2008 Toyota Corolla Matrix problems
NHTSA has received 38 complaints about the 2008 Toyota Corolla Matrix, and 61% of them involve air bags. Next are electrical system (8%) and engine (8%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 38 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 61% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 6 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 1 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 94,000 miles 17 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 3 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 1 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 2 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 1 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 2 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 3 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 2 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 2 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Of the 17 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 94,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 6 complaints mention a crash; 1 injury reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2008 ranks 2nd most-complained-about out of 7 model years of the Toyota Corolla Matrix with enough data (9 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 4 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
I was in an accident. My driver's side airbag deployed and then instantly collapsed. It offered no protection whatsoever. I experienced severe pain in my chest and right breast from where the seat belt locked. This pain lasted for 6 weeks. If the airbag had worked properly, it would have cushioned the impact and likely made it possible to lessen the need for the seatbelt to do all of the work. This must be fixed!
Someone pulled out in front of me and I hit them with the front of my car. I was driving 40 miles an hour on a city street. It crashed in the front end, radiator, fenders and hood. The airbags did not deploy. I had been sent a recall notice and scheduled an appointment at a local toyota dealer immediately. The crash happened two weeks before the appointment. This is a known problem with the manufacturer. NHTSA recall no. 19v-627
Was driving the 08 matrix at highway speed on interstate 90/94 west of madison wi. Stopped at rest stop and hear loud, hollow noise from under vehicle. Made it to milwaukee and brought car to toyota dealer. Was informed one of the straps holding gas tank to car failed due to corrosion, wear & tear and age of vehicle. Was told noise was due to gasoline tank, rock and heat shield clanging against car's frame/chasis underneath and out of sight.
Engine over-heated to the point where the head gasket blew. Dealership said it was due to chronic overheating but temperature gauges never indicated any issue and the check engine light did not come on until 2 minutes before the car broke down. Potential problem with the monitoring system. Routine maintenance (oil change, fluids checked, etc.) was done less than 2 weeks prior to incident.