2004 TOYOTA MATRIX Complaints

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX. WHEN IN DRIVE, FOOT ON THE BRAKES, THE CAR ON OCCASIONS WILL LURCH FORWARD. THIS HAPPENS EVERY DAY. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO TOYOTA NUMEROUS TIMES AND THEY KEEP TELLING ME THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. I HAVE THIS DOCUMENTED BACK TO 2005. *TR

MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILED ON MY 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX. STARTED MAKING CLUNKING AND GRINDING NOISES AND FIFTH GEAR STOPPED PROVIDING FORWARD MOVEMENT. I WAS ABLE TO USE LOWER GEARS. *TR

WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, OUR 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX, APPROX. 98K MILES STARTED TO BUCK AND MAKE A TERRIBLE GRINDING NOISE. WE THEN LOST 4TH AND 5TH GEARS. WE WERE FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND GET TO THE SIDE HOWEVER WE WERE STUCK AT NIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY. THE TRANSMISSION BEARINGS SHREDDED CAUSING THE CLUTCH TO FAIL. REPLACEMENT COST $3500.00. SINCE, WE HAD READ ABOUT HUNDREDS OF OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS VEHICLE AND WERE SHOCKED THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY FOR INFERIOR PARTS AND RECALLED THE TRANSMISSION. TOYOTA'S REPUTATION AND THOUGHT OF DEPENDABILITY AND SAFETY HAS FALTERED. IT IS SAD BECAUSE WE HAVE OWNED SEVERAL OTHER TOYOTA'S IN THE PAST BUT WILL NOT CONSIDER PURCHASING ANOTHER. WE FEEL WE WERE PUT KNOWINGLY INTO DANGER DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AS SO MANY OTHERS UNFORTUNATELY SHARED THE SAME EXPERIENCE WITH SAME MODEL/YR TOYOTA. *TR

DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, HEARD A GRINDING NOISE DROVE TO THE MECHANIC WE USE AND WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION IS BAD AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *TR

HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 2004 MATRIX. THE CAR HAS BEEN MAKING NOISE FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. I DID NOT TAKE IT TO THE SHOP TO FIND THE NOISE BECAUSE IT RAN FINE. THE LAST TIME I STARTED THE CAR BEFORE IT BROKE DOWN THE NOISE WAS REALLY LOUD AND DID NOT DRIVE VERY WELL. THE TRANSMISSION AND CLUTCH SHIFTED FINE. CAR BROKE DOWN ON THE INTERSTATE. WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE FIRST EXIT. TOOK IT THE REPAIR SHOP. THEY DESCRIBED IT AS A METAL GRINDING NOISE AND SAW HEAVY VIBRATIONS FROM THE TRANSMISSION WHEN THE CAR WAS ON THE LIFT. REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION FOR $2700. GOT THE CAR BACK, DRIVES FINE. NO NOISE. *TR

TOYOTA MATRIX 2004 I HAVE BEEN NOTICING (WHAT APPEARED TO BE) SLIPPAGE IN THE CLUTCH, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHER GEARS. THIS KEPT GETTING MORE PROBLEMATIC UNTIL 12-6-2009 THE CAR WOULD NOT GO MORE THAN 20 MPH AND SMELLED HOT. WHAT APPEARED TO BE TRANSMISSION OIL WAS FOUND ON THE DRIVEWAY UNDER THE CAR. NOTE: UPON LOOKING AT THIS ISSUE VIA THE WWW, I SEE THIS IS A 'PREVALENT' ISSUE WITH TOYOTA MATRIX BUT THE CAR DEALERSHIPS DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS. ?? *TR

I HAVE A 2004 MATRIX (5 SPEED MANUAL) WITH 85K AND THE THROWOUT BEARING HAS FAILED. I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM A CONCERT WITH A FEW YOUTH KIDS ON SATURDAY NIGHT. I WAS ENTERING THE 1-10E TRYING TO MERGE IN WITH TRAFFIC WHEN THE THROWOUT BEARING FAILED. I TRIED TO SHIFT INTO 3RD GEAR, BUT IT WAS STUCK IN 2ND. I HAD TO SLAM THE GEAR INTO PLACE TO PREVENT GETTING RUN OVER BY A SUV. THIS WAS MY SECOND NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE THIS YEAR IN MY CAR DUE TO THE TRANSMISSION. EARLIER, WHEN THE CAR WAS AT 74K, THE FRONT AXLE ON THE TRANSMISSION BROKE. THIS BROKE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION WHERE I HAD TO KEEP SWAYING MY BODY FORWARD UNTIL THE CAR HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO ROLL ACROSS. AFTER REPLACING THE FRONT AXLE, I REALLY DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX ANOTHER TRANSMISSION ISSUE. TOYOTA NEEDS TO RECALL THEIR TRANSMISSIONS ON THE 2004 MATRIX, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MORE TIMES I CAN AFFORD TO CHEAT DEATH. *TR

I AM A 53-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO GOT THE TIP OF MY RIGHT INDEX FINGER CAUGHT IN THE POWER WINDOW OF A 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX. IT FELT AS IF IT WOULD HAVE CUT IT OFF HAD I NOT BEEN ABLE TO PRESS THE RELEASE BUTTON WITH MY OTHER HAND. AS IT IS, ONE WEEK AFTER THE EVENT OCCURRED, THE TIP OF MY FINGER IS STILL NUMB. THIS WAS SO EASY TO DO, AND SO POTENTIALLY DAMAGING. PRESSURE-SENSITIVE POWER WINDOWS NEED TO BE IMPLEMENTED ASAP! *TR

MY 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX TRANSMISSION FAILED. NOT THE CLUTCH, BEARINGS OR PRESSURE PLATE...THE TRANSMISSION. HAD TO HAVE IT REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF $3800. APPARENTLY I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THE PROBLEM...JUST DO A GOOGLE SEARCH FOR 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND LOOK AT THE 30+ PAGES OF COMMENTS ON EDMUNDS SITE. TOYOTA NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AS A DEFECT AND REFUND OUR MONEY. WE NEED YOUR HELP, PLEASE. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX WITH MILEAGE OF 52,811 AND A STANDARD TRANSMISSION. I HAD TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH. THE WARRANTY COVERS 60,000 MILES OR FIVE YEARS, SO I WAS UNDER THE MILEAGE BUT SIX MONTHS OVER THE YEARS. I UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH CLUTCH/TRANSMISSION WITH THE 2003-2006 MATRIXES. IT SEEMS VERY EARLY TO ME FOR THE CLUTCH TO HAVE FAILED AND IT COST $1,295 TO FIX. *TR