2003 Toyota Matrix Complaint Log

WHILE DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY VEHICLE STARTED PULLING TO THE RIGHT, OWNER THEN PULLED OVER, AND TIRE WAS COMPLETELY FLAT. WHEN TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP, THEY COULD NOT FIND WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, TIRE WAS SENT TO THE MANUFACTURER, WHO OFFERED TO PAY PARTIAL AMOUNT. *AK *JB

THE CAR SEATS HAVE A WHITE LINT AND BALLING FRONT AND BACK. THE PROBLEM IS ONLY GETTING WORSE. THE MATERIAL LOOKS LIKE IT IS WEARING OUT.

THE AIR CONDITIONING STARTED TO BLOW HOT AIR, THEN THE ENGINE STARTED STALLING AND THE ENGINE CHECK SIGN CAME ON. TOYOTA SAID IT WAS A STONE THAT GOT INTO THE RADIATOR AND PROVOKED A LEAKING. NO SIGNS OF DAMAGE IN THE FRONT BUMPER. HOW CAN A STONE GET THERE AND HOW DO THEY MAKE SUCH FRAGILE CARS? I HAD TO PAY FOR THE DAMAGES ALTHOUGH IT IS A BRAND NEW CAR.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

OWN A 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX-1ST OWNER OF THIS CAR. THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED WITH 9 MILES IN IT. WHEN IT WAS FIRST PURCHASED WITHIN 2 DAYS THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION BEARINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE TOYOTA DEALER WHERE PURCHASED AND THE TECHNICIANS SAID THERE WAS NO NOISE. THE NOISE NEVER WENT AWAY AND THE DEALER JUST IGNORED IT-NEVER FIXED IT. ALSO, THE BACK SEAT BELT WOULD GET STUCK FOR NO REASON, THIS WAS ALSO BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALER TECHS, BUT ALSO "NOTHING WAS WRONG" UP TO THIS DATE, THE SEAT BELTS KEEP GETTING STUCK AND MY KIDS USE IT THAT WAY. ANOTHER DEFECTIVE THING ABOUT THIS CAR WERE THE SENSOR DAYLIGHTS, ONCE THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF, THE LIGHTS AUTOMATICALLY WOULD GO ON AND OF COURSE THE NEXT DAY THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. THIS WAS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION ON THE DEALER AND FINALLY, THEY DECIDED TO FIX SOMETHING OF THIS CAR. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A DEFECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

WHILE AIR CONDITIONER IS RUNNING AND NORMAL BRAKING VEHICLE WILL SURGE FORWARD. DUE TO AN INCREASE IN RPMS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

CONSUMER BELIEVES HE HAS THE SOLUTION TO THE TOYOTA ACCELERATION PROBLEM. *GR THE CONSUMER STATED HIS DAUGHTER DRIVES A 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX AND SHE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING RANDOM DASHBOARD LIGHT ACTIVITY. THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAS REVIEWED THE WIRING DIAGRAMS AND HER DASHBOARD LIGHTS ARE CONTROLLED BY THE INTEGRATION RELAY OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE BODY CONTROL MODULE. IT APPEARS THAT THE LACK OF RELAY OVER-VOLTAGE SUPPRESSION ON ANY OF THE RELAYS IN THE VEHICLE HAS CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE INTEGRATION RELAY AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO TELL HOW MUCH DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE TO THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE. *JB

THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IS DESIGNED TO APPEAR "BLACKED OUT" WHEN THE VEHICLE IS NOT RUNNING. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED TRHOUGH THE USE A DARK PLASTIC COVER. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED THE INSTRUMENTS BECOME VISABLE VIA BACK LIGHTING. ON A SUNNY DAY THE LIGHTING IS JUST ADEQUATE TO READ THE INSTRUMENTS. A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE OCCURS WHEN THE LIGHT SENSOR (LOCATED NEXT TO THE A-PILLER ) TURNS THE LIGHTS ON IN SUNNY DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS. I HAVE OBSERVED THIS UP TO THREE HOURS AFTER SUNRISE AND THREE HOURS BEFORE SUNSET WHEN THE SUN IS TO MY LEFT, LEFT REAR, LEFT FRONT, OR BACK. WHEN THIS UNDEFEATABLE AUTOMATED SYSTEM TURNS ON THE LIGHTS IT DIMS THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING TO THE NIGHTTIME SETTING, RENDERING THE INSTRUMENTS ILLEGABLE. THIS CREATES A SITUATION WHICH DISTRACTS THE DRIVERS ATTENTION FOR AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF TIME, CREATING A POTENTIALLY LETHAL SITUATION SHOULD IT OCCUR UPON ENTERING A SCHOOL ZONE OR OTHER PEDESTRIAN AREA THAT DICTATES A REDUCTION IN SPEED.*AK

CONSUMER HAS A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IN BRIGHT SUNLIGHT IS BLANK. *JG

WHEN VEHICLE IS PARKED ON AND UPGRADE, CONSUMER STATES THE VEHICLE ROLLS BACKWARDS. THE VEHICLE IS AN AUTOMATIC. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

THE TIRES WERE INCOMPATIBLE FOR THE VEHICLE.*AK *JB

CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO READ THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, IN BRIGHT SUNLIGHT. *AK *JB

PROBLEMS WITH PARKING BRAKE. DRIVER COULD DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR MILES WITH THE PARKING BRAKE ENGAGED WITHOUT A NOTICEABLE DRAG. *MR PH

WHEN THE SUN LIGHT REFLECTED ONTO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IT MADE THE DIGITAL CONSOLE UNREADABLE. THE CONSUMER SPENT $180 TO HAVE THE WINDOWS TINTED IN ORDER TO HAVE A BETTER VIEW OF THE PANEL. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED BUT REFUSE TO FIX. *AK *CB *NLM

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE SPEEDOMETER. THE SPEEDOMETER HAS A RED BACK LIGHT AND AS A RESULT THE DRIVER CANNOT SEE THE VEHICLES SPEED WHILE DRIVING DURING THE DAY LIGHT. THE DRIVER HAS NO PROBLEMS WHILE DRIVING DURING NIGHT TIME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THIS WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE FOR THEM. *AK *TS *NLM

LEFT FRONT TIRE IS DELAMINATED. THE TIRE SIZE IS 215/50 -ZR -17. THE D.O.T. NUMBER IS D.O.T. 34815EXBM25055-1. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *PH

WHEN THE SUN VISOR WAS PULLED DOWN IT ONLY CAME DOWN HALF WAY. AS A RESULT THE DRIVER WAS BLINDED BY THE SUN. THE DASHBOARD HAS CHROME TRIM SO WHEN BRIGHT LIGHT HITS THE CHROME IT BLINDS THE DRIVER. THE DRIVER FEELS ITS A POOR DESIGN. *NM

WHEN AT A STOP SIGN OR WHEN PLACING VEHICLE IN REVERSE ENGINE WILL RACE AND VEHICLE WILL UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATE OUT OF CONTROL. *AK ENGINE INTERMITTENTLY IDLE UP TO ABOUT 2,000 RPM REGARDLESS OF TEMPERATURE. CAUSE NOT YET DETERMINED. PROBLEM IS SIMILAR TO PE04021. *LA