2005 Toyota Matrix Suspension Problems

LETTER FROM SENATOR ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT. RE DIFFICULTIES WITH HER 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKES WERE DEFECTIVE DUE TO THE ROTOR GETTING CAUGHT IN THE BRAKE PAD. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED AFTER THE SECOND BRAKE REPAIR. THE BRAKES MADE AN AUDIBLE SQUEAKING NOISE WHEN DEPRESSED. THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND THE GEARS WERE ENGAGED. THE ABS DID NOT WORK ON AN IRREGULAR SURFACE. A DEFECTIVE REAR AXLE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE TIRES. THE LIGHTS WOULD GO OUT BY THEMSELVES WHEN IT WAS DARK.*JB

05MY TOYOTA MATRIX - IRREGULAR WEAR OF TIRES POSSIBLY DUE TO FRONT SHOCKS. BRAND NEW TIRES DON'T LAST MORE THAN A FEW YEARS ON THESE VEHICLES. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET YET TOYOTA HAS NOT ISSUED A TSB FOR THIS ISSUE. IT'S NOT THAT THE TIRES HAVE LOTS OF TREAD WEAR, BUT THEY WEAR UNUSUALLY AND LEAD TO VIBRATION - EVEN AFTER THEY ARE MAINTAINED AND BALANCED. ADDITIONALLY, I RECENTLY REPLACED MY 4 TIRES THAT HAD UNUSUAL AND IRREGULAR WEAR. WITH THIS WEAR, THE VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES SIGNIFICANTLY ABOVE 50MPH. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS COMPLAINT FOR A POSSIBLE SAFETY RECALL. FRONT SHOCKS SHOULD BE COVERED UP TO 80K SINCE MOST OF THE 05'S ARE ALMOST OUT OF WARRANTY. AGAIN TREAD WEAR IS STILL GOOD, BUT IT'S THE WAY THAT THE TIRES WEAR THAT IS THE ISSUE. *CN

REQUEST TO THE GOVERNMENT: PLEASE LOOK INTO SUSPENSION PROBLEMS IN THE 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX AND SIMILAR TOYOTAS THAT CAUSE IRREGULAR AND PREMATURE TIRE WEAR, INCLUDING "CUPPING" WHICH COULD LEAD TO UNEXPECTED TIRE FAILURE AND WHICH CAUSE OWNERS TO BE REQUIRED TO REPLACE TIRES PREMATURELY. I EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM, FIRST NOTICED BY LOUD, UNEXPECTED TIRE NOISE. I HAD TO REPLACE 4 TIRES AT 30,000 MILES, FAR EARLIER THAN EVER IN MY 50 YEARS OF DRIVING EXPERIENCE. A DEALER UNOFFICIALLY ADMITTED THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH MATRIX SUSPENSION. THE INTERNET HAS MANY ANGRY OWNERS DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM (UNDER T. MATRIX TIRE PROBLEMS, AND SIMILAR). TOYOTA NEVER ADMITTED THE PROBLEM WAS FAULTY DESIGN, BUT IN LIGHT OF RECENT EVENTS, THIS CLEAR FAULT SHOULD ALSO BE INVESTIGATED. THIS IS A DEFECT THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO DANGEROUS EVENTS AT WORST AND EXTRA EXPENSE COMMONLY. THANKS *TR

1) I TOOK MY 05 TOYOTA MATRIX INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A 60,000 MILE CHECK UP. I HAD PURCHASED THE 100,000 MILE WARRANTY WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT. I WAS BILLED $700.00, AND TOOK THE VEHICLE HOME. 2) I TOOK THE VEHICLE ON THE INTERSTAT TO WORK AND NOTICED A VERY BAD 'SHIMMY', AND THE VEHICLE DRIFTED TO THE LEFT. A DEFINITE ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. I WAS VERY UPSET AT SPENDING $700, TO HAVE THE VEHICLE RETURNED IS WORSE CONDITION THAN WHEN I TOOK IT IN. FOR THE CHECK UP. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD ME THEY "ADJUSTED" THE ALIGNMENT, AND RETURNED THE CAR TO ME. I TOOK THE VEHICLE ON THE INTERSTATE AND FOUND I HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK THE NEXT DAY TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DELERSHIP TOLD ME THAT 'CENTERING RINGS' WERE NOT PUT ON THE RIMS INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE. I HAD CENTERING RINGS PUT ON THE VEHICLE, AND TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE PROBLEMS TO BE FIXED. THEY RETURNED THE VEHICLE THE NEXT DAY. I TOOK THE VEHICLE ON THE INTERSATE AND FOUND I HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. I RETURNED THE VEHICLE THE NEXT DAY. I INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP THAT I WENT ON-LINE AND FOUND OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT A 'SHIM KIT'COULD HELP. THE DELALERSHIP TOLD ME I HAD THE 'WRONG' TIRES ON THE VEHICLE, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE VIRTUALLY NEW. THEY SAID I NEEDED "DIRECTIONAL" TIRES. I PURCHASED AND INSTALLED NEW DIRECTIONAL TIRES. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP INSTALLED A SHIM KIT, WHICH HELPED BUT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEMS. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY DID ALL THEY COULD DO. THEY DID NOT LIST THE SHIM KIT ON THEIR REPAIR PAPERWORK FOR THE VEHICLE. I HAD NO PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE BEFORE TAKING IT IN FOR THE CHECKUP. THIS IS EVIDENTLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, WHICH A 'QUICK FIX' WAS DONE AT THE TIMEOF MANUFACTURE. IT DID NOT ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM. IT ONLY "HID" THE PROBLEM. MY VEHICLE STILL HAS A SHIMMY AND ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS. *TR

NEW 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX CHEWED UP THE FACTORY (CONTINENTAL CONTI-TOURING) TIRES IN SHORT ORDER (CAUSED "CUPPING"). DEALER SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO - IT WAS MY PROBLEM AND NOT A PROBLEM WITH MATRIX AND WE'D HAVE TO BUY NEW TIRES. COMPLAINED SEVERAL TIMES AFTER THAT BUT WAS BLOWN OFF EACH TIME. MY RESEARCH NOW SHOWS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM ON THIS MODEL, THAT TOYOTA EVEN HAS A SHIM AND ADJUSTMENT KIT AVAILABLE BUT CONTINUES TO DENY IT TO CUSTOMERS AND REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL. *TR

I HAVE TO REPLACE TIRES DUE TO THEM WEARING ON THE OUTSIDE THAT THE TIRE COMPANIES SAY IS NOT A CONSEQUENCE OF THE TIRES BUT RATHER MY CAR. *TR

PREMATURE WEAR/CUPPING OF TIRES ON MY NEWLY PURCHASED 2005 MATRIX. PER TIRE MANUFACTURER, IT'S A MECHANICAL DEFECT, NOT A TIRE PROBLEM. SO, FAR TAKEN TO DEALER TWICE ON THE SAME ISSUE. BOTH TIMES WAS TOLD IT WAS THE TIRES. I WILL BE TAKING CAR IN AGAIN NOW TO HAVE THEM CHECK PROPER ALIGNMENT. AWAITING RESPONSE FROM EVALUATION AT THIS POINT. *TR