Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2005 Toyota Matrix submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TOOK MY CAR FOR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, HARSH SHIFTING INTO REVERSE. I WAS TOLD THE ECM NEEDED REPLACING. THE ECM WAS REPLACED BUT THE PROBLEMS PERSIST. WHEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE THE CAR LUNGES INTO GEAR AFTER A FEW SECONDS. I AM AFRAID OF BACKING INTO SOMEONE IN THE PARKING LOT. *TR
2005 TOYOTA MATRIX WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAD CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME AND IMMEDIATELY START SHIFTING HARD. NO PRIOR SYMPTOMS. CALLED TOYOTA SERVICE THEY SAID IT WAS A LOOSE GAS CAP, I ASKED ARE YOU SURE IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TRANSMISSION BECAUSE WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON IT SHIFTS HARSHLY. NO PRETTY SURE IT IS GAS CAP IF IT COMES BACK ON YOU HAVE TO PAY $110 TO CHECK IT. AFTER IT CAME BACK ON DROVE FOR A WEEK TO SEE IF PROBLEM CONTINUED THEN TOOK TO TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST WHO SAID IT HAD PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID OUT. TOOK IT FOR SECOND OPINION TO TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID IT IS COMMON PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA MATRIX AND COROLLA SIMILAR TO RAV4 PROBLEM THAT ECM IS BAD AND CAUSES TRANSMISSION ISSUES WHICH IN THIS CASE CAUSE DAMAGE TO TRANSMISSION. CALLED TOYOTA AND POINTED OUT THAT TOYOTA SERVICE BULLETIN TC014-06 AND TC-015-07 STATE THAT IF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THERE IS HARSH SHIFTING TO CHANGE THE ECM OUT WITH A DIFFERENT PART NUMBER. THEY AGREED THAT IF MY CAR HAD EXHIBITED THESE SYMPTOMS AT UNDER 80,000 MILES THEY WOULD HAVE REPLACED THE ECM UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN IMPROVED TO NOT DO THIS. THEY SAID THE UNIT COULD BE REPLACE NOW AT 88,000 MILES AT A COST TO ME AND THEY WOULD NOT HELP ME WITH THE COST OF THE DEFECTIVE UNIT OR THE TRANSMISSION DAMAGE IT CAUSED. *TR
OUR CAR HAS DEVELOPED VERY HARSH SHIFT OF THE GEARS AND HAS A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. WENT TO CAR SHOP AND THEY SAID IT WAS ERROR CODE P2716 AND A KNOWN PROBLEM BUT ONLY COVERED UPTO 80000 MILES OR 96 MONTHS. OUR VEHICLE IS 2005 WITH 94,000 MILES. THE ECM NEEDS TO BE REPLACED - COST ~ 900 $ - OUR COMPLAINT IS THAT SINCE THIS IS A MECHANICAL PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE ITSELF AND NOT THE DRIVER, WE SHOULD NOT NEED TO PAY FOR THIS AND SHOULD BE REPLACED BY TOYOTA - PLEASE HELP US. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS OBSTRUCTED BY THE CARPET AND FOOT REST WHICH MADE IF DIFFICULT TO SHIFT GEARS. THERE ALSO WAS NOT ENOUGH SPACE BETWEEN THE FOOT AND BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAS EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN 2004. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000.
ECM FAILURE ON 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX. CAUSED LURCHING,ACCELERATION CHANGES DURING AUTOMATIC GEAR SHIFTING., CAUSING UNSAFE DRIVING BY DRIVER. DEALER SAID VEHICLE OUT OF WARRANTY AND MILEAGE TOO HIGH (80,500) FOR THEM TO REPLACE AT THEIR COST. *TR
THE CAR IS A 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX,5 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION, THE CAR IS SERVICED BY A TECH AT SCHEDULED SERVICE TIMES. THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED,THE MECHANIC SAID THERE WERE REBUILDS AVAILABLE BUT STATED THE TOYOTA REPLACEMENT WAS THE WAY TO GO, I AGREE. TOYOTA SAYS THERE ARE NO TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS HOWEVER IF YOU LOOK ON LINE ONE WILL SEE A RASH OF 5 SPEED TOYOTA MATRIX TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH A BEARING ALWAYS BEING BLAMED, I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS MANY PEOPLE BEAT THERE 5 SPEEDS TO DEATH IN A 4 DOOR STATION WAGON. ALSO NOTED WAS TOYOTA HAD 15 TRANSMISSION WAITING WHEN MINE WAS ORDERED-- PERHAPS THEY KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. NO ONE WILL SAY IF THE NEW TRANSMISSION HAS BEING IMPROVED OVER THE OLD UNIT,BECAUSE THAT WOULD MEAN THERE WAS A PROBLEM TO START WITH. THANKS TO TOYOTA I HAVE A CAR WITH A TRANSMISSION THAT MAY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM IT STARTED WITH AT A COST OF 3,400.00 MORE. *TR
CLUTCH-WAS ALWAYS VERY HARD TO PUT CAR INTO FIRST AND FROM FIRST INTO SECOND. AFTER ONE YEAR, TOOK IT INTO DEALER, WAS TOLD OKAY. AFTER SECOND YEAR, TOOK IT INTO DEALER, TOLD FLOOR MAT TOO THICK. TOOK FLOOR MAT OUT, SAME PROBLEM. AT THIRD YEAR, COULD NOT GET POWER (DIDN'T 'CATCH') IN FIRST AND SECOND GEAR. TOLD CLUTCH FAILED, MY FAULT (DRIVING STANDARDS FOR 25 YEARS), NOW QUOTED $1,760. *TR
2005 TOYOTA MATRIX XRS CLUTCH IS WEAK AND FAILS MUCH SOONER THAN EXPECTED. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE, THERE WAS A LOSS OF ALL VEHICLE POWER, AND THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MANEUVERED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ENGINE COULD NOT BE RESTARTED, AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE CLUTCH OF THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILED, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE INITIAL REPLACEMENT, THE PROBLEM LATER PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.
2005 MATRIX XRS, 6 SPEED MANUAL. CLUTCH BEGAN TO GO AT 35,000 MILES, COMPLETELY BURNED OUT AT 37,000 MILES WITH A HORRID BURNING/SULFUR SMELL. ALSO, SUNROOF WILL NOT CLOSE ALL THE WAY, STAYS OPEN AT THE FRONT ABOUT 1/2". IT WILL OPEN FROM THERE, BUT WILL NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. NOTHING IS STUCK OR IN THE WAY, JUST WON'T CLOSE. I AM REPLACING MY CLUTCH ON MONDAY FOR $900.00, AND THE MECHANIC I AM SEEING JUST REPLACED A CLUTCH ON THE SAME MAKE/MODEL/YEAR/TRIM AS MY CAR. I'VE ALSO SEEN VARIOUS OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE. CLUTCH IS DEFECTIVE. *JB
DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT TRANSMISSION MAD E A THUMPING NOISE WHEN APPROACHING A STOP. HE SUSPECTED IT WAS THE SOUND OF THE TRANSMISSION CHANGING GEARS. ALSO, THERE WA S VIBRATION THAT FOLLOWED THE NOISE. THIS WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. THE DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE WHAT WAS CAUSING THE NOISE. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE AT THIS TIME. *AK UPDATED 09/16/09 *BF UPDATED 09/17/09.*JB
CLUTCH FAILURE IN 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX XRS W/6 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. FAILURE OCCURRED AT 21,300 MILES, AND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY BURNING SMELL DETECTABLE IN THE CAR WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. TOYOTA REFUSED TO ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAILURE. TOYOTA DISTRICT MANAGER REFUSED TO CONTACT ME TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE. *NM
CLUTCH STARTED SLIPPING JUST BEFORE 30000 MILES. DEALER SAID WITHIN NORMAL OPERATION. CLUTCH NOW AT 33000 MILES AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT. DEALER REFUSES TO REPLACE, STATING NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. I FEEL THE CLUTCH IS DEFECTIVE AND THE DEALER WON'T ACKNOWLEDGE IT. I HAVE 18 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE DRIVING MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AND I DON'T ABUSE A CLUTCH. *NM
DT: THE CLUTCH WAS DIFFICULT TO DEPRESS/TO ENGAGE THE STARTER. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WHEN TRYING TO WORK THE CLUTCH BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH ROOM IN THE FLOOR AREA ,AND THE WHEEL WELL MADE A HUMP IN THIS AREA. ALSO, THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED WITH A FOOT REST THAT THE CONSUMER HAD REMOVED BECAUSE IT MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE STALLED. TWICE IT PUT THE CONSUMER IN DANGEROUS SITUATION ALTHOUGH, THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN AUGUST 2004. THE SECOND TIME WAS IN SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER 2004. WHEN THE CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A DEALER THEY BASICALLY TOLD HIM THEY COULD NOT FIND THE STALLING PROBLEM. WHEN HE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, THEY TOLD HIM BASICALLY THE SAME HING. THE CONSUMER STATED HE BELIEVED THAT THE AREA PROBLEM WAS A DESIGN FLAW. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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