2005 Toyota Matrix

THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT STARTED COME ON MY 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO, AND THE WARNING LIGHT USUALLY WENT OFF IF I RE-STARTED THE ENGINE. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALER TO CHECK THE AIRBAG SYSTEM ON 2007, BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. MY CAR ALREADY HAD OVER 36,000 MILES ON THAT TIME, THUS THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED. THE WARNING LIGHT STILL CAME ON AND OFF OCCASIONALLY THEREAFTER. IN MARCH 2008, I HAD AN ACCIDENT WHEN I LOST THE CONTROL OF THE CAR DURING THE SNOWSTORM, AND I HIT THE FIRE HYDRANT AT A SPEED OF 35 MILES (MY CAR HAD 42000 MILES ON) THE CAR SUSTAINED A SEVERE FRONTAL DAMAGE, BUT THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOYED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. IT COST MY INSURANCE OVER $9000 FOR THE REPAIRS. I IMMEDIATELY SUSPECTED THAT THERE MUST BEEN A COMPLETE AIRBAG SYSTEM FAILURE ON MY CAR SINCE THE WARNING LIGHT HAS BEEN COME ON/OFF , SO I CONTACTED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE IF THEY CAN FIX THE FAULTY AIRBAG SYSTEM UNDER THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. I HEARD "NO" AND TOLD THAT I HAD TO PAY FROM MY OWN POCKET IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM. THE LIGHT SOMEHOW DISAPPEARED SOMEHOW SINCE THEN, SO I DID NOT BOTHER TO BRING THE CAR TO THE DEALER. HOWEVER, I HAD ANOTHER ACCIDENT IN APRIL 2009 WHEN I HIT THE DEER ON THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY IN NJ. THE CAR SUSTAINED ANOTHER FRONTAL DAMAGE, AND CAR WAS NON-DRIVABLE. ONCE AGAIN, THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOYED AT ALL ALTHOUGH I WAS DRIVING AROUND 55 MILES. IT COST MY INSURANCE OVER $4000 TO REPAIR. MY AIRBAG WARNING LIGHTS STARTED TO COME UP AGAIN RECENTLY, AND IT GOES AWAY IF I RE-STARTED THE ENGINE AGAIN. I CHECKED MANY CAR SITES ON THE INTERNET, AND IN MY SURPRISE, I READ SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS ON THEIR VEHICLES (05 MATRIX). I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH TOYOTA'S AIRBAG SYSTEM, AND I'M NOT FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE THIS CAR ANYMORE. SOMEONE REALLY NEED TO INVESTIGATE ON TOYOTA VEHICLES AND ISSUE A NATIONAL RECALL ON THEIR VEHICLES BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. *TR

FAILURE OF RETENTION SYSTEM FOR FRONT RIGHT INNER FENDER/SHIELD. THERE IS ONLY ONE RETENTION POINT AT FRONT (ON BUMPER). WHEN FAILS, SHIELD/INNER FENDER BEHIND FRONT BUMPER DRAGS ON GROUND. HOLE FOR RETENTION PIN HAS ONLY ABOUT 1/4 INCH OF MATERIAL TO REAR OF HOLE - THE PLASTIC SPLITS. DID NOT SPLIT IN RESPONSE TO HITTING ANYTHING - CAR WAS SITTING IN DRIVEWAY WHEN FAILED. WHEN TOOK TO DEALER (STILL UNDER WARRANTY), OFFERED CHOICE OF CABLE TIE REPAIR (FREE) OR REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE INNER FENDER ASSEMBLY ($211). CHOSE CABLE TIE, ALTHOUGH DEALER ALSO LEFT ROPE REPAIR I HAD INSTALLED TO HOLD UNTIL GETTING TO DEALER. DEALER INDICATED ROPE SHOULD STAY - HARDLY A REAL REPAIR. LEFT SIDE FAILED PREVIOUSLY - HAD TO PERSONALLY REPLACE RETENTION PIECES. DEALER SERVICE REP INDICATED THAT THEY SEE A NUMBER OF MATRIX XR AND XRS MODELS WITH SAME PROBLEM, DUE TO GROUND EFFECTS INSTALLED ON THOSE MODELS. SEEMS TO STRONGLY IMPLY A DESIGN DEFECT. *TR

VEHICLE TIRE WEAR ON MATRIX XRS (2005). NO MATTER WHAT BRAND OF TIRES, EVEN WITH REGULAR ROTATION AND BALANCING/ALIGNMENTS, THE TIRES WEAR FROM THE INSIDE OUT WITH SEVERE CUPPING. I'VE HAD TO REPLACE MY TIRES EVERY 20K MILES (I NOW HAVE 130K MILES ON THE CAR IN JUST 4 YEARS, I NEED TIRES TO LAST!). EACH OF THE MECHANICS I'VE SPOKEN TO SAY THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO AND JUST TO KEEP ROTATING THEM AND THAT IT IS A PROBLEM IN ASSEMBLY AT THE FACTORY LEVEL. I AM FED UP AND WILL NOT BE BUYING ANOTHER TOYOTA. *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

NEW 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX CHEWED UP THE FACTORY (CONTINENTAL CONTI-TOURING) TIRES IN SHORT ORDER (CAUSED "CUPPING"). DEALER SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO - IT WAS MY PROBLEM AND NOT A PROBLEM WITH MATRIX AND WE'D HAVE TO BUY NEW TIRES. COMPLAINED SEVERAL TIMES AFTER THAT BUT WAS BLOWN OFF EACH TIME. MY RESEARCH NOW SHOWS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM ON THIS MODEL, THAT TOYOTA EVEN HAS A SHIM AND ADJUSTMENT KIT AVAILABLE BUT CONTINUES TO DENY IT TO CUSTOMERS AND REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL. *TR

2005 TOYOTA MATRIX - PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AUTOMATIC WINDOW FAILURE; WINDOW WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND STUCK IN A POSITION THAT WAS NOT ALL THE WAY CLOSED (OR OPEN). THE WINDOW REGULATOR (WHICH WAS BENT OUT OF SHAPE) AND SMALL MOTOR WAS REMOVED BY OWNER AND THE WINDOW IS NOW PERMANENTLY IN CLOSED POSITION. THIS SOUNDS VERY SIMILAR TO THE PROBLEM LEADING TO THE RECALL OF 2003 AND 2004 MODELS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED. THE RISK OF A SERIOUS INJURY WAS INCREASED. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AND OBTAIN A REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HIS VEHICLE YEAR WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE VOLUNTARY SAFETY CAMPAIGN; THEREFORE, HE WAS REFERRED TO A LOCAL DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 62,500.