2006 Toyota Matrix

JAN. 2007 ANCHORAGE, AK DRIVING 50MPH ON A HIGHWAY, AS THE ROAD BENDED TO THE RIGHT, WE WENT INTO THE TURN AND BEGAN TO SLIDE SIDEWAYS. IT WAS 30 DEGREES F, SO WE MUST HAVE HIT BLACK ICE. I TRIED TO CORRECT AND SENT THE CAR FISH TAILING TO THE OTHER SIDE. WE WHIPPED BACK AND FORTH A FEW TIMES, BEFORE THE CAR STARTED TO SPIN. WE DID TWO FULL CIRCLES BEFORE WE GENTLY HIT A BURM OF SNOW AND CAME TO A STOP. NO OTHER CARS WERE ONCOMING SO WE DID NOT HAVE ANY SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. I WENT AND BOUGHT STUDDED TIRED THE NEXT DAY. DEC. 2009 JUNEAU, AK I WAS A PASSENGER. SAME MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR. DRIVING 40 MPH ON STRAIGHT ROAD, SLUSHY SNOW CONDITIONS. THE CAR STARTED TO FISH TAIL AND SPUN 1.5 TIMES BEFORE IT STOPPED. NO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OR INJURIES. NO STUDDED TIRES. (ALL-WEATHER TIRES) FEB. 2012 JUNEAU, AK I WAS A PASSENGER IN THE SAME CAR AS ABOVE. DRIVING 55MPH ON HIGHWAY, GOING STRAIGHT. WE MUST HAVE HIT BLACK ICE AND THE CAR STARTED TO FISH TAIL. WE SPUN TWO TIMES AND THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN LIKE IN PREVIOUS INCIDENTS AND WE HIT A GUARDRAIL GOING FULL SPEED (HIT IT BACKWARDS). I GOT WHIPLASH, FACE LACERATIONS, BROKEN NOSE, AND A MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. WE WERE ABLE TO DRIVE AWAY FROM THE CRASH AND TAKE ME TO THE HOSPITAL. DRIVER WAS UNHARMED. (ALL-WEATHER TIRES). *TR

2006 TOYOTA MATRIX XR. TIRES WHERE PREMATURALLY. 66,000 MILES ON CAR AND THIRD SET OF TIRES ARE CUPPING AND STARTING TO CAUSE HANDLING PROBLEM. EACH SET OF TIRES (2 DIFFERENT BRANDS) HAS LASTED ABOUT 16,000-20,000 MILES. HAD REGULAR ALIGNMENTS AND TIRE ROTATION. WENT AS FAR AS REPLACING SHOCKS AND STRUTS ALL THE WAY AROUND (VERY EXPENSIVE). NOTHING SEEMS TO HELP. *TT

PURCHASED CERTIFIED PRE OWNED - (LEASED) 2006 MATRIX 27940 MILES 7/26/08 - ON 11/12/08 32955 MILES AFTER OIL CHANGE DEALER WROTE : "TIRES ARE WEARING FUNNY - ALIGNED AT N/C DID NOT ROTATE RHT REAR CUPPING - 3/25/09 OIL CHANGE 38632 - DEALER WROTE - ROTATE TIRES IF NEEDED - LAST TIME IN HAD TIRE WEAR ISSUE NEEDS TIRES HAS 1 GOOD TIRE ON CAR ON LF. APPARENTLY THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA - HAVEN'T CONTACTED DEALER YET BUT WILL AFTER READING COMPLAINTS. I DON'T KNOW IF THE AFTER MARKET SHIM FIX WILL VOID MY EXTENDED WARRANTY OR NOT...... *TR

2006 TOYOTA MATRIX. TIRES WEAR OUT EVERY 16,000 MILES. THE PROBLEM IS IN THE REAR AXLE. TOYOTA HAS CONSISTENTLY TOLD ME THERE IS NO PROBLEM. TODAY I AM ON A DISCUSSION BOARD AND FIND IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE MATRIX/VIBE. THE SOLUTION IS AN AFTERMARKET REAR WHEEL SHIM KIT COSTING $50 PLUS LABOR. WHY IS TOYOTA ALLOWED TO CONTINUE DENYING THE PROBLEM EXISTS AND NOT RECALL AND CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *TR

MY WIFE AND I OWN 2 TOYOTA MATRIX'S. A 2005 AND A 2006. BOTH ARE FRONT WHEEL DRIVE. FOR SOME REASON THE CAR WEARS THROUGH TIRES VERY FAST. WE CAN ONLY GET 25,000 MILES MAX OUT OF A 60,000 MILE TIRE. WE MAKE IT A POINT TO ROTATE EVERY 5,000 MILES AND KEEP PRESSURE AT 35PSI AS RECOMMENDED, BUT THE CAR JUST WEARS TIRES SO QUICKLY FOR SOME REASON. *TR

EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR/MISALIGNMENT ON 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX: I HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR ABOUT 2 AND 1/2 YEARS, ABOUT 35,000 MILES. I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED THE TIRES THREE TIMES DUE TO EXCESSIVE WEAR, AND HAD SEVERAL FOUR-WHEEL ALIGNMENTS DONE. I'VE NOTICED ON THE CHAT BOARDS THAT SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME CAR TYPE ARE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I SUSPECT THAT THE MISALIGNMENT AND SUBSEQUENT DRIFT WAS ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES IN AN ACCIDENT I HAD LAST YEAR. *TR

AFTER OWNING MY NEW CAR FOR ABOUT A YEAR (AROUND 25,000 MILES), I WAS INFORMED THAT MY TIRES WERE CUPPING AND ALL NEEDED REPLACED. THIS ISSUE WAS BLAMED ON ALIGNMENT ISSUES. I HAD THE ALIGNMENT FIXED AND TIRES REPLACED. I HAD READ DISCUSSION BOARDS OF OTHER MATRIX OWNERS, MANY OF WHOM HAD SIMILAR TIRE/ALIGNMENT COMPLAINTS. A WORKER AT THE CAR DEALERSHIP SUGGESTED THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE MATRIX. I COMPLAINED TO TOYOTA, WHO BLAMED BOTH MY DRIVING AND DRIVING CONDITIONS (I DON'T DRIVE RECKLESSLY--TYPICALLY ALL MY DRIVING IS HIGHWAY), AS WELL AS THE TIRE MANUFACTURER (BUT MY WARRANTY HAD ALREADY RUN-OUT). I'VE BEEN GETTING MY TIRES ROTATED ON A REGULAR BASIS, BUT ABOUT A YEAR AFTER THE AFOREMENTIONED REPAIRS (MAY 2008), THE TECH ROTATING MY TIRES NOTED ONE OF MY TIRES WAS CUPPING AND TO HAVE MY REAR ALIGNMENT CHECKED. AGAIN, MY ALIGNMENT WAS OFF AND THE CAR HAD TO BE RE-ALIGNED. NOW, TWO MONTHS LATER, I AM AGAIN HAVING POSSIBLE ALIGNMENT ISSUES (WILL BE CHECKED THIS WEEK). I THINK THE TOYOTA MATRIX HAS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW CONSIDERING SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HAVING ALIGNMENT/TIRE ISSUES WITH THEIR CARS. *TR

I HAVE ABOUT 15500 MILES ON A 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX THAT HAS ABNORMAL TIRE WEAR. THE HEAD SERVICE MECHANIC EXPLAINED TO ME THAT MY CAR HAD TO LIGHT OF A REAR END AND THAT THE TIRES BOUNCE AROUND AND CREATE ABNORMAL WEAR. HE STATED THAT IT WOULD ONLY MAKE IT WORSE TO ROTATE THEM TO THE FRONT. I HAVE VIBRATION AND TWO RUINED TIRES. TOYOTA ANSWERS THAT IT IS A TIRE ISSUE AND TO TAKE IT UP WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER STATES THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR TIRE WEAR. EVERY TIRE INSTALLER AND MECHANIC KNOW ABOUT THE FLAW IN THESE CARS BUT TOYOTA DOES NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DESIGN ERROR. *TR