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Toyota Matrix Tire/Wheel Questions

remaxmarty1remaxmarty1 Member Posts: 14
Are you experience abnormal tire wear? - I'm collecting data or tire wear for the Matrix.

My car is wearing the inner most tread only front and rear tires. And I am getting tire noise that increase with speed - it's annoying to say the least.

My mechanic says this is normal - yeah right!

-Marty
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Comments

  • aquawolfaquawolf Member Posts: 2
    I have an '03 XR FWD and I am in the market to buy a new set of tires. I've decided to purchase Bridgestone Turanzas - everything I've read about them has been extremely positive. Has anyone put these tires on their Matrix or know of someone who has? Also, I'm uncertain as to whether I should go with the H-rated (Turanza LS-H) or the V-rated (LS-V) tire. Will "upgrading" to the V-rating tire improve my car's handling/response or, given that the Matrix is wagon-like, should I just stick with the H-rated? My car is mainly driven in the city, with occassional trips (~1000 miles) a couple of times each year. Any comments are greatly appreciated!
  • aquawolfaquawolf Member Posts: 2
    I have an '03 XR FWD and I am in the market to buy a new set of tires. I've decided to purchase Bridgestone Turanzas - everything I've read about them has been extremely positive. Has anyone put these tires on their Matrix or know of someone who has? Also, I'm uncertain as to whether I should go with the H-rated (Turanza LS-H) or the V-rated (LS-V) tire. Will "upgrading" to the V-rating tire improve my car's handling/response or, given that the Matrix is wagon-like, should I just stick with the H-rated? My car is mainly driven in the city, with occassional trips (~1000 miles) a couple of times each year. Any comments are greatly appreciated! :)
  • bzedbzed Member Posts: 2
    My 2005 Matrix has only 24,000 kms on it (15,000 miles) and, to the shock of my mechanic at a recent oil change, the inside tread on all four tires is worn right down. Excessive vibration now occurs at speeds above 60 mph. To make matters worse, I change to winter tires every winter, so these Continentals that came with the car have logged less than 16,000 kms (10,000 miles). My mechanic has never seen anything like it. This can't be right.
  • remaxmarty1remaxmarty1 Member Posts: 14
    Thanks Bzed,

    No it is not normal or acceptable. Is your car All Wheel Drive(AWD)? WE have talked to people that have tried several different types of tire on the same car - it is not a tire quality problem. What do your snow tires look like?
  • humbughumbug Member Posts: 4
    Marty,
    We also have a 2005 Matrix and have had tire problems. At about 3000 miles we noticed the noise. We kept on going to see if it would get worse and it did. AT 6800 miles we took it to our dealer and they sent us to a Tire place. There they noticed the left front tire wearing very badly and the right front was starting - so he sent us back to our Toyota dealer. There they checked the alignment and contacted Toyota who gave us 4 new Goodyear tires in exchange for the Continental tires. Now we are hearing the nose again at 12,000 miles. What to do????? Does anyone have any suggestions????? (get ride of the car or go back to our dealer??????). Humbug
  • remaxmarty1remaxmarty1 Member Posts: 14
    Hello Humbug,

    By the time you heard the noise the tires were already in a state of wear. To answer your question - I don't think there is anything you can do at this point. We noticed the tire wear at 250 mi. After that we tried to get the dealership to address and admit there is a problem here - they told us this abnormal wear was "normal" - Crap!! At this point we researched the Lemon Law for New Hampshire (You can check your state)

    If your warranty is out so are your options. We started the process of giving Toyota three documented chances to fix the wear problem before they are forced to buy the car back.

    At this point they are trying to buy us off with a set of Michelin tires. It will stretch out the time the wear shows up but it's not going to save them.

    Short of a class action suit I don't think they are going to fix the design flaw in the car. My guess is the rubber bushings in the suspension system are not stiff enough or they have the wheel alignment set to compensate for some other issue (like roll-over test compliance).

    If you are out of warranty you can have your mechanic tweek your alignment out of specification to correct the wear problem - this is a last ditch effort we have not applied because it will void the warranty. According to one of the mechanics we grilled during one of our visits the tire wear is a common re-curring problem. I don't see a 50% reduction in tire life and acceptable condition. Stay tuned and encourage other Matrix people to respond. With enough statistics there will be enough of a reason for out of warranty action.

    Thanks,
    Marty
  • brianb4brianb4 Member Posts: 6
    Just bought a 2007 XR FWD with automatic. Are you guys all driving AWD models? If not what options? Thanks.

    Brian
  • remaxmarty1remaxmarty1 Member Posts: 14
    AWD here.

    although this is a forum for tire wear I've seen a couple of other common notes -
    -If you get a hiss from your drivers window when closed at hwy speed double tap the down button (seems the door architecture is a bit off)
    -at 40MPH if you get the lugging sound and vibration from the engine and transmission - find another speed and avoid 40 MPH.
    -If it seems like the brakes grab all of a sudden going down hill - it really just the transmission - our dealer mechanic suggest downshifting manually to avoid the surprise (I'm still waiting for the snow - this should be interesting)

    -M
  • humbughumbug Member Posts: 4
    Hi Brian and Marty,
    Our Matriax is FWD XR. 12,100 miles and we have had this noise since 3,000 miles. As of this date we haven't decided what to do, but we did talk to a friend of ours who works at the dealership. Toyota replaced the tires at 6,800 miles and we were told to be sure and rotate the tires every 5,000 miles which we have done - this is according to the owners manual. Now at 12,100 we are into the noise again. This is the only problem we have had. The car itself runs perfect. City mileage is aboaut 30 and the highway has been as high as 38. We really don't want to get rid of this car (we can't afford to) but just want to get this problem fixed. Will keep you all informed if we find any further developments. Thanks Guys!!!!!
    Humbug
  • bzedbzed Member Posts: 2
    Our Matrix is AWD.
    Our snow tires are stored at the garage, so I'll have to arrange to have them checked.
  • possoopossoo Member Posts: 1
    Greetings:

    I'm not experiencing uneven tire wear, but I do have an annoying noise. The car and tires have 20,000 miles on them. They are the Continental originals. The noise started at around 12-15,000 miles and it's a rotational humming sort of noise that increases and decreases with speed. The noise level stays constant and so you can't hear it at highway speeds with all the other noise. It sounds most like a wheel bearing gone bad or an axle joint AKA old Subarus. The car is not AWD. The frequency of the noise is like a dull humming and very annoying. Dealer says it's the rough wear on the edges of the rear tires. They say they have checked every other possibility.

    Is this the same problem you all are having?
  • humbughumbug Member Posts: 4
    Hi Posso,
    Couldn't explain our noise any better than you just did!
    Exactly the same. Our noise was so unbearable at 6800 miles that Toyota took off the Continental (which they said was the problem) and replaced them with 4 CHEAP Goodyear.
    Now we almost have 7000 miles on these tires and the noise is coming back. Wonder if they will spring for a new set of tires every 7000 miles??????? We plan on going back to the dealer if the noise continues and see if they will give us a decent trade in on a new car. It seems like it was originally blamed on the Continental Tires - they wear off on one side even with a re-alignment by the dealer. We are wondering what the fix will be this time!!!!! Will post if we get any new developments. We really like the MATRIX and hope they will treat us right on this problem. Good luck on your problem and for all of our problems. We hope it is not just on WHITE cars. Humbug
  • remaxmarty1remaxmarty1 Member Posts: 14
    Possoo,

    If the tires are "feathering" which is rough wear on the edges then you have the same problem. The noise is caused by the action of the tire scrapping the rubber somewhat sideways to the travel direction of the vehicle. As the tread becomes more uneven it makes more noise. The Continental tires have five tire tread bands - the inside band was noticeable more worn any other on ours. If you had a driveshaft bearing problem the noise would diminish some as you take your foot off your the gas.

    -M
  • remaxmarty1remaxmarty1 Member Posts: 14
    Humbug,

    I sent an e-mail to Toyota about a month ago. The dealership replaced our tires with Michelins' this past week. We have challenged them with the Lemon Law - This means they have three tries to fix the cronic wear problem(non-conformity). The Michelins (attempt #3) should go 100,000 miles on a normal car but the service manager said he doubts we will get 60K out of them. We took a base measurement so we can show them the wear pattern as soon as possible and request they buy the car back under the Lemon Law - they will then get one final chance to fix it again within 40 days. Of course they will try to say the wear is conforming and "normal" and therefore not subject to the Lemon Law - I think they could change the alignment specifications and make the whole problem go away - it is either that or they have a bigger engineering problem.
  • jesuslovesbarbjesuslovesbarb Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2004 FWD Matrix XR with the same problem. The inside edge is bald and the outside edge looks new. I rotate every 5000 miles, balance every 10,000 and now I started checking the alignment every 5000. NTB says its the Continental tires on the car. Toyota says I don't take care of the tires properly. I contacted Toyota in CA and filed a complaint. I have to replace the tires by Thanksgiving (any suggestions?). I did get over 51,000 miles on the Continentals although the majority of the miles have been a rough ride. I told Toyota that the local dealer WILL monitor the tires so that if the problem IS with the car it can be documented from the day the tires were purchased. (I found this web site looking for tire suggestions. I had no idea that the uneven wear and the unpleasant ride were experienced by others. I thought it was the tires and not the car.)
  • remaxmarty1remaxmarty1 Member Posts: 14
    Start taking documented action for the Lemon Law application for your state(if it is not too late). The dealership can not do this for you. The dealership can only check the car to specifications (i.e. alignment and such) things they will find in tolerance despite the obvious wear.

    Good Luck. :lemon:
  • great_lakesgreat_lakes Member Posts: 1
    I just took my '04 Matrix in because the tires are cupped- barely 20,000 miles. In fact, it was pointed out to me at only 15,000 miles. The dealership doesn't want to do anything. They say there are no bulletins out on this problem. Suggestions please. How do I document, do I get new tires and monitor for wear?
  • posmatrixposmatrix Member Posts: 1
    I had to replace tires at 15,000 in August...they were noisy, so we had them checked out somewhere other than a Toyota dealer.
    They were all chewed up...and needed to be replaced.
    Dealer wouldn't even present the problem to Toyota. After 5,000 miles the noise was coming back again...Dealer claiming it's the first they've heard of it being a returning issue.
    I traded it in and said "So Long" to Toyota. :lemon:
  • gasman1gasman1 Member Posts: 321
    Sorry for your troubles, but I don't agree... We have over 33K miles on our 4WD Matrix. The OEM tires were replaced with Michelin Hydro Edge tires when we purchased it. These tires are noisey, but they sure aren't worn.
  • dfriedmandfriedman Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2006 toyota matrix XR 2wd. I took my car to sears to get my tires rotated and balanced since I purchased new wheels from sears. they refused to rotate my tires since one had 2/32 tread and another had the belts showing on the inside of tire. So I mad an appt with dealership. what will I expect? The car only has 14000 miles. will they give me new tires or will I have to pay something. Other then replacing tires does toyota have an answer for this problem?
  • kurvankurvan Member Posts: 1
    I noticed that the inside of the front right tire was wearing more than the rest of the tire during the last rotation at 15K+ miles in September. The tire was also visibly feathered with the tread angling towards the inside of the tire. I put off getting it checked out because I was busy with house chores (stupid me).

    Well, I started noticing a "wobble" noise a few weeks ago and decided to get it checked out. I took my car to an independent repair shop because most of the local Toyota dealerships did not get good ratings from www.checkbook.org. The independent repair shop said that the right rear wheel was misaligned and they could fix it, but it would cost $200+ because they would have to remove the rear hub assembly and shim the wheels to align them. They suggested taking it to a Toyota dealer because it should still be under warranty. They think the alignment issue came that way from the factory.

    I took my Matrix to the same dealership where I purchased it and they stated that the alignment was fine. They said that the Continental tires were the issue and to contact Continental. They said there is an issue with Continental tires wearing the way I described. I thought it was bull and told the service writer so.

    Now after reading all of these other posts about the same issue, I'm a bit worried. I can't afford to just get rid of this car and I don't want to be buying new tires every 20K miles or so. I'm not sure what to do at this point or if anything can even be done. The alignment warranty expires in about 1400 miles/5 weeks.
  • humbughumbug Member Posts: 4
    FYI: Tire wear (Matrix) humbug,
    Update on 2005 Matrix Tire Wear.
    Toyota blamed Continential Tires on our car too. Toyota replaced tires at approximately 7,000 miles W/ Goodyear Brand. Now we're at 14,000 plus miles and seems like we are having same trouble again. Not as bad yet but will have to wait for more wear to make up our mind for sure.
    These tires are starting to give off a slight rumble like before! Seems like problem is ONLY W/front tires. Alignment checks OK per Toyota Dealer. WHAT TO DO?????
    BIG QUESTION????? Mr and Mrs humbug
  • remaxmarty1remaxmarty1 Member Posts: 14
    Initiate warranty claims ASAP for the Alignment problem. The tires Continental sold to Toyota for installation are labled as the highes warranty - so the tire story from Toyota is bunk - Your personal mechanic is correct - the car was manufactured with an alignment malady. It is not uncommon for front tires to get out of alignment under aggressive driving conditions or hitting bumps, oil patches, or other conditions that cause strain of the system when in a turn. But rear wheel alignment should never be a problem or a recurring problem on a new car.

    You need to have documented three attempts/requests for the dealer/manufacture to fix the same recurring problem. after the third unsatisfactory attempt as the Manufacturer for the Lemmon Law Paperwork for them to buy the car back. Tell the dealership in advance this is what you intend - the dealership will not buy the car back but they must support you in your Lemmon Law pursuit (remember who they work for) this is why they are telling you everything is fine. Don't worry about pushing them - you will have too. When you get your car back each time - read the invoice and make sure they made the notations of the service you requested. My guys kept leaving it off the first couple of times.

    My wife was so disgusted by the car (New Matrix) she really wanted that she lost patience in the process and traded it in on a used 2002 Volvo AWD Wagon XC-70 with 40K on it for the same payments and a lower insurance cost. She loves here new(er) car now.
  • dfriedmandfriedman Member Posts: 3
    my matrix had 14,800. I took my car to sears they would not rotate the tires because one tire was at 2/32 and another tire was completely worn on the inside tread. The other 2 had 3/32 and 4/32. After about a wekk of discussing this problem with the dealer and toyota. Toyota offered to put same continental tires, I said i want a dofferent brand. I wanted Michelin mxv4. The dealership paid excess of $112.00 per tire and got michelin. I don't think the problem will go away, so the service manager agreed with me and we will check the tores every 5,000 miles for wear problems. Further more my tires were rotated every 5,000 mile and the alignment was in MFR specifications. I wonder when toyota will realize there is a problem and fix the real problem
  • moosmoos Member Posts: 17
    Having just gotten the run around from the dealer and the same tire story all of you hve gotten, my husband took the car with him on a 600 mile trip on the brand new tires paid for in half by the toyota dealer. While away he brought it to a friend who owns an alignment shop...put it on their lift and checked the alignment on their computer and low and behold the rear alignment is out of whack. This after toyota told him that the problem was the tires...PS hubby has been a mechanic for 30 years and told toyota that the only reason that you get tread wear on the inside edge is when the alignment is off...Got home with 600+ miles on the new tires and !!!they are already wearing on the inside ...which toyota said wouldn't happen because the problem was the Continental tires...only 16,000 miles on the car. One or two more trips to toyota and :lemon: we're done! Have an appointment tomorrow and let's see what they say now! Other than the tires...love the car! By the way, the rumbling you guys are hearing is the uneven wear of the tires..we thought it was a wheel bearing too but, problem is the rear wheel assembly, alignment, etc.. Toyota needs to make good on this design flaw. PS just a plain old Matrix not the AWD version
  • mtx06mtx06 Member Posts: 1
    The front left tire on my 2006 Matrix XR needs to be replaced at 13,500 miles because of uneven wear on the inside part of the tread. I had the tires rotated on schedule and the dealer said my alignment was fine so they sent me to an authorized Continental dealer for an adjustment. They balked and pointed out to me that all four of my tires are showing the same wear pattern. Seems unlikely that I got four bad tires, huh? My main concern is that this represents a defect in the manufacture of the vehicle and that my only recourse is now to get rid of it, so I won't have to but tires every year. I've read all the posts here and have consulted my local lemon laws as some have suggested. Any other suggestions? I'm trying to gather as much information as possible before I go back at the dealer.
  • remaxmarty1remaxmarty1 Member Posts: 14
    The manufacturer is the entity that is forced to buy the car back under the law. The dealership must cooperate with you but will naturally be reluctant so you have to read your reciepts carefully after you take the car for visits in documenting their attempts to repair the alignment defect. i.e. you ask them to check the alignment when rotating tires or at oil change - make sure the workorder reciept you get back documents their action "checked alignment - no action required or defect noted".

    Second - expect them to offer some good will gesture such as replacing the tires - at this point they are going to take those tires (oops no more evidence of defect) so photograph them before you bring them in. If and when they do change the tires (most likely with Michelin) invest $3 in a tire tread gage. Measure and record the tread depths and keep a log every 250 miles. The michelin tires have a harder compound and will take longer to wear - they are also very expensive. If you had to buy these every 2-3 years it would also defeat the purpose of purchasing this car for it's fuel economy (normally those tires should run 60-80K miles. The reason you have to do this to: 1 keep the car running at their expense on new tires. 2 support your evidence of an alignment defect (the problem won't go away - the wear pattern will continue but will not be as visual - the noise however will still indicate it is there -so measurements are the most solid proof. Remember they have 3 chances to fix it and ultimately one final one after you file documentation.

    Good Luck
  • lunchladeelunchladee Member Posts: 1
    I had the same problem. For a couple of weeks or so I could feel a bit of a wobble, thought maybe I had a soft tire. Had the pressure checked, it was fine but was told the tires were worn badly (less than 19,000 miles). This was Thanksgiving day. I planned to take it in on the following Monday for new tires but my 17 yr old son borrowed it on Saturday and although he was not speeding, (going 55mph) a tire went on a small curve sending him out of control and he rolled the car. Now my Matrix is totaled. I am convinced it was a problem with the car or tires and not just a wreckless teenager like the kind (NOT) officier on the scene said. To look at the car, it is a wonder my son only suffered some bumps and bruises. So don't wait before it happens to one of you or your loved ones with an even worse outcome.
  • alinmoalinmo Member Posts: 1
    05 Matrix with 25000 miles. Last fall right before taking a 1200 mile trip I noticed abnormal wear on rear tires. I rotated them just before the trip and by the time I got home the back tires were feathered and now it sounds like I have snow tires on the car. I took it to the dealer I purchased from and they did an alignment saying the front was toed in a little. I told them it was the back wearing the tires out and they didn't believe me, even came up with probably bad tires. Now my car drives like junk since they toed it out and I have to turn the radio up. Does the car have to be under warranty to pursue lemon law buy back? :(
  • remaxmarty1remaxmarty1 Member Posts: 14
    The answer to your question is basically "yes"; you must intiate request(s) to have a warranty condition corrected while it is under warranty.

    The rectification process may carry through the warranty expireation.
  • dfriedmandfriedman Member Posts: 3
    Toyota paid for part then dealership paid for the the rest. My dealership is very concerned with the problem and asked me to bring the car back every 1000miles to check the tires for abnormal wear. My advice to you is to work with the service manager at the dealership where you purchased the car and email the hell out of toyota main office concerning the alignmnet specs about the car. Call them as well. get theier 800 mumber off the internet and file a complaint with the NHTSA as well,especially the person wherer thier son had the roll over. I even went as far as asling them if the pontiac vibe and the matrix have the the same alignment specs. I haven't heard of this problem with the vibe, but be persistant and get the the distric service manager for toyota involved in your problem. and be very explicitm tell them everything even what other mechanics have told you. good luck. Iam going to the dealership again today ti have my tires check as well as the alignment.
  • jaqfirejaqfire Member Posts: 9
    I have just over 13K miles on 06 Matrix XR was one yr old 11/29/06....have rotated 2x and then a 3rd time...rear tires are wearing on inside tread row....was told after alignment that "it's because they are low-profile tires and they'll do that". Bah humbug to that! At 12K miles, they had re-rotated after I asked about vibration in steering from 2nd rotation. I have a louder tire noise now from abnormal wear issue on rear tires.
    How do I go about getting dealership to replace tires, repair or make Proper alignment of rear end (that's where the tires are wearing so bad).
    When I ordered vehicle, I asked for Michelins...they said no or I would have to pay the difference in cost of tires. Would it even matter what tire was on car if they cannot remedy the situation of rear tire wear? A better tire would just take longer to start the same process-showing the same signs.
  • skruffy1skruffy1 Member Posts: 2
    Hi Dfriedman,
    I'm glad to hear you got a dealer to at least express interest in the problem. I've been to mine (150 miles from home) twice now, both times they checked alignment and said "you don't have a problem UNLESS WE SAY you have a problem, and the alignment check was OK, therefore you do not have a problem".

    Horsefeathers... there is no possible tire defect that can cause this kind of wear. (My first Continental died at 16,792 miles -- won't hold air.)

    Though they insist nothing is "wrong", I did get a mechanic at the dealership, and the Customer Relations Rep (dealership), to say that they "have observed this problem with this tire" on some vehicles. To me, that ALMOST sounds like Toyota acknowledging a problem with original equipment they are putting on cars. (Most of us believe they are wrong to blame Continental, but getting them to say they HAVE seen this problem seemed significant, since they initially wanted me to think I'm the only Matrix owner having the experience. For what it's worth, my independent mechanic said Scions are having the same problem. Another uh-oh for Toyota.)

    I've been in contact with Toyota NA several times now; last time, they "escalated it to the regional manager level", for what that is worth. If the call I just got from the dealer's CR Rep was the result of that, it meant nothing.

    I know Toyota makes a lot of really good cars, but if this isn't resolved, this is my last Toyota. This is ridiculous and sad.

    Skruffy1
    (MatrixLemon@aol.com)
  • jaqfirejaqfire Member Posts: 9
    I want to see the problem fixed as tires are not cheap...thereby, you loose decent gas mileage to go along with the tire terror. My dealer in west Knoxville, Tn. probably does not want me to show up again with any complaints but, it's inevitable as we all know. They should listen to us as it appears it isn't isolated to one or 2 cars/tires. R&D did not do their work but, got paid anyway. I really like my Matrix but, I don't need to be squeezed by a lemon :)
    I am off next wk and plan to schedule an appt for the car...eg: tire wear pattern. I'll let ya know about it.
  • remaxmarty1remaxmarty1 Member Posts: 14
    Same - Read Skruffy1's post - this is how we worked it. Multiple trips to the dealership - oil change, tire rotation, something bonafide along with request to check the alignment (make sure the request and results are documented on your reciept). They will usually leave off the alignment check and results comment - get it in writing. At the same time (as Skruffy1 did) - we escalated the issue with Toyota initially via e-mail then the follow-up phone calls (they can(hint hint) avoid you by calling your home number during the day when you are not home and will leave you a message (oops another day gone).
  • skruffy1skruffy1 Member Posts: 2
    Some will think I have rocks in my head for how I "resolved" the problem (abnormal tire wear requiring tire replacement at less than 20,000 miles), but I had to put the problem behind me -- I don't have room in my life for the negativity involved in further arguing with Toyota.

    After getting much runaround from Toyota, and totally unsatisfactory service from Kendall Toyota (Miami), my wife and I yesterday traded the Matrix (Lemon) in on a Prius, which is the car we wished we could have bought in the first place. We bought it from another dealer.

    We are out about $4,000 (first year's depreciation) plus the cost of the two tires I bought out of pocket. If a class action lawsuit eventually arises (and it should, as it appears the Matrix, at least some years' models, has a fatal design flaw), I'll gladly be a part of it.

    I'm telling everybody I know not to buy a Matrix, and not to buy ANYTHING from Kendall Toyota of Miami. Matrix will probably turn out to be Toyota's Corvair or Pinto. Too bad, because they make (mostly) very good vehicles, and also too bad because other than this fatal flaw, Matrix is seemed to be a pretty cool little car.
  • jaqfirejaqfire Member Posts: 9
    I got a full set of new tires the other day....a full front rear alignment, as well. They seem to be trying to keep me pleased...as any dealer should. I will stay in touch with them on a weekly basis, let them know that yes, this customer was right.
    Sorry to hear yours did not turn out as well.
  • pdog1pdog1 Member Posts: 1
    I just starting reading this forum today after my mechanic told after routine oil change that I had lots of cupping on inside edge of all tires (10,500 miles on car; original Continentals).

    I was getting depressed quickly. I talked to the service mgr at dealership and when asked if Matrix was going thru tires he said "we have seen this problem with some of these cars" or something to that effect. For the guy to say that I took it as an admission of a problem. I've got an appt with them Monday and maybe it's premature but I'm researching Maine lemon law.

    Is there any hope of Toyota doing a recall or fixing whatever the problem is ? :mad:
  • jaqfirejaqfire Member Posts: 9
    My Matrix had barely 9K miles on it when I noticed the trouble w/ the tires...Continentals....noise, rough handling, etc. By 14K, it was ridiculous the amount of wear on them...cupping, etc. I now have a new set of tires...one of which, I had to pay for. Again, Continentals...and that's after they said I could have Firestones...which they do Not even sell. I plan to take the car to an independent tire shop and have the alignment checked on front and rear. I love the car but, this is Ridiculous, at best.
  • samtasticsamtastic Member Posts: 1
    Yup. I leased an 06 Matrix in March of last year and have been diligent with my maintenance - oil changes, tire rotations, etc. I took the car in today for what I thought would be a routine oil change and found out that all four of my tires - continentals - have inside treadwear - chopping is what they called it at this dealership. The service guy and service manager said tires are not covered by warranty. I, unlike some others on this post, have not noticed any vibrations or sounds, but maybe wasn't looking out for them...I did not bow down and buy all new tires today and was thinking I'd go to the toyota dealer that did my last maintenace and tire rotation, but only after researching this online - and lo and behold, I'm not alone...now what????
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    about this problem with tires. The first Matrix I had was an '03 XR FWD, and when I sold it there were about 25K miles on the clock. It had the Continentals, and at that mileage they had no problems of uneven wear. In fact, I think it likely they went to 40K or more for the next owner.

    As for my brand new Matrix, also an XR FWD, it is equipped with the Goodyear Eagles, and it sounds like 100% of the tire problems people have been having are with the Continentals, right?

    So I am curious: can we narrow this down by region or type of suspension? The AWD has a 4-wheel independent design where the alignment of the rear suspension would affect the front alignment settings. Are most of the problems with the AWDs?

    Also, the FWD models have torsion-beam rears with very little in the way of possible alignment adjustments at the rear, but the XRSs have more camber to account for much sportier driving, and you could expect the XRSs to wear the inside edge of their tires a lot more as a result. Are most of the tire problems with XRSs and AWDs?

    Another thing: how the vehicles are shipped and prepped would make a difference in suspension and alignment settings. Are all these problem cars Gulf States or Southeast Toyota cars?

    I will keep a closer eye on my tires thanks to this discussion, but I have a hard time believing I will have any more trouble this time than I had the first time around (which was NONE, no trouble with the tires at all). So I am intrigued to see if the problem is isolated by region or type of suspension.

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

  • jaqfirejaqfire Member Posts: 9
    I am not sure what my suspension is but, I have the XR, no 4WD. I live in eastern Tenn but, the car was located in Indiana...the dealer had it driven here 356 miles.
    I am still tempted to go to an independent tire shop for a second opinion to the align settings, etc. for this new set of tires, which the dealer paid for 3, I had to cover the 4th tire. They did try to say I ran the tires low in air. I know I did not.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    Interesting, I wonder if yours was a Southeast Toyota car. And you had the Continentals? What are you running now?

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

  • bargbarg Member Posts: 2
    2006 matrix awd 14,ooo miles all 4 tires wore excesively on inside edges extremly featered. this is my wifes car i rarely drive. drove 2-8-07 due to inclimate weather this thing is horrible in snow and ice.my2003 corolla much better if you can imagine that. on the way home same day roads were dry and when i got up to speed it sounded like a 1973 chevy k20 with 36" mudders on it and the vibration was out of this world.round trip was 100 miles used exactly a half of tank of gas.when i let off the gas at 60 mph the car decelerates extremely fast.i was shocked my wife never mentioned any of this to me.this car is unfit to be on the road in my opinion.bought car with 5 miles on it. it has never been wrecked the oil been changed 4 times and tires rotated once. i have it scheduled for warrnty work monday2-12-07
  • jaqfirejaqfire Member Posts: 9
    Not sure about AWD but, tires need to be rotated every 5K miles...dealer/shop will tell you that, too. My tires got bad by 9K miles. They tried to say I ran then low on air and had not rotateds on time to which (and having proof of) I replied, "NOT!" I am not so irresponsible as to endanger/jepardize my life/ride with poor car care habits. Have always been extremely caring of all my rides. I take the time to "do it right". They backed up and replaced my tires...Continentals, again. I am taking car to independent shop for the proverbial "second opinion"...just like in health care. Call me anal...my car, my life. I want it taken of prperly. They get paid for it and quite well.
    Linda
  • nick2006matrixnick2006matrix Member Posts: 42
    My 2006 Matrix FWD ate a set of front tires in about 13,000 miles. I neglected to ever rotate them, my fault. I moved them to the back and the ones I put on the front were in pretty good shape. I plan on buying 4 new Cooper tires for it in the Spring. Has anyone had experience with ditching the Continentals and getting different tires and keeping up with the rotation. If so, will I get considerably more miles out of my tires? I really like the car.
  • moosmoos Member Posts: 17
    It's not the tires it's the car...I LOVE my Matrix but like a bad relationship I have to learn to let go of this and get another car. I am now on my second set of tires on a 2006 Matrix the first were Continentals and the dealer blamed the tires, took it foa an independent 4 wheel alignment and it was outof wack. The dealer paid for 2 new tires and we paid for 2...the top of the line tires and after 3600 miles on the new tires the cupping on 3 of them has come back...so much for rotating every 5,000 mile (as they tried to tell us was the problem). My only ace in the hole about this is my husband is a retired mechanic and so it's hard for them to wiggle with this. The sister to this, the Pontiac Vibe, has the same problem...read the forum on their tire problems and you'll see it's a design flaw. I've been waiting for a call back again, from the service manager of my dealer, to see what they will be doing but it doesn't really matter becaus I've gone through the Lemon law in the past with another problem car I know the road I will be taking....and I won't be driving their car there! :lemon:

    By the way they also replace the whole rear end to try and solve this problem...guess that wasn't it! :lemon:
  • nick2006matrixnick2006matrix Member Posts: 42
    I have to take a closer look at the tires I recently moved from the rear to the front. I did not think they were in bad shape. I did the rotation in anticipation of driving the car in snow. The ones on the front with 13,000 miles were in poor condition.
  • roscoe_burdickroscoe_burdick Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2004 XR FWD on its second set of tires at 37,000 miles, and now these tires are wearing funny. I am scheduled for an alignment this week to see if the problem can be cured. One thing for sure, these cars are not coming off the assembly line with the wheels properly aligned.
  • krezmankrezman Member Posts: 1
    Well, I rotate my tires @4k miles because that was the second oil change at the dealer and he said I should rotate them every 5k.They were already noisy and this helped the noise alittle. I only put 7400mi. in my first year but the noise was right back and at 8k I rotated again.Now 18months into owner ship I have just under 12k on the tires and this time when I rotated them I could easily see the problem. The inside 3.5 inches of tread on each tire show serious wear.
    So, I immediately went to the dealership and told the service "greeter" how I had taken care of the tires,checked the pressure and rotated every 4k and that the car only has 11800 mi. on it. He wanted to schedule me in and I asked if an alignment was necessary was it covered. He says if the car was over 12 months old it was not covered. I told him that really sucks, and he says he was sorry I felt that way and walked away.
    Well, I'm just starting out. Just wanted to let you know.
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