2006 Toyota Matrix

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH ENTERING THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED; HOWEVER, IMMEDIATELY AFTER SHIFTING INTO DRIVE GEAR, THE ENGINE STALLED AGAIN. THE FAILURE OCCURRED REPEATEDLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 32,000. UPDATED 8/25/10 *CN UPATED 08/27/10 UPDATED 08/30/10*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE DRIVER STATED THAT IN 2008 HE WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED AND IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO DRIVE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALER WHO STATED THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED SEVERAL RELATED COMPLAINTS. THE CONTACT HAD TO RENT A VEHICLE WHILE HIS VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,126 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 37,000.

THE ECU ON MY 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX DIED SUDDENLY, AFTER THE ECU FAILED THE CAR TO HALT IMMEDIATELY. LUCKILY FOR ME THIS DID NOT HAPPEN ON A FREEWAY , IN WHICH CASE I WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED AND POSSIBLY SERIOUSLY INJURED. WHEN MY CAR WAS TOWED INTO THE DEALERSHIP , THE TECH AT THE SERVICE DESK GUESSED THAT IT WAS THE ECU AS HE HAD SEEN QUITE A FEW OF THESE FAIL. AFTER TESTS THEY DETERMINED IT WAS THE ECU. THE ECU WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER AS IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON. I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL BUT THERE WAS NO ACCELERATION. THE ENGINE STARTED TO STALL OUT. I SLOWLY PULLED OVER, PUT THE CAR IN PARK, PUT THE KEY ON THE OFF POSITION AND I TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE AGAIN AND NOTICED THAT THE BATTERY WAS WORKING BUT IT WOULD NOT START. I DID THIS PROCESS FIVE MORE TIMES TO NO SUCCESS. I FINALLY CALLED AAA AND WAS TOWED HOME. THE NEXT DAY, MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, THE VEHICLE STARTED RIGHT UP BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ON. SO, I BROUGHT IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT CHECKED. THEY ENDED UP REPLACING THE ENGINE CONTROL COMPUTER. *TR

WAS DRIVING THE CAR NORMALLY TO WORK AS I HAVE FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS. WAS STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN WITH A VEHICLE DIRECTLY IN FRONT. TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE TO ALLOW THE CAR TO ROLL FORWARD AND THE CAR TOOK OFF ABOUT 4-6 FEET INTO THE CAR IN FRONT. THE ONLY SIGN OF A PROBLEM WAS THE RPMS JUMPED SLIGHTLY AS THE CAR TOOK OFF. TRIED USING THE BRAKE BUT IT COULDN'T HOLD THE CAR. MINOR DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE AND NO DAMAGE TO VEHICLE STRUCK. CALLED THE DEALER, WAS TOLD TO BRING THE CAR IN. WHEN THEY LOOKED AT THE CAR THEY SAID IT WAS FINE AND I NEEDED NEW ROTORS. ASKED ABOUT WHY THE CAR JERKED FORWARD, WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT SINCE THEY WERE NOT THERE. FRUSTRATED, TOOK THE CAR TO BE PRIVATELY INSPECTED ELSEWHERE, AGAIN, COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. MECHANIC COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY THE CAR JERKED FORWARD. WAS TOLD TO MONITOR CRACKLING NOISE I COMPLAINED ABOUT JUST IN CASE IT BECAME WORSE, AT CURRENT TIME WAS FINE BUT COULD BE EARLY SIGN OF A TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER PROBLEM. CAR HAS CURRENTLY 39,855K AND HAS HAD 2 NEW BELT TENSIONERS INSTALLED, 1 NEW BELT, AND 1 NEW TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER REPLACED. HAVE PREVIOUSLY COMPLAINED OF BRAKE PROBLEMS, INCLUDING THE FEELING OF BEING REAR-ENDED AT A LOW SPEED, AS WELL AS THE CAR JERKING FORWARD WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS. THE CAR ALSO ON OCCASION CONTINUES TO GAS ENGINE EVEN AFTER GAS PEDAL HAS BEEN RELEASED, WHEN BRAKE OR GAS IS TAPPED THE CAR RESUMES TO NORMAL OPERATION. WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM AND CAR WAS FINE. *TR

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT FAILED AND BEEN REPLACED ON THE 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CAR HAD JUST RECEIVED A VERY THOROUGH 30,000 MILE CHECKUP AND THERE WERE NO CAUSES FOR THE FAILURE. THIS FAILURE IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND IT ALMOST COST ME MY LIFE. THE ECU SPONTANEOUSLY QUIT WHILE IN THE HIGH SPEED LANE, AT 6:30 PM PITCH DARK, IN HEAVY COMMUTER TRAFFIC IN THE BOSTON BELTLINE OF RT 128. THE BRAKES WERE AS HARD AS CONCRETE, AND THE CAR DECELERATED SO FAST THAT I COULD NOT CHANGE LANES AND I WAS LEFT WITH AN ELECTRONICALLY DEAD CAR IN THE HIGH SPEED LANE - AT NIGHT. I CALLED THE STATE POLICE. *TR