CarComplaints.com Notes: The Toyota Matrix is the mechanical twin of the Pontiac Vibe.

Both models were a joint GM-Toyota venture, manufactured together at a NUMMI production facility in Fremont, CA. Only the heating & A/C systems are different.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
10 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
10 / 0
Average Mileage:
54,435 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2003 Toyota Matrix seat belts / air bags problems

seat belts / air bags problem

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2003 Toyota Matrix Owner Comments (Page 1 of 5)

problem #83

Apr 032024

Matrix

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Corolla Matrix. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V285000 (Air Bags) however, the notification advised not to drive the vehicle and to contact the local dealer for retrieval of the vehicle. After contacting the local dealer, the vehicle had not yet been retrieved. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Greenfield, IN, USA

problem #82

Feb 232021

Matrix

  • miles
After Toyota dealer replaced the airbag, the car audio stopped functioning properly. When I called the Toyota dealer, they said they won't do anything for me and hang up on the phone. My email to Toyota company was not returned.

- Jacksonville, AL, USA

problem #81

Jun 082020

Matrix 4-cyl

  • miles
I continue to receive notices for an airbag recall on a vehicle I haven't owned in two years. Please stop emailing me recall notices. I have attached a receipt I received when I had the car scrapped.

- Scottsbluff, NE, USA

problem #80

Oct 242019

Matrix

  • 220,636 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have owned this car for only a few months. I recived the recall for passenger side airbag. Took to Toyota dealership on dixie. I also asked for them to diagnose the SRS light being on on the dash. I was told by dealership I needed a new front driver airbag due to a short. I looked back at the matrix recalls. And there is a recall on the steering wheel cable ssue that is related to the airbag and the circuit over hearing that is related to an airbag recall issue. I called the pervious owner and she said she had an accident and none of the airbags deployed. She also took the car to dealership for a recall in 2016 and was told she needed a new front driver airbag. This car should be included in the current recalls for the above issue. This issue has placed my family and myself in an unsafe situation due to the unsafe, safety equiptment. The SRS lights comes on when the car is started and does not go off. This is the reason for the diagnosis. Toyota should stand behind their product and correct the safety equiptment failures.

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #79

Oct 112018

Matrix

  • 190,000 miles
The contact owned a 2003 Toyota Matrix. While driving approximately 50 mph, the contact rear ended another vehicle. The front end of the contact's vehicle was severely damaged, but the air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained an injured chest and shoulder, which required medical treatment. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. A police report was filed. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 190,000.

- Fullerton, CA, USA

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problem #78

Mar 182018

Matrix

  • miles
I have gotten the "takata recall" letter and took my car on March 18, 2018, with mike briseno from Toyota here near my place 1901 S figueroa St, los angeles, ca 90007. They offered me an uber ride home from the dealership with my husband and said it will take 2-3 hours. Got the call from mike briseno and said that my car is ready. I got there and he said they did not do anything and had to order the parts. Called the dealership on May 16, 2018, talked to mike said he will call me to see back order and never responded if the parts ever arrived since May 2018. Car was never fixed.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #77

Aug 132018

Matrix

  • 200,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Matrix. While the contact was idling at a red light, the seat belt air bag restraint system erroneously activated and forcefully secured the driver into the seat. During the incident, no crash had occurred. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer (baierl Toyota, 19045 perry hwy, mars, pa), but the cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified and an investigator was sent to examine the vehicle. The failure mileage was 200,000.

- New Brighten, PA, USA

problem #76

Apr 222016

Matrix

  • 74,000 miles
Tanaka recall. I had all recalls done since the first one in 2013. At my 2016 recall Toyota mech said recall was done and that all was good and it was safe now. I left lot convinced it was true and I could now allow riders in front seat without threat of injury /death. N0W 2018 discover was not safe to have passenger. That more recalls coming but parts not produced fully in 2016. Airbag was replaced by same defective airbag as taken out, only difference being that it was only out of box not safe redesigned type!!why was I not informed that this was the case when I got the last recall installed"?now have another notice that the real safe one has finished production and I can have one installed now. Meantime my family including grandchildren have been in serious danger of serious injury or death by riding in the front seat!! contacted various Toyota officials but no attempt at explaining problem. In fact passed to "generic: Untrained employee who, or course, was totally unprepared to offer advice or any answers concerning safety, problem.tried West coast CEO " again to end up in same customer service. Cannot enter place time etc since safety negligence occurred over at least 2 years and was there at every place and time I drove a passenger anywhere.

- Olympia, WA, USA

problem #75

Sep 062006

Matrix

  • 95,000 miles
Takata recall my wife and I had an accident in the freeway on our way home more than 7 years ago. We were travelling at around 50-55 mph when suddenly the car in front of us stopped. Resulted in hitting the back bumper of the car in front of us. The car sustained just minor scratched but our car was really damaged. My wife was hurt as a result of the accident who was sitting in the front passenger. The car's air bag did not deploy. I was still wondering until now, why? the damaged to the car was worth more than $8,000. Our insurance company, which was state farm did not mention anything about the air bag. I just found that out when I received the recall notice last week form Toyota. I can't really recall the date it happened, but I can get some information from state farm insurance. Medical attention was not required when the incident happened but medical attention was required after a day or 2 after the accident.

- Bothell, WA, USA

problem #74

Mar 022018

Matrix

  • 296,000 miles
Roll over and air bags didn't deploy.

- Roswell, NM, USA

problem #73

Oct 202017

Matrix

  • 188,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The airbag indicator on my car lit up. I scheduled an appointment with Toyota to have it diagnosed, and they said that I needed a new spiral clock spring cable, which is part number 84306-02110. This is an expensive part, over $300. After doing some searching, I found out that 1) many other Toyota Matrix and corolla owners have had this issue and 2) there was a recall on this part for Toyota of a slightly different make, model, and year. I believe that this part is defective, and that Toyota should cover the replacement cost, including labor.

- Santa Cruz, CA, USA

problem #72

Jan 272015

Matrix

  • 36,000 miles
"takata recall" manufacturer recall number dsb NHTSA recall number 15vo43 recall status recall incomplete summary the electronic control unit (ECU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) in these vehicles could have been manufactured with integrated circuits that are susceptible to internal short circuiting when exposed to certain electrical noise from various vehical electrical components. If internal short circuiting occurs, the front airbag(s) and/or seat belt pretensioners could inadvertently deploy. An airbag that deploys inadvertently can, under some circumstances, increase the risk of minor injury and the possibility of a crash.

- Fort Washington, MD, USA

problem #71

Jan 312017

Matrix 4-cyl

  • miles
2003 Toyota corolla. Consumer writes in regards to air bag recall. The consumer was first advised that the recall repair could not be completed because there was a wire that need to repaired before the air bag could be replaced. A year later the consumer was advised that the air bag had already been deployed. The consumer stated that was not true, the airbags had never deployed. Updated 05/19/2017

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #70

Oct 082016

Matrix

  • miles
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Matrix. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 15V043000 (air bags) and 15V285000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Lowell, MA, USA

problem #69

Oct 162016

Matrix

  • 275,000 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Matrix. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in a recall for the air bags and was repaired. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The dealer was informed of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case regarding the failure. The NHTSA campaign number was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 275,000.

- Simi Valley, CA, USA

problem #68

May 122014

Matrix

  • miles
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Corolla matrix. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 15V043000 and 15V285000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Elliottsburg, PA, USA

problem #67

Sep 102015

Matrix

  • miles
Takata recall: Many times over the past 2 1/2 years we have called Toyota of terre haute about performing this recall. Each time we get an excuse; the last time they claimed to have one of the parts necessary but not the other. They promised to call us back with and update and solution. That was last fall. (approx )

- Terre Haute, IN, USA

problem #66

Jan 272015

Matrix

  • miles
The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Matrix. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 15V043000 (air bags) and 15V285000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was notified. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Topeka, KS, USA

problem #65

Feb 012016

Matrix

  • miles
2003 Toyota Matrix. Consumer writes in regards to installation of airbag part issues. The consumer stated even though the dealer had the part, the couldn't install it. The consumer did not go any further in detail.

- Rhinelander, WI, USA

problem #64

Jan 272015

Matrix

  • 95,000 miles
Takata recall is taking way too long to complete. It has been almost one year, and my Toyota dealer still does not have the necessary parts to complete this recall. Something is wrong. It should not take this long. I think they are stalling and hoping that everyone with a 2003 model year car, sells it. As I understand it, this is a serious problem. They should be made to produce these parts, even if it means working 24 hour shifts until they have sufficient parts.

- Fall River, MA, USA

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