least a warning in the car's manual that explains that if a passenger allows the shoulder strap tighten behind the body, there will be no way to loosen the lap belt.the toyota dealer did replace the belts at no cost.they said they were aware of this happening beofre, and that they'd mention the problem to their design/safety department.but assuming that the seat belt design in most cars is similar, we thought it was a problem to bring to your attention.
The car seats have a white lint and balling front and back.the problem is only getting worse. The material looks like it is wearing out.
I was approaching a stop light and all of a sudden the engine started to accelerate; this has never happened before.i pressed on the brake as hard as i could but the brake wouldn't go all the way down and it was very stiff.since i was going slow i was able to get the car to stop but the engine was revving as if i had the gas pedal to the floor.i decided to put the car in neutral so it wouldn't accelerate while i was at the stop light (the whole time the engine is revving to its max and the brake was stiff; i also used the hand brake.when the light turned red i placed the car in drive since i had to move and the car wanted to take off so i kept my foot planted on the brake this was at full strength.i was able to get the car into a parking lot and then home an hour later.i was driving the car locally so i was about one mile from home.i have never seen a car do this in my life.i did call toyota about it and they said it wasn't sudden acceleration and said what do you want from toyota which i thought was extremely rude.i feel if i was going faster say on the highway i would have lostcontrol of the vehicle.
Parking brake doesn't hold vehicle on slope. Mechanic has fixed twice, but problem re-occurs in about two years. This is a safety issue since this is also the emergency brake and there is no warning when brake will start slipping again after repairs.
I was slowly pulling into my garage (in the basement of my house), gradually braking as i had done many times before.i was stopping the vehicle in its usual position when the engine suddenly began racing and the car accelerated forward.it struck some shelves i had against the wall of the garage, crumplingboth the shelves and the front of the car's hood.everything happened so fast at that point that i am not sure just what happened, but i ended up with the car stopped up against the garage wall and the car in park.i believe i threw it into neutral, then applied the brake since it was still moving, then tried to back up, and finally put it into park.the car was declared a total loss by my insurance company.i experienced the same problem of sudden acceleration when stopping several times previously, but none of those incidents caused any damage.in each of those situations i was able to get the car into neutral, stop it with the brake, and continue on my way.in this instance there was not enough space ahead of me to do that successfully.i know that a number of incidents of unintended acceleration of a toyota matrix have already been reported for a number of different model years.
I have replaced the master cylinder on my 2003 toyota matrix twice already and it's bad again. The brakes slip when i try to stop short and it's very dangerous. This car only has 60,000 miles on it.
Problems with parking brake. Driver could drive the vehicle for miles with the parking brake engaged without a noticeable drag.*mrph
Driving car and it had unintended acceleration, 2 times. First time it did not stop when brakes were applied. Second time brakes were hit and car quite accelerating.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. While the vehicle was traveling approximately 25 mph with the cruise control engaged the contact had applied the brakes and noticed thatthe vehicle would not stop moving causing the contact to crash into the vehicle in front of him. No one was injured and a police report was filed for the incident. The vehicle was towed to the dealership for body damage repairs. The failure and current mileages were not available.
Front brake caliper / piston locked up under pressure.with 5miles and under highway speeds it created intense and immediate vibration and smoke.sudden failure.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix.the contact was driving 40 mph when the brakes were applied and the vehicle spun around four times. The contact stated that the ground was dry and there were no road hazards. The contact merged onto the shoulder for about twenty minutes and then drove home. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was notified and a claim was filed. The vin was unavailable. The failure mileage was 24,000. Updated 09/27/11 the consumer stated she applied the brake very lightly and the vehicle went out of control.it appeared either the brake locked or the accelerator locked. Updated 09/30/11
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. While driving approximately 65 mph, the brakes were applied and the vehicle failed to stop which resulted in a crash. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact sustained unknown injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to by the insurance company. A representative with the manufacturer also inspected the vehicle and was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure and current mileages were 88,208.
When stepping on the brakes, the vehicle continued to move.the consumer had to hit the brakes real hard to stop the vehicle.
Went to dealer twice;complained about brakes pulling right; told they couldn't reproduce problem and the brakes were just "adjusting"; today, failure in steering and brake pull almost caused wreck.
In 9/02 i was involved in an accident.while driving at 45 mph on wet a road, i applied thebrakes hard and did not stop before hitting the vehicle in front of me.there was adequate stopping distance & i know that our saturn wagon would have stopped on time.on 11/30/06, my husband was involved in an accident.while driving 65 mph on a dry road he applied the brakes hard and did not stop before hitting the vehicle in front of him.he also had adequate stopping distance and he states that our previous saturn wagon or our subaru wagon would have stopped in time.i have never hit a vehicle while braking hard in a vehicle w/ abs until the toyota matrix.we got one of the early matrix's in 7/2002.now that this has happened to both of us, we wonder if the abs was faulty on the early versions of the matrix.
Front brakes jerk back and forth when applied.
I own a 2003 matrix xr000 with 53000 miles. I had the front pads and rotors turned at 33000 miles by toyota. Last month i felt the steering wheel shaking when applying my brakes at speeds between 40-70 mph. I was told last week by the local toyota mechanic that both my drums needed replacement. They said that blue specs were identified indicating wear on my drums. I asked what would cause the drums to wear so fast and their reply was normal wear or emergency brake being applied by driver.i asked if anything like this has ever been reported by other drivers and the answer was never. They said they didn't have any replacement parts for the drums because it was not something they have seen before.i spoke to the corporate customer experience representative and was told that this was not a defect and was from normal wear and tear based on the toyota mechanic analysis.i called another brake specialist and provided him the same information that toyota diagnosed and they said that they never heard of such a thing that the drums needed replaced at 53k miles in the 15 years he has done business in brakes. The failure and consequences by toyota not identifying this as a defect in the manufactory causes me to dish out additional funds to fix the defect endured by their product.my question to toyota: this is 1 in a million odds of happening, isn't it possible that this indeed is a manufactory defect and not customer related? why didn't toyota identify the problem earlier at the brake inspection serviced at 33k miles? i advised others not to purchase a toyota vehicle, the cost paid for toyota vehicles and poor customer satisfaction warrants a "f" in my book.
I own a 2003 matrix xr000 with 53000 miles. I had the front pads and rotors turned at 33000 miles by toyota. Last month i felt the steering wheel shaking when applying my brakes at speeds between 40-70 mph. I was told last week by the local toyota mechanic that both my drums needed replacement. They said that blue specs were identified indicating wear on my drums. I asked what would cause the drums to wear so fast and their reply was normal wear or emergency brake being applied by driver.i asked if anything like this has ever been reported by other drivers and the answer was never. They said they didn't have any replacement parts for the drums because it was not something they have seen before.i spoke to the corporate customer experience representative and was told that this was not a defect and was from normal wear and tear based on the toyota mechanic analysis.i called another brake specialist and provided him the same information that toyota diagnosed and they said that they never heard of such a thing that the drums needed replaced at 53k miles in the 15 years he has done business in brakes. The failure and consequences by toyota not identifying this as a defect in the manufactory causes me to dish out additional funds to fix the defect endured by their product.my question to toyota: this is 1 in a million odds of happening, isn't it possible that this indeed is a manufactory defect and not customer related? why didn't toyota identify the problem earlier at the brake inspection serviced at 33k miles? i advised others not to purchase a toyota vehicle, the cost paid for toyota vehicles and poor customer satisfaction warrants a "f" in my book.
I had a flat tire and changed it but when i took off the tire the brake drum came off with the rim.i put on the spare and the next day driving to discount tires in lynnwood on the freeway i had no brakes, the brake fluid had leaked out.i had the car towed to magic toyota in edmonds and they said it was my fault because i should have known and that it " sometimes happens."i have never heard of it happening and not being a mechanic i had no idea, other mechanics i have talked to say it should not have happened.toyota refused to cover brake repair under warranty. *la
After purchase, complained of "steering wander." not only did the dealer carmax toyota not fix the problem, but returned the car with the power steering malfunctioning. After several more trips to the dealer, they finally replaced the steering rack admitting problems with some units. Upon being informed that this made no difference, and without further retesting, carmax and toyota refuse to perform any more attempts at fixing either problem. So now i'm filing under maryland's lemon law because i'm stuck with a wandering car without full power steering.in addition, i had carmax change the oil at 300 miles. Subsequently, i changed the oil at 400 miles and was surprised to see that it was black as coal indicating piston blowby. I just changed the oil at 3000 miles and the oil is a black as coal, as if the engine had closer to 90,ooo miles on it.
I went to change lanes to the left, and before i could spotted a car that had been in my blind spot. I veered back to the right to stay in my lane and all of a sudden it felt like something in the steering wheel clicked and the car suddenly jerked back to the left, the back to the right, and left again, swerving out of my control. I tried to cold on to the wheel and steady it straight but it jerked left harder and spun out of control, flying straight into the highway barrier.the car crashed into the barrier on the front bumper, bounced off slightly and i was able to maneuver the car the rest of the way off the road. Up until i crashed into the barrier i had absolutely no control over the steering at all.
Traveling southbound on interstate 15 i changed lanes from the right hand lane into the right hand merge/exit lane to friar rd exit.i was on my way to church above mission valley. I was traveling at approximately 60 miles per hour, as i was changing lanes the steering wheel suddenly no longer controlled the wheels.i moved the steering wheel only enough for a lane change but the steeringlost all connection with wheels.the front wheels appeared to have lost connection with the steering, the car lurched first left then right, i put my foot on the clutch to try to get it to slow down. I didn't hit the brakes while car was in uncontrolled movement.then the car did at least one complete 360 spin, came out of the spin facing the curb at the shoulder, bounced over the curb.apparently it may have gone air borne and sheared off a small tree.went down the embankment on its wheels and ended up at the bottom still on its wheels.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the air bag sensor light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the failure was due to a fractured cable in the steering wheel. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 207,000.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix.the contact was driving 40 mph when the brakes were applied and the vehicle spun around four times. The contact stated that the ground was dry and there were no road hazards. The contact merged onto the shoulder for about twenty minutes and then drove home. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was notified and a claim was filed. The vin was unavailable. The failure mileage was 24,000. Updated 09/27/11 the consumer stated she applied the brake very lightly and the vehicle went out of control.it appeared either the brake locked or the accelerator locked. Updated 09/30/11
Returned the new 2003 vehicle to carmax toyota complaining of steering wander. Not only did they not fix the problem, but the vehicle was returned to me with the power steering malfunctioning and now requiring twice the effort. Power assist is minimal from stop to about 50 mph. Steering assist is increases as speed increases, exactly opposite of how it is supposed to work. Three more visits to carmax and they refuse to acknowledge the problem. Their actions are consistent with those where the maker and dealer know they have a recall problem looming and are trying to hide it.dt
No summary listed for above vehicle.
When the sun light reflected onto the instrument panel it made the digital console unreadable. The consumer spent $180 to have the windows tinted in order to have a better view of the panel. Dealer was notified but refuse to fix. *nlm
While traveling on the highway and without prior warning, the vehicle suddenly accelerated.the consumer was unable to read the dashboard lights when the sun was extremely bright.
Consumer was unable to read the instrument panel, in bright sunlight.
When the sun visor was pulled down it only came down half way. As a result the driver was blinded by the sun.the dashboard has chrome trimso when bright light hits the chrome it blinds the driver. The driver feels its a poor design.
While driving driver noticed that thedashboard would become unreadable due to glare from the sun at any time. This causes poor visibility for the driver.
Consumer states the instrument panel has "red lights" and can not be seen in the sunlight.the consumer cannot view the odometer and other settings.the consumer also stated that the panel is recessed, making it even more difficult to view while driving.mrthe consumer stated that after they had taken possession of the vehicle, while driving on the highway in the bright sunlight, from the driver's seat, the numbers, dials, and the indicators on the instrument panel could not be seen.(and were blank as if the vehicle was in park)the consumer had taken the vehicle to the service manager and was told that the vehicle was operating properly, and that the entire vehicle would have to be re-engineered.safety hazards exists on all 2003 toyota matrix.*scc
Rear spoiler cracked. Dealer stated that it wasn't covered under the warranty.
The side of the car that holds the windshield together is a blind spot. When peopleare crossing the street you can't see them.i almost hit some about three times because of how the window is made. The sun visor is not long enough to block the sun making it difficult to see they to make better visors that actually blocks the sun.
Your crash testing gave the 2003 toyota matrix xr awd five stars for side impact regarding head injury potential for driver. We used your ratings when selecting a used car in august 2005. On april 1, 2006 my 29 year old son hit a tree on driver door. He suffered fractured skull, broken neck and other injuries. He was killed instantly. Please see www.mem.com; search last name renfrew. Please google brett renfrew and read some of the news reports. Besides crash worthiness, we do not understand why the car careened off the road.
After washing and waxing the vehical i noticed paint the to be blistering in certain spots of the car.the blistering was caused by bird droppings.this is kind of strange that this poor quality paint would be damaged on 2003 toyota matrix.i would expect toyota to have protected it's vehicles with paint that is not effected by bird droppings.i have never seen this happen to other vehicles.this suggest that toyota paint is of poor quality.when i approached the dealer that sold me car, they told me it was not covered under warranty.i don't even have this car a year.give me a break!!!!i will never by a toyota vehicle again.
The plastic covering on the drivers side front interior door opening lever has split.this has caused development of a sharp edge which caused me to cut my finger when opening the door.
I had a vibration in my dashboard for a month and thought it was the plastic in the dash ... Unfortunately, it is a structure defect in the frame that needs to be welded. I have not had my car for 8 days and it is still totally apart at a body shop. I am discussed. *nlm
Prematurely the vehicle will get out of alignment. This would cause thesteering wheel to pull to the left. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.
Getting ready to exit a side street and car wouldn't go. I heard a thump, cracking noise and they it felt as if thewheel well had something stuck inside. Turned out that the ball joint was the culprit.
Front wheel bearing replaced & both rear wheel bearing (hub)assemblies replaced with only 103,000 kilometers on 2003 toyota matrix.is my case an isolated incident or is this a thing to look for , formatrix owners? it is a very costly repair over 1200 cdn.
The tires were incompatible for the vehicle.
Purchased a 2003 matrix rs with option pk that included 17" wheels, abs, all weather guard package, and sports trim.first snow i found out the package with a includes summer only tires.my mistake for not checking the tires, but the abs brakes and all weather guard package lead me to believe the car was ready for winter.it is very dangerous to drive with current tires.
While driving down highway vehicle started pulling to the right, owner then pulled over, and tire was completely flat. When taken to dealership, they could not find what the problem was, tire was sent to the manufacturer, who offered to pay partial amount.
The instrument panel is designed to appear "blacked out" when the vehicle is not running. This is accomplished trhough the use a dark plastic cover. When the vehicle is started the instruments become visable via back lighting. On a sunny day the lighting is just adequate to read the instruments. A major safety issue occurs when the light sensor (located next to the a-piller ) turns the lights on in sunny daylight conditions. I have observed this up to three hours after sunrise and three hours before sunset when the sun is to my left, left rear, left front, or back. When this undefeatable automated system turns on the lights it dims the instrument panel lighting to the nighttime setting, rendering the instruments illegable. This creates a situation which distracts the drivers attention for an inordinate amount of time, creating a potentially lethal situation should it occur upon entering a school zone or other pedestrian area that dictates a reduction in speed.
I have a toyota matrix 2003. On february 19, 2010 i was driving north on highway 101 in california. I was driving at about 35 mphmy distance from the car in front of me was about 1/2 a block. Suddenly the traffic slowed down and i immediately started slowing down, but the car would not stop and it felt like it was accelerating instead. I crash into the car in front of me with several damages to my car, total loss of the car in front of me and with body injuries to myself. This is not the first time it happened on a toyota matrix in 2006 i had another accident that put me out of work and with permanent disability problems. Both incidents due to similar circumstances.i will like to do farther investigation on this issue.
The engine doesn't have enough compression to hold the car when parked in gear even on low inclines. It will slowly roll away on low inclines and rolls faster the steeper it is. Toyota say this is normal and the manuel says to use the e-brake. I do of course use the e-brake if it is steeply parked. But since e-brakes freeze in cold conditions, i have a real safety concern here. I have parked many other standard cars in the same locations the matrix rolls away in and they don't move. At my dealer the maintenance manager agreed it was a problem on the test drive, as did his technician until it was found all toyota matrix did the same thing. Now toyota canada is involved and all say there isn't a problem now. Toyota need to warn people prior to a test drive when something as basic as parking is different from other standards.
Consumer has a complaint about the instrument panel in bright sunlight is blank.*jg
The air conditioning started to blow hot air, then the engine started stalling and the engine check sign came on. Toyota said it was a stone that got into the radiator and provokeda leaking. No signs of damage in the front bumper. How can a stone get there and how do they make such fragile cars? i had to pay for the damages although it is a brand new car.
On a sunny trip from san diego to san francisco and another sunny trip from san diego to phoenix the dash board dials were unreadable.i found that when i could read them i was going 90 miles an hour which is not my usual highway speed.at night the lights to light up the gear shift do not light up until you have driven 10 to 20 feet, hopefully in the right direction.dt
The air conditioning started to blow hot air, then the engine started stalling and the engine check sign came on. Toyota said it was a stone that got into the radiator and provokeda leaking. No signs of damage in the front bumper. How can a stone get there and how do they make such fragile cars? i had to pay for the damages although it is a brand new car.
Consumer states the instrument panel has "red lights" and can not be seen in the sunlight.the consumer cannot view the odometer and other settings.the consumer also stated that the panel is recessed, making it even more difficult to view while driving.mrthe consumer stated that after they had taken possession of the vehicle, while driving on the highway in the bright sunlight, from the driver's seat, the numbers, dials, and the indicators on the instrument panel could not be seen.(and were blank as if the vehicle was in park)the consumer had taken the vehicle to the service manager and was told that the vehicle was operating properly, and that the entire vehicle would have to be re-engineered.safety hazards exists on all 2003 toyota matrix.*scc
At this mileage, my car started making a loud grinding noise in the transmission. It turns out the main bearing is shot. This despite all scheduled maintenance being meticulously performed, full transmission fluid, and the clutch still being fine. There is no way the transmission should have failed at this mileage, and getting a replacement is very difficult and expensive because working ones are so rare! apparently there is a very high failure rate on the 5-speed manual transmissions due to them being under-engineered. I want toyota to do something about this.
The plastic covering on the drivers side front interior door opening lever has split.this has caused development of a sharp edge which caused me to cut my finger when opening the door.
This model is equipped with automatic headlights that dim the dash lights when they come on. Unfortunately, the design of the light sensor is defective, in that it is located so close to the a pillar that the lights flick on and off all day long. This car has gauges, meaning that they must be back lit in order to be visible, and when the headlights come on in the middle of the day (as they do quite often) the gauges are obscured, and it is impossible to tell what speed you are going, for instance. Despite two visits to the toyota dealer to address this, i have been told the lights are functioning as they are supposed to. The lights flick on and off all day long, even at noon, depending on whether i am driving towards the sun or away from it, or whether it is to my left or right.dt
While driving my car, it will start to miss out and then stall.upon restarting, the engine light comes on.i took it to the dealer where they replaced the computer.that helped for about 6 months and then problem recurred.i took it back to the dealer and we then replaced the ignitors.once that was complete the car ran fine for 2 months.now it is happening again, and is very dangerous.it happened to me today for instance while i was in the middle of an interstection making a a turn.when the car stalls, i have limited steering.this also happens to me while i'm on the interstate.clearly there is a severe problem with this car that goes beyond the computer and ignitors.it is very dangerous to drive, but i have no choice since it is the only car that i have.
The contact has a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact stated that the vehicle had been having periodic accelelration problems since 2008. The contact stated the sudden acceleration has only happened when the contact is trying to slow down., while driving at any speed. This failure had been happening more over the past two years. The failure mileage was unknown. The current mileage is 86504.
While air conditioner is running and normal braking vehicle will surge forward. Due to an increase inrpms.please provide any further information.
Toyotamatrix 2003 (also applies to pontiac vibe 2003) as instruments are the same. Use of all "red" colored instruments, (speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, etc.) makes them difficult to read, reading trip meter requires removing sunglasses to read. Can become impossible to read in bright sun. Because speedometer is difficult to read, driver can easily be put in position of driving with excessive speed because speedometer is hard to read ot may require sunglasses to be removed to read speedometer. Personal experience tells me that by taking a few seconds to read instruments can put a driver in a potientallly dangerous situation when in some traffic situations. Could lead to accidents or death."complaints" about this problem are noted in the reviews entered by individuals on the web site www.edmunds.com, specifically: http://www.edmunds.com/used/2003/toyota/matrix/100074126/ratings_consumersdetail.html?dcr_sid=100074126&dcr_usein=u&tid=edmunds.u.ratings_consumer.content..4.toyota*.please also see also car & driver 6/2002 page 62 in an article titled "comparison test: boxes size small", which states in part: "...the red instruments are hard to read through sunglasses, and the dials seem peculiarly located down in dark tunnels...".please note that both toyota and pontiac corrected this in their 2004 models of the toyota matrix and pontiac.action requested: require both toyota and pontiac to offer owners of the 2003 models the choice of updating their instrument panels to the 2004 model instruments.
Morning of june 22nd, when i drove back from charlotte, nc airport to university area, on highway i-85, my toyota matrix 2003 stop acceleration-quickly drop the speed from 70mph to 40mph and still dropping. Doesn't matter how hard i apply the gas pedal, it won't accelerate. I stopped the car in an open area close to an exit and stopped the engine--power was on and radio was working. I stopped the engine and waited a few minutes. I then turned the engine back on, tried it again. I was able to drive it to home. God, i was lucky.
Abs, brake, & service engine lights came on. Took it to midas, they replaced speed sensors. When i got car back it shifted gears (automatic) funny & hesitated significantly shifting from 2nd to 3rd. Immediately returned car to midas. They re-diagnosed & suggested i take it to toyota dealer (john elway's crown toyota). They said it was speedometer cluster & replaced it which did not resolve my problem so declined to pay & asked them to put back my old speedometer cluster. They didn't & didn't charge me for the new one. Had car towed back to midas. They disconnected speed sensors & told me it was drivable. Got on freeway next day & car wouldn't shift from 3rd to 4th gear, engine revved to 6000 rpms, got off freeway & called midas corporate to complain. They said they would have franchise owner call me. He called but did not identify himself as the person i originated dealt with at midas shop, i know this because i called the number they called from & it was the midas shop. Went to midas, today (8/27/10), they asked me to bring car in tomorrow & they would put back old speed sensors & see what happens. They think it's the car's computer but in the meantime i'm out a thousand dollars.
I have had four instances of sudden acceleration in a 2003 toyota matrix xrs over a period of 8 years. In each instance, i was pulling into a carport at a slow speed with my foot on the brake when the engine suddenly accelerated despite the fact that my foot was on the brake, not the gas pedal. In all instances, i was able to press hard on the brake and come to a stop.after the second incident, i took the car into my toyota dealer and told them what had happened twice.they checked out the car and said nothing was wrong with it. I have had two other incidents since then.i live in a retirement community and have told the authorities here that if i ever drive the car through the carport wall it will be due to sudden acceleration of my matrix.the incidents are wide-spread -- perhaps every two years.so it is a little hard to get toyota to pay any attention to the complaint.please check the electronics -- it is obviously not mechanical.i have given the date of the last incident below.
Accelerator pedal sticking, hard to press.
When on the highway especially, vehicle lurches forward and accelerates quite noticeably. It does this at least once daily when accelerating or braking over 30 mph.please provide information on this issue.
When at a stop sign or whenplacing vehicle in reverse engine will race and vehicle will unexpectedly accelerate out of control.engine intermittently idle up to about 2,000 rpm regardless of temperature.cause not yet determined.problem is similar to pe04021.*la
When i start my car it revs up very high making it sound like it is going to take off by itself. It has been doing it since i bought the car in 2004, and i mentioned it to the dealer and he said those kind of cars do that.
I took the matrix in twice shortly after i bought it because the car would unexpectedly lunge forward while at a complete stop.i also complained that the brakes felt "loose" and did not "catch" as they should.i was advised both times by the service manager that they could not duplicate the problem and that nothing abnormal was found with car. While i was beginning to look into "lemon laws", in september of last year i was at a stop light with the brake pedal fully engaged.due to my previous experiences with the car lunging forward, i would keep several feet between me and the car in front of me to avoid an accident.this time the car not only lunged forward, but it was like the accelerator stuck-i had my foot on the brake but could not stop the car after it lunged forward and i hit a car that was in front of me at the light.my car did not stop until i was almost parallel with the other car on the passenger side!i have had the case looked at by toyota, and their legal department has advised that nothing is wrong with the car-their only explanation is that the vehicle operates to "normal" specifications.they have advised that the car will lunge forward while the air conditioner is as when the ac compressor cycles, it increases the engine rpm and the vehicle will move forward.my air conditioner was not on at the time of this accident, however. *la
While driving the vehicle accelerated without warning. As a result the consumerhad to dodge a vehicle and drove into a corn field. The cause has not been determined. Please provide additional information.
I was exiting on a ramp from the highway. I stopped the car before coming off the ramp on an incline when the engine suddenly revved up with my foot on the brake. I immediately put the shifter in neutral and it returned to normal rpms. This is the second time that this has happened in three weeks.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact stated the rpms suddenly increased while the vehicle was in park and would move forward even when the brakes are being appied. The contact took the vehicle to a dealership to have it inspected and the dealer informed the contact that the idle was low. In 2007, the sales dealer told the contact they would lower the idle but she is not sure if that repair was performed. Her concern was that the vehicle could possibly lunge forward and cause a crash. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.updated 5/10/10 the consumer stated since the vehicle was purchased, it has lurched forward about once a week or more. Occassionally,when the vehicle was started, the engine would rev extremely high.updated 06/11/10.
Whenevervehicle was at a stop signal and without warning vehicle surged forward. Consumer's foot wason the brakes whensurging occurred.this problemoccurred several times since ownership of the vehicle. *mr
My 2003 toyota matrix xr sometimes accelerates uncontrollably. Usually when i am cruising at highway speeds, when i let off of the gas pedal, the car's throttle still feels like it's in the open position, causing the car to speed up instead of slowing down. It almost feels like if the cruise control is turned on and the car is trying to maintain speed. My cruise control was turned off during each of these incidents, and there was no indication that they were turned on at the time of the incidents. This problem occurs once every few months and i usually don't pay attention to them. The car will accelerate for a few seconds then eventually the throttle will close and the car will slow down and then i will apply the brakes gently. I have informed my toyota dealer of this but they usually just brush the complaint off and say they couldn't find any problems. I personally think it's an electronics issue where the cruise control system override the manual system without the input of the driver.
While traveling on the highway and without prior warning, the vehicle suddenly accelerated.the consumer was unable to read the dashboard lights when the sun was extremely bright.
I was slowly pulling into my garage (in the basement of my house), gradually braking as i had done many times before.i was stopping the vehicle in its usual position when the engine suddenly began racing and the car accelerated forward.it struck some shelves i had against the wall of the garage, crumplingboth the shelves and the front of the car's hood.everything happened so fast at that point that i am not sure just what happened, but i ended up with the car stopped up against the garage wall and the car in park.i believe i threw it into neutral, then applied the brake since it was still moving, then tried to back up, and finally put it into park.the car was declared a total loss by my insurance company.i experienced the same problem of sudden acceleration when stopping several times previously, but none of those incidents caused any damage.in each of those situations i was able to get the car into neutral, stop it with the brake, and continue on my way.in this instance there was not enough space ahead of me to do that successfully.i know that a number of incidents of unintended acceleration of a toyota matrix have already been reported for a number of different model years.
Cruise control on my 2003 toyota matrix sometimes disengages while traveling on the freeway. Deceleration is better than acceleration, but it is still unnerving when followed by other cars. Frequency is about once a month, occurs on one trip and happens three or four times. The cruise control disengages even when the light is on. My wife and friends have experienced this in my car, so it is not just me. When i turn my vehicle over to the toyota people for analysis, they can find nothing wrong. I cannot tell if this is an electrical short in wiring within the steering column or in the electronics.
When the sun is shining you can not read the speedometer or the guages.he driver isdriving blind without any instruments or guages.this is a very dangerous situation in all types of traffic conditions.
Consumer was pulling into a parking space and the vehicle accelerated whileconsumer's foot was on the brakes,striking a treeon the frontpassenger's side. Upon impact, frontal airbagsdid not deploy. Consumercontacted toyota ,and it was inspected by a representative and no defects were found.vehicle was sold for parts.
When the sun visor was pulled down it only came down half way. As a result the driver was blinded by the sun.the dashboard has chrome trimso when bright light hits the chrome it blinds the driver. The driver feels its a poor design.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact stated that the right rear door glass separated from the window regulator.the dealer and manufacturer were aware of the failure; however, did not provide any assistance since recall number: 08v162000 (visibility:glass, side/rear) only pertained to the front window.the vehicle had not been repaired. The current mileages were 134,868 and the failure mileages were 134,800.
The side of the car that holds the windshield together is a blind spot. When peopleare crossing the street you can't see them.i almost hit some about three times because of how the window is made. The sun visor is not long enough to block the sun making it difficult to see they to make better visors that actually blocks the sun.
Recall relapse:driver side window off track.needs driver glass bolts 2nd time.toyota recall #:80agm recall #:07273.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix.while driving approximately 35 mph on normal road conditions, the front driver and passenger side power windows were activated and the contact heard a loud squeaking and rattling noise.in addition, the front driver's side window would not close completely when activated.the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 08v162000 (visibility:glass, side/rear).the vehicle was repaired; however, therecall remedy has not corrected the issue.the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage is 140,000. Updated 3/3/09 updated 03/04/09
I notice an occasional popping noise when rolling up and down the windows on my 2003 toyota matrix. This concerns me, as i believe that the glass could ultimately shatter if this persists or gets any worse.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. The contact stated that the driver side seat belt exploded and fractured into pieces. The seat belt warning lights were illuminated and could not be turned off. In addition, the power windows would open independently and could not be operated manually. The dealer was notified who diagnosed the failure as the inside cylinder of the seat belt control being defective and offered no assistance. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure and the current mileage was 98,514. Updated 09/11/12*ljupdated 09/13/2012
2003 toyota matrix side-front power windows getting stuck and making popping noises.
The front passenger window developed an issue where it would become stuck and promptly make a loud pop as it became unstuck while retracting the window down.the final failure came when it made very loud pop and the window would not move after that.the toyota dealership replaced the.
This morning i discovered a crack in the windshield spanning 3/4 of the length of the windshield, across the bottom above the wipers, in an inverted u-shape.the crack does not go all the way through the glass.it was not present last night when the vehicle was parked for the night.there is no other sign of damage to the windshield or to the rest of the vehicle.there is no impact point anywhere on the windshield glass to indicate that an object hit the windshield to cause the crack.it appears to be a spontaneous crack in the glass that should be replaced by the manufacturer at no cost to me.this is a significant safety issue and must be addressed immediately.the windshield will have to be replaced.
Front wheel bearing replaced & both rear wheel bearing (hub)assemblies replaced with only 103,000 kilometers on 2003 toyota matrix.is my case an isolated incident or is this a thing to look for , formatrix owners? it is a very costly repair over 1200 cdn.
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