2003 Toyota Matrix

MY TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN RACING OFF AND ON FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. THE CAR JUST DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT. I WENT TO MAKE A LEFT TURN OUT OF MY STREET AND MY CAR JUST STOPPED MOVING. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL. IT TURNS OUT MY TRANSMISSION DIED AND I HAD TO SPEND SEVERAL THOUSANDS DOLLARS TO HAVE IT REPLACED. AFTER 8 MONTHS MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS STILL ON AND EVERYTHING I TRY DOESN'T WORK. I'VE REPLACED OXYGEN SENSORS, SPEED CENSORS, ETC. I'VE PUT MORE MONEY INTO THIS CAR IN THE LAST YEAR THAN I SHOULD HAVE. I SEE THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, TOO. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHEY THIS HASN'T BEEN ADDRESSED BY TOYOTA YET. *TR

PRIOR TO INCIDENT, VEHICLE RAN AND SHIFTED FINE. VEHICLE WAS NEVER USED FOR TOWING OR OTHER EXTREME USE. TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS CHANGED AT THESE MILEAGES: 31,669; 61,023; 92,012; AND 105,330. VEHICLE WAS OTHERWISE WELL-MAINTAINED, AND DRIVEN WITH CARE BY EXPERIENCED USERS OF MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS. THE FIRST THREE TRANNY FLUID CHANGES DONE AT TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. ON JAN. 1, 2012, TOYOTA MATRIX (2003) , W/MANUAL 5-SPEED TRANSMISSION HAD SUDDEN, SEVERE FAILURE ON TOLLWAY. ROADWAY WAS CLEAR. VEHICLE DID NOT HIT ANYTHING IN THE ROAD TO PRECIPITATE THIS. VEHICLE WAS JUST STARTING TO DECELERATE FOR TOLL BOOTH WHEN SUDDEN, HARSH, GRINDING, METAL-ON-METAL SOUND BEGAN. CAR WAS THEN UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR, AND SHIFTED INTO SECOND WITH DIFFICULTY. VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD IMMEDIATELY AND TOWED AWAY. AN INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST REMOVED & DISASSEMBLED TRANNY. DIAGNOSIS IS: EVERYTHING IN 5TH GEAR IS BROKEN. FIFTH GEAR LITERALLY BROKE. PINION SHAFT & EVERYTHING HOUSING RING GEAR IS ALSO BROKEN. APPARENTLY 1ST THROUGH 4TH GEARS LOOK OK. TRANSMISSION RE-BUILD IS ADVISED, USING TOYOTA FACTORY PARTS. ESTIMATED COST $3,100. IN ADDITION, I HAD VEHICLE TOWED 45 MILES FROM RURAL SITE OF FAILURE ($160). AND I HAD TO RENT A CAR TO GET HOME FROM FAILURE SITE ($225+). I STILL MUST RETURN TO FORT WAYNE, IN TO PICK UP REPAIRED VEHICLE WHEN READY. I HAVE NOW READ OF WIDESPREAD TRANNY FAILURES IN MATRIXES. TOYOTA DEALERS AND TOLL-FREE NUMBER PERSONNEL ADMIT NO KNOWLEDGE OF SUCH ISSUES. BUT, EVERY INDEPENDENT SOURCE I'VE CONSULTED ACKNOWLEDGES THESE DRIVETRAIN ISSUES. SINCE THESE FAILURES ARE SO COMMON, TOYOTA SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. A RECALL, OR AT LEAST TOYOTA ADMITTING AND TAKING FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS IS IN ORDER. I LOVED MY 1989 CAMRY, BUT NO LONGER HAVE ANY TRUST IN TOYOTA. NHTSA, PLEASE HELP US. THANK YOU. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR SEIZED UP AND LOCKED - DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. LUCKILY WE HAD TAKEN SIDE STREETS AND NOT THE FREEWAY, WHERE WE WOULD HAVE SURELY BEEN REAR ENDED. MY 8-YEAR-OLD WAS IN THE BACKSEAT. MECHANIC IS SAYING A GEAR BLEW OUT AND TORE THROUGH, MELTING PART OF THE TRANSMISSION CORE. WE ALREADY REPLACED CLUTCH AT 80,000. CAR IS NOT SALVAGEABLE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. WE SAT (UNABLE TO PUSH THE CAR, IT WAS LOCKED UP - 6 PEOPLE TRIED) IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET, A FEW FEET FROM THE INTERSECTION - NEARLY HIT SEVERAL TIMES, WITH FLASHERS ON UNTIL TOW TRUCK COULD COME. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST REPORT OF THIS - IT NEEDS TO BE MADE PUBLIC SO PEOPLE CAN GET THEIR TRANSMISSION LOOKED AT AND FIXED BEFORE SOMEONE DIES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC, BUT THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A FAILURE WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAD THE ENGINE REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHIN ONE YEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER WERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

AT THIS MILEAGE, MY CAR STARTED MAKING A LOUD GRINDING NOISE IN THE TRANSMISSION. IT TURNS OUT THE MAIN BEARING IS SHOT. THIS DESPITE ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE BEING METICULOUSLY PERFORMED, FULL TRANSMISSION FLUID, AND THE CLUTCH STILL BEING FINE. THERE IS NO WAY THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD HAVE FAILED AT THIS MILEAGE, AND GETTING A REPLACEMENT IS VERY DIFFICULT AND EXPENSIVE BECAUSE WORKING ONES ARE SO RARE! APPARENTLY THERE IS A VERY HIGH FAILURE RATE ON THE 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS DUE TO THEM BEING UNDER-ENGINEERED. I WANT TOYOTA TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY. THIS SEEMS LIKE IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL CAR. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE A MANUFACTURE RECALL ISSUE. THE TRANSMISSION COULD HAVE LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. LOOKS LIKE IT WILL COST BETWEEN $2000 AND $3000 TO REPAIR. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. *TR

THE THROWOUT BARING IN MY 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX XR 5-SPEED TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT APPROXIMATELY 23,000 MILES AND CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. TOYOTA REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AT THE LOVE LEXUS TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN ST. ALBANS, WV, WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW WITH ZERO MILES. THIS SECOND TRANSMISSION, AT APPROXIMATELY 64,000 MILES, FAILED AS WELL WITH THE SAME PRESCRIBED ISSUE (THROWOUT BARING IN THE TRANSMISSION). AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE (HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F0D9B0E/497#MSG497) THIS ISSUE HAS OCCURRED IN A PLETHORA OF TOYOTA MATRIX' 5 - SPEED TRANSMISSIONS THAT TOYOTA HAD PLACED IN THE 2003 - 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX'. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE HELP RECALL THESE TRANSMISSIONS AND HOLD TOYOTA ACCOUNTABLE FOR PLACING FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS IN THESE VEHICLES BEFORE ANOTHER ONE GOES OUT AND I HAVE TO FORK OVER ANOTHER $3200 + FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. I HAVE RECEIPTS TO PROVE ALL OF THESE CLAIMS AND WILL BE GLAD TO SHARE ANY INFORMATION I NEED TO IN ORDER TO HELP A RECALL COME TO LIGHT. *TR