2003 Toyota Matrix

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. *TR

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. *TR

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. *TR

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. *TR

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. *TR

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. *TR

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. *TR

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? *TR