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.
I was driving to a vet's office after work on I-95 south in rush hour traffic in the fast lane, doing about 70-80 then put the brakes on because I saw some brake lights ahead of me start to turn on. The car ahead of me was far off which is great. I had NO BRAKE PRESSURE. The pedal went RIGHT to the floor. I used my manual transmission to shift down and slow down. I drove slowly and checked the brake pedal frequently and after 15 - 20 minutes the pressure came back!
I took it to the dealership the next day where they found "nothing wrong with the brakes." I told them at drop off that I did not intend to drive a car that did that, nothing like that had happened to me with ANY car I've ever had and this was unacceptable.
Toyota sales people pressured me to buy a car I did not want, so I took my business elsewhere and bought a Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid with no sales pressure. It's very sad that Toyota handles things like this. I did not make this up, I know how to drive, etc. etc. I will not endanger my or anyone else's life with an unsafe car and hope this problem will not be passed off on someone else who may be killed because of this.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I was driving to a vet's office after work on I-95 south in rush hour traffic in the fast lane, doing about 70-80 then put the brakes on because I saw some brake lights ahead of me start to turn on. The car ahead of me was far off which is great. I had NO BRAKE PRESSURE. The pedal went RIGHT to the floor. I used my manual transmission to shift down and slow down. I drove slowly and checked the brake pedal frequently and after 15 - 20 minutes the pressure came back!
I took it to the dealership the next day where they found "nothing wrong with the brakes." I told them at drop off that I did not intend to drive a car that did that, nothing like that had happened to me with ANY car I've ever had and this was unacceptable.
Toyota sales people pressured me to buy a car I did not want, so I took my business elsewhere and bought a Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid with no sales pressure. It's very sad that Toyota handles things like this. I did not make this up, I know how to drive, etc. etc. I will not endanger my or anyone else's life with an unsafe car and hope this problem will not be passed off on someone else who may be killed because of this.
- stenjess, Pawtucket, RI, US