2003 Toyota Matrix

I HEARD A SCRAPING AND GRATING NOISE AS I EXITED THE FREEWAY THAT I THOUGHT WAS SOME TRAPPED DEBRIS UNDER THE FRONT END OR IN THE WHEEL WELL. I PULLED INTO A GAS STATION TO INVESTIGATE, FINDING A LOOSE PLASTIC PLATE ( A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE CHEAP PLASTIC SCREWS AND FASTENERS USED) I RIGGED SOMETHING TO HOLD IT UP AND GET HOME. AFTER A FEW MORE BLOCKS THE SOUND INTENSIFIED AND THE CAR BEGAN TO SHUDDER AND SHAKE AND I HEARD A POP. I PULLED OVER, GOT TOWED HOME, AND THE NEXT MORNING HAD IT TOWED TO A SHOP. THE MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS SHOT AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR ONLY HAS 140,000 MILES ON IT, AND I DO NOT DRIVE IT LIKE SOME CRAZED MANIAC. AN INTERNET CHAT ROOM HAS RECORDED LOTS OF MATRIX OWNERS WITH THE SAME TRANSMISSION ISSUES...I AM GOING TO NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND A NEW CLUTCH. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE IN OUR 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX WITH TWO OF OUR THREE YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE CAR WHEN SHE HEARD A LOUD BANG AND FELT WHAT SHE DESCRIBES AS THE CAR JUMPING OFF THE GROUND. SHE SLOWED THE CAR DOWN TO A CRAWL, EXITED THE INTERSTATE AND LIMPED IT HOME. PRESENTLY IT SITS IN THE YARD AND WILL ONLY MOVE FORWARD. IN FACT, EVEN IN NEUTRAL THE CAR CAN'T BE PUSHED BACKWARD. UPON SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS ON THE INTERNET I FOUND A FORUM WITH WHAT APPEARS TO BE DOZENS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD TRANSMISSION FAILURES WITH 2003 TO 2005 MATRIXES. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE MY WIFE CAME CLOSE TO GOING OFF THE ROAD WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND IT APPEARS THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT WON'T TAKE ANY ACTION TO REMEDY IT. THEY HAD A RECALL ON THE WINDOWS BECAUSE IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE BUT I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT A BROKEN WINDOW WOULD HAVE SCARED MY WIFE AS MUCH AS THE BANG SHE DESCRIBED AND THE JERKING OF THE CAR IT CAUSED. THANK YOU. *TR

I OWN A 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THE CAR ONLY HAS 92,000 MILES AND THE TRANNY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A BAD BEARING. FROM MY RESEARCH ON THE WEB I HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN TO MANY OTHERS. I SPOKE TO A REPAIR SHOP THAT DOES REBUILDS AND HE INFORMED ME THAT TOYOTA HAD GOTTEN BAD BEARINGS AND USED THEM ON A SERIES OF TRANSMISSIONS AND THEY TEND TO GO BAD AROUND 80K TO 120K MILES. HE HIMSELF HAS REBUILT MANY. *TR

AFTER 200 MILE ROUND TRIP, NOTICED A GRINDING NOISE WHEN ACCELERATING. TOOK MATRIX TO DEALER, WHO TOLD US THE BEARINGS IN THE TRANSMISSION WERE BAD, AND NEEDED REPLACED. 2003 MATRIX, 115,000 MILES (MOSTLY HIGHWAY, WE HAVE A LONG COMMUTE TO WORK) BEARINGS REPLACED AND CLUTCH WORK DONE FOR $2063. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THIS, WAS TOLD "SOMETIMES THINGS BREAK". *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE CONTACT HEARS A TICKING SOUND COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. PRIOR TO THE NOISE, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP GEARS OCCASIONALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 63,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION BEARINGS WERE FAULTY. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, SHE HEARD AN ODD SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE DEALER FOUND FAILURE WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND VERIFIED THAT THE BEARINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT WILLING TO ASSIST WITH THE REPAIRS. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILURES WERE COMMON FOR HER YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 130,000.

2003 TOYOTA MATRIX MANUAL 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION HAS COMPLETELY COME APART DUE TO BEING BUILT WITH BAD THROW OUT BEARINGS. LOUD RATTLING NOISE BEGAN 6 MONTHS AGO EVEN THOUGH THE TRANSMISSION AND THE ENTIRE VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED FLAWLESSLY. TWO WEEKS AGO, ON MARCH 9, 2009 MY BOYFRIEND WAS DRIVING ON THE 15 FREEWAY GOING NORTH WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO MAKE A HORRIBLE RATTLING NOISE. MY BOYFRIEND PULLED THE CAR OVER TO SAFETY OFF THE FREEWAY AND TOOK A LOOK. HE KNEW IT WAS THE TRANNY, HE DIDN'T NEED TO SEE ANYTHING...THE FIRST CLUE WAS THAT IT WOULD NOT GO INTO 1ST OR REVERSE GEAR AT ALL. WE HAD TO GET IT TO A PLACE THAT WE COULD PARK IT LEGALLY, SO HE STARTED IT IN SECOND GEAR AND THE CAR WAILED AND WHINED AND SOUNDED LIKE METAL WAS BREAKING APART AS THE CAR LITERALLY LIMPED IT'S WAY THE ENTIRE SHORT RIDE. WARRANTY GOOD FOR 100,000 MILES, BUT MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY AT 105,000 MILES. TOYOTA WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT THE ENTIRE 2003 MATRIX LINE IS EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE, AND WILL NOT EVEN DO ANYTHING AS A GOODWILL GESTURE. A BRAND NEW TRANNY FROM TOYOTA IS $4000+/-, AND THE PROBLEM WILL MOST CERTAINLY HAPPEN AGAIN - AS I HAVE SEEN MANY, MANY PEOPLE ATTEST TO. A REBUILT TRANSMISSION IS LESS $...TOYOTA NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS. MY CAR COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS FAILURE ON THE FREEWAY, TO SAY NOTHING OF THE FACT THAT IT'S VERY SCARY AND UNSAFE TO LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AS WELL AS BREAKING DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. *TR