Toyota Matrix 2003–2013

Summary

11 model years in 2 generations, 1,175 owner complaints in total.
No model year stands out as the most complained-about of its generation.
These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
Half of the complaints that give a mileage were filed by 51,033 miles (728 of them give one).
Owners reported 121 crashes, 10 fires, 85 injuries and 2 deaths across these model years.
9 recalls and 2 federal investigations cover these model years; 1 investigation is still open.

2003–2008

Each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Fewer than three years of this generation are comparable, so no year is named.

Model year	All complaints	First three years	Most reported system	Note
2003	268	86	Powertrain
2004	138	24	Powertrain	not compared
2005	213	33	Airbags	not compared
2006	170	45	Airbags	not compared
2007	96	13	Airbags	not compared
2008	38	20	Accelerator & Cruise Control	not compared

2009–2013

Model year	All complaints	First three years	Most reported system	Note
2009	192	83	Airbags
2010	45	9	Airbags	not compared
2011	10	0	Airbags	not compared
2012	5	0	Airbags	not compared
2013	0	0		not compared

Every model year

A model year gets its own page when four sources cover it, it holds at least 50 complaints, and it either compares with the other years of its generation or shows one system in 40% or more of the complaints that name a component. The rest are listed here with their figures.

Model year	Complaints	Recalls	Investigations	Bulletins	Combined MPG	Page
2003	268	3	1	140	24–28	listed here
2004	138	3	1	133	24–28	listed here
2005	213	2	0	151	25–29	yes
2006	170	4	0	138	25–29	listed here
2007	96	2	0	136	27–29	listed here
2008	38	2	0	141	27–29	listed here
2009	192	3	1	215	22–28	yes
2010	45	4	1	222	22–28	listed here
2011	10	2	1	211	22–29	listed here
2012	5	1	0	218	22–29	listed here
2013	0	0	0	0	22–29	listed here

What owners report across all years

System	Complaints	Share	Median mileage
Airbags	406	35%	90,000 mi
Powertrain	172	15%	77,432 mi
Accelerator & Cruise Control	145	13%	25,000 mi
Engine	135	12%	68,000 mi
Electrical System	96	8%	60,000 mi

Shares are over complaints that name a component; a complaint naming several systems is counted under each.

Airbags

Owner report The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Matrix. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V627000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repai…

Owner report The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Matrix. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced under an unknown recall however, the air bag warning light illuminated after the repair was made. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V627000 (Air Bags); however, the vehicle was not repaired, and the conta…

Powertrain

Owner report 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 W…

Owner report TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX. WHILE DRIVING, THE CHECK ENGINE SENSOR INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED HARD SHIFTING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ECM WAS FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN W…

Accelerator & Cruise Control

Owner report 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 …

Owner report 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. …

Largest recalls

Campaign	Component	Filed	Vehicles
20V024000	AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE	2020-01-17	2,891,976
16V340000	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE	2016-05-23	1,754,517
10V384000	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	2010-08-26	1,128,659
10V023000	VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL	2010-01-27	1,126,915
08V162000	VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR	2008-04-10	662,178

Whether a recall has been done on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Open investigations

Action	Component	Opened	Subject
EA21002	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE	2021-09-17	Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

Service bulletins

Toyota issued 1,705 service bulletins covering these model years, most often about equipment.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so a bulletin listed here may not be specific to one year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

Date	Component	Summary
2026-01-07	UNKNOWN OR OTHER	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 Serv…
2024-12-06	STRUCTURE:BODY	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…
2024-12-06	STRUCTURE:BODY	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 vehicl…
2024-12-05	STRUCTURE:BODY	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 …
2024-12-03	STRUCTURE:BODY	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 …
2024-07-29	STRUCTURE:BODY	Some 2005 – 2024 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 Serv…
2024-07-12	STRUCTURE:BODY	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…
2024-07-12	STRUCTURE:BODY	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 in…
2024-07-12	STRUCTURE:BODY	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 vehicl…
2024-06-21	STRUCTURE:BODY	Some 2005 – 2024 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 Serv…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more after news coverage or a recall. That is why years are compared only with other years of the same generation, over the same span, and never with other models.

Sources

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications (data as of 2026-10-28).
U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines and fuel economy.

This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection.