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2005 Toyota Matrix

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Matrix years

Owner complaints for the 2005 Toyota Matrix are substantially higher than the model-year median of 70.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

125 reports with mileage · 88 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 103 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

10 crash reports2 fire reports3 injury reports

Steering complaints

4 reports
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114,000 miles · Dec 16, 2015
Electrical SystemSteering

CLOCK, HVAC SWITCHES BLINK ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY REGARDLESS OF VEHICLE MOVEMENT. POWER LOCKS WORK INTERMITTENTLY INCLUDING WHEN VEHICLE IS PUT IN GEAR. IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE A ELECTRICAL SHORT BUT IT COMES AND GOES. THIS PROBLEM RESEMBLES THE MULTITUDE OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS MAKE AND MODEL. THERE IS ALSO A VIBRATION IN …

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CLOCK, HVAC SWITCHES BLINK ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY REGARDLESS OF VEHICLE MOVEMENT. POWER LOCKS WORK INTERMITTENTLY INCLUDING WHEN VEHICLE IS PUT IN GEAR. IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE A ELECTRICAL SHORT BUT IT COMES AND GOES. THIS PROBLEM RESEMBLES THE MULTITUDE OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS MAKE AND MODEL. THERE IS ALSO A VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHICH ALSO RESEMBLES A MULTITUDE OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS MAKE AND MODEL. I AM SURPRISED AFTER READING THE NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL COMPLAINTS THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT OFFERED A REMEDY OR RECALL.

NHTSA ODI #10810830

20 miles · Nov 6, 2014
EngineSteering

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR STALLS. MAINLY THE ISSUE APPEARS TO HAPPEN WHEN TURNING. SUDDENLY, AND ONLY OCCASIONALLY, THE CAR DIES WHILE TURNING. ALL LIGHTS ARE LOST AND POWER STEERING GIVES OUT. SINCE THE LIGHTS ON THE CAR AND THE POWER STEERING GIVE OUT, IT IS A SCARY ISSUE. WE HAVE TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL (SINCE WE'RE DRIVING) AN…

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WHILE DRIVING THE CAR STALLS. MAINLY THE ISSUE APPEARS TO HAPPEN WHEN TURNING. SUDDENLY, AND ONLY OCCASIONALLY, THE CAR DIES WHILE TURNING. ALL LIGHTS ARE LOST AND POWER STEERING GIVES OUT. SINCE THE LIGHTS ON THE CAR AND THE POWER STEERING GIVE OUT, IT IS A SCARY ISSUE. WE HAVE TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL (SINCE WE'RE DRIVING) AND RESTART THE ENGINE. BACK IN 2010 WE BROUGHT OUR CAR IN FOR THE 2010 RECALL WHERE THEY REPLACED THE PART, ALTHOUGH WE NEVER HAD A STALLING ISSUE THEN. OUR CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP BEING LOOKED AT BUT WE WERE TOLD BY TOYOTA CORPORATE THAT THIS ISN'T AN ISSUE RELATED TO THE 2010 STALLING RECALL, SO IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED EVEN IF THE SAME PART THAT WAS REPLACED DURING THE RECALL IS THE ONE THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. ADDITIONALLY, THE DEALERSHIP IS HAVING TROUBLE IDENTIFYING THE CAUSE OF THE ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10652973

98,000 miles · Apr 2, 2013
Air BagsSteeringCrash

I WAS HEADED TO WORK LIKE I USUALLY WOULD M-F THEN OUT OF NO WHERE THE STEERING WHEEL HAD LOCKED. THIS CAUSED THE CAR TO LOOSE CONTROL. THE CAR ALL OF A SUDDEN WAS SPINNING AROUND AND EVENTUALLY IT FLIPPED LANDING ON ITS SIDE. TO TOP IT OFF NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED! I WAS PULLED OUT OF THE CAR MY WHOLE BODY ACHING, ESPECIAL…

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I WAS HEADED TO WORK LIKE I USUALLY WOULD M-F THEN OUT OF NO WHERE THE STEERING WHEEL HAD LOCKED. THIS CAUSED THE CAR TO LOOSE CONTROL. THE CAR ALL OF A SUDDEN WAS SPINNING AROUND AND EVENTUALLY IT FLIPPED LANDING ON ITS SIDE. TO TOP IT OFF NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED! I WAS PULLED OUT OF THE CAR MY WHOLE BODY ACHING, ESPECIALLY MY ARMS. THIS WAS BECAUSE I WAS HOLDING ON FOR DEAR LIFE PRAYING THAT I WILL COME OUT OF IT ALIVE. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS IN THE CAR BUT MYSELF, BUT I KNOW I DO NOT NEED THIS TO HAPPEN TO ME TWICE SO I WILL NO LONGER WILL PURCHASE A TOYOTA. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10505402

29,157 miles · Jul 1, 2007
Steering

STEERING COMPONENT PROBLEMS HAVE LED TO EXCESSIVE CUPPING/TIRE WEAR ON 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX (29,000 MILES). HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT STEERING ISSUES SINCE PURCHASE (ORIGINAL OWNER) AND WAS ALWAYS TOLD THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES PROBLEMS - SOMETIMES - BUT CANNOT FIND ISSUE AND RESOLVE. I FEEL THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAF…

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STEERING COMPONENT PROBLEMS HAVE LED TO EXCESSIVE CUPPING/TIRE WEAR ON 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX (29,000 MILES). HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT STEERING ISSUES SINCE PURCHASE (ORIGINAL OWNER) AND WAS ALWAYS TOLD THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES PROBLEMS - SOMETIMES - BUT CANNOT FIND ISSUE AND RESOLVE. I FEEL THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10195085

Official recalls

1

10V384000 · Engine And Engine Cooling

Aug 26, 2010

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2008 COROLLA AND COROLLA MATRIX VEHICLES. THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) FOR THE SUBJECT MODELS EQUIPPED WITH THE 1ZZ-FE ENGINE AND TWO-WHEEL DRIVE MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT A CRACK MAY DEVELOP AT CERTAIN SOLDER POINTS OR ON VARISTORS ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THERE ARE A VARIETY OF WARNINGS AND CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEFECT. THE ENGINE WARNING LAMP COULD BE ILLUMINATED, HARSH SHIFTING COULD RESULT, THE ENGINE MAY NOT START, OR THE ENGINE COULD SHUT OFF WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. AN ENGINE SHUTOFF WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN INCREASES THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE PRODUCTION NUMBER OF THE ECM AND REPLACE THE ECM IF NECESSARY. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. TOYOTA WILL MAIL AN INTERIM OWNER NOTIFICATION THE MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER 2010 TO ADVISE OWNERS OF THIS DEFECT AND RECALL. THIS INTERIM NOTIFICATION WILL INFORM OWNERS THAT THEY WILL RECEIVE A FUTURE NOTIFICATION WHEN PARTS BECOME AVAILABLE TO HAVE THE FREE REMEDY PERFORMED ON THEIR VEHICLE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 29, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.