2005 Toyota Matrix

AIR BAG (SRS) STARTED GOING ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY, THEN CLOCK WENT ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. NOW CLOCK RARELY COMES ON. THE IGNITION MUST BE TURNED ON AND OFF SEVERAL TIMES TO GET THE AIR BAG LIGHT TO GO OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TOYOTA CARMAX DEALER IN LAUREL, MD. THE REP SAID THERE WAS PROBABLY SOMETHING UNDER THE SEAT, AND FOUND AN EMPTY WATER BOTTLE. WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNED ON, THE LIGHT WAS GONE, AND HE PRONOUNCED THE CAR FIXED. TWO DAYS LATER IT CAME ON AGAIN AND HAS CONTINUED TO COME ON AND OFF RANDOMLY. THE ITEM UNDER THE SEAT STORY IS BOGUS AND ONLY WORKS BECAUSE THE IGNITION IS TURNED ON AND OFF, NOT BECAUSE ITEMS ARE UNDER THE SEAT. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED BY TOYOTA. I AM NOW READING MANY MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND TOYOTA WILL NOT RECOGNIZE THE ISSUE.

DRIVER-SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR IS INTERMITTENT SOMETIMES ON , SOMETIMES OFF. THIS SEEMED TO START AFTER THE 3-YR WARRANTY EXPIRED. BACK THEN, I MENTIONED IT TO A DEALER WHILE IN FOR A SEPARATE RECALL REPAIR AND THE DEALER SUGGESTED MAYBE I HAD STUFF UNDER OR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE CHAIR WHICH COULD TRIGGER THE INDICATOR. I NEVER PAID FOR THEM TO CHECK THE CAR. INDICATOR GOES ON/OFF REGARDLESS OF PASSENGER/OBJECTS ON THE SEAT. BOTH FRONT SEATS DO NOT HAVE STUFF BENEATH THEM. MORE RECENTLY, CLOCK ILLUMINATION FADES IN AND OUT, MOSTLY OUT. THIS SEEMED TO START NO MORE THAN 3 YRS AGO. CAR HAS STILL HAS ORIGINAL AIRBAGS AND CLOCK. I'M AFRAID THAT MY AIR BAGS WON'T DEPLOY DURING AN ACCIDENT. I'M ANGRY THAT MY CAR WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE RECENT RECALLS. *TR

THE MATRIX BEGAN HAVING VARIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, INCLUDING ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS TURNING OFF AND ON, AIRBAG WARNINGS, CLOCK AND HEADLIGHTS/BRAKELIGHTS TURNING OFF AND ON. WE HAVE BROUGHT IT IN TO SEVERAL MECHANICS FOR CHECKS AND VARIOUS REPAIRS, TO NO AVAIL. MOST RECENTLY, A DEALER SHOP DIAGNOSED THAT THE ECM IS LIKELY FAILING, AND IN LOOKING AT THE RECORDS FROM ANOTHER DEALER SHOP NOTICED THAT THE ECM WAS ON BACK ORDER IN 2011 TO INSTALL A NEW ONE AFTER A RECALL, BUT THAT A NEW ONE WAS NEVER INSTALLED. HOWEVER, MY SERVICE RECORDS SHOW THAT THE FIRST DEALER SHOP TOLD ME (FRAUDULENTLY?) THAT IT WAS IN FACT INSTALLED. THE CAR MAY NOT BE SAFE TO DRIVE, BUT I HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL TO THIS POINT IN GETTING IT REPAIRED. THE SECOND SHOP INFORMED ME THAT THE FIRST DEALER SHOP IS RESPONSIBLE. *TR

MY VEHICLE IS A 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX XR. IT HAS NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN A COLLISION OR IMPACT IN ANY WAY. AT APPROX. 37000 MILES, THE SRS WARNING LIGHT ACTIVATE AND WAS DIAGNOSED AS A FAULTY SPIRAL CABLE/CLOCKSPRING. THE SPIRAL CABLE WAS REPLACED WHICH DID ELIMINATE THE SRS WARNING LIGHT. I NOW HAVE 60500 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE AND AGAIN THE SRS LIGHT HAS ACTIVATED, AND HAS AGAIN BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH A FAULTY SPIRAL CABLE, THE REPAIR COST HAS NOW BEEN ESTIMATED BY MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AS $440.71, AND THEY HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THE SRS SYSTEM WILL NOT FUNCTION UNTIL THE REPAIR IS MADE. I NOW HAVE MY 2 SONS, NEW DRIVERS, THAT USE THIS CAR. I FEAR THAT EVEN IF I GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED, AGAIN, THAT IT WILL AGAIN FAIL AT SOME POINT WHILE IN USE AND PUT THEM AT RISK. I HAVE OWNED MANY VEHICLES THAT HAVE HAD SRS SYSTEMS, BUT THIS IS THE ONLY TIME I'VE EVER HAD A PROBLEM, LET ALONE A REPEAT PROBLEM, WITH A SPECIFIC COMPONENT. IN MY RESEARCH, IT SOUNDS LIKE MANY OTHER TOYOTA MATRIX AND OTHER TOYOTA MODELS IN THE SAME YEARS OF PRODUCTION ARE EXPERIENCING SPIRAL CABLE/CLOCKSPRING PROBLEMS. THIS PROBLEM CAN EFFECT THE SURVIVABILITY OF THE OCCUPANTS AND TRULY CONCERNS ME. THANKS SO MUCH FOR CONSIDERING MY CONCERNS. *TR

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

TODAY TOYOTA ANNOUNCED A RECALL FOR VARIOUS MODELS DUE TO WEARING OF A SPIRAL CABLE ASSEMBLY IN THE STEERING WHEEL THAT CONNECTS TO THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG MODULE. FOR THE MATRIX, THE YEARS ARE LIMITED TO 2009-10. I HAVE A 2005 MATRIX, AND A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO I HAD TO SPEND HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE SPIRAL CABLE ASSEMBLY DUE TO WEARING, SO MY COMPLAINT IS THAT TODAY'S RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO ADDITIONAL YEARS. *TR

SRS AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. CLOCK ALSO GOES IN AND OUT. WAS TOLD THE CLOCK AND THE SRS SYSTEM ARE LINKED, AND THAT WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON THE AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY. FROM DOING RESEARCH THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS CAR, AND IT IS DANGEROUS. TOYOTA COULDN'T DIAGNOSE PROBLEM, SUGGESTED REPLACING CLOCK ASSEMBLY. *TR