What breaks most · 2002 to 2012 model years
Toyota Matrix problems by year
Owners have filed 1,177 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Toyota Matrix across model years 2002 to 2012. Three years stand out: 2003 for powertrain and transmission complaints, 2005 for air bags complaints and 2009 for air bags complaints. The quietest years are 2002, 2008 and 2010.
- Years to check closely: 2003, 2005, 2009
- Fewest complaints: 2002, 2008, 2010
- Complaints on file
- 11772002 to 2012, all trims
- Worst year
- 2003268 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 12111 fires · 85 injuries · 2 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 55kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 26Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 268 | 19 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (83) | |
| 138 | 18 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (37) | |
| 213 | 10 | 2 | Air bags (103) | |
| 170 | 17 | 4 | Air bags (50) | |
| 96 | 11 | 2 | Air bags (36) | |
| 38 | 6 | 2 | Speed control and throttle (11) | |
| 192 | 34 | 3 | Air bags (78) | |
| 45 | 5 | 4 | Air bags (27) | |
| 10 | 1 | 2 | Air bags (10) | |
| 5 | 0 | 1 | Air bags (4) |
What fails on the 2003 Toyota Matrix
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 31% |
83 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 21% |
57 | 10 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 9% |
25 | 1 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2003 Toyota Matrix |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 8% |
21 | 3 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2003 Toyota Matrix |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 5% |
13 | 3 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2003 Toyota Matrix |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 4% |
12 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2003 Toyota Matrix |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 4% |
12 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2003 Toyota Matrix |
| Unknown or other | 4% |
11 | 1 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
I recently noticed a strange extra noise in my transmission, noise is a low purring sound and at lower speeds in lower gears.
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The differential and both rear wheel bearing failed at 99,823, the axial boots failed earlier at 92,55 miles. Total cost was $4,240. Car was driven into repair shop making loud noises.
-
February 09 i was driving in back of a truck and staying far in advance not close to the truck. The truck went to put his brakes on and my car accelerated and i went to put my brakes on and the car hit the truck from the back.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Toyota Matrix years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2003, 2005, 2009 carry the most filings on the Toyota Matrix. The 2003 alone has 268 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Toyota Matrix problem?
On the 2003 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 83 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Toyota Matrix problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Toyota Matrix complaints that include mileage is about 55,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.