2006 Toyota Matrix

WAS DRIVING THE CAR NORMALLY TO WORK AS I HAVE FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS. WAS STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN WITH A VEHICLE DIRECTLY IN FRONT. TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE TO ALLOW THE CAR TO ROLL FORWARD AND THE CAR TOOK OFF ABOUT 4-6 FEET INTO THE CAR IN FRONT. THE ONLY SIGN OF A PROBLEM WAS THE RPMS JUMPED SLIGHTLY AS THE CAR TOOK OFF. TRIED USING THE BRAKE BUT IT COULDN'T HOLD THE CAR. MINOR DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE AND NO DAMAGE TO VEHICLE STRUCK. CALLED THE DEALER, WAS TOLD TO BRING THE CAR IN. WHEN THEY LOOKED AT THE CAR THEY SAID IT WAS FINE AND I NEEDED NEW ROTORS. ASKED ABOUT WHY THE CAR JERKED FORWARD, WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT SINCE THEY WERE NOT THERE. FRUSTRATED, TOOK THE CAR TO BE PRIVATELY INSPECTED ELSEWHERE, AGAIN, COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. MECHANIC COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY THE CAR JERKED FORWARD. WAS TOLD TO MONITOR CRACKLING NOISE I COMPLAINED ABOUT JUST IN CASE IT BECAME WORSE, AT CURRENT TIME WAS FINE BUT COULD BE EARLY SIGN OF A TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER PROBLEM. CAR HAS CURRENTLY 39,855K AND HAS HAD 2 NEW BELT TENSIONERS INSTALLED, 1 NEW BELT, AND 1 NEW TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER REPLACED. HAVE PREVIOUSLY COMPLAINED OF BRAKE PROBLEMS, INCLUDING THE FEELING OF BEING REAR-ENDED AT A LOW SPEED, AS WELL AS THE CAR JERKING FORWARD WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS. THE CAR ALSO ON OCCASION CONTINUES TO GAS ENGINE EVEN AFTER GAS PEDAL HAS BEEN RELEASED, WHEN BRAKE OR GAS IS TAPPED THE CAR RESUMES TO NORMAL OPERATION. WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM AND CAR WAS FINE. *TR

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT FAILED AND BEEN REPLACED ON THE 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CAR HAD JUST RECEIVED A VERY THOROUGH 30,000 MILE CHECKUP AND THERE WERE NO CAUSES FOR THE FAILURE. THIS FAILURE IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND IT ALMOST COST ME MY LIFE. THE ECU SPONTANEOUSLY QUIT WHILE IN THE HIGH SPEED LANE, AT 6:30 PM PITCH DARK, IN HEAVY COMMUTER TRAFFIC IN THE BOSTON BELTLINE OF RT 128. THE BRAKES WERE AS HARD AS CONCRETE, AND THE CAR DECELERATED SO FAST THAT I COULD NOT CHANGE LANES AND I WAS LEFT WITH AN ELECTRONICALLY DEAD CAR IN THE HIGH SPEED LANE - AT NIGHT. I CALLED THE STATE POLICE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT GO ABOVE 1,500 RPM. THE CONTACT PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND, APPROXIMATELY THIRTY SECONDS LATER, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE ECU WAS DEFECTIVE AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 37,687 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,680.