2010 Toyota Matrix

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

"ELECTRIC POWER STEERING" WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING DOES NOT CENTER CAUSING YOU TO HAVE TO RECORRECT CONSTANTLY. IT SEEMS LIKE A SAFTEY ISSUE BUT TOYOTA SWINDLED THEIR WAY OUT OF A RECALL.

NHTSA ID

11219187

Incident

Jun 10, 2019

Mileage

116,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA MATRIX. WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND CRASHED INTO AN APARTMENT BUILDING. THE DRIVER STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED DURING THE FAILURE. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED, BUT THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A FRACTURED STERNUM, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY SERVICED FOR BOTH UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND AN UNKNOWN AIR BAG RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. THE VIN WAS INVALID.

NHTSA ID

11142316

Incident

Sep 28, 2018

Mileage

40,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA MATRIX. WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER AND SEVERAL WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE EMC VALVE WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DID NOT ASSIST BECAUSE THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

NHTSA ID

11081961

Incident

Mar 27, 2018

Mileage

160,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA MATRIX. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS PLACING THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK IN THE DEPRESSED POSITION. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A WALL IN THE PARKING GARAGE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE SIDE AND FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME TO BE RETRIEVED BY STATE FARM INSURANCE. THE INSURANCE CLAIM NUMBER WAS 372327J90. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. *TT

NHTSA ID

11054235

Incident

Dec 11, 2017

Mileage

50,000 mi

"TAKATA RECALL". I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON 4/27/2017. I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE APPROXIAMATELY 1 WEEK LATER. I CALLED THE DEALER I PURCHASED IT THROUGH, THEY TOLD ME WHEN I RECEIVE A LETTER FROM TOYOTA THAT THE AIRBAGS ARE AVAILABLE, TO CALL BACK. IT HAS BEEN ALMOST 5 MONTHS AND THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. I REALLY WOULD LIKE MY CAR REPAIRED SOON, AS THE WEATHER HERE IN ROCHESTER IS GOING TO GET SNOWY IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. I WANT TO FEEL SAFE IN MY CAR, AS I TRANSPORT MY DAUGHTER THAT IS 3 1/2 YEARS OLD. CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE ME SOME GUIDANCE AS TO HOW I CAN GET MY VEHICLE REPAIRED SOON?

NHTSA ID

11023840

Incident

May 8, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 15V689000 (VISIBILITY) AND 16V340000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE REMEDY PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS. AN UNKNOWN DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

NHTSA ID

11020284

Incident

May 15, 2017

TAKATA RECALL - I HAVE CONTACTED SEVERAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS IN MY AREA (BATON ROUGE, LA), SOME OF THEM MORE THAN ONCE. NONE OF THEM ARE ABLE TO DO THE AIRBAG RECALL, CLAIMING THEY DO NOT HAVE THE NECESSARY PART AND DO NOT KNOW WHEN THEY WILL HAVE IT. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR PROBABLY ABOUT A YEAR NOW. ONE OF THEM ACTUALLY SUGGESTED THAT THE REMEDY WAS TO PREVENT ANYONE FROM SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT. I HAVE A WIFE AND 2 SMALL CHILDREN; THAT IS NOT AN OPTION, AND IT WAS RIDICULOUS AND INSULTING TO SUGGEST IT. I BOUGHT A CAR WITH 4 DOORS AND (AT LEAST) 4 SEATS FOR A REASON, AND THAT'S WHAT I EXPECT TO HAVE. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE ANSWER THERE. ANYWAY, I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO RESOLVE THIS WITH THE LOCAL DEALERSHIPS, SO I AM FILING A COMPLAINT HERE. I WISH I HAD FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS FORM 6 OR 9 MONTHS AGO. THANKS IN ADVANCE.

NHTSA ID

11016023

Incident

Aug 27, 2016

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE CITY DRIVING IN JULY 2016 MY 2010 TOYOTA MATRIX VCS LIGHT BEGAN BLINKING, BOTH THE SKID LIGHT AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ACCELERATION HAD LITTLE TO NO RESPONSE.THOUGH IT HAS NOT RESOLVED THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM, I WAS ABLE TO RESET THE SYSTEM SO THE LIGHTS ARE NOW OFF. MY VEHICLE WILL THEN ACCELERATE AND WORK FOR A PERIOD BEFORE REPEATING THE SYMPTOMS. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS ISSUE IS A PROGRAM ERROR OR A PART DEFECT. BASED ON THE ERROR CODES WHEN I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE (AUG 2016) A CERTIFIED LICENSED TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE ORIGINAL ECM MODULE WITH ONE THAT WAS PURCHASED AT A CERTIFIED TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND PROGRAMMED IT. I HAD TO TAKE MY VEHICLE BACK IN FOR SERVICE THIS MONTH (AUG 2017) SINCE THIS SAME ISSUE REOCCURRED. FORTUNATELY, IT WAS STILL COVERED UNDER THE PARTS/SERVICE WARRANTY AND A SECOND ECM MODULE FROM THE SAME DEALERSHIP WAS INSTALLED AND PROGRAMMED. HOWEVER, AFTER GETTING A TANK OF GAS TODAY, THIS HAPPENED AGAIN AS I PULLED AWAY FROM THE PUMP! AND YES, MY CAP WAS PROPERLY SECURED. I SENT AN EMAIL TO TOYOTA TO ASK HOW THE COMPANY IS ABLE TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE FOR ME SINCE THIS MAY BE THE FOURTH ONE INSTALLED IN MY CAR IF I COUNT THE ORIGINAL ONE.I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT MY VEHICLE WILL FAIL WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY BETWEEN TWO SEMI TRUCKS CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO MYSELF AND/OR OTHERS. I HAVE READ THAT OTHER OWNERS OF THIS MAKE/MODEL VEHICLE HAVE HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCES; AND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM ON OLDER MODELS.(2005-2008 MATRIX HATCHBACK DUE TO ENGINE STALLING ISSUES) IF THIS IS NOT A RECALL PROBLEM FOR MY YEAR/MAKE/MODEL, IT SHOULD BE. PLEASE NOTE THAT I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES AND AT VARIOUS SPEEDS.

NHTSA ID

11014963

Incident

Aug 13, 2017

Mileage

78,851 mi

Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This Service Bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare and treat the interior of the vehicle for odor remediation. Refer to the applicable model and model year Repair Manual and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) website for the most up-to-date safety and precautionary guidelines.

Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood, roof, and decklid, significant damage to the painted surfaces can occur. Acid rain damage can typically be identified on vehicles by the presence of stains on the paint surface that resemble hard water spots. Unlike water spots however, acid rain damage cannot be removed by regular washing procedures. Also, because acid rain can etch and soften the paint, normal buffing or polishing repair procedures should not be attempted. This can cause further damage and result in visible depressions in the paint surface. The following are the three major categories of acid rain damage: •Minor damage: requires only buffing to repair. •Moderate damage: usually requires neutralizing, color sanding, and buffing. •Severe damage: extending beyond 1/2 mil of clearcoat on a pearl, metallic, or solid color, requires neutralization, sanding, and repainting. In cases where acid rain damage is minor, neutralization and buffing with a liquid-type paint finessing product may provide an adequate repair. Only specially formulated products outlined in this bulletin should be used for that purpose. Unfortunately, other than minor damage, there is no simple method of determining the actual extent (depth) of acid penetration other than color sanding a representative affected area until there is no visible etching or depressions, followed by measuring the amount of paint removed with either a magnetic or digital-type film thickness gauge. The procedures in this bulletin are intended for use by qualified body/paint technicians and should not be attempted by inexperienced personnel. It is the dealer’s responsibility to protect and maintain the quality of the vehicle’s paint finish after receipt at the dealership prior to the first sale. Perform frequent vehicle washing, as often as daily, during high heat and humidity periods to minimize the potential for paint damage due to acid rain exposure. This is especially important in geographical areas known for high frequency and concentration of acid rain and industrial fallout.

The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicle surface, especially the horizonal areas of the hood, roof, and decklid, significant damage can occur. This damage is the result of actual etching of the paint and appears as pitting or water spots. As acid rain droplets on the vehicle surface evaporate, the concentration strength of the acid increases, causing deeper and more rapid damage. This evaporation and corrosive action also occur more rapidly on dark colored cars as direct sun heat increases. It is the dealer’s responsibility to protect and maintain the quality of the vehicle’s paint finish after receipt at the dealership prior to the first sale. In areas known for high frequency and/or concentration of acid rain, frequent vehicle washing during high heat or humidity periods will minimize the potential for paint damage caused by acid rain. It is further recommended that either reverse osmosis or deionized water be used to prevent water spotting.

To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and initial rust before the vehicle is delivered to the customer. Consequently, the film should remain on the wheel for as long as possible.

Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow the Removal Procedure in this bulletin to remove the RapgardTM protective film within 90 days from initial application.

Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. This type of contamination can be identified by the presence of small, red or brown particles on the paint surface. These particles are often difficult to see on dark color paints but can be easily felt when brushing a hand across horizontal body surfaces such as the hood, roof, or deck lid. Follow the Repair Procedure in this bulletin to clean vehicles that may have been subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles such as rail dust during rail transportation or extended storage near industrial areas.