There are 13 stored owner reports matching the brakes leading-label group for the 2003 Toyota Matrix in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 13 of 13 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)I WAS APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO ACCELERATE; THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE AS HARD AS I COULD BUT THE BRAKE WOULDN'T GO ALL THE WAY DOWN AND IT WAS VERY STIFF. SINCE I WAS GOING SLOW I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO STOP BUT THE ENGINE WAS REVVING AS IF I HAD THE GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. I DECIDED TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL SO IT WOULDN'T ACCELERATE WHILE I WAS AT THE STOP LIGHT (THE WHOLE TIME THE ENGINE IS REVVING TO ITS MAX AND THE BRAKE WAS STIFF; I ALSO USED THE HAND BRAKE. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED RED I PLACED THE CAR IN DRIVE SINCE I HAD TO MOVE AND THE CAR WANTED TO TAKE OFF SO I KEPT MY FOOT PLANTED ON THE BRAKE THIS WAS AT FULL STRENGTH. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR INTO A PARKING LOT AND THEN HOME AN HOUR LATER. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR LOCALLY SO I WAS ABOUT ONE MILE FROM HOME. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A CAR DO THIS IN MY LIFE. I DID CALL TOYOTA ABOUT IT AND THEY SAID IT WASN'T SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND SAID WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM TOYOTA WHICH I THOUGHT WAS EXTREMELY RUDE. I FEEL IF I WAS GOING FASTER SAY ON THE HIGHWAY I WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *TR
I HAVE REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER ON MY 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX TWICE ALREADY AND IT'S BAD AGAIN. THE BRAKES SLIP WHEN I TRY TO STOP SHORT AND IT'S VERY DANGEROUS. THIS CAR ONLY HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP WHICH RESULTED IN A CRASH. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED UNKNOWN INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. A REPRESENTATIVE WITH THE MANUFACTURER ALSO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 88,208.
FRONT BRAKE CALIPER / PISTON LOCKED UP UNDER PRESSURE. WITH 5MILES AND UNDER HIGHWAY SPEEDS IT CREATED INTENSE AND IMMEDIATE VIBRATION AND SMOKE. SUDDEN FAILURE. *TR
DRIVING CAR AND IT HAD UNINTENDED ACCELERATION, 2 TIMES. FIRST TIME IT DID NOT STOP WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. SECOND TIME BRAKES WERE HIT AND CAR QUITE ACCELERATING. *TR
IN 9/02 I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH ON WET A ROAD, I APPLIED THE BRAKES HARD AND DID NOT STOP BEFORE HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THERE WAS ADEQUATE STOPPING DISTANCE & I KNOW THAT OUR SATURN WAGON WOULD HAVE STOPPED ON TIME. ON 11/30/06, MY HUSBAND WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON A DRY ROAD HE APPLIED THE BRAKES HARD AND DID NOT STOP BEFORE HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM. HE ALSO HAD ADEQUATE STOPPING DISTANCE AND HE STATES THAT OUR PREVIOUS SATURN WAGON OR OUR SUBARU WAGON WOULD HAVE STOPPED IN TIME. I HAVE NEVER HIT A VEHICLE WHILE BRAKING HARD IN A VEHICLE W/ ABS UNTIL THE TOYOTA MATRIX. WE GOT ONE OF THE EARLY MATRIX'S IN 7/2002. NOW THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO BOTH OF US, WE WONDER IF THE ABS WAS FAULTY ON THE EARLY VERSIONS OF THE MATRIX. *JB
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED THE CONTACT HAD APPLIED THE BRAKES AND NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP MOVING CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED FOR THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR BODY DAMAGE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE NOT AVAILABLE.
I OWN A 2003 MATRIX XR000 WITH 53000 MILES. I HAD THE FRONT PADS AND ROTORS TURNED AT 33000 MILES BY TOYOTA. LAST MONTH I FELT THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKING WHEN APPLYING MY BRAKES AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 40-70 MPH. *AK I WAS TOLD LAST WEEK BY THE LOCAL TOYOTA MECHANIC THAT BOTH MY DRUMS NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THEY SAID THAT BLUE SPECS WERE IDENTIFIED INDICATING WEAR ON MY DRUMS. I ASKED WHAT WOULD CAUSE THE DRUMS TO WEAR SO FAST AND THEIR REPLY WAS NORMAL WEAR OR EMERGENCY BRAKE BEING APPLIED BY DRIVER. I ASKED IF ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAS EVER BEEN REPORTED BY OTHER DRIVERS AND THE ANSWER WAS NEVER. THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR THE DRUMS BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SOMETHING THEY HAVE SEEN BEFORE. I SPOKE TO THE CORPORATE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE REPRESENTATIVE AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT A DEFECT AND WAS FROM NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR BASED ON THE TOYOTA MECHANIC ANALYSIS. I CALLED ANOTHER BRAKE SPECIALIST AND PROVIDED HIM THE SAME INFORMATION THAT TOYOTA DIAGNOSED AND THEY SAID THAT THEY NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING THAT THE DRUMS NEEDED REPLACED AT 53K MILES IN THE 15 YEARS HE HAS DONE BUSINESS IN BRAKES. THE FAILURE AND CONSEQUENCES BY TOYOTA NOT IDENTIFYING THIS AS A DEFECT IN THE MANUFACTORY CAUSES ME TO DISH OUT ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO FIX THE DEFECT ENDURED BY THEIR PRODUCT. MY QUESTION TO TOYOTA: THIS IS 1 IN A MILLION ODDS OF HAPPENING, ISN'T IT POSSIBLE THAT THIS INDEED IS A MANUFACTORY DEFECT AND NOT CUSTOMER RELATED? WHY DIDN'T TOYOTA IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM EARLIER AT THE BRAKE INSPECTION SERVICED AT 33K MILES? I ADVISED OTHERS NOT TO PURCHASE A TOYOTA VEHICLE, THE COST PAID FOR TOYOTA VEHICLES AND POOR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WARRANTS A "F" IN MY BOOK.
WHEN STEPPING ON THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO MOVE. THE CONSUMER HAD TO HIT THE BRAKES REAL HARD TO STOP THE VEHICLE.*AK
I HAD A FLAT TIRE AND CHANGED IT BUT WHEN I TOOK OFF THE TIRE THE BRAKE DRUM CAME OFF WITH THE RIM. I PUT ON THE SPARE AND THE NEXT DAY DRIVING TO DISCOUNT TIRES IN LYNNWOOD ON THE FREEWAY I HAD NO BRAKES, THE BRAKE FLUID HAD LEAKED OUT. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MAGIC TOYOTA IN EDMONDS AND THEY SAID IT WAS MY FAULT BECAUSE I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN AND THAT IT " SOMETIMES HAPPENS." I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF IT HAPPENING AND NOT BEING A MECHANIC I HAD NO IDEA, OTHER MECHANICS I HAVE TALKED TO SAY IT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. TOYOTA REFUSED TO COVER BRAKE REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. *LA
FRONT BRAKES JERK BACK AND FORTH WHEN APPLIED. *AK
WENT TO DEALER TWICE;COMPLAINED ABOUT BRAKES PULLING RIGHT; TOLD THEY COULDN'T REPRODUCE PROBLEM AND THE BRAKES WERE JUST "ADJUSTING"; TODAY, FAILURE IN STEERING AND BRAKE PULL ALMOST CAUSED WRECK.*AK
PROBLEMS WITH PARKING BRAKE. DRIVER COULD DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR MILES WITH THE PARKING BRAKE ENGAGED WITHOUT A NOTICEABLE DRAG. *MR PH
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: May 3, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.