Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Toyota Matrix Tire/Wheel Questions

1356

Comments

  • penyokpenyok Member Posts: 2
    Rocky101
    Will this repair void the balance of the warranty? Is there a fix for the back? I have a 2006 matrix xr fwd with 14000miles on it and have the same problem as the other folks. The dealer says continental tires are problem, but they say it is alignment problem. Thanks for your info and help.
    penyok
  • chris_looneychris_looney Member Posts: 1
    We have two 2005 Matrixes with Continental tires and both sets were replaced at less than 15k with Yokohamas. With 35 to 40k on both cars, they seem to be doing fine.

    Thanks,
    Chris
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    Everyone with the Continentals had problems and had to replace them super-early, everyone with the Goodyears and other replacement brands made out fine. Could it be the tires and not the car?

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • skc51skc51 Member Posts: 4
    Similar problem to Rocky101. Have a 2006 Matrix XR and noticed noise about 7K miles. Tires were rotated at 5K miles and again at 10K miles. After second rotation noise really became obvious. Replaced tires at 11,400 miles on a car that was 14 months old. Tires wearing on the inside. Tried 3 tire dealers as well as the Toyota Dealer where I got the car. No one ever saw this problem before....as well as the this car has a sporty suspension and is hard on tires. Put a set of Continental tires back on the car and than took it to a shop that specializes in suspensions and alignments. They installed a set of camber adjusting bolts and while the car was within the factory specs, they backed off of the negative camber. Just like Rocky101 the car now needs less gas pedal to keep it moving and there is no noise. Amazing! The shop I had the work done is working with me and wants me to bring it back in later this year to see if anymore adjustments are needed. They also told me any car with this type of front suspension will be prone to these problems - sadly Toyota can not stand behind their warranty or their reputation. This was my first and last Toyota. Cost was $216 including parts and labor. Oh - and a new set of tires from America's Tire for $400. Anyway there is nothing wrong with Continental Tires, the struts or any of the other stuff folks are being told. This is just a quality control problem and while not an extreme safety issue a pain in the butt for owners who have to work with an unresponsive and uncaring automobile company and their dealerships. If anyone needs the settings where the shop set my tires, hit me up and I will send them to you. Not sure yet, if this is where they need to be however I can feel and hear the difference right now.

    Steve
  • skc51skc51 Member Posts: 4
    You can get a shim installed on the back wheels to adjust the camber. If you do this, make sure you take it somewhere that specializes in alignments and suspensions. I had similar problems however I did the front end since the back end was okay. The shims are not expensive however you need to have someone who knows what they are doing to get this done correctly.

    Steve
  • azul07azul07 Member Posts: 2
    I just bought my XR Matrix 07 in December. Up to a month or so ago everything was fine with the car. Then the tire pressure light when up I tried to reset (as the manual indicates)but it kept coming back on. Finally I took it to a tire shop to get it checked out they told me that the tires were low. About 3 days later the indicator light came back up again.

    This time I took it to the dealer as I was also due for maintenance so they rotated the tires. They also set they set the pressure on the tires (something like that) and reset the little light that kept going on. Well, about a week later the light comes up and I did nothing about it until my front tire became totally flat. Ok so it was due to a nail in the tire :blush: Hopefully that is it. I have less than 5K on this car.

    Still, I'm going to keep a close eye on the tires because I've read too many "horror stories" (as my sister called it) regarding tires and Matrixes. :confuse:

    Anyone have problems with 07 Matrix I have only read about previous models.
  • careypcareyp Member Posts: 2
    Am also having the same problem as Rocky101. 2006 Matrix XR with 17,000 miles has severe cupping on inside of all four tires. Am beginning the tedious process of trying to convince Toyota that the problem is the car and not the
    Continental Tires. Very much appreciate reading about the experiences of others and hope that it will shortcut the arguments with Toyota.

    Can you please send me the settings you ended up with? Thanks.

    Carey
  • mshifrinmshifrin Member Posts: 1
    Rocky101,

    I have a 06 matrix with the same tire wear issue.
    I have conties on my car
    Where can I get teh kit to fix the rears

    Appreciate your help bro

    Michael
  • wmconewmcone Member Posts: 2
    Steve Had the same problem with my 06 Matrix XR Short life with the Continental tires and very noisy after 9000 mi.I ran them to 25000. But interested in settings so I do not wear my new tires out. WmCone
  • bmyers51bmyers51 Member Posts: 1
    Steve:
    Can you supply me with the settings that the shop set your tires. I also have a 06 Matrix XR FWD and I replaced my Contenentals at 18K. Thanks.

    Bill
  • gapmiduragapmidura Member Posts: 1
    Hi,

    I'm happy/unhappy owner of Matrix 2006 with tire/alignment problem/story. Big disappointment with Toyota Motor Company and local Toyota Dealers - they do nothing. Finally I order front&rear camber kit and I setup an appointment to next week.
    Is this solution really works?
    The factory aligment setting are ok?
    Do I need any corrections to factory settings?
    Is the Matrix still driving well after all setup?
    Could You give me answer by my email?

    Thanks

    Paul
    apmidura@gazeta.pl
  • rocky101rocky101 Member Posts: 7
    Hi Guys,

    Our Matrix now has 29,000+ miles, 15,000 on the Yokamaha tires. The original tires lasted less than 15,000. Yes, Toyota was ABSOLUTELY no help. Three times in the shop, no resolution.

    I have rotated the tires 3x since installing the new tires, with no excessive wear or other problems. The shop used the factory camber and toe settings. I replaced only the front camber bolts. I do have a minor pull to the left. May be the rear end geometry, but I have not had the rear aligned yet.
  • dsbregadsbrega Member Posts: 1
    Rocky: is your Matrix FWD or AWD?
  • skc51skc51 Member Posts: 4
    Hi,

    Sorry for the late reply, I do not always check this stie. Installed two 17mm EZ CAM XR adjusting bolts, one on each front wheel. Here are the results:

    Initial Final

    Caster Left 3.12º 2.98º
    Right 2.94º 2.93º
    Camber Left -0.91º -0.44º
    Right -0.78º -0.31º
    Toe Left -0.06º 0.00º
    Right -0.19º 0.02º
    Total -0.25º 0.02º

    Not 100% sure if this has solved the problem since I only have about 2,500 miles on the new tires, no adjustments were made to the rear wheels however if I see any more wear problems, the car will go.

    Steve
  • skc51skc51 Member Posts: 4
    Hi,

    Sorry for the late reply, I do not always check this stie. Installed two 17mm EZ CAM XR adjusting bolts, one on each front wheel. Here are the results:

    Initial Final

    Caster Left 3.12º 2.98º
    Right 2.94º 2.93º
    Camber Left -0.91º -0.44º
    Right -0.78º -0.31º
    Toe Left -0.06º 0.00º
    Right -0.19º 0.02º
    Total -0.25º 0.02º

    Not 100% sure if this has solved the problem since I only have about 2,500 miles on the new tires, no adjustments were made to the rear wheels however if I see any more wear problems, the car will go.

    Steve
  • careypcareyp Member Posts: 2
    At 15,000 miles, had severe cupping on inside of all four tires. Although Toyota has taken no responsibility for the problem, my dealer in San Bruno, CA has helped out of "good will". The front end is apparently ok. The back end has been realigned with shims. All four tires have been replaced at the dealer's expense.

    Will monitor wear closely.
  • pete34286pete34286 Member Posts: 3
    06 Matrix with alloy wheels. (Has anyone had this problem with steel wheels?) At 5,000 slight shimmy in the steering wheel after rotation. After the 10,000 mile rotation it was a little worse. By 12,000 miles I was noticing the noise and was thinking they should insulate the car better. Took it to dealer early at 14,000 miles and they found all 4 tires cupped bad enough they needed replaced. They charged me for 2 and gave me 2 Yokahama tires checked the alignment that needed only slight adjustment. They blamed the Continental tires but I suspect the new tires will do the same. Will post again sometime after I have 5,000 miles or more on them.
  • pete34286pete34286 Member Posts: 3
    I filed a report with nhtsa on the tires. If enough complaints get filed with the transportation department they might do something. It takes a little while to file a complaint and you need to have vehicle info at hand but worth it. (VIN number, mileage, dealer information. It is Continental tire of North America if you had Continentals,- it asks).
    Here is the web site address for filing a complaint:

    www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm
  • louylouy Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone mentioned TSB DL002-07 that deals "abnormal noise from rear differential' on 06 AWD Matrix?
    Quote "The source of the noise may be damaged transmission coupling assembly and 2 ball bearing assemblies."
    Wonder this has anything to do with the premature wearing out of tires?
  • irieptiriept Member Posts: 1
    I see Toyota Matrix all over- I plan to print links to this site and to the suggested sites for retribution and leave them under the wipers of each Matrix I see. Perhaps this way we can alert others to the common issue we are having. I just found this because I plan to purchase new tires tomorrow after being told for the past year that there is no problem with my car...yada yada.. bottom line-they are in denial at the dealership service. I will re-read all of the posts and take the same action...
    I'll post my print text once its created so that you can re-create the same and pass them out too-
    Im fired up, they made me feel like I was crazy
  • wmconewmcone Member Posts: 2
    So do you think its the continental tires or not the correct alignment settings.
    I started having problems at 12000 mi. tire noise. I was able to baby them to 24000
    06 Matrix AW
  • capriracercapriracer Member Posts: 907
    I think there are 2 problems - and they are both related to alignment.

    The first is that the "specs" themselves are fairly aggressive. The settings are designed for good handling, not good tire wear.

    The second is the amount of allowable deviation from spec - the tolerance. Most factory specs are too wide by half.

    Put those 2 together and you have the problem.

    To support this conclusion: There is a range of mileages when noise / wear is reported and it is quite wide. And there are a lot of folks who are reporting no wear / noise issues. I think the differences are where the actual alignment values are - the further away you are from the inside limit, the sooner the problem emerges.

    Tires? These tires have appeared on BMW's, VW's, and Mercedes and they don't seem to have wear issues.
  • pete34286pete34286 Member Posts: 3
    It sure seems to be the Continental tires. But most of us that noticed the problem have not had the replacements on long enough to see if occurs with another brand. And I think there are plenty of people that turn the radio up and don't hear the problem. They may also drive on curvy hilly roads where it would be harder to feel or hear the cupping. In SW Florida with straight flat roads at 70mph it is easy to hear and feel.
    Judging by the number of posts here and on other forums I would say the problem is dimishing because most people that were going to notice it, have already and had their tires replaced. A lot of others probably just and said darn, when told they needed new tires and never suspected a defect. And Toyota is not using Continental for the 2007 or 08. Another reason I say tires are the problem is that I have not heard anyone say they had the problem with Goodyears, or other brand.
    If anyone has information about other brands with the same problem I would love to hear it.
    If the Yokohamas don't cup I will be happy.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    10,000 miles, '07 5-speed, I have the Goodyears, had them rotated this weekend and took the opportunity to examine them closely. No cupping or any abnormal wear was visible, they do not make any unusual noise, and with the amount of tread remaining I figure they should be good for 40K miles easy. At least I am hoping so - will continue to keep my fingers crossed for another 10K miles!

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • daka320daka320 Member Posts: 4
    Replaced the junk Continental tires at 14000 miles with Yokohamas. Alignment was off a bit which could of caused part of the problem. Currently have 41000 miles on car and no problems at all with the Yokohama tires. Makes me believe that it was the junky tires and not the alignment.

    Toyota did nothing to help me out with this problem. Disappointed with them!!! So, cough up the $400 to buy adequate tires. I will never consider Continental tires for any replacement tires for any vehicles I own. Also, the horrible response from Toyota will be a consideration for the next car I buy. What idiots!!!
  • denvermatrixdenvermatrix Member Posts: 1
    2007 Matrix XR. At ~11K Toyota service dept noted unusual wear on all tires. They had been rotated and balanced at each previous service. They said it was a problem they had seen with Matrix tires. I was told I would need to replace them at the next scheduled maintenance. The car was just past a year old but they agreed to pay for 1/2 of the price of replacement tires (now Yokahama).
    At ~16K the wear was pretty bad on all tires and the service manager still agreed to cover 1/2 of the tire cost...but not the balancing or alignment. After quite a bit of discussion they did agree to pay for 1/2 of that cost also. I said I don't want to be replacing the tires every 15K and paying for alignment and balancing every 3 months. The service manager said "If you think the Matrix is bad, you should see the problems with the Sienna."
    The Toyota customer service representative (1-800-331-4331) said there are currently no problems or recalls listed about the Matrix but they would make note of my complaint...but not actually do anything about it. I was told to call the tire manufacturer because it was probably a tire problem, not anything to do with the car.
    I had always heard good things about Toyota but after my experience with this car I will try and unload this one and go back to a Subaru.
  • crazjim31crazjim31 Member Posts: 4
    :mad: I wish I knew this before I leased this thing.I rotated the tires every 6000 miles and at 23900mile the tires are wore out 3/32frn.4/32rear.Cherry hill Toyota tried to sell me new tires for 500 dollars.I told them you're crazy if think I'm buying tires for this car so soon.they told me Its the tire manufactures problem not ours.Has any body had any luck with continetals tire warranty?
  • nerv2010nerv2010 Member Posts: 2
    I didn't realize so many people were having issues with their tires. I have an '03 Matrix that came with the Goodyear Eagle RSA tires. They worked fine till about 15k and had to be replaced due to aggressive driving. I love winding roads and hills. The tires would have lasted probably 20-25k if I had taken it easy but no issues due to abnormal wear. I replaced the set with Michelin HydroEdges and now I've accumulated over 60k more on those and still going. It sounds like a Continental issue to me.
    :P
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    I swear, the more I hear of it, the more I come to the same conclusion! It's always the Continentals people mention! Obviously it may be partly the design of the car, but then it becomes kind of like the Explorer/Firestone thing from the 90s (only not so dangerous) - who is to blame when the tires start failing in high numbers?

    A co-worker has a Matrix, which is up to almost 40K miles on the original tires, according to her. I went by her car and stooped down to peer which brand they were: Goodyear Eagles! Hers is an '05, FWD.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • derosa1derosa1 Member Posts: 4
    04 Matrix, 83K. Replaced OEM tires, Continental at 28k, replaced these with Bridestone and only got 45K out of a 60K tire. All rotations, balance, tire pressure, alignment were done. Sams club gave me a discount on new tires (Goodyear Eagle RSA) since I didn't get 60K out of them. Alignment has been checked but something is wearing out my tires at a fast pace. All of my driving is highway.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    I'm curious, when you only got 45K on a 60K tire, what was the issue that compelled you to replace them earlier than you expected? Was it uneven wear across the tire, or was it simply that the tread was worn down to the legal minimum?

    If the first, then it may relate to the problems people are reporting. If the second, then that's just an issue with the tires and your driving pattern, most likely.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • emcee97emcee97 Member Posts: 2
    2006 Matrix XR FWD--At a little over 14,000 miles our tires had to be replaced because of uneven wear. Alignment was off slightly and was realigned. Our dealer replaced these for us for free but replaced them with the same type--Continentals. Now, 15,000 miles later, our tires need to be replaced again. We are going to replace them with a different brand and we aren't having Toyota do it. The funny thing about this is that my mom has the exact same car except that hers is an automatic (mine is a 5-speed) and she has 29,000 miles on her car and had no trouble with the tires or road noise at all. I feel that if we have to replace the tires in another 15,000 miles then it will show that there is something wrong with the car and we can take the info to Toyota . I'm sending Toyota a letter telling them all of this just so its on the record in case we need to be documenting things. I also hope that the new tires help with the road noise. I drive 95% highway and the noise is ridiculous.
  • mknuppelmknuppel Member Posts: 1
    This has been a very interesting discussion thread. I have the same issue - 23K miles and already have gone through the set of original tires. I did all the regular maintenance and it did not appear to help. I have an appointment with the dealer tomorrow. After getting the tires replaced and after about 3K miles, I'm stating to hear a dull "rumbling" noise in the front right. Sounds like an issue with the strut, but after reading all these postings - I'm not sure. Overall, the car is great and I'm happy with it. It is a shame that Toyota does not address the issue. I did call and enter an issue at the main number. Not sure want good it will do. Waiting to see what the dealer says tomorrow. I'm also going to follow-up on one of the earlier postings and determine if adding the "bolts" for the alignment will do the trick. I'll let you know what happens...
  • emcee97emcee97 Member Posts: 2
    UPDATE: When we took the car into the tire shop, they said they had seen this before and that they think it has to do with the alignment specs that Toyota has. Apparently they have their specs set for high performance, which will cause the tires to wear quicker. He said he had even called the Toyota factory about it but didn't really get a response from them. They were going to check the alignment and see if they could change it. We went with another 40,000-mile tire. They recommended this instead of the 60,000-mile tire so we weren't spending more money to test this theory. I guess we'll see how it goes!
  • fendertweedfendertweed Member Posts: 98
    if that is true, get your car to a good shop that knows alignment and they should be able to finesse the alignment to eliminate some of the spec that's causing the wear (camber, toe-in, or whatever)...
  • tedd66tedd66 Member Posts: 4
    I just bought a used 07 Matrix XR (front wheel drive) with 18k miles and the original Goodyear RSA tires on it. No unusual wear pattern or cupping on any tires, but they are probably well over 50% worn from new. Still have approximately 2-3/32" before I hit the treadwear indicators, so I expect they will make it to ~25k. Maybe Toyota figured this out on the 07 models, and/or the Goodyears wear better than the Continentals. Most likely a combination of aggressive alignment settings, wider/low profile tires, and the Continental tires they were using. Any reccomendations for replacements for this vehicle for all-season performance (Michigan, so some snow driving).
  • kaichen3kaichen3 Member Posts: 1
    I have a Toyota Matrix 2004 XRS. I was out of country for a couple of weeks, and the tire pressure of one of my tires was down to 12.5. I pumped some air in it and now it's 19.5. The tire pressure of my other 3 tires is all different. I lost the owner's manual so I can't look it up. Does anybody have any ideas what the right tire pressure should be?

    Thanks a lot!
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Look on the drivers door jamb, it will tell you the minimum pressure.

    It's probably somewhere around 32-34 lbs.
  • surprisecapnsurprisecapn Member Posts: 3
    2005 Matrix XR FWD We replaced the original Goodyear Eagle RSA tires last August after 52000 miles. There were no unusual wear issues.

    We installed Michelin Hydroedge tires. There is less tire noise, the ride is stable, gas mileage is a little better, and less hydro planing. We have put over 12000 miles on the tires. I rotate every 5000 miles and keep 34psi in them
  • tedd66tedd66 Member Posts: 4
    The Hydroedge is on my list for replacement tires when needed. I'm also looking at the Goodyear Eagle F1 all-season, which gets great reviews on the tire sites. The Hydroedge is 760 rated, as compared to the 460 for the F1, but I don't drive that many miles so an 80k vs. 50k warranty isn't that big a deal for me.

    Tedd
  • xmarxmar Member Posts: 1
    Hi Marty,

    I have a 2006 AWD matrix which I bought used with less than 5k on it. I was given the same run around with a Toyota in Washington PA . I took my car to them to get the car aligned and to get it documented, I was having the same problem with less than 9k on the Continental tires. I have seen this tire complain and told the head mechanic about my concerns. He said it was the tires and I would have to deal with them. I took it to a local Tire shop in my home town after Toyota did the alignment. Less than 25 mile since they did it. The car was out of alignment and two tires where low in pressure. The local tire shop rotated my tires and said it they should wear back in but my tire life will be shortened. I got 18k out of the orginal tires. I now have new tires from the local shop and they are wearing just fine.

    I will never use the Toyota dealer in Washington PA again. The date on the printout for their alignment was several days before my car was even given to them. Even after talking to them about it they did nothing. Needless to say don't go to a dealer.

    Good luck,

    Martin
  • circuitsmithcircuitsmith Member Posts: 117
    Hi everyone,

    I'm new to this group.

    I have a 2006 base Matrix 5-speed with 12k mi. and Continental tires. Bought it a year ago. After reading this thread I went out and looked at the rear tires, which were rotated from the front ~4k miles ago when I bought the car. The inside tread bands are cupped and worn down much more than the other 4 bands. I would expect a camber problem to affect the second from inside band to be affected a little, but it's just the far inside one and it's dramatic. The tires on the front are starting to show the effect after 4k. The tires are a little noisy and I imagine it was quite a bit worse when the worn ones were up front.

    I took the car to a Goodyear shop I've used for years and trust, and had them do an alignment check. On the front, left camber was -0.5 deg., right -0.8 deg. This is funny because the left side seems to be worse. All other measurements were in spec. I was half way expecting the front camber #'s to be at least at the negative end of the range.

    The combination of reasonable alignment #'s and the far edge wear convinces me it's just the crappy tires. OTOH I've used Continental tires on my bicycle for years because they're by far the best performing and most puncture resistant bike tires I've ever used.
  • caliberchiccaliberchic Member Posts: 402
    Welcome to the forums Tim :)
  • sunshine57sunshine57 Member Posts: 1
    I also bought a new 06 Matrix XR with continential tires. Had car less than 3 months and was back at the dealer to have car alignment checked. Caber was out. I having problem keeping air in the tires. Okay one day and down the next. The car has been serviced at the dealer and had tires rotated each time. Now with a little over 22,000 miles the tires are shot, wear bar showing etc. The dealer said I can contact the maker. The last thing I want is more of their tires. Will get new tires and then get an alignment, If the problem continues then there must be a problem with the car
  • calinmdcalinmd Member Posts: 7
    Hi All-
    I read this thread because I was thinking of buying an 07 Matrix, and after talking with a friend who had one and didn't have tire problems at about 12K, I decided to get one anyway, thinking maybe it was something in earlier models, or just a hit-or-miss sort of condition. I bought my new 07 Matrix (base model, automatic) and am happy with it, and thought no more about the tire wear/camber issues.

    Welllll...I got an email from the same friend, he's had it in the dealer shop, dealer says he needs new tires now (23K miles). Odd cupping, tread wear on the inside, etc. Same old thing.

    So I went right out to the driveway to check my car--I have 14K on it right now, and I haven't really looked closely at them for a long time...like I said, I sort of forgot about the issue. Damned if it doesn't have wear on the inside edge, and nowhere else...it's been rotated and balanced every 4K since I got it, and I haven't been abusing the thing; just normal, conservative (by many standards) driving. The tires on my friend's are the Continentals, and mine came with Goodyear Eagle RS-A's. So, I don't think it's the tires, necessarily.

    The best idea in this thread that I've seen is the one about the camber adjustments, that makes the most sense to me (it's back at Msg # 70). I think I may get some camber adjustment bolts and go that route, try to save these tires I have. That's what my friend is going to do--he took the thing to his "tire guy" with the info about the camber adjustment bolts, and the guy thought it sounded right, and he's going to install a pair of them.

    If anyone else out there has put the camber adjustment bolt kit on their Matrix, let me know--I'm curious how that went, and if you could do the work yourself, and what the model number of the bolt kit was. I want to deal with this myself--I can;t imagine it's going to do any good talking with the dealer about it.

    Thanks for any input and help--
  • tamedskertamedsker Member Posts: 6
    We have a 2006 Matrix XR (2wd) that came with Continental tires. We didnt notice any tire noise, but we are both a little hard of hearing. We did the 5K and 10K tire rotaion ourselves, so in a sense there was no written record of this. At 15K, we had the dealer look at the car because we were noticing vibration. That was when they told us our ties were shot, and needed replaced. When I questioned them about the tire warranty, they refused to cover it because there was no "Written" record of tire rotations. I didnt like the price of the quote they gave for replacement tires and went to a very reputable local source to buy the replacements. On a hunch, they checked the alignment of the rear end toe in, they show that it was off quite a bit, and that shims were needed to correct this. I brought this to the attention of the dealer we purchased it from, and they checked out the car. They said that no shims were needed, and that the tire dealer didn't really know what they were talking about. Well, giving Toyota the benefit of the doubt, I decided not to pursue it any further at this point. I had the new tires rotated at the manufacturers (different from Continental) reccomendations. Now, at 14K miles on the new set, they too, are now showing signs of excessive wear. I was told by my tire guy the tires are starting to cup like the original set. He also asked me why I never had Toyota install the shims he told me about. I told him that Toyota siad the car was fine, and he showed me a catalog of supply parts that had a specific kit of shims for the ear end of the Toyota Matrix (all years!) to correct rear end toe in alignment problems. If there is no problem, according to Toyota, why would there be a specific kit of parts to correct this problem??? I hope this data helps you, as our Matrix has less than 30K miles, and we are getting ready to invest in our third set of tires.
  • calinmdcalinmd Member Posts: 7
    Wow...thanks so much for the reply! Great info. It seems that people have all sorts of issues with this sort of thing--front, rear; camber, toe-in....

    Are you thinking about getting the shims installed?

    I'm probably going to go ahead and get my shop to install the camber adjustment bolts. They seems to think it made sense; it's a starting point, at least. I think I've been lucky enough to catch the wear early enough, so that I can still use this set. Hope so.

    I should note, for accuracy's sake, that in my post above I mentioned having wear along the inside of the tires...it's actually the outside edge. So that's too much positive camber. My friend's Matrix is showing wear on the inside edge--again: seems to be all over the place.

    Nice gallery of tire wear here, as a reference
  • tamedskertamedsker Member Posts: 6
    Yeah, I forgot mention our wear issue was the3 inside edge (cupping). I had a little talk with the dealer today, they started to blow me off, till I produiced all 151 entries in printed form, and my receipts, and threatened them with a lawyer....We have an appointment this Thursday for them to look more deeply into the problem. I told them I was going to be all over them until it is resolved to MY satiosfaction...lets just say for now, they are cooperating..I will post again when I have more information.
  • rocky101rocky101 Member Posts: 7
    Hi,

    We own a 2006 base Matrix and have experienced the abnormal tire wear you describe exactly. Tires gone at 14k, lots of vibration, cupped tires, etc. Toyota was NO help in three visits. It appears that the problem originates from poor assembly at the Canadian plant. The jig welded strut mounts were miss aligned and therefore cause the miss alignment. The solution we used was adjustable camber bolts to compensate for the missalignment. They are not in the Toyota parts book, so Toyota will not install them.
    We were forced to use an independent shop for the alignment and install because Toyota REFUSED to acknowledge the poor construction. We wanted to keep the car instead of selling it because of alignment problems. We have 25k on the new tires, even wear on all 4.
    If you can get satisfaction from the dealer, good luck!! We solved the problem directly and received no compensation from Toyota. 80k tires gone in 14k?? No problem for Toyota.
    We have also had major oil leaks in the motor and trans repaired 3 times under warranty. So much for legendary reliability.

    Good Luck, you will need it to deal with Toyota Warranty work!!
  • rocky101rocky101 Member Posts: 7
    Hi,

    The Camber bolts solved the tire wear problem for us. I installed Moog Magna Cam, if I remember, Carquest PN K929. Unbolt the bottom camber bolt, install the adjustable bolt, go to the alignment shop, align the suspension.

    We have 25k on the new Yokahama Avids, no abnormal wear.

    Good luck, pack
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles