Matrix Transmission Problems

jnr1

I have a new 2006 Matrix (automatic) and 4 times the car has shifted from drive to 2nd gear on its own. Has anyone ever experienced this. The dealer thinks I'm nuts!

kimx

I was wondering if anyone else had this issue? I've found more than a few instances on the web about the clutch going in the Matrix at or around 30k... this proved to be true for my 05 XRS as well. Prior to my XRS, I had an 02 Celica GTS (Supposedly same clutch, engine, gear ratio...) but never had the issues in the Celica (Had just about 49k when I traded it in). I'm asking out of curiosity, because when I had my clutch replaced (Stage II ACT clutch put in) my mechanic said he had just done an XRS about a week before. I was also told to hang on to my receipt because it was a matter of time before a class action suit was filed. Anyone else have any experiences, thoughts...? Anything would be appreciated!

kwayne47

What about your warranty?

kimx

Warranty is only until 30k for the clutch... I missed it by 3k! I was told by the dealer that I did not know what I was talking about when I said a clutch should not go at 33k miles... I guess it's because I'm female, I shouldn't know a thing about cars (HAH!). No help there... I didn't want to deal with the aggravation and I need my car (can't live without it!) so I went and had it replaced. But like I said in my previous post, I was told to hang onto my receipt because a class action suit against Toyota is "inevitable" (per my mechanic. What's your take on it?

petl

There is something fishy about this story. To my knowledge, warranty is 36,000 miles or 36 months for all components and 60,000 miles or 60 months for engine, transmission, drive systems, etc. Based on what you are saying, the clutch should have been covered. Do you have documented proof that the dealer refused to repair/replace the clutch? I would call Toyota's customer service. This should be an open and shut case. This is not a class action suit. Good luck.

mcdawgg

In general, clutches are not covered under any warranty, because people can either abuse them, or just do not know how to drive a stick properly.

They are a wear and tear item. Check your warranty book that came with the owner's manual. It will state which components are covered, and what is not. With the clutch, it won't cover the disk or the pressure plate, and probably not the release bearing. No manufacturer covers clutches.

Please do not take this the wrong way, I am not necessarily saying you caused the problem, but in most cases, it is the driver.

petl

What is the difference between a clutch and a clutch cover? The owners manual states that the clutch cover is covered (transmission and transaxle). The manual does indicate that clutch linings are a maintenance item. I am not very familiar with how it works. I guess clarification is required on what was defective or in need of repair (cover or lining). The problem I have is with kimx's statement concerning a 30,000 mile warranty (I wonder where that came from). If the dealer did not want to repair the clutch problem, we can only assume that it was the clutch lining and not the cover.

csmatrix

I drive a 5 speed Matrix XR. Although its a reliable transmission, I found it to be down right unpleasent to drive at times. It dosen't seem to be geared for an engine with as little torque as the 1.8L has. To make things worse the throttle is horrible and makes it hard to drive smoothly. If anyone feel the same way please let me know. I'm thinking about trading it in for an 07 Mitsubishi Eclipse.

xmatrixownr

I bought a Matrix XRS in its first year of production. It had the 6 speed manual transmission. I found the shifting to be uncomfortable, also, and not smooth at all. When the clutch wore out at 29,000 miles or so, and Toyota told me that it was "normal wear", I went right over to Honda and traded it in on a Civic. I found that the Matrix defiinitely did not live up to Toyota's normal standards

heathyvt

I'm interested in buying a matrix after college, i'm big into the tuner scene. I'm interest in buying the AWD matrix but they only come in auto's as far as I i've seen. Is it posible to do the auto to standard sawp?

mjustice11

Hello - I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem. I have a 2003 toyota matrix, 5 speed, that has been properly maintained, etc. My manual transmission needs to be completely replaced due to a "fluke" in happenstance. I bought a toyota to last until at least 100K, and now I have to have a new transmission put in that will cost over $3000. I'm frustrated. Others with this problem, please let me know!

crimson_steve

I have had an ongoing battle with Toyota Canada over my '03 Matrix after the manual transmission went at 108k (km) in Dec of 2005.

A bearing needed replacing that cost me about $Cdn 1800 to repair, which was about $1500 labour. I failed to change the manual transmission fluid at 100K, which Toyota Canada said meant that the repair costs were all mine. They offered $300 to cover the parts as a Goodwill gesture. I told them to keep it. The fact is the US site and GM Canada site (Vibe; said powertrain) both say that the trans fluid only needs to be replaced if the vehicle is used to tow. I had the bearings subsequently dissected by a Materials lab and a report written identifying the problem as a defective bearing assembly (Japanese bearing parts out of tolerance) that did not fail due to any poor lubrication condition. Toyota Canada again denied any responsibility, and said that any future communications on this issue would not be addressed. The only joy I have had to date, is driving daily (work commute) by the plant where the car was made (Cambridge, Ont.) with a neon placard on the back window for all to see that tells my story:

2003 Toyota Matrix
Failed Manual Transmission 108K
Me: $1800
Toyota: $0
Made in Cambridge

I recently received a 2003 Matrix owner's customer satisfaction survey, which I sent back uncompleted to the president of Toyota Canada with a covering letter saying that he could fill it out on my behalf based on the enclosed copies of all of the correspondence.

I would be interested in hearing about you experience.

SH.

jim19a

My Transmission had a bearing failure at about 62K. Replacement cost about $1100.00. I asked Toyota nicely for some accomodation (split part of the cost? Give a coupon for something?) Their answer was that they would do nothing. The mechanic said the failure had nothing to do with maintainence or use. It was simply a bad part. Please reply with similar experiences (Now there are at least two of us)

By the way the clutch wnet out at about 30K, but Toyota id fix that.

matrixreloaded

I have a 2004 matrix XRS with only 113,000 kms and just replaced the clutch and am told my transmission is trashed. This is unacceptable for a Toyota product! I am looking into warranties and replacements but feel this needs to be addressed by Toyota Canada, and if not by them, then Toyota Japan. I have only driven Toyota and this is the worst car I have ever owned - even my Toyota Tercel was better quality than my Matrix.

tuxristo

WOW,

A bearing went in my 2003 Toyota Matrix XR 5-speed transmission about a week ago at 108K (km) !!

(I was in the middle of nowhwere 250km from the nearest dealer, 40km from the nearest town at 1am BTW)

When I read your post, I could think only one thing, defective batch?!
Anyway my Matrix was made in Cambridge, April 2003 and bought June 2003 in Calgary.

Transmission fluid was changed by Toyota last year.

I am trying to find more people that this has happened to
If the bearings in that transmission were faulty,
then I am guessing that sooner or later they will all go
and since the average driver may not have hit 108K km yet
more of this will probably crop up.

RT

matrixreloaded

My dad is a heavy duty mechanic and has been a loyal Toyota customer for as long as I can remember. He said the same thing about the bearings in the transmission. I have not replaced my transmission, he told me to drive it until it dies..:(....and why would I replace my transmission with another Matrix transmission that could be faulty??? Makes no sense does it? When I went to a local Toyota dealer I brought up the fact that there has been problems with the Matrix transmission, he acknowledged that they had come across a few...

I believe this is happening to more people than we know of and am prepared to do whatever it takes to find them!! I am a frequent visitor to Japan and just returned at the end of February. I can tell you the Japanese take GREAT pride in everything they do and everything they make and probably have no idea of the problems of the Matrix - in fact the Matrix is not made in Japan, it is made in Canada....AND.....I don't believe that Toyota Japan even sells the Matrix....so....I am willing to pursue this at whatever level is needed. I feel Toyota Canada needs to acknowledge the problem and do a recall...let me know if you are interested....ds

ron99

I have a 2003 Matrix and I just had the manual transmission replaced at 63,000 miles. I luckily bought a Toyota certified used vehicle and it comes with a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. I did elect to change the clutch while it was out because it was only $300.00 to do it. I also bought a Toyota to have it last a long time and am dissapointed.

frustrated13

Here is another one for you ... 102,000 kms on a 2003 matrix 5sp and the tranny bearing exploded taking out the works.
I have been waiting for Toyota Canada to stand up and help me out here , but I should have not been suprised when they have offered next to nothing . If any or all of you can send in your serial # , kms , and a detailed description on how this happened and what there response was , I would be very interested .If you find any other people with the same problem , ask them to do the same. It sounds to me like this is a concern that needs to be moved to a different level. I have driven a lot of toyotas and this has put a real sour taste in my mouth....
I honestly believe that Toyota is one of the few companies with values and if this can be sent in the right direction action will be taken to rectify our concerns.

pattih

I have 2003 5 speed Matrix XR bought in May of 2002. At a little over 95,000 I requested they check everything thoroughly just in case something looked questionable and I could get it covered before the warranty expired. I was told everything was great. (90% of my miles are highway miles, so clutch and everything else appeared to be in great shape.) Yesterday at 108,000 miles they informed me my transmission was bad due to a bad bearing. My options: by a used transmission, new transmission or dump the car for a trade in value of $5,000. I was told they could only put a 2003 transmission in the car because they made changes to the 2004 and newer transmissions making them incompatible with the 2003 Matrix. Consumer report shows the transmissions for the 2003 Matrix rated in the middle (newer models were rated high-but maybe that's because they don't have that many miles on them yet). This is the first Toyota I ever bought because of the stellar reputation for longevity i.e. I was told I could count on it without major problems for 200,000 miles if I did the required maintenance. I'm wondering what's the point of paying $2,300 to install a new transmission (that already has 50,000 miles on it - it's all they could find) and have the same problem? Or what's the point of paying almost $3,500 and having the same problem. If they're defective then the problem will be there again. Is this only an issue for manual transmissions? Is it primarily an issue for 2003s? I love the car otherwise and would like another, but don't trust the tran problem. Nobody from Toyota will acknowledge it's a defect and stand behind it.

robins0910

I have a 04 Matrix XR I purchased it 06/03 and just had the transmission replaced at just over 46k miles. I was told by the dealer that the differential came apart inside the trans. No out of pocket expense for me since they cover the trans for 60k miles but I can't say I would buy another Toyota after this experience, I'll probably go back to Honda.

madatmatrix

I'll add to the 2003 Matrix woes. I just had to have the transmission worked on because the bearings were totally shot. I was told it was a "fluke" as well. Do they get that in training? Only 5 months ago I had to replace the water pump and have the brakes worked on. I've done all of the work at the dealership and have been very good with maintenance throughout the life of the car. So in the past 5 months my Matrix has cost me almost $4,000. It was $1,700 for the water pump and brakes and $2,000 for the transmission (they are putting in a new clutch while they're at it). I did not expect to have to sink this much money into what is basically a Corolla wagon. So buyer beware regarding the 2003 Toyota Matrix.

canonlaw

I just had the bearings go bad on my matrix 5-speed tranny as well. What were the symptoms for you guys? mine was a grinding sound when in gear and letting off the gas....I am wondering, is this gonna happen every 60,000miles or so? it is being fixed under warranty this time, but if it did this every 60,000 miles, whats the point in owning this car? I love it but....

joebeets

I found a used 2003 Matrix XRS 6sp.manaul with only 34k miles. Not bad I thought, took it for a test drive and didn't notice at first the "noise" coming from the gears as you throttled down. I took it to a mechanic for a pre-sale check-out and of course he noticed the noise right away. He said, "Hmmm and the seller wants how much? No way dude!!" I offered her $4600 less than what she was asking (mid-KBB of $12600) to put into "escrow" for when I have to fix it. Now that I'm reading these posts, however, I'm thinking that isn't a matter of IF but a matter of WHEN. Bad transmissions seem to be endemic to the Matrix, especially 2003s. I'm going to withdraw my offer on this car. Thank goodness for this forum!!!

sales2010

Does automatic tranmissions have this problem too? Since the Corolla and the Matrix have a similar platform, does bad transmissions usual for the Corolla also? Thanks!

crimson_steve

So it seems like I wasn't the only one who had this unpleasant experience with Toyota as they had indicated.

Although, it happened over a year and half ago now it still makes me so mad. I have the culprit 'Made in Japan' bearing handy as a reminder. I battled with Toyota Canada and lost.

If any one wants to continue with the battle, I will gladly join in. The following was my contact who I would encourage all of you to send a letter to detailing your experiences:

Donna Gervais
Consultant, Customer Interaction Center
One Toyota Place,
Scarborough, Ontario
M1H-1H9
1-888-Toyota-8

Please refer to my file:

Stephen Harding
Case #773648

Just to be thorough, you may also want to send a copy to this guy:

Mr. Kazunori Harada
General Manager
Overseas Operations Department
Customer Relations Division
Toyota Motor Corporation
DAI-NI Toyota Building
10-27 MEIEKI 4-CHOME, NAKAMURA-KU
NAGOYA 450-0002, JAPAN

Please refer to my file:

NCR-0031125-01-N

I also can give you further information through standard email, including my correspondence with Toyota and the lab report on the defective bearing.

Good luck.

I recently replaced our family van. I had a choice. It's a Honda.

visionstar

My impression is that the automatics do not have this problem, is that correct?

I hope so because I just bought an 03 Matrix AWD automatic with over 100,000 miles. Need to get the transmission serviced but at this point, it seems to be fine.

Certainly is disappointing to hear that Toyota is dodging the problem this way!

tuxristo

From what I have read and from (painful) personal experience
Here are the common transmission problems with the Matrix :sick:

2003-2006 XRS 6-speed manual clutch failures at around 50,000km
2003 5-speed manual - bearing failure at around 105,000km

Like I posted earlier, My 2003 XR 5-speed failed at 108k km (about 68k miles)
The output shaft bearing blew up killing some other parts in the tranny costing $2400 to fix.

Summary of reported bearing failures right after the warranty ran out:

1) mjustice - 2003 tranmission replaced at 62K miles
2) crimson_steve - Exact same failure as mine at the exact same mileage (>1k km apart)
3) jim19a - Not sure if 2003, but failed within 5k miles of mine, also bearings
4) tuxristo - Mine, 2003 XR bearings failed at 68K miles
5) ron99 - Not sure if bearings were the problem, but 2003 and failed within 5k miles of mine
6) frustrated13 - 102,000 kms on a 2003 matrix 5sp and the tranny bearing exploded taking out the works. I.E. exactly the same failure as mine.
7) pattih - Also bad bearings, but from the sounds of it it failed at 108k miles not km?
She also had it checked just before warranty expired like I did. If the bearing was making a subtle whine like it was on mine, then why did the mechanic not notice it!? :mad: I noticed the whine after letting go of the clutch pedal and slowing down "with the gears", but thought it was coming from the engine or something
8) madatmatrix - 2003 transmission trashed at 85K (miles or km? - guessing miles)
9) canonlaw - Exact same symptoms as mine, at roughly the same mileage.

WOW,
You can't help but wonder how many more people are out there that don't use this forum!
:lemon:

Will this happen to us again at another 60K miles?

Since the new bearings are presumably not bad, it might not happen again at another 60K miles, but as pattih noted, the transmission design was changed for 2004, so maybe the transmission was flawed in the 2003 and it WILL keep happening! i.e. maybe there is some design flaw in the tranny that is CAUSING the bearings to fail. Then again, maybe it was a bad batch of bearings. Toyota really needs to stand up and own up to this problem and at the very least give us all some answers!

- Will we be compensated for this design flaw/batch of defective parts?
- How will this affect Toyota's Reliability reputation?
- What can Toyota do to make sure we don't go around telling everyone to avoid Toyota based on our experience?

It is interesting to see that people are starting to ask about 6-speeds, automatics and even the Corolla in this thread. To me these questions show that the 2003 Matrix 5-speed manual transmission problem is already starting to cast a shadow on Toyota's reliability reputation, and I think it would be in Toyota Motor Corporation's best interests to reassure people that the problem is isolated to a certain batch of 2003 Matrix 5-speeds, if in fact that is the case!

canonlaw

Hey tuxristo, could we swap email addresses? I don't know what will happen down the road with all of this, but it would be nice to have someone to contact if need be.

I don't like posting my email address, so can you contact me through my website? Just fill out the contact form. Thanks.

www.zebwainwright.com

pamatrix03

I bought my 2003 matrix also in May of 2002. My transmission failed last Thurs. night at 118,000 miles. I'm in shock- I never expected this from a Toyota. It is the 3rd Toyota I have owned. I had noticed a noise and had it checked twice, but was thinking it might have been exhaust because it got worse when I stepped on the gas. Neither garage found anything. I don't know yet the extent of the damage. I had it towed to garage, and they pulled it yesterday, but hadn't torn it apart yet to see what went wrong and the extent of the damage. I called a Toyota dealer and of course they basically laughed when I told them it had 118,000 miles. I will call the customer serrvice hotline though. Clearly there is a problem with this transmission. I would be happy to join in any collective action. Toyota should stand behind this product and if they have a problem should step up and solve it.

emob

COUNT ME IN!! Blown Transmission, extremely pissed off.

2003 Matrix XR 5sp. 102,600 miles. Bought May 2003. Well maintained and serviced at regularly scheduled intervals by the Toyota dealer. Not a single mechanical problem until a slight grinding sound (coming from either the clutch and/or transmission, when in gears 1-5) popped up 2000 miles after my extended warranty expired at 100K. It sounds like this was in fact the bearing. Last night the tranny blew as I was driving it to get a second opinion after the local Toyota dealer offered only an entire transaxle replacement for $3500.
I'm planning to do a dealer trade-in with them and work a deal on the price of a new Prius. I'd prefer to never buy Toyota again because of this, but it is my best option for salvaging the most value from the car.
Toyota has not lived up to its reputation, and hasn't done anything to help me. Needless to say, I to am extremely dissapointed and would love to join the fight.

alika

I found this site after Toyota told my wife they wouldn't cover anything towards the replacement of her clutch and transmission, after 76k miles. It seems there's a real problem here, and Toyota needs to acknowledge it. so what do we do next? Any attorneys out there?

lilmaxx

I also own a 2003 matrix xr, and as of today it also needs major transmission work. I replaced the gear oil @ 100,000 miles and it was as black as dirt. That seemed to calm the noise for a while and then it started to chirp, now it sits in the driveway and won't even go into gear. This will be the last toyota I ever buy.

kate18

My '03 Matrix manual transmission went at 104k (km) .

All the tramission need to be replaced. This job cost 4300$ at a Toyota Dealer.

A failed to change transmission fluid which Toyota Canada said meant the warranty is over. They offered $2000 as a Goodwill gesture. So I still have to pay 2300$.

I look to repair by independant transmission garage and the cost for a used one is 1500$.

What do you think I should do : accept their offer (cost 2300$) or buy a used one (1500$)?

thank

tuxristo

Well, how many km would the used one have on it?

Judging by the posts in this forum, it's pretty likely that a 5-speed manual transmission from a 2003 Matrix, will fail at about 107,000km (+/- 5000km)

So, if the used transmission is less than 102,000 km old,
you'll put it in and it will probably fail.

As sad as it is, I'd just get it fixed, if I was you. :sick:

I would also print out all the posts in this thread and talk to a manager and get them to cover the entire cost of the repairs based on the fact that these transmissions are bad. :lemon:

alika

The same thing just happened to my wife's 03 5 speed. 76k and the transmission and clutch blew out. So far Toyota has offered nothing, but we're starting to get our notes together. Maybe if enough of us got together and approached Toyota with one voice, they'd have to acknowledge that there is a problem.

canonlaw

I am working on a website about this. I am going to hopefully have it show up at the top of google searches and will include all the info on here, and hopefully it will get more responses from people.

alika

Keep me posted on that website. We're really steamed with this whole issue. Thanks

augurer

I don't own a Matrix, but my 2003 Corolla S's 5-speed manual transmission with 63k miles is displaying similar problems as described here.

The car was making an abnormal noise when in all gears, with the noise level increasing with the RPMs. I wouldn't describe the noise as grinding, however. The noise was similar to the normal idling noise, but sounded like the rotations were off-balance - the noise had a cyclical/oscillating quality.

I took it into the dealer, and they've indicated the transmission needs to be replaced. I haven't been told exactly what the problem is/was, but faulty/failing bearings seems plausible.

Thankfully I purchased the extended warranty and the repair will be covered (~$3k US).

matrixyuk

My 2003 Matrix transmission failed two days ago at 150,000kms. I was shocked to find this thread. It is still in the garage, no estimate until Monday as they are taking it apart. I am really pissed.

lilmaxx

Got my 03 matrix back today $2100 poorer. They replaced the tranny with one from a 2007 that had 7000 miles on it. I'm saving my reciept from this in case it goes to a class action lawsuit. I also asked the owner of the transmission shop how often to change the gear oil inside the tranny and he said every year or 30,000 miles. As much money as i now have wrapped into this car i'll be joining Al Bundy in the million mile club.

pivofreak

Add me to the list. 2003 matrix with 91k miles, dealer wants $3200 for a new tranny, 2800 for a used. Both with only a 1yr warrenty! :-)

upset4

2004 matrix 5 speed transmission blew at 110,000 miles. The clutch was gone too. Cost is $2625.00 for a REBUILT tranny and clutch. This is crazy !! Has anyone heard of a class action lawsuit beginning yet? Something has got to be done. No car should do this at mileage its' happening. This is my 6th toyota..and it's my last.

gutloaded

This one's typical:
'03 Matrix, purchased brand new December of 2002.
85,000 miles
Just started showing all the symptoms described throughout the the various posts, grinding at low rpms, progressively getting worse (louder) Grinding started exhibiting itself halfway through my drive from Chicago to Denver. Stopped in Nebraska at a Toyota dealer, 3 certified Toyota mechanics scratched their heads, couldnt figure out the problem was (other than "we think it's either your transmission or clutch...). Said to just push on through to Colorado, and deal with it when I got there. Well I made it, and I'm taking the car to couple shops tomorrow, to get it checked out again (I suspect it's the blown transimission issue), dont know what I'll do at this point. Gotta figure out how to get it back to Chicago, as cheaply as possible... never expected this from a Toyota w/ such low mileage.

upset4

I knew it was coming. I travel a lot & rented cars to avoid breakdown far from home. Thought the humming & grinding was bad, but when it fell apart, it literally sounded like it fell out & it blew the clutch @ that moment.

gutloaded

Wow, so you drove 20,000 miles with the grinding before it blew? Hey all you other guys, how long did you drive w/ the grinding before it just puked out?

upset4

Yes...it began very faint and progressively got louder and louder. We own courier business...so 20k miles comes quick for me. The last 5,000 I didn't drive it out of town - I thought any minute it would go because it got SO loud. Thank goodness when it did...I was 2 miles from home.

gutloaded

I'm at 85k, no warranty, on vacation in Colorado (home is in Chicago). Would you recommend new tranny, or rebuilt? Also, would you recommend using an independant Toyota certified mechanic, or taking it to a local Toyota dealer to have the work done? What did you wind up doing?

glaw

Our 2003 Matrix XR has 107km's and we had to have the transmission replaced as the old one was completely shot.
I believe Toyota knows there is a problem but feel it would be cheaper to ignore us ( who have problem cars ) than to issue a recall so keep calling them at 1-888-869-6828 and let them know that this issue is not going away until they address it properly. When we called them at this number they said they were unaware of any problem with the Matrix and that they had received no calls from customers complaining about it. So PLEASE CALL!!! Maybe a call to an investigative news show is in order?!

glaw

You may want to check into CAMVAP ( Canadian Motor vehicle Arbitration Plan ). Go to there website @ camvap.ca or call them @ 1-800-207-0658. It's a free program. Please call them, it's got to be worth $2100. I am in a similar situation, 107,000kms, had trans.fluid changed @ 99,000 and now @ 107kms trans.has to be replaced!

chadhunt3447

damm, i was considering buying a new toyta matrix but all of this has me worried!!!!
shoudl i get a fit instead? or a nisson verssa?
chadnyc1@earthlin.net

vyoshida01

I have been hearing about a class action suit against the Toyota Matrix transmissions. Is this true to anyone's knowledge? My dad purchased a used 2004 Matrix with low miles and since he is a courier he puts a lot of miles on his car. He got to 199,000 miles before his transmission went out but when he went to have it repaired he found out he had 1 of 4 prototype transmissions that cost him $4200 to rebuild. He would have paid over $4000 just for parts if he would have went through Toyota. Luckily the mechanic searched high and low and found the parts he needed all throughout the United States. Has anyone heard about this or may possibly have one of the other three? Thanks in advance for anyone's input.