2003 Toyota Matrix

I MET WITH AN ACCIDENT ON 8/23/2010 AT 4 45 PPM APPROXIMATELY IN PLEASOANTON CALIFORNIA. THERE WAS A COLLISION BETWEEN TWO CARS AND THERE WAS HEAVY DAMAGE TO FRONT OF MY CAR. I OWNED A MATRIX TOYOTA 2003 MODEL. CAR LICENSE PLATE..[XXX] VIN NUMBER--[XXX] THE AIR BAG DINT OPEN OR RELEASE. MY CAR WAS TOTALED OFAS THERE WAS HEAVY DAMAGE. I COLLIDED AGAINST A MERCEDES .THE OTHER CAR AIRBAGS OPENED BUT NOT MINE. I HAVE FILED A INSURANCE CLAIM WITH FARMERS INSURANCE . THE CLAIM NUMBER-[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HIS WIFE WAS AT A RED LIGHT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. IT WAS RESTARTED AND THEN DRIVEN ABOUT EIGHT MILES AND IT STALLED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE ECM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 101,000.

ABS, BRAKE, & SERVICE ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON. TOOK IT TO MIDAS, THEY REPLACED SPEED SENSORS. WHEN I GOT CAR BACK IT SHIFTED GEARS (AUTOMATIC) FUNNY & HESITATED SIGNIFICANTLY SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD. IMMEDIATELY RETURNED CAR TO MIDAS. THEY RE-DIAGNOSED & SUGGESTED I TAKE IT TO TOYOTA DEALER (JOHN ELWAY'S CROWN TOYOTA). THEY SAID IT WAS SPEEDOMETER CLUSTER & REPLACED IT WHICH DID NOT RESOLVE MY PROBLEM SO DECLINED TO PAY & ASKED THEM TO PUT BACK MY OLD SPEEDOMETER CLUSTER. THEY DIDN'T & DIDN'T CHARGE ME FOR THE NEW ONE. HAD CAR TOWED BACK TO MIDAS. THEY DISCONNECTED SPEED SENSORS & TOLD ME IT WAS DRIVABLE. GOT ON FREEWAY NEXT DAY & CAR WOULDN'T SHIFT FROM 3RD TO 4TH GEAR, ENGINE REVVED TO 6000 RPMS, GOT OFF FREEWAY & CALLED MIDAS CORPORATE TO COMPLAIN. THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE FRANCHISE OWNER CALL ME. HE CALLED BUT DID NOT IDENTIFY HIMSELF AS THE PERSON I ORIGINATED DEALT WITH AT MIDAS SHOP, I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I CALLED THE NUMBER THEY CALLED FROM & IT WAS THE MIDAS SHOP. WENT TO MIDAS, TODAY (8/27/10), THEY ASKED ME TO BRING CAR IN TOMORROW & THEY WOULD PUT BACK OLD SPEED SENSORS & SEE WHAT HAPPENS. THEY THINK IT'S THE CAR'S COMPUTER BUT IN THE MEANTIME I'M OUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS. *TR

WHILE I WAS SITTING AT A DRIVE THRU WINDOW AT MCDONALD'S THE TELLER WAS REACHING ME MY ORDER AND ALL OF A SUDDEN SHE AND I HEARD A LOUD POPPING SOUND SHE SAID WHAT WAS THAT, I SAID I DON'T KNOW SHE SAID IT CAME FROM YOUR CAR SHE SAID MADAM IT CAME FROM INSIDE YOUR CAR, YOUR CAR IS SMOKING SO I TURNED MY HEAD AND NOTICED THE SEAT BELT OVER MY SHOULDER WAS SMOKING AND AS I TURNED MY HEAD AROUND THE SEAT BELT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR POPPED OPEN AND IT STARTED SMOKING SO I SAID WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS CAR, AND WHEN I TURNED MY HEAD FORWARD THE AIRBAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE POPPED OUT SO I SAID I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THIS CAR BUT I NEED TO GET OUT OF IT. I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE CARS BEHIND ME IN THE DRIVE-THRU SO I PULLED THE CAR OUT FROM UNDER THE WINDOW TO THE MIDDLE OF THE PARKING LOT SO THAT THE CARS BEHIND ME WOULD BE ABLE TO GET OUT AND AS I TURNED THE WHEEL THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG POPPED OUT IN FROM OF ME AND HIT ME IN THE CHEST AND BRUISED MY LEFT ARM THEN THE CAR STARTED FILLING UP WITH SMOKE SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF THE CAR WAS CATCHING ON FIRE OR WHAT I JUST KNEW THAT I NEEDED TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARKING LOT GRABBED MY PURSE AND JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR. ALL THE CUSTOMERS AND WORKERS AT MCDONALD'S RAN OUT WHEN THE CAR STARTED SMOKING AND NO ONE COULD BELIEVE WHAT WAS HAPPENING BECAUSE ALL THESE THINGS POPPED OUT AND THERE WAS NO OTHER CAR THERE THE MANAGER AT MCDONALD'S CAME TO ME AND SAID HE WAS CALLING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SINCE THE CAR WAS SMOKING AND WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT. THE FIRE DEPT. CAME AND SAID MADAM WHAT HAPPENED I TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED AND THEY ASKED IF I HAD HIT ANYTHING AND I TOLD THEM NO I WAS JUST SITTING AT THE DRIVE-THRU WHEN ALL OF THESE THINGS JUST STARTED POPPING OUT OF MY CAR. THE WINDSHIELD ALSO SHATTERED WHEN THE AIRBAG HIT IT. THE FIREMEN TOLD ME TO STAND IN FRONT OF MCDONALD'S AND THEY OPENED THE HOOD TO CHECK FOR FIRE AND DISABLED TO BATTERY. *TR

MORNING OF JUNE 22ND, WHEN I DROVE BACK FROM CHARLOTTE, NC AIRPORT TO UNIVERSITY AREA, ON HIGHWAY I-85, MY TOYOTA MATRIX 2003 STOP ACCELERATION-QUICKLY DROP THE SPEED FROM 70MPH TO 40MPH AND STILL DROPPING. DOESN'T MATTER HOW HARD I APPLY THE GAS PEDAL, IT WON'T ACCELERATE. I STOPPED THE CAR IN AN OPEN AREA CLOSE TO AN EXIT AND STOPPED THE ENGINE--POWER WAS ON AND RADIO WAS WORKING. I STOPPED THE ENGINE AND WAITED A FEW MINUTES. I THEN TURNED THE ENGINE BACK ON, TRIED IT AGAIN. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO HOME. GOD, I WAS LUCKY. *TR

2003 TOYOTA MATRIX XR MANUAL TRANSMISSION - 70,000. THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED. SUBTLE ENGINE KNOCKING, MORE NOTICEABLE WHEN LIFT FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR. SUDDEN ONSET WHILE EXITING FREEWAY- RPMS HOVERED WHEN SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL, DIFFICULT TO PUT IN 1ST ON START, THEN HORRIBLE NOISE WHEN STARTED MOVING FORWARD THEN COMPLETELY SEIZED IN PLACE. WHOLE PROCESS IN LESS THAN 60 MILES. ASSESSED AT PRIVATE SHOP AND THEN DEALERSHIP WHICH QUOTED OVER $4,000. CORPORATE/REGIONAL DISTRICT OFFICE OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE, COMPENSATION, OR ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF ISSUE. THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN REPORTED IN NUMEROUS CASES IN THE 5-SPEED MATRIX AND PONTIAC VIBE. *TR