2003 Toyota Matrix Speed Control & Cruise Problems

I WAS SLOWLY PULLING INTO MY GARAGE (IN THE BASEMENT OF MY HOUSE), GRADUALLY BRAKING AS I HAD DONE MANY TIMES BEFORE. I WAS STOPPING THE VEHICLE IN ITS USUAL POSITION WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY BEGAN RACING AND THE CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD. IT STRUCK SOME SHELVES I HAD AGAINST THE WALL OF THE GARAGE, CRUMPLING BOTH THE SHELVES AND THE FRONT OF THE CAR'S HOOD. EVERYTHING HAPPENED SO FAST AT THAT POINT THAT I AM NOT SURE JUST WHAT HAPPENED, BUT I ENDED UP WITH THE CAR STOPPED UP AGAINST THE GARAGE WALL AND THE CAR IN PARK. I BELIEVE I THREW IT INTO NEUTRAL, THEN APPLIED THE BRAKE SINCE IT WAS STILL MOVING, THEN TRIED TO BACK UP, AND FINALLY PUT IT INTO PARK. THE CAR WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY. I EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN STOPPING SEVERAL TIMES PREVIOUSLY, BUT NONE OF THOSE INCIDENTS CAUSED ANY DAMAGE. IN EACH OF THOSE SITUATIONS I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL, STOP IT WITH THE BRAKE, AND CONTINUE ON MY WAY. IN THIS INSTANCE THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH SPACE AHEAD OF ME TO DO THAT SUCCESSFULLY. I KNOW THAT A NUMBER OF INCIDENTS OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION OF A TOYOTA MATRIX HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPORTED FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT MODEL YEARS.

I WAS EXITING ON A RAMP FROM THE HIGHWAY. I STOPPED THE CAR BEFORE COMING OFF THE RAMP ON AN INCLINE WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY REVVED UP WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. I IMMEDIATELY PUT THE SHIFTER IN NEUTRAL AND IT RETURNED TO NORMAL RPMS. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THREE WEEKS. *TR

ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKING, HARD TO PRESS. *TR

MORNING OF JUNE 22ND, WHEN I DROVE BACK FROM CHARLOTTE, NC AIRPORT TO UNIVERSITY AREA, ON HIGHWAY I-85, MY TOYOTA MATRIX 2003 STOP ACCELERATION-QUICKLY DROP THE SPEED FROM 70MPH TO 40MPH AND STILL DROPPING. DOESN'T MATTER HOW HARD I APPLY THE GAS PEDAL, IT WON'T ACCELERATE. I STOPPED THE CAR IN AN OPEN AREA CLOSE TO AN EXIT AND STOPPED THE ENGINE--POWER WAS ON AND RADIO WAS WORKING. I STOPPED THE ENGINE AND WAITED A FEW MINUTES. I THEN TURNED THE ENGINE BACK ON, TRIED IT AGAIN. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO HOME. GOD, I WAS LUCKY. *TR

I HAVE HAD FOUR INSTANCES OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION IN A 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX XRS OVER A PERIOD OF 8 YEARS. IN EACH INSTANCE, I WAS PULLING INTO A CARPORT AT A SLOW SPEED WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED DESPITE THE FACT THAT MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, NOT THE GAS PEDAL. IN ALL INSTANCES, I WAS ABLE TO PRESS HARD ON THE BRAKE AND COME TO A STOP. AFTER THE SECOND INCIDENT, I TOOK THE CAR INTO MY TOYOTA DEALER AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED TWICE. THEY CHECKED OUT THE CAR AND SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT. I HAVE HAD TWO OTHER INCIDENTS SINCE THEN. I LIVE IN A RETIREMENT COMMUNITY AND HAVE TOLD THE AUTHORITIES HERE THAT IF I EVER DRIVE THE CAR THROUGH THE CARPORT WALL IT WILL BE DUE TO SUDDEN ACCELERATION OF MY MATRIX. THE INCIDENTS ARE WIDE-SPREAD -- PERHAPS EVERY TWO YEARS. SO IT IS A LITTLE HARD TO GET TOYOTA TO PAY ANY ATTENTION TO THE COMPLAINT. PLEASE CHECK THE ELECTRONICS -- IT IS OBVIOUSLY NOT MECHANICAL. I HAVE GIVEN THE DATE OF THE LAST INCIDENT BELOW. *TR

WHEN I START MY CAR IT REVS UP VERY HIGH MAKING IT SOUND LIKE IT IS GOING TO TAKE OFF BY ITSELF. IT HAS BEEN DOING IT SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2004, AND I MENTIONED IT TO THE DEALER AND HE SAID THOSE KIND OF CARS DO THAT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT HAS A 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN HAVING PERIODIC ACCELELRATION PROBLEMS SINCE 2008. THE CONTACT STATED THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION HAS ONLY HAPPENED WHEN THE CONTACT IS TRYING TO SLOW DOWN., WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. THIS FAILURE HAD BEEN HAPPENING MORE OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 86504.

WHEN ON THE HIGHWAY ESPECIALLY, VEHICLE LURCHES FORWARD AND ACCELERATES QUITE NOTICEABLY. IT DOES THIS AT LEAST ONCE DAILY WHEN ACCELERATING OR BRAKING OVER 30 MPH. PLEASE PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THIS ISSUE. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THE RPMS SUDDENLY INCREASED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AND WOULD MOVE FORWARD EVEN WHEN THE BRAKES ARE BEING APPIED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT INSPECTED AND THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE IDLE WAS LOW. IN 2007, THE SALES DEALER TOLD THE CONTACT THEY WOULD LOWER THE IDLE BUT SHE IS NOT SURE IF THAT REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. HER CONCERN WAS THAT THE VEHICLE COULD POSSIBLY LUNGE FORWARD AND CAUSE A CRASH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 91,000. UPDATED 5/10/10 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, IT HAS LURCHED FORWARD ABOUT ONCE A WEEK OR MORE. OCCASSIONALLY, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE ENGINE WOULD REV EXTREMELY HIGH. UPDATED 06/11/10.*JB

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT THE CONSUMER HAD TO DODGE A VEHICLE AND DROVE INTO A CORN FIELD. THE CAUSE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

CONSUMER WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WHILE CONSUMER'S FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKES, STRIKING A TREE ON THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE. UPON IMPACT, FRONTAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER CONTACTED TOYOTA ,AND IT WAS INSPECTED BY A REPRESENTATIVE AND NO DEFECTS WERE FOUND. VEHICLE WAS SOLD FOR PARTS.*AK *TS

WHENEVER VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP SIGNAL AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. CONSUMER'S FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKES WHEN SURGING OCCURRED. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE OWNERSHIP OF THE VEHICLE. *AK *MR

WHEN THE SUN IS SHINING YOU CAN NOT READ THE SPEEDOMETER OR THE GUAGES. HE DRIVER IS DRIVING BLIND WITHOUT ANY INSTRUMENTS OR GUAGES. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IN ALL TYPES OF TRAFFIC CONDITIONS.*AK

CRUISE CONTROL ON MY 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX SOMETIMES DISENGAGES WHILE TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY. DECELERATION IS BETTER THAN ACCELERATION, BUT IT IS STILL UNNERVING WHEN FOLLOWED BY OTHER CARS. FREQUENCY IS ABOUT ONCE A MONTH, OCCURS ON ONE TRIP AND HAPPENS THREE OR FOUR TIMES. THE CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGES EVEN WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON. MY WIFE AND FRIENDS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS IN MY CAR, SO IT IS NOT JUST ME. WHEN I TURN MY VEHICLE OVER TO THE TOYOTA PEOPLE FOR ANALYSIS, THEY CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG. I CANNOT TELL IF THIS IS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN WIRING WITHIN THE STEERING COLUMN OR IN THE ELECTRONICS. *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

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