2009 Toyota Matrix Electrical Problems

I JUST NARROWLY MISSED AN ACCIDENT WITH A TRAIN. MY CAR ENGINE SHUT OFF RIGHT OVER THE TRAIN TRACK TODAY. MY 2009 TOYOTA MATRIX FIRST PROBLEM STARTED STALLING SUDDENLY IN TRAFFIC LAST YEAR, BUT NOW VERY FREQUENTLY STALLS EVEN ON HIGHWAYS AT HIGH SPEEDS. NO WARNINGS. WHEN STALLED ALL LIGHTS COMES ON IN DASH, INCLUDING "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT. COMPLETELY TURN OFF IGNITION AND RESTARTING IS THE ONLY WAY TO START THE CAR AGAIN. AFTER RESTARTING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES OUT. OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES IN ALL SORTS OF WEATHER, BUT MORE FREQUENT ON HOT SUMMER DAYS. RESTART CLEARED ENGINE COMPUTER, DEALERSHIP HAD DIFFICULT TIME REPLICATING FAILURE. BUT, ADVISE TO REPLACEMENT THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AS IT WAS A WELL KNOWN SAFETY RECALL FOR THE YEAR MODELS UP TO 2008. DEALER REFUSE TO ASSUME THE COST OF REPLACE THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM). NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V384000

NHTSA ID

10851993

Incident

Mar 28, 2016

Mileage

100,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR STALLS. EVERYTHING TURNS OFF AND I'M DEAD ON THE STREET, TURNPIKE OR HIGHWAY. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN TWICE, BUT TOYOTA HAS NO IDEA WHAT IS HAPPENING. SOMETIMES IT DOES NOT HAPPEN FOR A WHILE, AND THEN IT WILL START STALLING AGAIN. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN AGAIN AFTER STALLING ON THE PA TURNPIKE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. I AM STALLING ON CITY ROADS, HIGHWAYS, TURNPIKES, AND I RISK AN ACCIDENT OR BEING KILLED. THIS IS A DANGEROUS ISSUE. I HAVE INFORMED THE TOYOTA CAR DEALERSHIP THIS WILL BE THEIR LAST TIME TO FIND THE PROBLEM AND FIX IT.

NHTSA ID

10849740

Incident

Mar 6, 2016

Mileage

60,000 mi

POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION OCCURRED AND WARNING LIGHT (ON THE DASHBOARD) WAS ON. STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY HARD TO TURN. LUCKILY THIS HAPPENED ON THE PARKING LOT, AND NOT ON MY WAY BACK HOME (TRIP ON THE HIGHWAY) WHICH FOR SURE WOULD RESULTED IN CAR ACCIDENT WITH SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. I HAVE CONTACT TOYOTA HOWEVER AT THIS POINT THEY ARE NOT CONCERNED IN THIS MATTER AS SAFETY ISSUE AND WILL NOT COVER ANY EXPENSES FOR SUCH REPAIR (POWER STEERING ELECTRICAL UNIT/ RELAY WAS REPLACED_PARTS~ 900$ AND LABOR ~500$). *TR

NHTSA ID

10552619

Incident

Nov 6, 2013

Mileage

44,500 mi

ALTERNATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10494720

Incident

Nov 16, 2012

Mileage

80,000 mi

I HAVE A 2009 TOYOTA MATRIX AND IT CONTINUES TO HAVE ISSUES. TOYOTA HAS NEVER SENT NOTIFICATION OF RECALLS AND THIS CAR HAS A FEW. WHEN I BRING IT UP TO THE DEALER THEY ACT AS IF I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT. MY TIRES NEED REPLACEMENT AT 20,000 MILES AND THE BRAKES GRIND WHEN STOPPING EVEN AFTER THEY WERE REPLACED AT THE DEALERS EXPENSE AFTER THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM TWICE! I HAD TO GO BACK TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES AS THE PARTS PEOPLE SENT THE WRONG PARTS TWICE!! THE TIRE WARNING LIGHT IS CONSTANTLY COMING ON EVEN THOUGH I HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES AND THEY TELL ME NOTHING IS WRONG. I AM TOLD THAT THE CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE MAKES THE LIGHT COME ON. I AM TO THE POINT I AM GOING TO REPLACE THE TIRES AND BE DONE WITH IT. THE LAST THING I NEED IS A TIRE BLOW OUT ON THE INTERSTATE. THE ENGINE GETS SLUGGISH AND BOGS DOWN WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE AND THE INTERIOR FEATURES KEEP HAVING TO BE SLAMMED BACK INTO PLACE BECAUSE THEY COME OUT OF PLACE. I WAS TOLD BY A SALESMAN AT A CAR SHOW THAT IT HAPPENS WITH THE MATRIXS AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHY. EACH TRIP TO THE DEALERSHIP I AM TREATED AS A WOMAN WHO KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT CARS. MY FATHER IS A MECHANIC AND I KNOW MY WAY AROUND A CAR. COBB COUNTY TOYOTA IN KENNESAW, GEORGIA IS THE WORST DEALERSHIP. I AM GOING TO TRY ANOTHER DEALERSHIP OR JUST HEAD TO AN INDEPENDENT. I SAVED FOR 2 YEARS TO BUY IT AND NOW I FEEL VERY UPSET THAT TOYOTA CARES SO LITTLE ABOUT THE CUSTOMER. I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE A FEW MORE RECALLS OUT ON THE 2009 MATRIX, YET I HAVEN'T BEEN NOTIFIED OF THEM BY TOYOTA. WHEN I BROUGHT UP THE NEW RECALLS TO THE DEALER HE LOOKED SHOCKED AND TRIED TO TELL ME THAT WASN'T TRUE. WHY ARE NEW TOYOTA BUYERS GETTING FREE SERVICE WHEN OUR CARS ARE THE PROBLEM. I'M GOING BACK TO HONDA! TOYOTA USE TO BE GREAT. THE PRESIDENT OF THE COMPANY SHOULD BE ASHAMED AND COMMIT SEPPUKU OR AT LEAST PROVIDE CURRENT OWNERS FREE SERVICE TOO. *TR

NHTSA ID

10375423

Incident

May 1, 2008

Mileage

20,000 mi

MY CAR IS A TOYOTA MATRIX S 2009, THIS VEHICLE HAS GIVEN ME PROBLEMS SINCE THE EIGHT MONTHS IT WAS PURCHASED WITH A MILEAGE OF 8000 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, VSC OFF, 4WD AND WARNING SLIP WAS SEIZED WITHOUT REASON, AND THE ENGINE MADE ME A VERY LOUD NOISE, LIKE A BIG TRUCK ENGINE, THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN HAPPENING TO ME FOR 6 CONSECUTIVE TIMES LATELY I HAVE THIS PROBLEM 3 TIMES IN A ROW IN A MONTH, EACH TIME I REPLACED THE CRANK SENSOR AND WATER PUMP, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS, I TRANSPORTED DAILY TO MY CHILD IN THIS CAR AND I AM APPALLED EVERY DAY FEARING AN ACCIDENT, DO NOT WANT THIS CAR BUT NOW I'M IN THE PROCESS OF ARBITRATION RETURN, DO NOT I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE TOYOTA CORPORATION, HAS HAD MANY CONCERNS ABOUT SECURITY IN THEIR PRODUCTS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10348617

Incident

Jul 26, 2010

Mileage

23,000 mi

BOUGHT 2009 TOYOTA MATRIX S NEW. I COMMUTE APPROXIMATELY 45 MILES ONE WAY TO WORK ON FREEWAY, NORMALLY WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL OCCASIONS OF ACCELERATION "SURGE"(RELATIVELY MINOR INCREASES IN ACCELERATION WITHOUT TOUCHING ACCELERATOR). MY WIFE ALSO EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WHILE TAKING OUR SON TO SCHOOL UNDER NORMAL STREET SPEED. I WOULD ALSO EXPERIENCE SEVERAL SITUATIONS OF DIFFICULT VEHICLE CONTROL ON FREEWAY DUE TO STEERING ISSUES. I THOUGHT AT THE TIME IT WAS JUST WIND PUSHING AGAINST THE CAR UNTIL I READ OTHER DRIVERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10317498

Incident

Mar 7, 2010

Mileage

20,000 mi

2009 LOW MILEAGE TOYOTA MATRIX STALLS SUDDENLY IN TRAFFIC, COMPLETE STALL, MUST RESTART. OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES IN ALL SORTS OF WEATHER, BUT MOSTLY IN HUMID CONDITIONS. RESTART CLEARED ENGINE COMPUTER DEALERSHIP HAD DIFFICULT TIME REPLICATING FAILURE. FINALLY REMEDIED WITH REPLACEMENT OF ELECTRONICS PART IN JUNE 2009. *TR

NHTSA ID

10303826

Incident

Nov 27, 2008

Mileage

100 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA MATRIX. WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED, AND THEN THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. A TECHNICIAN STATED THAT BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE THEY COULD NOT PROVIDE A REMEDY. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 72483. UPDATED 12/17/09 *BF THE WARNING LIGHTS REMAINED ON UNTIL THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF. THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER NEVER LEFT ZERO. UPDATED 12/21/09

NHTSA ID

10293523

Incident

Oct 7, 2009

Mileage

72,483 mi