2004 Toyota Matrix problems
NHTSA has received 175 complaints about the 2004 Toyota Matrix, and 21% of them involve air bags. After that come transmission (15%) and cruise control (9%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 175 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 21% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 26 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 24 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 70,000 miles 121 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 | 18 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 25 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 9 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 15 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 18 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 10 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 7 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 11 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 4 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 4 |
What the data shows
Among the 121 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 70,000 miles. For air bags specifically, the median reported mileage is about 130,000 miles (10 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 26 complaints mention a crash; 3 complaints mention a fire; 24 injuries reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 83% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2004 ranks 5th most-complained-about out of 8 model years of the Toyota Matrix with enough data (83 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 1 safety recall campaign.
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.
Fiance and I were on the 210 freeway heading east. He said we should take the car to the dealer when I asked why he said the steering is acting funny. The second he finished his sentence, the car spun out of control. Car did 360 degree turns across freeway (from left lane to right lane) and over the edge, down a hill, over a fence, and into a ditch. Minor injuries. We were lucky not to have been killed. Car was totaled. Accident is still being investigated to determine if there was a mechanical defect.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota matrix. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle began to drift off to the right. The contact tried to straighten up the steering wheel but it locked up and caused her to crash into a ditch. The vehicle was destroyed and the driver and the driver side rear passenger sustained minor injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who declared the vehicle destroyed.
My daughter said the steering totally locked while being driven. Her & her boyfriend could not get the steering wheel to turn at all. They were not speeding because it was on wet roads. They both suffered mild concussions & my daughter has a severe neck sprain. After seeing the car, it went off the road & rolled 2 or 3 times it's totaled, I'm surprised they're not in icu! I did some research & almost 1000 matrix's have had this happen!! I don't know why there isn't a recall.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota matrix. While the contact was driving approximately 5 MPH attempting to stop; the front driver side power window was activated, followed by a clunking and rattling noise. The vehicle had been previously repaired in december of 2008 under the NHTSA campaign id number 08v162000 (visibility:glass,side/rear). The contact stated the front driver's side window operated correctly before the recall remedy repair was performed on the vehicle.
I was leaving a supermarket parking lot on an incline. The speed was approximately less than 2 MPH. The vehicle suddenly revved loudly, attempting to lunge forward. I immediately applied brakes with substantial force, barely stopping the vehicle. I then put the car in neutral. The engine returned to normal rpms. I placed the car in drive without problem, returning home.