2012 Toyota Matrix Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2012 Toyota Matrix, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags480.0%
- Engine120.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL. REPEATED ATTEMPTS FOR FIXING AIRBAG UNRESPONSIVE FROM TOYOTA DEALERS
TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V006000 (AIR BAGS) EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR REPAIR. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION IN JANUARY OF 2018. THE DEALER (EASTERN SHORE TOYOTA 29732 FREDRICK BLVD, DAPHNE, AL, 36526) STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA MATRIX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE MADE NOISES UNDERNEATH THE HOOD AND SHUT DOWN. THE OIL AND SERVICE ENGINE INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND LATER TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME. THE NEXT DAY, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL AND THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 135,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .