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Toyota MatrixYears to avoid, problems & recalls

Based on 1,175 NHTSA owner complaints across 11 model years, no Toyota Matrix year stands out as one to avoid, and the strongest years are 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2010. The Matrix has 7 safety recalls on record.

Toyota Matrix
Years to avoidNoneUse caution: 2003, 2009Best years'04 '07 '08 '10Fewest complaints for their ageOwner complaints1,175Top: Air bagsSafety recalls72003–2013 model years

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports. Updated daily. How we score years. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Best & worst years

Toyota Matrix years to avoid

Complaints by model year, colored by the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Matrix median. Tap a year for its full report.

'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
2013Not rated–/1000 complaints · 1 recall2012Not rated–/1005 complaints · 1 recall2011Not rated–/10010 complaints · 2 recalls2010Best79/10045 complaints · 4 recalls2009Caution41/100192 complaints · 3 recalls2008Best80/10038 complaints · 2 recalls2007Solid61/10096 complaints · 2 recalls2006Solid49/100170 complaints · 3 recalls2005Solid46/100213 complaints · 1 recall2004Solid51/100138 complaints · 1 recall2003Caution38/100268 complaints · 1 recall
Complaints by system

Most common Toyota Matrix problems

All model years combined: 1,175 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Air bags40644
Power train1730
Vehicle speed control14562
Electrical system979
Engine and engine cooling945
Tires674
Steering5515
Service brakes, hydraulic4210
Engine411
20 other systems24431
7 recalls

Toyota Matrix recalls

Newest first. The ring shows the share of affected vehicles repaired, from the manufacturer's latest report to NHTSA.

58%Air bags: air bag/restraint control module20V-024 · 2011–2013 · Jan 17, 2020 · 2,891,976 vehicles72%Passenger side: inflator module16V-340 · 2009–2011 · May 23, 2016 · 1,754,517 vehicles–Engine and engine cooling10V-384 · 2005–2008 · Aug 26, 2010 · 1,128,659 vehicles–Other: labels10V-036 · 2006–2010 · Feb 3, 2010 · 153,418 vehicles–Other: labels10V-035 · 2006–2010 · Feb 3, 2010 · 271,417 vehicles–Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal10V-023 · 2009–2010 · Jan 27, 2010 · 1,126,915 vehicles–Visibility: glass, side/rear08V-162 · 2003–2004 · Apr 10, 2008 · 662,178 vehicles
2 investigations

NHTSA investigations of the Matrix

  1. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · 2009–2011 · still open
    Open
  2. SIDE FRONT POWER WINDOW SHATTERSEA08004 · 2003–2004 · closed May 1, 2008
    Led to recall 08V-162