2003 Toyota Matrix

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. *TR

TL* 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.

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 ECONOMIC WRITE-OFF. *TR

TL*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.

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. *TR

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. *TR

TL*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 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. *TR