2006 Toyota Matrix

I HAVE OWNED 2 TOYOTA MATRIX CARS, 2005 & 2006. BOTH VEHS GAVE ME TIRE TROUBLE. PRE-MATURE TIRE WEAR ON THE EDGES IN THE FORM OF SCALLOPING AND FLAT SPOTS. NEW TIRES AND WHEEL ALIGNMENT BY THE CAR & TIRE DEALER DID NOTHING TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION, EVEN AFTER REPEATED ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEM. ROAD NOISE IS ALMOST UNBEARABLE AT TIMES DEPENDING ON SPEED. TOYOTA REJECTS ANY RESPONSIBILITY TO THE SITUATION AND PREFER TO BLAME THE DRIVER, THE TYPE OF DRIVING, ROAD SURFACE, TIRE PRESSURES, TIRE ROTATION FREQUENCY AND TIRE MANUFACTURER. I WON'T BE BUYING ANOTHER MATRIX!! OR FOR THAT MATTER, TOYOTA! *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

EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR DUE TO DESIGN FLAW/WORKMANSHIP OF THE MANUFACTURER. THE REAR END ALIGNMENT IS NOT ADJUSTABLE, AND WAS WAY OFF FROM THE FACTORY. HAD TOP REPLACE THE TIRES AT 15K MILES DUE TO CUPPING CAUSED BY CAMBER/TOE IN WAY OUT OF SPEC. TOYOTA SAID THAT TIRE ALIGNMENT WAS WELL WITHIN DESIGN SPECS. DROVE FOR 15K MILES ON SECOND SET, WAS TOLD BY TIRE SPECIALIST THAT 2ND SET OF TIRES (NOT SAME AS ORIGINAL) WAS ALSO CUPPING, AND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DEFINITELY IN THE ALIGNMENT OF THE REAR END. HAD TO THREATEN TOYOTA WITH A LAWSUIT BEFORE THEY ADMITTED THERE WAS A PROBLEM. THEY ADDED SHIMS TO CAR (I HAD TO PAY FOR PARTS), BUT FLAT OUT REFUSED TO RE-IMBURSE FOR RUINED TIRES. *TR

I OWN A 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX XR. DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AT THE DEALER THE CAR HAD ABOUT 7500 MILES. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS UNUSUAL TIRE WEAR, CUPPING, ON THE TIRES AND THEY SHOULD PROBABLY BE REPLACED AT MY NEXT MAINTENANCE. THESE TIRES WERE RATED FOR APPROXIMATELY 30,000 MILES. THE MANAGER AT THE TOYOTA REPAIR SHOP SAID THIS WAS SOMETHING HE HAD NOTICED WITH MATRIX TIRES. BECAUSE I HAD DONE ALL OF THE CORRECT MAINTENANCE CHECKS INCLUDING TIRE ROTATION THE REPAIR SHOP SAID IT WAS NOTHING THAT I HAD DONE. AT THE NEXT SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE I HAD THE TIRES REPLACED WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND OF TIRES (JUST IN CASE IT WAS A TIRE PROBLEM). TOYOTA AGREED TO PAY FOR 1/2 OF THE TIRE COST BECAUSE MANY MATRIX OWNERS WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF INSTALLATION AND BALANCING BUT WHEN I COMPLAINED ABOUT THESE FEES WAS GIVEN A DISCOUNT. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT I FILE A REPORT WITH TOYOTA ABOUT THE PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES. WHEN I CALLED TO REPORT IT THEY SAID THEY HAD NOTHING ON FILE ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH THE MATRIX AND UNUSUAL TIRE WEAR. THEY STATED IT WAS PROBABLY A PROBLEM WITH THE ACTUAL TIRES AND THAT I SHOULD CONTACT THE TIRE DEALER. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA STATING WHAT WAS TOLD TO ME BY THE MAINTENANCE SHOP BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE REPAIR SHOPS ARE INDEPENDENT AND HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH TOYOTA. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 6,000 MILES ON MY NEW TIRES, UNEVEN WEAR IS APPARENT AND THERE IS A LOUD NOISE CREATED BY THE TIRES WHEN I REACH SPEEDS OF ABOUT 35 MPH OR ABOVE. *TR

I OWN A 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX MY TIRES ARE WEARING IMPROPER. THE TIRES ARE CUPPING, AT 3,000 TO 5,000 MILES. AFTER RESEARCHING I FOUND THAT EVERY MATRIX, PONTIAC VIB AND COROLLA OWNER IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND IT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. ALL OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. A SOLUTION FOR THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN FOUND BUT THE TOYOTA DOES NOT WANT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *TR

OWN A 2006 MATRIX AND HAD ALL 4 TIRES WARE OUT ON INSIDE OF THREAD WITH 21000 MILES ON CAR. DID NOT NOTICE THE PROBLEM TILL CAR WENT OFF ROAD HITTING A TREE. REPAIR SHOP SAID TIRES WERE WORN EXCESSIVELY, AND CAR SHOULDN'T BE DRIVEN. UPON REPAIR, CAR WAS TAKEN TO HAVE FRONT END ALIGNED AND WAS TOLD IT WAS WITHIN TOYOTAS SPECKS, BUT COULD BE CORRECTED TO A TIGHTER STANDARD. CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE TIRES FAULT, WHEN CONTACTED THE TIRE MANUFACTURE(CONTINENTAL) , THEY STATED IT WAS CLEARLY OUT OF ALIGNMENT, AND THEREFORE CAR CAME FROM THE FACTORY LIKE THAT. *TR