2008 TOYOTA MATRIX Complaints

ON FEBRUARY 28TH I WAS STOPPED AT THE CORNER OF VINE AND GALBRAITH AT A LIGHT. THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD AND WHEN I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE IT KIND OF LOCKED AND DID NOT STOP THE CAR- I PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE UP AND THE CAR STOPPED. THERE WAS A PEDESTRAIN THAT WAS CROSSING THE STREET THAT I NEARLY HIT. *TR

2008 TOYOTA MATRIX. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH DESIGN OR MANUFACTURER FLAW. CONSUMER SEEKS REPAIR COST*TGW WHILE DRIVING, THERE WAS A SUCCESSION OF LOUD NOISES FOLLOWED BY A HUGE BANG. AT THE SAME TIME, THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT AND ROLLED OFF THE ROAD INTO SOME BUSHES BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. WHEN THE CONSUMERS WIFE EXITED THE VEHICLE, SHE DISCOVERED A LONG PIECE OF BLACK PLASTIC A FOOT WIDE LYING BEHIND THE VEHICLE. NOT KNOWING WHAT IT WAS, SHE PLACED IT IN THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE HOME. THE CONSUMER IDENTIFIED THE LARGE PIECE OF PLASTIC AS THE LINING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WELL WHICH HAD BEEN TORN COMPLETELY AWAY AND WAS THEN RUN OVER BY THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER ARGUED THAT THE FLIMSY CLIP HOLDING THE LEAD EDGE OF THE LINER TO THE BODY HAD FAILED, WHICH ALLOWED AIR TO GET UNDER THE LINER WHICH PEELED ALL THE WAY OFF AFTER BECOMING ENTANGLED WITH THE TIRE. *JB

AFTER PURCHASING GAS AT 6:30 A.M., I STARTED MY 2008 TOYOTA MATRIX AND WAS ROLLING SLOWLY OUT A SLIGHT INCLINE TO THE STREET. THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD AND I JAMMED FIRST ONE FOOT THEN BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE WHILE PULLING UP THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. IT FELT LIKE HOLDING BACK A HORSE AT THE STARTING GATE. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND THE ENGINE BEGAN RACING LIKE IT DOES DURING AN AUTO EMISSIONS TEST. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND IT STOPPED. I FINALLY GOT THE NERVE TO START THE CAR AGAIN AND IT PERFORMED NORMALLY AS IT HAS SINCE. I TOOK THE CAR TO PERFORMANCE TOYOTA IN FAIRFIELD OHIO ON APRIL 3RD AS INSTRUCTED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SO THEY COULD TRY TO RECREATE THE SITUATION AND HAVE IT ON RECORD THAT I EXPERIENCED THIS INCIDENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATE SPEEDS OF 35 MPH IN RAINY WEATHER, A VEHICLE AHEAD OF HIM APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKES; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO CRASH INTO THE PRECEDING VEHICLE AND ALSO A THIRD VEHICLE. ONE OF THE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS WAS INJURED. THE POLICE WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE CONTACT WAS NOT GIVEN A COPY OF THE POLICE REPORT. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP FOR AN ASSESSMENT OF THE DAMAGES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

TOYOTA MATRIX XR 2008:BOUGHT NEW. ONE DRIVER CAR. TWENTY-TWO MONTHS OF DRIVING WITH 11,000 MILES ON IT. TOOK TO DEALER ON MARCH 12, 2010 BECAUSE LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID. DIAGNOSED AS FAULTY HARMONIC EQUALIZER ON FRONT AXLE WHICH CAUSED SCARING ON AXLE AND INSIDE TRANSMISSION INSTALLED NEW AXLE AND TRANSMISSION. TEN MINUTES AFTER PICKING UP CAR AFTER FIRST PROBLEM CORRECTED: CAR LOST POWER WHILE I WAS DRIVING. NEARLY KILLED BY SEMI-TRUCK BUT AVOIDED ACCIDENT. DIAGNOSED AS FAULTY COMPUTER. DEALER INSTALLING NEW COMPUTER NOW. UPDATED 03/29/10 *BF UPDATED 05/05/10.*JB

MY 2008 MATRIX ENGINE RACES UP, AND REACHES SPEEDS OF 90 WITH OUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS. IT HAPPENED FOR THE FIRST TIME ALMOST A YEAR AGO. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOTHING, COULD IT HAVE BEEN THE MATS.... I DIDN'T HAVE MATS IN MY CAR. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO USE MY CRUISE CONTROL, THE ENGINE RPM GOES REALLY HIGH, LIKE IT IS GOING TO RACE. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE CAR OVER THE WEEKEND AND IT RACED, HE WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. WENT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. EVERY TIME I HAVE BROUGHT MY CAR IN THEY SAY THEY CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. IT USUALLY HAPPENS AFTER I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY CAR FOR 30 OR MINUTES. I'M TRYING NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT, BUT I'M SURE THAT THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR CARS, TAKE THEM TO THE SHOP AND ARE BEING TOLD THAT THEY CAN NOT DUPLICATE A PROBLEM. ANY ONE WHO KNOWS ANYTHING KNOWS ANYTHING KNOWS THAT 9/10 THE MECHANIC CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *TR

I HAVE HAD MY TOYOTA MATRIX FOR ALMOST A YEAR WHEN IT STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS. THE ISSUE FOR ME WAS COMING TO A STOP LIGHT AND THE CAR WOULDN'T STOP EVEN THOUGH I WAS BRAKING HARD. IT KEPT ROLLING FORWARD. YOU COULD HEAR THE ACCELERATION. PUTTING IT IN NEUTRAL WAS NOT AN OPTION WHEN YOU ARE SITTING IN TRAFFIC AT A LIGHT. I COULD EITHER REAR END THE CAR AHEAD OF ME OR GET REAR ENDED BY THE CAR BEHIND ME. I HAD TO STOP THE CAR BY PUTTING IT IN PARK. THE CAR "BUCKED." IT STOPPED THE CAR AND FOR THAT I WAS GRATEFUL BECAUSE IT JUST KEPT MOVING. I WAS ON A CELL PHONE CALL WHEN IT HAPPENED ANOTHER TIME GOING INTO A GARAGE. THE CAR WOULDN'T STOP AGAIN. MY FRIEND COULD HEAR THE ACCELERATION OF THE CAR THROUGH THE CELL PHONE. I COULDN'T STOP THE CAR WITH MY BRAKE. AGAIN I HAD TO PUT IT INTO PARK AND IT BUCKED AGAIN. I REPORTED IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP ON 12/9/09. I CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER AFTER THAT DATE AND HE TOLD ME TO BRING THE CAR BACK AND I DID ON 2/19/10. THE PEDAL WAS REPLACED ON 3/4/10 AND ON WEEK OF 3/8/10 I EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE OF THE CAR NOT STOPPING AND THE ACCELERATOR STICKING 3 TIMES IN ONE WEEK. THAT'S AFTER THE PEDAL WAS REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED MY CAR OUT ON EACH OCCASION. I HAVE DOCUMENTATION FOR ALL THESE VISITS AND OPENED IT LOOKS LIKE 2 ACCOUNTS WITH TOYOTA OF AMERICA #[XXX] AND #[XXX]. THEY HAVE REPEATEDLY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG EVEN AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR 4 MILES. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND DRIVING 4 MILES IS LUDICROUS IN ORDER TO SEE IF THEY CAN EXPERIENCE THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE TOLD ME THEY HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE DIAGNOSTIC WORKUPS ON THE CAR. THEY WILL NOT CHECK THE COMPUTER OR ELECTRONICS AS THEY SAY IT IS NOT THE PROBLEM. HELP. I AM IN TRAFFIC EVERYDAY. I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE FAILURE WILL POP UP ON ME. I NOW HAVE TO GET RID OF THIS CAR AND I CAN'T SELL IT TO SOMEONE PRIVATELY AS I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING HAPPENING TO THAT PERSON. PLEASE HELP. THANK YOU. *TR

2008 TOYOTA MATRIX DEVELOPED A GRUNTING/RATTLING SOUND WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ACTIVATED ABOUT A YEAR AGO. DEACTIVATING THE CRUISE CONTROL DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM BUT FIRST DISAPPEARED AFTER PULLING OFF THE HIGH WAY, SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE AND HENCE RESETTING THE SYSTEMS. WHICH PROBLEM HAS BEEN FIXED BY TOYOTA NEWBURGH NY SWIFTLY, WITH THE REMARK THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THEY HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE. IN THE LIGHT OF THE ACCELERATOR PROBLEMS THAT CONTINUE TO PLAGUE US ALL THIS MIGHT BE AN ITEM OF INTEREST ON YOUR BEHALF? *TR

SEVERAL MONTHS AGO I DROVE THROUGH A PUDDLE OF WATER IN OUR PARKING LOT AT WORK. IT WAS STORMING WITH THE WIND BLOWING AS WELL. WHEN I DROVE THROUGH THE PUDDLE, MY BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AND I LOST STEERING. THEN ENGINE NEVER STOPPED. ONCE I TRAVELED A FEW YARDS, THE STEERING STARTED WORKING AND THE BATTERY LIGHT WENT OFF. IT HAPPENED ANOTHER 3 MORE TIMES BEFORE I EVER LEFT MY WORK FACILITY. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR THEM TO CHECK IT OUT. THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I TOLD THEM SOMETHING MAKES ME LOSE STEERING ASSOCIATED WITH WATER. THE GENTLEMAN AT TOYOTA TOLD ME NOT TO DRIVE THROUGH PUDDLES. I DID NOT THINK IT WAS FUNNY. IT HAS HAPPENED A FEW MORE TIMES WITH MY HUSBAND DRIVING. WE LIVE IN LOUISIANA AND IT RAINS. I CAN NOT AVOID GOING THROUGH WATER WHEN IT RAINS. I NEED HELP. *TR

I'M READING ABOUT THE RECENT RECALL OF THE TOYOTA PRIUS INVOLVING BRAKE PROBLEMS - A MOMENTARY LOSS OF BRAKING CAPABILITY WHILE TRAVELING OVER AN UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE, POTHOLE OR BUMP. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING IN MY 2008 TOYOTA MATRIX SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT IT. I'D LIKE TO GO ON RECORD THAT THIS PROBLEM EXTENDS TO MATRIX MODELS. I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. I THOUGHT THIS WAS A SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED WITH IBS BRAKES. *TR