2008 Toyota Matrix Electrical Problems

2008 TOYOTA MATRIX. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO TOYOTA COMPUTER SAFETY RECALL. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER HAD NOT REPLACED THE ECM, BUT CLAIMED IT WAS REPLACED. *JS

NHTSA ID

11315318

Incident

Dec 30, 2010

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA MATRIX. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND ON IN ORDER TO DRIVE PROPERLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES, ESPECIALLY AT RED LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BENNETT TOYOTA (1951 LEHIGH ST, ALLENTOWN, PA 18103), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000.

NHTSA ID

11142863

Incident

Sep 26, 2018

Mileage

97,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN INTERNAL ELECTRICAL SHORT THAT PROGRESSED INTERMITTENTLY FOR THREE YEARS. IN ADDITION, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FLICKERED, VARIOUS INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL LIGHTS RANDOMLY ILLUMINATED, AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO BE EXTREMELY TIGHT. THE CONTACT ALSO INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED MULTIPLE TIMES WITHOUT WARNING. THE FIRST DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY WOULD NOT HOLD A CHARGE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BATTERY AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE FIRST DEALER WHO THEN FLUSHED THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY, REPLACED THE DRIVE BELT, AND INSPECTED THE ECU FOR AN INTERNAL FAILURE. THE FIRST DEALER REPLACED THE ECU AND RESTRUCTURED THE MAIN CONTROL PLUG ON THE BODY CONTROL MODULE, BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO RANDOMLY STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SECOND DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE JUNCTION CONTROL FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,318.

NHTSA ID

10821292

Incident

Mar 5, 2012

Mileage

55,318 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA MATRIX. WHEN THE CONTACT TURNED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, THE ENGINE STARTED BUT SOME OF THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WOULD NOT FUNCTION. THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, BUT NO FAILURES WERE FOUND. AS TIME WENT ON, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ECU NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO REQUESTED THAT THE DEALER PERFORM ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC BEFORE ANY REPAIR DECISION COULD BE MADE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID

10818759

Incident

May 17, 2015

SAFETY RECALL LETTER RECEIVED NOVEMBER 2010, PART AVAILABLE MARCH 2011 MADE APPOINTMENT WITH DEALER MARCH 5TH 2011 DEALER SAID I NEED THE REPLACEMENT PART FOR THE ECM BUT NO PART AVAILABLE WILL CALL WHEN PART IS AVAILABLE. NO CONTACT SINCE. RECEIVED YET ANOTHER RECALL LETTER AUGUST 15, 2011 STARTING THE PROCESS ALL OVER AGAIN. I HAVE COMPLIED BUT WASTED MY TIME ALREADY WITH NO RESULTS. IT IS NOW AUGUST 2011. *KB

NHTSA ID

10419603

Incident

Nov 1, 2010

SUDDEN ACCELERATION IN 2008 MATRIX AUTOMATIC: FIRST KNOWN FAILURE. CAR BROUGHT NEW IN SEPTEMBER 2007; ODOMETER: 6000 MILES. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH ON EVEN STRAIGHT SMOOTH ROADWAY, THERE WAS A SUDDEN ACCELERATION TO GREATER THAN 70 MPH. WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THEY DEPRESSED TO FLOOR WITHOUT ANY EFFECT. CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE RAPIDLY. SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL WITHOUT SUCCESS. CAR SLOWED AFTER BEING PLACED IN REVERSE. COASTED TO A STOP. PLACED GEAR IN 2 AND DROVE SLOWLY HOME - APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE. FLOOR MATS WERE NOT NEAR EITHER PEDAL AND WERE KEPT STATIONARY BY HOOKS DESIGNED TO KEEP MATS FROM SHIFTING. CALLED TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT: TOLD THAT FLOOR MATS WERE THE PROBLEM; TALKED TO SERVICE MANAGERS WHO STATED THAT THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS DESCRIBED WERE IMPOSSIBLE, NO PROBLEMS WERE KNOWN TO EXIST FOR MATRIX AND GREATER THAN 99% OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEMS WERE DUE TO DRIVER ERROR. AFTER A DISCUSSION, THE CAR WAS EVALUATED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE FOLLOWING WAS REPORTED: FLOOR MATS HELD IN PROPER PLACE NO OBJECTS ON FLOOR NORMAL BRAKE PEDAL OPERATION NORMAL ACCELERATOR PEDAL OPERATION HEALTH CHECK - POWERTRAIN, CHASSIS, ELECTRICAL, NETWORK SYSTEMS - OK COMPUTER CODES - NO ABNORMALITIES FOUND NORMAL THROTTLE BODY INSPECTION TIRES WITH NORMAL WEAR & FUNCTION PROBLEM WAS NOT DUPLICATED ON TEST DRIVE. WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR IS FUNCTIONING NORMALLY IN ALL AREAS AND HAS NO PROBLEMS. IMPLIED THAT MY EXPERIENCE WAS A MISPERCEPTION OR MISREPRESENTATION. ASSESSMENT: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT MALFUNCTION IN THE MATRIX WHICH COULD HAVE LED TO CRITICAL INJURIES OR LOSS OF LIFE. ONLY DUE TO THE TRAFFIC FLOW AT PRECISELY THAT MOMENT, NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENTS DENIED THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTS. RECOMMENDATION: SUDDEN UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED UNTIL AN ANSWER /SOLUTION IS FOUND. THE FINDINGS SHOULD BE SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC. THE COST FOR REPAIRS SHOULD BE PAID BY TOYOTA. *TR

NHTSA ID

10343697

Incident

Jul 16, 2010

Mileage

6,000 mi

TOYOTA MATRIX XR 2008:BOUGHT NEW. ONE DRIVER CAR. TWENTY-TWO MONTHS OF DRIVING WITH 11,000 MILES ON IT. TOOK TO DEALER ON MARCH 12, 2010 BECAUSE LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID. DIAGNOSED AS FAULTY HARMONIC EQUALIZER ON FRONT AXLE WHICH CAUSED SCARING ON AXLE AND INSIDE TRANSMISSION INSTALLED NEW AXLE AND TRANSMISSION. TEN MINUTES AFTER PICKING UP CAR AFTER FIRST PROBLEM CORRECTED: CAR LOST POWER WHILE I WAS DRIVING. NEARLY KILLED BY SEMI-TRUCK BUT AVOIDED ACCIDENT. DIAGNOSED AS FAULTY COMPUTER. DEALER INSTALLING NEW COMPUTER NOW. UPDATED 03/29/10 *BF UPDATED 05/05/10.*JB

NHTSA ID

10321870

Incident

Mar 11, 2010

Mileage

11,000 mi

SEVERAL MONTHS AGO I DROVE THROUGH A PUDDLE OF WATER IN OUR PARKING LOT AT WORK. IT WAS STORMING WITH THE WIND BLOWING AS WELL. WHEN I DROVE THROUGH THE PUDDLE, MY BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AND I LOST STEERING. THEN ENGINE NEVER STOPPED. ONCE I TRAVELED A FEW YARDS, THE STEERING STARTED WORKING AND THE BATTERY LIGHT WENT OFF. IT HAPPENED ANOTHER 3 MORE TIMES BEFORE I EVER LEFT MY WORK FACILITY. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR THEM TO CHECK IT OUT. THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I TOLD THEM SOMETHING MAKES ME LOSE STEERING ASSOCIATED WITH WATER. THE GENTLEMAN AT TOYOTA TOLD ME NOT TO DRIVE THROUGH PUDDLES. I DID NOT THINK IT WAS FUNNY. IT HAS HAPPENED A FEW MORE TIMES WITH MY HUSBAND DRIVING. WE LIVE IN LOUISIANA AND IT RAINS. I CAN NOT AVOID GOING THROUGH WATER WHEN IT RAINS. I NEED HELP. *TR

NHTSA ID

10311527

Incident

Jun 15, 2009

Mileage

48,000 mi