2006 Toyota Matrix

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX HATCH BACK. HE STATED THAT WHILE APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT AT SPEEDS OF LESS THAN 20 MPH, HE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP OR SLOW DOWN. THE CONTACT SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO A LOWER GEAR AND THEN TO NEUTRAL. HE THEN SHUT OFF THE IGNITION AND BRAKED TO A STOP. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND PERFORMED A SAFETY TEST ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE TO DATE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNDER 20,000. UDDATED 03/09/10. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. HE SHIFTED TO A LOWER GEAR THEN TO NEUTRAL WHILE CONTINUING TO APPLY THE BRAKE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UNTIL HE PUMPED THE BRAKES TO STOP. UPDATED 06/11/10 *JB

I HAVE A 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX XRS 6 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW AND HAVE SERVICED THE CAR WITH THE DEALERSHIP FROM DAY ONE. TODAY I BROUGHT IT IN FOR ITS 45000 MILE SERVICE AND TOLD THEM TO CHECK THE CLUTCH BECAUSE WE NOTICED IT STICKING/SLIPPING IN 5TH GEAR. TURNS OUT I NEED TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH AT A COST OF $1200 EVEN THOUGH I HAVE THEIR PLATINUM SERVICE/EXTENDED WARRANTY PLAN. I HAVEN'T EVEN WORN OUT THE BRAKES AND I HAVE TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH!!!! I AM A 46 YEAR OLD MOTHER AND HAVE DRIVEN SEVERAL CARS WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A CLUTCH WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE. I READ ON EDMUNDS CAR SPACE ABOUT THIS AND IT SAID TO COME TO YOUR WEBSITE TO DOCUMENT THIS. *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

ON 12/28/09, AS I STARTED TO BRAKE FOR A RED LIGHT, MY CAR UNINTENTIONALLY ACCELERATED WHILE I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN BY BRAKING HARD, BUT THE BRAKES STARTED TO SMOKE. I TURNED THE IGNITION KEY TO OFF, AND WHEN I TURNED IT ON AGAIN THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY. NOTHING WAS HOLDING DOWN OR INTERFERING WITH THE GAS PEDAL AS THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED?NOT THE FLOOR MAT, NOT ANY CLOTHING OR PART OF MY SHOE. I AM AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER WHO HAS NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT. MY CAR RECEIVED MAJOR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE FROM A TOYOTA DEALERS SERVICE DEPARTMENT JUST ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER ON 12/29; THE MECHANIC SAID HE COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. *TR

NORMALLY SITTING AT STOP LIGHT, WHEN ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CAR IMMEDIATELY STARTED SHIFTING VERY HARD. THE IDLE SPEED WAS ERRATIC. ENGINE WANTED TOO AND DID CUT OFF AT VARIOUS TIMES. TOOK CAR TO ROSNER TOYOTA/STAFFORD VA AND WAS TOPD THAT THE ECU WAS DEFECTIVE AND THAT ROSNER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF A DEFECT CODE THAT WAS PREVALENT IN THE COROLLA AND MATRIX MODELS. ASKED ABOUT A TOYOTA RECALL AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NOT ONE AT THIS TIME OR IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. THIS PART/ECU IS VERY EXPENSIVE AND INTEGRAL TO THE CAR'S PERFORMANCE. *TR

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS OUR 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX HAS ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN WITHOUT WARNING. ON ALL THREE OCCASIONS WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SLIP THE TRANSMISSION OUT OF DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL OR SLAM THE BRAKES ON TO STOP THE ACCELERATION. THE MOST RECENT TIME THIS OCCURRED WAS LAST WEEKEND. THE MOST PREVIOUS WAS THREE MONTHS AGO. *TR

MY 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX HAS DEVELOPED EXTREME CUPPING OF THE TIRES AT 21, 000 MILES DESPITE REGULAR ROTATIONS AT 5,000, 10,186, AND 14,722 MILES. I HAD BEGUN TO NOTICE A CHANGE IN THE SOUND OF THE TIRES AT 21,500 MILES. MY MECHANIC REFUSED TO ROTATE THE TIRES AT 21,981 MILES SAYING SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE STRUTS THUS CAUSING EXTREME WEAR ON THE TIRES. I WENT TO THE LAS CRUCES TOYOTA IN NEW MEXICO WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR BUT THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG AND REFUSED TO REPLACE STRUTS OR PROVIDE NEW TIRES. MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM RELATED TO THE TOYOTA MATRIX HAS BEEN POSTED ON THE CONSUMER REVIEW SITE FOR EDMUNDS.COM. TOYOTA REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. *TR

1. DRIVING DOWN ROAD AT 35MPH ON A CLEAR SUNNY DAY. 2. 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX JERKED UNCONTROLLABLY TO THE SIDE AS IF THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED EVEN THOUGH IT WAS HELD STRAIGHT FOR NORMAL DRIVING. THIS RESULTED IN LOSING CONTROL OF THE CAR AND NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT WITH OUR INFANT IN THE BACKSEAT. 3. TOWED TO MAINTENANCE CENTER AND THEY MENTIONED THEY HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE. THEY TOLD US OF A STEERING TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ST005-01 THAT MENTIONED THIS PROBLEM. WE HAVE NOW TOWED IT TO THE DEALER AND ARE WAITING FINAL RESOLUTION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX. WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO AVOID A NEAR CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE CONTACT WAS AT FAULT. THE REPAIR COST MORE THAN $600. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 21,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 07/28/09. *LJ UPDATED 07/30/09.*JB