2003 TOYOTA COROLLA MATRIX Complaints

WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG IN MY 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX DEPLOYED STRIKING ME IN THE HEAD/CHEST AREA. STUNNED AND DISORIENTED, I DIDN'T REALIZE WHAT HAD HAPPENED UNTIL A GOOD SAMARITAN HELPED ME OUT OF THE CAR. SHE WAS TELLING ME TO EXIT THE CAR, HOWEVER, MY SEATBELT HAD RETRACTED AND LOCKED WITH SUCH TENSION, THAT I WAS BARELY ABLE TO REACH ACROSS AND PRESS THE RELEASE BUTTON. AFTER THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED THE PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYED AS WELL, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD. THERE WAS ONE OR TWO SUBSEQUENT EXPLOSIONS - I AM UNSURE WHAT THOSE NOISES WERE. I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND EXIT THE VEHICLE. A POLICE OFFICER WAS NEARBY AND HEARD THE EXPLOSION AND CAME OVER TO CHECK ON THE SITUATION. HE TRIED TURNING THE CAR OFF, BUT THE HORN WAS STUCK AND CONTINUED TO HONK - HE THEN DECIDED TO TURN THE VEHICLE BACK ON, WHICH STOPPED THE HONKING OF THE HORN. THE CAR WAS STILL ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AND AN OFFICER DROVE THE CAR ACROSS THE STREET TO A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. MY CAR STILL SITS IN THE LOT WHERE TOYOTA HAS PERFORMED INSPECTIONS, DIAGNOSTIC TESTS, DOWNLOADED DATA AND COMPILED A REPORT (OF WHICH I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A COPY OF) THAT HAS BEEN SENT TO TOYOTA LEGAL. IRONICALLY, I RECEIVED A RECALL IN THE MAIL ONE WEEK AFTER THE INCIDENT FOR AN SRS / ECU RECALL. *TR

I CAN NOT GET A STRAIGHT ANSWER FROM TOYOTA, BOTH MY LOCAL DEALER AND THE CORPORATE OFFICE REGARDING A PASSENGER AIR BAG RECALL (FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG INFLATOR MODULE). IT'S BEEN ALMOST A FULL YEAR, AND NO ONE CAN TELL ME WHEN THIS REPAIR WILL BE DONE. THE LAST LETTER I RECEIVED (FEB. 3, 2015) FROM TOYOTA, SAID THEY ARE WORKING ON STATES WITH HIGH HUMIDITY FIRST. THEIR SOLUTION, IS NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, AND RENT A VEHICLE. THIS IS NOT A SOLUTION. I LIVE IN MASSACHUSETTS, AND IT GETS PRETTY HUMID DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS. I THINK TOYOTA THINKS THE LONGER THEY WAIT THE FEWER RECALLS THEY WILL HAVE TO PERFORM AS THE VEHICLES ARE GETTING OLDER AND OLDER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA MATRIX. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V312000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

SOME TOYOTA MATRIX'S HAVE A RECALL ON THE SPIRAL CABLE, NOT MINE. IT HAS BEEN OUT FOR 3 YEARS, I CAN'T GET TOYOTA TO EVEN RESEARCH MY CLAIM AS THEY STATE THAT MY CAR DOESN'T FIT THEIR RECALL PROFILE. *TR

TOYOTA AIRBAG RECALL CASE #[XXX] ***2/13/15: HAD TO DRIVE 135 MILES WITH 72 YR OLD VIETNAM VET BUSINESS PARTNER CRAMMED IN BACK SEAT AMONGST OTHER CARGO DURING A BUSINESS TRIP.*** MUST OPERATE VEHICLE WITH PASSENGER IN CAR FOR BUSINESS 85% OF USAGE TIME. OTHERWISE I CANNOT RUN MY BUSINESS!! TOYOTA REFUSES TO PROVIDE ME WITH A SOLUTION OR A RENTAL UNTIL SOLUTION IS AVAILABLE. THEY WANT ME TO PUT MY 72 YR OLD VIETNAM VET BUSINESS PARTNER IN BACK SEAT WITH FULLY LOADED CARGO RATHER THAN HELP ME FIX THE AIRBAG PROBLEM. THEY ABSOLUTELY REFUSE TO HELP ME. THIS IS WRONG. I CANNOT OPERATE MY VEHICLE FOR BUSINESS WITHOUT MY BUSINESS PARTNER. TOYOTA WILL NOT PROVIDE ME WITH ANY WORKAROUND, NOR ANY SOLUTION, IN ANY TIMELY MANNER. BUT YET THEY TELL ME I CANNOT OPERATE MY VEHICLE SAFELY AS I NEED TO DO TO CONTINUE RUNNING MY BUSINESS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE RECALL LETTER SAYS I'M NOT JUST NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE PEOPLE SIT UP FRONT UNTIL THE PARTS ARE AVAILABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THAT IS NOT REALISTIC. I NEED SOMETHING DONE SOONER PLEASE. *TR

HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIR SINCE NOV 2014 AND NO SIGN OF GETTING FIXED. TOYOTA WILL REFUSE TO PROVIDE LOANER CAR AFTER FEB 23, 2015 BUT REFUSED TO GIVE ME A LETTER SAYING MY CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. TODAY I RECEIVED A LETTER SAYING TO KEEP PASSENGERS IN THE BACK SEAT - THAT THIS THEIR SOLUTION. THEY STILL TRY TO DENY THAT HUMIDITY IS NOT A PROVEN CAUSE SINCE INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED OUT OF HUMID AREAS. I LISTENED TO THE HEARINGS AND THE TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE SAID THEY DON NOT KNOW THE CAUSE BUT STILL THEY ARE FORCING ME TO BEGIN DRIVING THE CAR AGAIN AT THE END OF FEB 2015. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA MATRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, A LOUD SCRAPPING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE UPPER CONTROL ARM WAS RUSTED AND FRACTURED OFF OF THE REAR SUSPENSION CROSS MEMBER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG INFLATOR MODULE. DESPITE SEVERAL NOTICES AND A FEDERAL REMINDER TO HAVE THIS FIXED AS A CUSTOMER, TOYOTA AS A COMPANY HAS NO REMEDY AS OF YET. ALL PAPERWORK STATES "ANY AUTHORIZED TOYOTA DEALER CAN INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE AIRBAG INFLATOR MODULE...PLEASE CONTACT ANY AUTHORIZED TOYOTA DEALER DEALER TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE REMEDY PERFORMED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE." AFTER MAKING THIS APPOINTMENT AND LEAVING MY CAR OVERNIGHT, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO REMEDY AVAILABLE. AFTER CALLING TOYOTA, THEY SAID THAT AT THIS TIME THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO NOT ALLOW A PASSENGER TO RIDE IN YOUR CAR. THIS DEFEATS THE PURPOSE OF A CAR. IF YOU HAVE NOTATED AN ISSUE AND WANT TO ALERT THE PUBLIC AND HAVE US ALL TAKE TIME OFF TO HAVE THE ISSUES FIXED, THEN WHY WASN'T THERE A "FIX" IN PLACE. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THEY CAN REPLACE THE ENTIRE AIRBAG INFLATOR MODULE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY ARE NOT WANTING TO TAKE ON THAT COST, WHICH PUTS ME AND MY FAMILY/FRIENDS IN DANGER. THIS IS ULTIMATELY FRUSTRATING, INCONVENIENT, AND DANGEROUS. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY LIBELOUS SITUATION. *TR

THREE INCIDENTS - 2ND OCCURRED IN MAY 2014, 3RD IN AUGUST 2014. VERY LARGE, CLEAN CRACKS KEEP APPEARING IN THE SAME SPOTS ON THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WITH NO POINT OF CONTACT. THEY BEGIN FROM THE MIDDLE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD WHERE THE HEAT VENTS START AND IN A U-SHAPE COME OUT OR AT THE TOP MIDDLE - BEHIND REAR VIEW MIRROR - WHERE HEAT VENTS START - LIKE A SMILEY FACE TO NEARLY THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD OR A LINE DOWN DIRECT FROM MIDDLE OF WINDOW. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS USING THE HEATER . THE SECOND TIME AND 3RD TIME IT WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT BUT NOTHING WAS STOLEN, NO OTHER DAMAGE AND NOTHING TO INDICATE A POINT OF CONTACT SUCH AS A ROCK OR SHARP TOOL. FULL CRACKS APPEAR ALL AT ONCE - CLOSE TO ENTIRE HEIGHT OF WINDOW AND ARE NOT GRADUAL. REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD FIRST TIME AT MY COST AND NEED ANOTHER REPLACEMENT IMMEDIATELY AS TWO LARGE CRACKS ARE IMPAIRING VISIBILITY, TAKE UP THE WHOLE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE WINDOW AND CONCERNED FOR SAFETY WITH UPCOMING ROAD TRIP. LOOKING FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE TO BUY AS ALREADY HAD 2 OTHER RECALLS WITH THIS VEHICLE. NEED TOYOTA TO REPLACE 2ND WINDSHIELD AS THIS IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURERS PROBLEM. *TR