2006 Toyota Matrix

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR SERVICE TO INVESTIGATE A LOUD VIBRATION NOISE COMING FROM THE TIRES AS LONG AS VEHICLE WAS ROLLING. THE CAR HAS ABOUT 18,000 MILES ON IT. ALL FOUR TIRES WERE SEVERELY CUPPED. THE DEALER CONTACTED THE FACTORY REFERENCE THE TIRES AND THE FACTORY RECOMMENDED THE TIRES BE REPLACED. ALL FOUR TIRES WERE REPLACED AND WERE ALIGNED TO SPEC. UPON LEAVING THE DEALER SERVICE CENTER A NEW TIRE NOISE WAS NOTICED. IT WAS NOT THE SAME VIBRATION NOISE BUT A LOUD ROAR AS LONG AS THE TIRES WERE ROLLING. *TR

2006 TOYOTA MATRIX WITH ALLOY WHEELS AND CONTINENTAL TIRES : AT 5,000 MI ROTATION THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD MOVE BACK AND FORTH A BIT, SHIMMY. AT 10,000 MI ROTATION SHIMMY WAS WORSE AND NOISE WAS NOTICED. AT 14,000 MI DEALER SERVICE SAID THAT NOISE WAS DUE TO SEVERE CUPPING AND ALL TIRES NEEDED REPLACED BUT THAT CONTINENTAL HAD NO WARRANTY (EVEN THOUGH CAR CAME WITH A CONTINENTAL WARRANTY PAPER). REPLACED TIRES WITH YOKOHAMA AT DEALER. *TR

PURCHASED 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX ON 14 APRIL 2006 FROM YOUNGER TOYOTA, 1935 DUAL HIGHWAY. HAGERSTOWN, MD. 27140. WITHIN 12,000 TO 13,000 MILES VEHICLE HAD SEVERE ROAD NOISE. BY 15,000 MILES NOTICED SEVERE INSIDE CUPPING OF ALL FOUR TIRES. TIRES WERE ROTATED EVERY 5,000 MILES AT OIL CHANGE. I THOUGHT I HAD BAD TIRES AND PRIOR TO PURCHASING NEW TIRES WENT TO YOUNGER TOYOTA FOR AN ALIGNMENT ON 19 JULY 2007 (17,410 MILES ON VEHICLE). THE YOUNGER SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT THE MATRIX WAS A LITTLE OUT OF ALIGNMENT. I PURCHASED NEW TIRES FROM DISCOUNT TIRE DIRECT ON 3 AUGUST 2007 AND HAD NEW TIRES INSTALLED (18,714 MILES ON VEHICLE). IN OCTOBER 2007 I CAME ACROSS SEVERAL FORUMS WHERE SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I VISITED YOUNGER TOYOTA AND TALKED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER WHO ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE HAD MET WITH OTHER MATRIX OWNERS WHO HAD HAD THE SAME PROBLEM THAT I HAD. HIS ANSWER TO ME WAS THAT HE HAD NO SERVICE BULLETINS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND THAT I SHOULD CONTACT A CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVE AT TOYOTA TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. I CONTACTED A CUSTOMER REP AT TOYOTA AND GOT THE SAME ANSWER THAT THE SERVICE MANAGER GAVE ME. NO SERVICE BULLETINS AND NO FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. I FILED FOR ARBITRATION ON 11 OCTOBER 2007 ( CASE #200710110721). *TR

VEHICLE COMPLETELY STOPPED IN A LINE OF TRAFFIC. WHILE WAITING TO MOVE ON, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE,THE ENGINE ALL OF A SUDDEN ROARED AND THE VEHICLE SHOT FORWARD AND HIT THE VEHICLE (APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 7 FEET) IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT OPEN AND THE HIT TO THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS MORE LIKE A PUNCH. I TRIED TO STOP MY FORWARD THRUST BUT THE BRAKES WOULD NOT HOLD THE VEHICLE. UPON STRIKING THE OTHER VEHICLE THE ENGINE ROAR STOPPED AND EVERYTHING SEEMINGLY RETURNED TO NORMAL. MINOR DAMAGE WAS DONE TO BOTH VEHICLES AND NO ONE WAS REPORTEDLY INJURED. THE POLICE WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE AND AN ACCIDENT REPORT WAS FILED. MY TOYOTA DEALER WAS CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE AND ADVISED ME THAT THEY NEVER HAD SUCH AN EXPERIENCE REPORTED BUT SUGGESTED I BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE. *TR

I OWN A 2006 TOYOTA AWD MATRIX WITH 25,000 MILES. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE AND ASKED THEM TO CHECK A VIBRATION I FELT WHEN DRIVING THE CAR. THEY TOLD ME THE TIRES (ALL 4) ARE CUPPING AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE TIRES HAD BEEN ROTATED TWICE ( AT 8,000 AND 21,000 MILES). I SEARCHED THE INTERNET TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD PROBLEMS AND FOUND THE PROBLEM WITH CUPPING AND PREMATURE TIRE WEAR WAS COMMON. THE POSTINGS REFER TO A MANUFACTURE PROBLEM. IRONICALLY TOYOTA DISCONTINUED AWD IN 2007 AND OWNERS OF THE NEWER MODELS REPORTED NO TIRE WEAR PROBLEMS. *JB

WITH ONLY 24,707 MILES ON MY 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX, I WAS TOLD THAT ALL FOUR TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE FOUND MANY SUCH COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE VEHICLES AFTER DOING AN INTERNET SEARCH. THE PROBLEM WAS DESCRIBED AS EXCESSIVE CUPPING OR WEAR TO THE INSIDE OF THE TIRES. THE SIXTEEN INCH CONTINENTAL TIRES STANDARD ON THESE HAVE A TREAD LIFE OF 50,000 MILES, BUT THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THEY HAVE A TREAD LIFE OF ABOUT 25,000 MILES. I HAVE THE RECORDS TO PROVE THAT I BROUGHT THE AUTO IN EVERY 5,000 MILES FOR A SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. EACH ONE CALLED FOR A TIRE ROTATION. I AM SO ANGRY THAT THE DEALERSHIP DIDN'T MENTION THIS PROBLEM OR MAKE CORRECTIONS TO THE ALIGNMENT OR BALANCE OF THE TIRES, THAT I REFUSE TO GO BACK TO THEM. IN MY OPINION, THIS CONSTITUTES NEGLIGENT BEHAVIOR ON THE PART OF THE DEALERSHIP AND A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW ON THE PART OF THE MANUFACTURER THAT SHOULD BE CORRECTED FOR ALL TOYOTA MATRIX. *TR