2004 TOYOTA MATRIX Complaints

AFTER LAST OIL CHANGE, OIL WAS GEL-LIKE, ENGINE MADE TAPPING NOISE...TOOK TO DEALER WITH A LIST OF OTHER PROBLEMS, AC NOT COLD, HEATER NOT BLOWING HOT, WINDOW JUMPING WHEN ROLLING DOWN, AND TIRES MAKING FUNNY NOISE. WAS TOLD ENGINE NOISE WAS NORMAL, FIXED AC AGAIN, 3RD TIME, HEATER HAD LOOSE PART TIGHTEN, WINDOW PART ORDERED, TIRE HAD FLAT SPOT, LAST TIME WAS WATER IN WHEEL. CRASH DID NOT DAMAGE ENGINE, OR WINDOWS, OR TIRES. *JB

AT TWO YEARS AND ONE MONTH OLD, THE ORIGINAL BATTERY DIED AND WAS NOT ABLE TO HOLD A CHARGE. THIS OCCURRED ON 2/3/06 AT 31,229 MILES. A NEW BATTERY WAS PURCHASED FOR $ 68.06 AND WAS INSTALLED ON 2/6/06. TWO DAYS LATER THE REPLACEMENT BATTERY DIED. IT WAS RECHARGED AND RAN OK FOR A FEW DAYS. IT DIED AGAIN ON 2/12/06. JUST BEFORE THE ORIGINAL BATTERY DIED THE CD PLAYER STOPS WORKING AS DID THE CLOCK. NEITHER OF THESE HAS WORKED EVER SINCE. *JB

ONE YEAR AND ONE MONTH AFTER BUYING THE CAR NEW, ALL FOUR TIRES WERE DANGEROUSLY BALD. HAD TO STOP AT THE NEAREST TIRE STORE WHERE I WAS TOLD IF I HAD RUN OVER A DIME I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE HAD A BLOW OUT.THESE DEFECTIVE TIRES WERE THE ORIGINAL TIRES ON THE CAR. I DON'T HAVE A RECORD OF THE TIRES AND WAS GIVEN NO WARRANTY FROM THE DEALERSHIP AT THE TIME OF THE PURCHASE. THIS EXPERIENCE COST ME $ 434. MILEAGE ON THAT DAY WAS 15,297 MILES. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS THE VEHICLE VEERED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AND THIS CONDITION BECAME WORSE WHILE STOPPING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS DETERMINED THE TIRES WERE THE CAUSE OF THE STEERING PROBLEMS. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE TIRES THAT WERE PURCHASED WITH THE VEHICLE WERE THE WRONG TYPE OF TIRES, WHICH CAUSED THE FRONT END TO BECOME OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REGULARLY MAINTAINED WITH TIRE ROTATION EVERY 3,000 MILES. THERE HAS BEEN NO REPLACEMENT OF THE TIRES. THE TIRE LINE IS CONTINENTAL P20555R16. UPDATED 3/20/2006 - THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO AVOID HITTING A DEER BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY TIRE. THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. ON 2/11/2006 THE CONSUMER REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES WHICH RESOLVED THE PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT END . *NM

2004 TOYOTA MATRIX RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. *TS THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND STRUCK A GUARDRAIL. THE ENTIRE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS SCRAPED AND DENTED INCLUDING THE FENDER, BOTH DOORS, REAR QUARTER AND BOTH BUMPER. *NM

FIANCE AND I WERE ON THE 210 FREEWAY HEADING EAST. HE SAID WE SHOULD TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHEN I ASKED WHY HE SAID THE STEERING IS ACTING FUNNY. THE SECOND HE FINISHED HIS SENTENCE, THE CAR SPUN OUT OF CONTROL. CAR DID 360 DEGREE TURNS ACROSS FREEWAY (FROM LEFT LANE TO RIGHT LANE) AND OVER THE EDGE, DOWN A HILL, OVER A FENCE, AND INTO A DITCH. MINOR INJURIES. WE WERE LUCKY NOT TO HAVE BEEN KILLED. CAR WAS TOTALED. ACCIDENT IS STILL BEING INVESTIGATED TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A MECHANICAL DEFECT.*JB

DT: 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX XR, THE VEHICLE HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING, THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING YOKE, CONSUMER STATES THE STEERING DID NOT FEEL RIGHT, THE CONSUMER HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED, THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM WAS BECAUSE THE SPLASH GUARD WAS DRAGGING, THE DEALER PUT TWO PINS IN THE SPLASH GUARD, BECAUSE THE PINS WERE MISSING, THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN TO BE REPAIRED, THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE STEERING YOKE, PREVIOUSLY THE TRANSMISSION HAD WENT OUT ON THE VEHICLE, THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO HAVE A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM IT. THE CONSUMER TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE CASE AND THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP WAITING FOR A YOKE REPLACEMENT. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT IT IS ON BACK ORDER, ALL THESE PROBLEMS OCCURRED DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER THE STEERING WAS NOT STILL UNDER WARRANTY THE FIRST TIME THE CONSUMER TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY NOW, THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN MAY 2003. *NM THE CLICKING NOISE IS STILL PRESENT WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL. *SC

2004 TOYOTA MATRIX DRIFTED TO THE LEFT WHILE DRIVING RESULTING IN THE CONSUMER LOSING CONTROL AND THE VEHICLE FLIPPING OVER.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED*** *MR AS THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED ONCE MORE TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE STEERING, THE VEHICLE VEERED OFF TO THE LEFT, HIT A DITCH, WENT AIRBORNE AND FLIPPED. TOYOTA DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS STEERING PROBLEMS. *SC *JB

DT: WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL DRY CONDITIONS ON STRAIGHT ROAD VEHICLE DRIFTED TO LEFT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY ,ATTEMPTED TO GAIN CONTROL, WENT TO RIGHT OF HIGHWAY, FELT LIKE PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. CORRECTED TO THE RIGHT, AND IT OVER CORRECTED. COULDN'T GET THE VEHICLE TO GO STRAIGHT. INSURANCE INSPECTED IT, AND THEY SAID THEY WERE UNABLE TO INSPECT THE STEERING. TOYOTA SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND A MECHANICAL DEFECT. *AK CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND WENT INTO THE DITCH. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE BECAME AIRBORNE, LANDED ON IT'S SIDE IN A CORNFIELD, AND WAS DETERMINED A TOTAL LOSS. CONSUMER WAS THEN TAKEN AND ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL WITH INJURIES SUCH AS A BROKEN STERNUM, FOOT, FINGER, MULTIPLE CUTS AND CONTUSIONS.*SB

MY 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX HAS EXPEREINCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE SEVERAL TIMES SINCE I HAVE PURCHASED IT; I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO STOP THE CAR FROM MOVING FORWARD BY FURTHER DEPRESSING THE BRAKE. BUT ON SATURDAY MARCH 26 WHILE AT A STOP SIGN, THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION HAPPENED AGAIN AND I WAS UNABLE TO IMMEDIATELY STOP MY CAR FROM LURCHING FORWARD. IT MOVED SEVERAL INCES INTO ONCOMING (PERPENDICULAR) TRAFFIC BEFORE I FINALLY THREW IT INTO PARK AND PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP IT. NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED BUT IT CAME CLOSE, AND I HAD MY TODDLER IN THE BACK SEAT, SO I CONSIDER THIS A SERIOUS MATTER. I TOOK IT TO MY DEALERSHIP (OURISMAN TOYOTA IN CHANTILLY, VA) THAT MONDAY, AND THEY KEPT IT FOR TWO DAYS. THEY RAN ALL DIAGNOSTIC TESTS POSSIBLE AND FOUND NO PROBLEM. NOTHING WAS FIXED BECAUSE NO TEST SHOWED A PROBLEM BUT I AM SCARED TO DRIVE MY CAR -- THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION HAPPENS ONLY RANDOMLY AND CANNOT BE PREDICTED. I DRIVE WITH ONLY ONE FOOT SO THIS IS NOT A CASE OF TWO-FOOTED DRIVING AND ACCIDENTAALLY STEPPING ON THE ACCELERATOR. IN EACH CASE MY FOOT WAS OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND ON THE BRAKE. *AK