2003 TOYOTA COROLLA MATRIX Complaints

THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE. CAR ENGINE RANDOMLY SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL NOT GO OFF. I CANNOT DRIVE CAR BECAUSE I CANT PASS SMOG EITHER (DUE TO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT). I HAVE FILED TWO FORMAL COMPLAINTS WITH TOYOTA. TOYOTA REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MANUFACTURING. DEFECT. I AM EXPECTED TO PAY OVER $2000 TO REPLACE A CATALYTIC CONVERTER THAT THEY KNOW IS DEFECTIVE. (EXCERPT FROM ONE COMPLAINT I FILED) THERE WAS A RECALL ON MATRIX AND COROLLA: TOYOTA ISSUED A RECALL FOR 2005 TO 2008 MODEL YEAR COROLLA'S AND MATRIXES, EQUIPPED WITH THE 1ZZ-FE ENGINE AND TWO-WHEEL DRIVE. THE RECALL NOTICES STATES THAT AN IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) CAN DEVELOP A CRACK IN ITS CIRCUITRY, POTENTIALLY CAUSING THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE, HARSH SHIFTING, AND STALLING AND/OR FAILURE OF THE ENGINE TO START. I HAVE A 2003 MATRIX XRS WITH A 2ZZ-GE ENGINE WITH A CONTINUOUS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, HARSH SHIFTING, STALLING AND RANDOM FAILURE OF THE ENGINE TO START. I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE DIAGNOSTICS AND REPAIRS DONE ON THE VEHICLE TO PASS SMOG INSPECTION OVER THE PAST 5 OR 6 YEAR AND HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. THE LIGHT STAYS OFF JUST LONG ENOUGH TO PASS THE SMOG TEST AND IS THEN RETURNED TO ME WITH THE LIGHT STILL ON. I HAVE PAID A TOYOTA DEALER $95 TO RUN DIAGNOSTIC ALSO. THEY SAID THE ECM IS CORRUPT AND CAN'T BE FLASHED AND THE CAT HAS TO BE REPLACED FOR OVER 2K! I WOULD LIKE INFORMATION FROM YOU'RE QUALITY DEPARTMENT AS TO WHY TOYOTA WILL NOT REPLACE THE ECM BEING REPLACED ON THE ENGINES STATED IN YOUR RECALL NOTICE AND NOT ON MY TYPE OF ENGINE. WHICH HAS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS DETAILED IN THE RECALL LISTED ON YOUR SITE. TOYOTA STATED AFTER BOTH COMPLAINTS THAT THEY CANNOT HELP ME OR FIX THE PROBLEM. I MUST PAY FOR SOLUTION MYSELF. DOES SOMEONE NEED TO DIE IN A CRASH BEFORE THIS IS ADDRESSED? *JB

I HAVE MY TOYOTA MATRIX ABOUT 5 OR 6 YEARS. HAD 4 OR 5 TIMES RECALL ON THE DIFFERENT PARTS. I DON'T FEEL SAFE ANY MORE WITH THIS CAR. HOW SHOULD I TRUST FOR ANOTHER PARTS ARE OK. I HAVE A KID WITH ME WHEN I'M DRIVING. THEY SHOULD GET THE CAR BACK AND PAY FOR IT. I WORKED SO HARD TO PAY FOR THIS CAR. SHAME ON TOYOTA. *TR

IT'S BEEN ALMOST A YEAR SINCE THE FIRST TIME THE CIL TURNED ON. IT STAYS ON FOR A COUPLE DAYS THEN STAYS OFF FOR LIKE A MONTH. IT HAS BEEN DOING THAT SINCE 2012. I HAD MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CHECKED BY A TECH AND HE SAID THAT HE HAS SEEN THE P0770 CODE MANY TIMES FOR THE MATRIX AND COROLLA. HE PRINTED OUT THE TSB (HTTP://WWW.MATRIXOWNERS.COM/TSB/T-EG020-02.PDF) AND ADVISED ME TO TAKE IT TO A TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER. I TOOK IT TO CARSON TOYOTA IN CA AND THEY PRETTY MUCH SAID THE ONLY THING I CAN DO IS FIX THE ISSUE OUT OF MY POCKET WHICH WAS ALMOST $1500! HE SAID THE ISSUE IS THE R & R ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND IF THAT DOESN'T DO THE TRICK THAT I HAVE TO REPLACE R & R SPEED SENSOR. I PURCHASED MY CAR USED SO IT DIDN'T QUALIFY FOR THE MANUFACTURES WARRANTY. I PERSONALLY THINK THAT THIS SHOULD QUALIFY AS A RECALL. THERE IS SO MANY REPORT ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND SO MANY OTHER TOYOTA CUSTOMERS THAT ARE VERY UNHAPPY. ALLOT OF THE CONSUMERS ARE SAYING THEY HAVE BOUGHT THESE PARTS AND INSTALLED THEM AND THE CIL IS STILL LIGHTING UP. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. I REFUSE TO PAY $1500 TO REPLACE THE ECM AND THE SPEED SENSOR FOR IT TO NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. NOW I HAVE TO HAVE MY CAR REGISTERED WITH THE REQUIREMENT OF A SMOG CHECK. AND OF COURSE THAT IS AN AUTOMATIC FAIL. THIS IS MY SECOND TOYOTA AND I DON'T THINK THERE WILL BE A THIRD. VERY UNHAPPY CUSTOMER! *TR

ODOMETER FAILURE DUE TO TOYOTA BUILDING AND INSTALLING A DEFECTIVE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. *TR

2003 TOYOTA COROLLA MATRIX. CONSUMER STATES NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS DUE TO THE ACCELERATOR STICKING. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED DUE TO THE ACCIDENTS, THE AXLE AND TRANSMISSION WERE DAMAGED. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE FIRST ACCIDENT, SHE TRIED TO REDUCE HER SPEED ON A CURVE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO AND CONSEQUENTLY HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE SECOND ACCIDENT, SHE WAS DRIVING DOWN A RESIDENTIAL STREET AND AGAIN SHE WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE WHEN SHE APPROACHED A CURVE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE, SHE HIT A CURB AND THE VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER. UPDATED 04/16/10