2006 Toyota Corolla Matrix Engine Problems

The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Corolla Matrix. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the check engine warning light and the battery warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and pull over on the side of the road safely where the vehicle shut off again and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the vehicle had experienced a similar failure as in NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V384000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 200,025.

NHTSA ID

11543175

Incident

Sep 4, 2023

Mileage

200,025 mi

1. HAD TO CHANGE ALL AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS AT LEAST TWICE AT $400 A POP. 2. HAD TO REPLACE ALL 4 COILS TO ENGINE AT A COST OF $810.53 3. HAD TO HAVE MY TRANSMISSION REBUILT DO IT FAILING WHILE OF I295 ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK. AT A COST OF 3631.49 4. AFTER TRANSMISSION WORK HAD TO HAVE MY TRANSFER CASE INTERNAL SEALED AT A COST OF $711.55 WHEN WE BOUGHT THIS CAR AT TOYOTA IN DECEMBER 2005, WE WERE LED TO BELIEVE THAT THIS CAR WAS BUILT LONGEVITY OR FOR THE LONG HAUL WITH ONLY HAVING TO DO ROUTINE MAINTANCE WHICH I HAVE KEPT UP ON EVERY 5000 MILES AS RECOMMENDED BY TOYOTA. MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THE TRANSMISSION COST. FIRESTONE STATED THAT TOYOTA RECOMMENDS A TRANSMISSION SERVICE EVERY 50,000 MILES BUT MY MAINTANCE BOOK SAYS ONLY DO THAT IF YOU EITHER TOW, OFF ROADING, OR DIRT ROADS FOR LONG PERIOD OF THE TIME. I DID NEITHER, SO TOYOTA SAYS NO NEED TO DO SERVICE. I DID CONTACT TOYOTA ADVOCATE AFTER I HAD MY TRASMISSION DONE AT COTTMAN TRANSMISSION AND THEY COULD NOT HELP ME CAUSE I WENT TO AN OUTSIDE VENDOR. MY CAR HAD ONLY 148,745 MILES. TOYOTA SAYS THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR TRANSMISSION UNLESS THERE IS A RECALL. FOR MY SEARCH ON THE INTERNET THERE IS DOCUMENTATION THAT TOYOTA KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSIONS FAILING BUT DID NOT WANT TO DO A RECALL BUT WOULD ONLY COMPENSATE IF THERE IS A RECALL. I JUST WANT TO BE HEARD AND POSSIBLY COMPENSATED FOR SOME OF MY REPAIRS THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I BOUGHT THIS CAR BECAUSE I WANTED TO KEEP IT A LONG TIME AND NOW IT IS COSTING ME MORE THAN IT IS WORK.

NHTSA ID

10892742

Incident

Mar 1, 2016

Mileage

148,745 mi

THE ENGINE IS STALLING. I NOTICED THIS AT LEAST A MONTH AGO. IT HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 5 OR 6 TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH. IT FIRST OCCURRED WHEN I STARTED THE VEHICLE IN THE PARKING LOT AT SCHOOL. I DROVE MAYBE 5 OR 6 FEET LESS THAN 10 MPH THEN THE ENGINE SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN. I HAD TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND RESTART THE ENGINE IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. IT DID RESTART, BUT IT JERKED ONCE OR TWICE AND KEPT GOING. THE NEXT DAY, I WAS ABLE TO START CAR AND DRIVE A LITTLE FURTHER, MAYBE A MILE AT ABOUT 30 MPH. WHEN I ENTERED AN ENTRANCE RAMP ON THE FREEWAY, THE VEHICLE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF ACCELERATION. I HAD TO VEER TO THE SHOULDER. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK,THEN RESTARTED THE ENGINE. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE A FEW MILES. THEN, I HAD TO SLOW DOWN TO EXIT ON A RAMP WHEN IT STALLED AGAIN. I EXITED FREEWAY. THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT TO COMPOSE MYSELF BECAUSE THE CARS BEHIND ME WERE HONKING AND DRIVERS UPSET THAT VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT NOTICE. THE VEHICLE DID CUT OFF AT A HIGHER SPEED AS WELL. I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 50 MPH WHEN IT TURNED OFF, BUT IMMEDIATELY TURNED BACK ON WITHIN SECONDS. I WAS VERY CONCERNED FOR SAFETY WITH KIDS IN THE CAR.

NHTSA ID

10838984

Incident

Jan 22, 2016

Mileage

140,000 mi

MY VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN MY DRIVEWAY APPROXIMATELY 5-10 MINUTES AFTER I RETURNED HOME FROM FROM MY JOB, WHICH IS 12 MILES FROM MY HOME. IT WAS DARK, AND THE ONLY UNUSUAL THING I NOTICED WAS ONE OF MY HEADLIGHTS WAS OUT AND THE OTHER SEEMED DIM. I MENTIONED IT TO MY HUSBAND AND HE SAID HE'D REPLACE THE BULBS. WITHIN MINUTES I HEARD SIRENS, BUT I WASN'T IN A ROOM THAT FACED THE DRIVEWAY AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ALREADY ON SCENE WHEN I REALIZED THE FRONT END OF MY CAR WAS FULLY ENGULFED. THE FIRE TOOK APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES TO FULLY EXTINGUISH AND THE HEAT DAMAGED AN ADJACENT VEHICLE. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND MY HOME WAS NOT DAMAGED. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY, PARKED AND UNOCCUPIED WHEN THE FIRE BROKE OUT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THE CAUSE AS MECHANICAL AND THEIR REPORT IS PENDING. A POLICE OFFICER RESPONDED BUT DID NOT FILE A REPORT AFTER RULING OUT CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT SPECIFICALLY CAUSED THE FIRE BUT THE ATTACHED PHOTOS SHOW THE DAMAGE, INCLUDING TO THE ADJACENT CAR.

NHTSA ID

10785430

Incident

Oct 21, 2015

Mileage

124,000 mi

HEAT SHIELD HANGER ASSEMBLY FAILED AND NOW HEAT SHIELD VIBRATES AGAINST EXHAUST PIPE MAKING TERRIBLE NOISE. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AS RESEARCHED ON THE NET. TOYOTA NEEDS TO FIX THIS FREE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10470254

Incident

Aug 11, 2012

Mileage

55,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA COROLLA MATRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD LOSE POWER AND STALL WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000 AND THE APPROXIMATE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,100.

NHTSA ID

10462714

Incident

Jun 4, 2012

Mileage

52,000 mi

INTERMITTENTLY MY 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX XR SUDDENLY SLOWS DOWN TO ABOUT 20 MILES PER HOUR AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO PRESSING GAS PEDAL. WHEN THIS HAPPENS I WILL HAVE TO PULL UP TO THE SIDE AND TURN THE ENGINE OFF FOR COUPLE OF MINUTES AND THEN START. THEN IT WOULD BE FINE. IT HAS HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY AND LOCAL ROADS. IT COULD BE DANGEROUS IF IT HAPPENS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF HIGHWAY. SO FAR IN THE SPAN OF LESS THAN A YEAR IT HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN FIVE TIMES. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER. THEY QUOTED "P2103: THROTTLE ACTUATOR CONTROL MOTOR CIRCUIT HIGH" AND WILL COST $1085 TO FIX IT. I LOOKED UP THE WEB AND THERE WERE OTHERS WITH THE SAME ERROR CODE AND REPLACED IT BUT STILL EXPERIENCE THE PROBLEM. AFTER SOME RESEARCH ON THE WEB I FOUND THAT THERE WAS SAME SYMPTOM PEOPLE EXPERIENCE BUT DIFFERENT ERROR CODE THAT WAS COVERED BY TOYOTA EVEN WHEN THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. I WAS HOPING MY PROBLEM GETS COVERED, TOO BUT THEY INSIST NOT TO COVER IT. IF THIS PROBLEM IS A RESULT OF WEAR AND TEAR, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT. BUT THIS IS CLEARLY A DEFECTS IN THE VEHICLE THAT SHOULD BE FIXED REGARDLESS OF THE WARRANTY EXPIRED OR NOT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10354630

Incident

May 1, 2010

MY 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX COMPLETELY STOPPED RUNNING WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT TO WORK TO VIRGINIA FROM MARYLAND ON FEB. 18, 2010. I WAS UNABLE TO RESTART IT AND HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. LATER THAT DAY, MY MECHANIC CALLED TO INFORM ME THAT IT WAS A COMPUTER PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE BECAUSE HE HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO START IT AGAIN AFTER HE BROUGHT INSIDE THE SERVICE BAY. HE INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN REGARDING THE ENGINE CONTROL- ENGINE NO START CONDITION AND THAT TOYOTA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR SINCE IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED AGAIN TO 355 TOYOTA AND AM WAITING TO HEAR FROM THEM REGARDING THEIR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10314639

Incident

Feb 18, 2010

Mileage

35,913 mi