2005 Toyota Matrix

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INTO AN INTERSECTION AND CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. AS SHE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL THE CRASH OCCURRED. NO ONE WAS INJURED. THERE IS A POLICE REPORT IF NEEDED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER. A TOYOTA FIELD ENGINEER INSPECTED THE BRAKES STATING THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT RELATED TO THE BRAKES. THE CRASH OCCURRED 20 DAYS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE CONTACT IS THE SECOND OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 60,000. UPDATED EVOQ 08/10/10*JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STUCK. UPDATED EVOQ 09/07/10*JB

1) I TOOK MY 05 TOYOTA MATRIX INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A 60,000 MILE CHECK UP. I HAD PURCHASED THE 100,000 MILE WARRANTY WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT. I WAS BILLED $700.00, AND TOOK THE VEHICLE HOME. 2) I TOOK THE VEHICLE ON THE INTERSTAT TO WORK AND NOTICED A VERY BAD 'SHIMMY', AND THE VEHICLE DRIFTED TO THE LEFT. A DEFINITE ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. I WAS VERY UPSET AT SPENDING $700, TO HAVE THE VEHICLE RETURNED IS WORSE CONDITION THAN WHEN I TOOK IT IN. FOR THE CHECK UP. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD ME THEY "ADJUSTED" THE ALIGNMENT, AND RETURNED THE CAR TO ME. I TOOK THE VEHICLE ON THE INTERSTATE AND FOUND I HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK THE NEXT DAY TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DELERSHIP TOLD ME THAT 'CENTERING RINGS' WERE NOT PUT ON THE RIMS INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE. I HAD CENTERING RINGS PUT ON THE VEHICLE, AND TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE PROBLEMS TO BE FIXED. THEY RETURNED THE VEHICLE THE NEXT DAY. I TOOK THE VEHICLE ON THE INTERSATE AND FOUND I HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. I RETURNED THE VEHICLE THE NEXT DAY. I INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP THAT I WENT ON-LINE AND FOUND OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT A 'SHIM KIT'COULD HELP. THE DELALERSHIP TOLD ME I HAD THE 'WRONG' TIRES ON THE VEHICLE, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE VIRTUALLY NEW. THEY SAID I NEEDED "DIRECTIONAL" TIRES. I PURCHASED AND INSTALLED NEW DIRECTIONAL TIRES. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP INSTALLED A SHIM KIT, WHICH HELPED BUT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEMS. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY DID ALL THEY COULD DO. THEY DID NOT LIST THE SHIM KIT ON THEIR REPAIR PAPERWORK FOR THE VEHICLE. I HAD NO PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE BEFORE TAKING IT IN FOR THE CHECKUP. THIS IS EVIDENTLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, WHICH A 'QUICK FIX' WAS DONE AT THE TIMEOF MANUFACTURE. IT DID NOT ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM. IT ONLY "HID" THE PROBLEM. MY VEHICLE STILL HAS A SHIMMY AND ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS. *TR

REQUEST TO THE GOVERNMENT: PLEASE LOOK INTO SUSPENSION PROBLEMS IN THE 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX AND SIMILAR TOYOTAS THAT CAUSE IRREGULAR AND PREMATURE TIRE WEAR, INCLUDING "CUPPING" WHICH COULD LEAD TO UNEXPECTED TIRE FAILURE AND WHICH CAUSE OWNERS TO BE REQUIRED TO REPLACE TIRES PREMATURELY. I EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM, FIRST NOTICED BY LOUD, UNEXPECTED TIRE NOISE. I HAD TO REPLACE 4 TIRES AT 30,000 MILES, FAR EARLIER THAN EVER IN MY 50 YEARS OF DRIVING EXPERIENCE. A DEALER UNOFFICIALLY ADMITTED THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH MATRIX SUSPENSION. THE INTERNET HAS MANY ANGRY OWNERS DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM (UNDER T. MATRIX TIRE PROBLEMS, AND SIMILAR). TOYOTA NEVER ADMITTED THE PROBLEM WAS FAULTY DESIGN, BUT IN LIGHT OF RECENT EVENTS, THIS CLEAR FAULT SHOULD ALSO BE INVESTIGATED. THIS IS A DEFECT THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO DANGEROUS EVENTS AT WORST AND EXTRA EXPENSE COMMONLY. THANKS *TR

2005 TOYOTA MATRIX XRS WITH MANUAL 6 SPD TRANSMISSION. SOMETIMES WHEN I RELEASE THROTTLE WHEN SHIFTING OR AT A STOP SIGN THE THROTTLE MECHANISM LOCKS UP SOLID AS IF I COULD ALMOST BREAK IT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO INCREASE THROTTLE FROM NO THROTTLE POSITION. I COASTED FROM 65MPH TO 40MPH WITH TRAFFIC BEARING DOWN FROM BEHIND ONE TIME. I THOUGHT THE CABLES WERE BINDING BUT BOUGHT A NEW ONE TO REPLACE WITH BUT THE CABLE LOOKS GOOD AND IN MY DRIVEWAY COULD NOT SIMULATE OR DETECT THE CAUSE OF STICKING. I CALLED TOYOTA SERVICE REP IN SAN BERNARDINO, CA AND HE SAID "WE ARE GOING TO CHARGE YOU IF WE LOOK AT IT" THE THROTTLE LOCKED UP AGAIN ON THE 8TH OF THIS MONTH AT THE STOP SIGN WHEN EXITING THE FREEWAY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS OBSTRUCTED BY THE CARPET AND FOOT REST WHICH MADE IF DIFFICULT TO SHIFT GEARS. THERE ALSO WAS NOT ENOUGH SPACE BETWEEN THE FOOT AND BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAS EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN 2004. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000.

05MY TOYOTA MATRIX - IRREGULAR WEAR OF TIRES POSSIBLY DUE TO FRONT SHOCKS. BRAND NEW TIRES DON'T LAST MORE THAN A FEW YEARS ON THESE VEHICLES. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET YET TOYOTA HAS NOT ISSUED A TSB FOR THIS ISSUE. IT'S NOT THAT THE TIRES HAVE LOTS OF TREAD WEAR, BUT THEY WEAR UNUSUALLY AND LEAD TO VIBRATION - EVEN AFTER THEY ARE MAINTAINED AND BALANCED. ADDITIONALLY, I RECENTLY REPLACED MY 4 TIRES THAT HAD UNUSUAL AND IRREGULAR WEAR. WITH THIS WEAR, THE VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES SIGNIFICANTLY ABOVE 50MPH. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS COMPLAINT FOR A POSSIBLE SAFETY RECALL. FRONT SHOCKS SHOULD BE COVERED UP TO 80K SINCE MOST OF THE 05'S ARE ALMOST OUT OF WARRANTY. AGAIN TREAD WEAR IS STILL GOOD, BUT IT'S THE WAY THAT THE TIRES WEAR THAT IS THE ISSUE. *CN

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

AT SEVERAL PLACES (ALL SLIGHT UPGRADES, CONSTANT SPEED, CONSTANT THROTTLE), ABOUT 5-10% OF THE TIME, THROTTLE STICKS. RELEASES AFTER 3 - 5 SECONDS IF I DO NOT BRAKE, ABOUT 2 SECONDS AFTER BRAKING IF I DO. HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR OVER 70,000 MILES, DEALER SERVICE MANAGER SAID IT WAS A GAS-SAVING FEATURE. I NOW ANTICIPATE IT HAPPENING, SO HAVE HAD NO ACCIDENT, BUT A FEW CLOSE CALLS EARLY ON. 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX 4WD, NOW WITH 95,000 MILES. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX WITH 40,000 MILES, I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, CAR WAS NOT EVEN GOING 1 MILE AN HOUR, HAD TAKEN MY FOOT OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL, DID NOT EVEN HAVE A CHANCE TO PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES, WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, MADE A NOISE, JUMPED THE CURB AND SMASHED INTO A BUILDING. THE CAR HAD $3,000 WORTH IN DAMAGES LEAVING A CRACK IN THE BRICK WALL OF THE BUILDING CAUSING STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. THE SUDDEN, UNINTENDED ACCELERATION HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FLOOR MAT. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE AS TOYOTA WOULD NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE AT ALL, SAYING THAT THE MATRIX WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. TOYOTA HAS NOT ACCOMMODATED ME AT ALL WITH THIS INCIDENT. I AM TERRIFIED WHEN I DRIVE NOW THAT IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN, NOT TO MENTION THE WORTH OF THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. DUE TO THIS I AM LOOKING FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE. *TR