2005 Toyota Matrix

THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINS ON WHILE THE CAR IS ON. I WAS TOLD THE AIR BAG WOULD NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY WHILE THE WARNING LIGHT IS ON. THE TOYOTA DEALER SAID THE AIR BAG WIRING IS SHORTING IN THE CLOCK MECHANISM AND CLOCK PARTS NEED TO BE REPLACED FOR THE AIR BAG TO WORK. WHY DO I NEED TO FIX THE CLOCK FOR THIS AIR BAG TO WORK? *JS

I ALREADY TURNED IN AN INCIDENT BUT DID NOT GET AN E-MAIL OR ANY REPLY BACK SO AM DOING IT AGAIN TO MAKE SURE. MY AIR BAG LIGHT HAS BEEN GOING ON INTERMITTENTLY FOR 1.5 YEARS. I WAS TOLD BY TOYOTA THAT IT WOULD COST $180 TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND WAS NEVER TOLD THAT WHEN MY AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON THAT MY AIR BAG WOULD NOT GO OFF. I RECENTLY FOUND THIS OUT SO HAD IT CHECKED OUT. TURNS OUT IT IS A FAULTY CLOCK. TOYOTA HAS THE CLOCK AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THEIR AIR BAGS. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THEY PUT MY FAMILY AT RISK BECAUSE OF A CLOCK. IT COST ME $560 TO FIX AS WELL. THERE WAS NEVER ANY ASSISTANCE ON TOYOTA'S PART TO ASSIST ME, LOWER THE COST. MY CLOCK BY THE WAY WORKS PERFECTLY FINE AND IT TOOK THEM 1.5 HOURS TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON REPEATEDLY OVER A PERIOD OF MONTHS. ON 17MAR2011 TOYOTA DEALER DIAGNOSED TWO POSSIBLE CAUSES... COMPUTER OR CLOCK ASSEMBLY. COMPUTER WAS REPLACED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. PROBLEM RETURNED THE NEXT DAY. CLOCK WAS REPLACED ON 30MAR2011 UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE SOLVED AS OF 12JUL2011. *KB

2005 TOYOTA MATRIX WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAD CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME AND IMMEDIATELY START SHIFTING HARD. NO PRIOR SYMPTOMS. CALLED TOYOTA SERVICE THEY SAID IT WAS A LOOSE GAS CAP, I ASKED ARE YOU SURE IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TRANSMISSION BECAUSE WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON IT SHIFTS HARSHLY. NO PRETTY SURE IT IS GAS CAP IF IT COMES BACK ON YOU HAVE TO PAY $110 TO CHECK IT. AFTER IT CAME BACK ON DROVE FOR A WEEK TO SEE IF PROBLEM CONTINUED THEN TOOK TO TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST WHO SAID IT HAD PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID OUT. TOOK IT FOR SECOND OPINION TO TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID IT IS COMMON PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA MATRIX AND COROLLA SIMILAR TO RAV4 PROBLEM THAT ECM IS BAD AND CAUSES TRANSMISSION ISSUES WHICH IN THIS CASE CAUSE DAMAGE TO TRANSMISSION. CALLED TOYOTA AND POINTED OUT THAT TOYOTA SERVICE BULLETIN TC014-06 AND TC-015-07 STATE THAT IF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THERE IS HARSH SHIFTING TO CHANGE THE ECM OUT WITH A DIFFERENT PART NUMBER. THEY AGREED THAT IF MY CAR HAD EXHIBITED THESE SYMPTOMS AT UNDER 80,000 MILES THEY WOULD HAVE REPLACED THE ECM UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN IMPROVED TO NOT DO THIS. THEY SAID THE UNIT COULD BE REPLACE NOW AT 88,000 MILES AT A COST TO ME AND THEY WOULD NOT HELP ME WITH THE COST OF THE DEFECTIVE UNIT OR THE TRANSMISSION DAMAGE IT CAUSED. *TR

LETTER FROM SENATOR ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT. RE DIFFICULTIES WITH HER 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKES WERE DEFECTIVE DUE TO THE ROTOR GETTING CAUGHT IN THE BRAKE PAD. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED AFTER THE SECOND BRAKE REPAIR. THE BRAKES MADE AN AUDIBLE SQUEAKING NOISE WHEN DEPRESSED. THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND THE GEARS WERE ENGAGED. THE ABS DID NOT WORK ON AN IRREGULAR SURFACE. A DEFECTIVE REAR AXLE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE TIRES. THE LIGHTS WOULD GO OUT BY THEMSELVES WHEN IT WAS DARK.*JB

I OWN A 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX. ON 10/29/09 THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE WHOLE COMPUTER SYSTEM. MECHANIC SAID THAT THEY HAD TROUBLE WITH ALOT OF THE MATRIXS AND COROLLAS. COST ME ABOUT $1000.00 TO REPLACE. MY CLOCK HAS BEEN COMING ON EVERY SO OFTEN,BUT MOSTLY STAYS OFF.THE DOORS ARE NOT SUPPOSE TO LOCK IF KEY IS IN IGNITION OR RUNNING. THREE TIMES IT HAS LOCKED ME OUT. THE DASH BOARD LIGHTS ARE MEDDED UP ONLY HALF LIGHT UP,THIS HAS BEEN THIS WAY FOR WELL OVER A YEAR. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHEN I HAD THE WORK DONE THEY NEVER FIXED IT. I THINK THAT SOMEONE SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS MATTER BECAUSE IF THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER ON SO MANY CARS THEY SHOULD HAVE A RECALL. ALSO, MY PEDAL GOT STUCK AND CAUSED ME TO RUN INTO A SNOW BANK AND MESS UP MY FRONT FENDER. *TR

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX WITH 88K MILES. THE ECM IN THE VEHICLE(MODEL 89661-01132) DIED. THE DEALER SAYS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS SERIES OF ECM PARTS AND THEY WILL INSTALL A NEW "UPDATED" VERSION (MODEL 89661-02K41) FOR A MERE $650. FROM SEARCHING ONLINE IT APPEARS TO BE A FAIRLY WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AMONG TOYOTA MATRIX OWNERS AND YET TOYOTA HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL FOR THESE FAULTY ECMS AND THE DEALER IS REFUSING TO REPLACE ECM OUTSIDE OF THE FEDERALLY MANDATED WARRANTY PERIOD. ALL AUTO MANUFACTURERS ARE REQUIRED BY THE EPA TO WARRANTY ECMS TO 80K MILES BUT THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A HUGE PROBLEM AND TOYOTA IS FAILING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR A SHODDY BATCH OF ECMS. *TR