Toyota Corolla Matrix 2003
Model Corolla Matrix made in 2003 by Toyota got 18 consumer complains as well as 1 recall. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to electrical system and engine and engine cooling. There was one recall concerning air bags . The car has one 1.8 engine.
Model 2003
| Engine [L] | Cylinders | Transmission | Drive | Estimate MPG (city/highway/combined) | Unadjusted MPG (city/highway/combined) | Fuel | Fuel cost | Class | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8 | 4 | Lockup/automatic, 4 gears | F | 28/33/30 | 31.6239/42.8455/35.849 | Regular | 774 | SMALL STATION WAGONS | |
| 1.8 | 4 | Lockup/automatic, 4 gears | 4 | 26/31/28 | 28.5/40.3/32.8251 | Regular | 830 | SMALL STATION WAGONS | |
| 1.8 | 4 | Lockup/automatic, 4 gears | F | 26/30/28 | 28.7732/38.6264/32.5044 | Premium | 884 | SMALL STATION WAGONS | |
| 1.8 | 4 | Manual, 5 gears | F | 29/36/32 | 32.7/46.2/37.6508 | Regular | 725 | SMALL STATION WAGONS | |
| 1.8 | 4 | Manual, 6 gears | F | 25/30/27 | 28/39.1/32.1009 | Premium | 916 | SMALL STATION WAGONS |
Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | ||||||||||||||||
| 13V029000 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing | from 01/06/2002 to 04/29/2004 | V (Vehicle) | 887709 | 03/13/2013 | ODI | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 01/30/2013 | 01/30/2013 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Toyota is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 corolla and corolla matrix vehicles and 2003-2004 pontiac vibe vehicles. the supplemental restraint system (srs) circuits are susceptible to internal shorting. the electrical short may create an abnormal current flow and increased heat which can damage the circuits. this could result in an inadvertent deployment of the front airbags and/or seat belt pretensioners. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Inadvertent deployment of the airbags or the seat belt pretensioners may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Toyota will notify their owners, and general motors will notify theirs. dealers will install a supplemental harness containing an electrical filter between the airbag control module and its wire harness, free of charge. the recall began on march 13, 2013. for more information, toyota owners may call 1-800-331-4331 and pontiac owners may call 1-800-620-7668. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. | |||||||||||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 12/13/2010 | 299999 | ||
| Odometer failure due to toyota building and installing a defective piece of equipment. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 04/12/2006 | 74000 | 1 | 03/05/2002 |
| Factory defect on engine part. had to spend over $4,000 for engine replacement & repairs. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 04/14/2007 | 82000 | 1 | 01/03/2003 |
| I was driving the vehicle home when the check engine light came on steady. i did not pay much attention to it as i realized that more than likely the problem was an oxygen sensor or something emissions related. 5 more minutes went by and the light started blinking, accompanied by a pinging sound coming from the engine that coincided with engine rpms. within 30 seconds the car died. after a local repair shop received the towed vehicle, they diagnosed the problem. the pingingwas caused by the piston hitting the spark plug. translation, i needed a new engine. when this happened for 30 seconds it caused an electrical short which caused the car to suddenly fail. the car had 82,000 miles on it , and i had babied it since day one with nothing but synthetic oil.*ak | |||
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES - DOORS - LATCH | |||
| 08/22/2006 | 81700 | 2 | |
| I have a 2003 toyota matrix. there is a thin metal covering on the door handle. the metal has separated from the plastic base. it is like a razor blade, so when you go to open the door your fingers get sliced. *jb | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 11/09/2006 | 71057 | 2 | 10/01/2005 |
| Purchased used 2003 matrix in oct 2005, paid for quality guard plus deluxe through nissan dealership where i purchased the car to cover mechanical problems. by april 2006 it was missing gears and car just died. took it to toyota dealership after calling nissan because i was pointed there. toyota had it for 5 days fix it supposedly then november 10th, 2006 transmission gave up on it again needing it to be towed from friends place to home. noises heard under the car before it stalled. they fixed problem before with remanufactured trans. but problem recurred. being shuffled back & forth now that i am claiming for what i paid for with quality guard plus. toyota don't have quality guard, nissan does but my car is not a nissan car. should have called before they will cover anything such as towing and car rental. too much red tape and hassles in asking to provide coverage i paid for and only one phone line 1-800-888-5245 that places you on hold for 30-50 minutes, talks to you briefly then place you on hold again. *jb | |||
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | |||
| 07/25/2007 | 1 | ||
| Clutch failed within the 36 thousand warranty period. dealer and toyota say that it is a wear item and not covered. many of the same reports of owners with same vehicle and same issue. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE | |||
| 12/13/2010 | 299999 | ||
| Odometer failure due to toyota building and installing a defective piece of equipment. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||
| 01/05/2007 | 61200 | 1 | 06/27/2002 |
| Manual transmission bearing failure at approximately 61,200 miles. warranty expired at 60,000 miles. toyota would make no adjustment. *tr | |||
| 10/28/2006 | 92000 | 2 | 07/09/2004 |
| I am the second owner of mt toyota xr and brought the car for the excellent reputation toyota has as i knew i would be driving it a lot as a regular commuter. i have had the oil replaced frequently and took the car to the toyota dealership for its services in the hope that this would mean it would last well. one week after my 90,000 service ($700) the transmission went out. i have driven a manual car all my life and know it was no due to bad driver habits. according to the garage a ball bearing dropped into the transmission and shredded it we have spent $3000 having the transmission replaced and feel let down by toyota, a car that was meant to last a lifetime has malfunctioned despite our best efforts at care. after having the transmission replaced and the clutch to be safe we now have an error code p0121 indicating a problem with the throttle pedal position sensor. feeling very frustrated with toyotas response that this has just been bad luck. *nm | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - WHEEL BEARING | |||
| 08/30/2006 | 102000 | 3 | 04/05/2002 |
| Front wheel bearing replaced & both rear wheel bearing (hub)assemblies replaced with only 103,000 kilometers on 2003 toyota matrix. is my case an isolated incident or is this a thing to look for , for matrix owners? it is a very costly repair over 1200 cdn. *nm | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - ACCELERATOR PEDAL | |||
| 11/28/2002 | 2 | 07/01/2002 | |
| 2003 toyota corolla matrix. consumer states numerous accidents due to the accelerator sticking. *tgw the consumer stated due to the accidents, the axle and transmission were damaged. *jb the consumer stated the first accident, she tried to reduce her speed on a curve, but was unable to do so and consequently hit another vehicle. the second accident, she was driving down a residential street and again she was unable to stop the vehicle when she approached a curve. the vehicle continued to accelerate, she hit a curb and the vehicle flipped over. updated 04/16/10 | |||
| WHEELS | |||
| 08/30/2006 | 102000 | 3 | 04/05/2002 |
| Front wheel bearing replaced & both rear wheel bearing (hub)assemblies replaced with only 103,000 kilometers on 2003 toyota matrix. is my case an isolated incident or is this a thing to look for , for matrix owners? it is a very costly repair over 1200 cdn. *nm | |||
Car dealers selling
| State | City | Zip | Name | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | WALKERTON | NOG2V0 | WALKERTON TOYOTA | 1-800-265-3057 |
| CA | VAN NUYS | 91401 | KEYES TOYOTA | 818-782-0122 |
| GA | BUFORD | TOYOTA MALL OF GEORGIA | ||
| NY | HEMPSTEAD | 11550 | MELLENIUM TOYOTA | |
| TX | HOUSTON | FRED HAAS TOYOTA |