2004 Toyota Matrix Toyota Matrix 2004

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2004 Toyota Matrix repairs by problem area

Engine (55%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (12%)

Brakes and Traction Control (1%)

Suspension and Steering (12%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (13%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (6%)

Other (0%)

Chart based on 69 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2004 Toyota Matrix.

2004 Toyota Matrix repair cost distribution

$2500+ (2%)

$1000 - $2499 (8%)

$500 - $999 (16%)

$100 - $499 (36%)

< $100 (39%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 64 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2004 Toyota Matrix

Engine not specified

Toyota Matrix in Texas, United States
Nov 2008 - Mar 2010
Dec 2008

125000 mi

US $220
Failed Clutch...slipping 
Toyota Matrix in California, United States
Jan 2008 - Mar 2010
Feb 2008

31000 mi

US $1200
Clutch went bad, it's poor design and many XRS owners have problems. 

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2004 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch

173-horsepower 1.8L I4 6-speed manual FWD

Toyota Matrix in Ohio, United States
Sep 2014 - Feb 2015
Feb 2015

158000 mi
Vibration around 70mph under throttle. Inspected at dealer without cause. Tire balance didn't help. Drove until I feared mechanical failure. I'm convinced it was a CV joint or half shaft issue. 
Toyota Matrix in New Hampshire, United States
Apr 2011 - Sep 2011
Sep 2011

222000 mi

US $300
Starter not always able to start the car. Starter motor replaced. 
Toyota Matrix in Wisconsin, United States
- May 2009
May 2009

68000 mi

US $1150
Replaced clutch which was starting to slip. Apparently this is a common problem with the XRS models, with many needing a clutch replacement before 50k miles 

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2004 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch

130-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD

Toyota Matrix in Wisconsin, United States
Sep 2010 - Jun 2011
Jun 2011

106000 mi
Manual transmission failure. The car could be driven,however,with a high degree of reluctance. 
Toyota Matrix in Pennsylvania, United States
Apr 2015 - Jun 2015
Jun 2015

192000 mi

US $800
sway bar broke, needed new brakes and tires 
Toyota Matrix in Wisconsin, United States
Apr 2016 - Apr 2016
Apr 2016

103000 mi

US $900
Clutch worn out and needed to be replaced. Transmission is likely soon to be next. 
Toyota Matrix in Ontario, Canada
Mar 2011 - Aug 2014
Apr 2011

98890 mi

C $850
Replaced clutch 
May 2011

99200 mi

C $30
Driveaxle seal was damaged during previous clutch replacement and transmission shop didn't replace with new seal as they should have. Brought back vehicle for warranty repair. Got roped into paying $30 for mechanic time. 
Mar 2013

120900 mi

C $325
Starter started to fail. When the motor stopped at certain spots in the coil it would fail to start. Generally it was a worn out starter. 
Jul 2014

141980 mi

C $100
Drivers side support rattling. Needed to be shimmed and fastened. Middle brake cluster burned out, license plate light burned out. Crankcase seal leaking slightly. Needs replaced. 
Aug 2014

141980 mi
Crankcase seal leaking slightly when last had the car. 
Toyota Matrix in Quebec, Canada
May 2012 - Sep 2012
Jul 2012

221100 mi

C $2500
new engine needed, new clutch, new brakes and remove catalyser (now illegal for gas emissions but it saved me 500$) bearings and suspension making weird noises, discovered i had about 1 month of usage left. changed it right away so i wont have to tow it away 
Sep 2012

226300 mi

C $450
3rd, 4th and 5th gear about to die, tranny rebuilt, found a great mechanic, he did it for cheap! 
Toyota Matrix in Ohio, United States
Dec 2009 - Jun 2017
Jan 2010

66000 mi

US $565
I had limited heat when heat turned on. Eventually there was a slight burning rubber smell. It turned out the water pump, serpentine belt, and thermostat had to be replaced. Coolant was also down 1 quart and was replenished. 
Jun 2010

69000 mi
Engine light off and on for 10 days with no running problems. System evap leak was detected. Fuel filler tube was leaking and tube replaced. No further problems detected. While driving had no consistent air conditioning. Car temp thermostat began to climb to H. Once AC was off, temp was back to normal after a few minutes. Fan connector was not secured. This caused system to run hot. No charge! 
Nov 2010

73300 mi

US $400
Clutch squeaked upon depression and it didn't matter whether engine on or off. No slipping of clutch and repair simply included lubrication. No squeaking since then. 
Dec 2010

74000 mi

US $578
Airbag light was on and according to the manual, it had to be addressed asap...so I took the car to usual repair shop and they replaced whatever. Apparently the problem also effected my horn. 
Toyota Matrix in Quebec, Canada
Nov 2009 - Mar 2015
May 2010

122140 mi
AC did not working for the first 7 days I needed it after winter. Call the dealer to get it repair. Then it started to work again. Dealer told me the magnetic clutch was rusty. They clean it 
Jun 2010

124000 mi

C $850
Replace both front shock absorber  
Jun 2011

136400 mi

C $1200
catalytic converter replacement 
Dec 2011

143840 mi

C $100
Engine check on because error on o2 sensor. Did not replace because not fatal. Mechanic discovered a strap that needed to be replace . Did it for 100$. After this the light went off. No problem since. 
Feb 2014

176080 mi

C $300
water pump replaced 
Dec 2014

182900 mi

C $1200
Had to replace the clutch 
Toyota Matrix in Ontario, Canada
Nov 2007 - Jun 2010
Mar 2009

102920 mi

C $103
"Check engine" light came on. Rust removed from top of gas filler pipe -computer reset - light has not come since.  

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2004 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch

130-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic FWD

Toyota Matrix in Ontario, Canada
May 2007 - Aug 2009
May 2007

29760 mi
Key would not come out of ignition. Only happened in the cold days of winter. Needed to replace complete gear shift system. Need to wait now for 2007 winter to see if it happens again. Warantee covered. 
Jun 2007

35960 mi
Car would have difficulty starting with a hot engine. Would crank and not start. Would eventually start after 2 to 3 turns of the key. The upc needed to be replaced. Warantee cover. 
Toyota Matrix in Maryland, United States
May 2007 - Aug 2012
Sep 2010

129000 mi

US $55
The piece that holds the buttons that control automatic window controls needed to be secured. 
Toyota Matrix in Florida, United States
May 2007 - Apr 2009
Feb 2009

43000 mi

US $125
Left front strut leaked. Replaced both front struts and had wheel alignment. CD player in factory radio failed to function properly. Replaced factory radio with new unit. 
Toyota Matrix in Texas, United States
May 2007 - Jul 2017
Nov 2013

192000 mi

US $75
CK Engine light on. Code showed problem with Evap System, but shop could no pinpoint problem. Changed two short hoses, tightened connections. Later, CK ENGINE back on. Haven't got it back to shop yet. 
Dec 2013

194000 mi

US $82
Continuation of problem reported in November. Still no fix. Going back to shop in January. 
Jan 2014

161300 mi
Ck engine light code for evap control problem. Mechanic has seen car 3 times, can't find anything wrong. However there is a strong odor whenever I pull into my garage. This is same problem from earlier trips to shop 
Sep 2014

204000 mi

US $230
Cont'd from last rept CEL, small emissions leak. Replaced canister valve, now down to only one CEL code. Haven't been able to take it back yet. 
Apr 2015

208300 mi
CEL, small emissions leak. Said needed new gas tank filler tube, replaced that, did NOT fix CEL. Vibration. Mechanic installed new engine mounts, didn't fix it. I saw heat shield over catalytic converter was loose, banging on cat. Mechanic fixed, most of the vibration is gone. CEL, small emissions leak. In shop repeatedly in past. Idle rough unless rpm's run up to +1000. Vibrations result, and rptd separately. Mechanic chgd some parts having to do with computer control of idle spd. Have not pd yet, don't know $. 
May 2015

209000 mi
Major vibrations, I saw 2 loose bolts thru the pan under firewall & pointed out to mechanic. He tightened them & most vibration is gone. I shouldn't have had to detect the problem, as car was in shop for this problem earlier. 
Jul 2015

210000 mi
Have taken the car by the shop several times; CEL still on, problem not fixed. Shop owner not taking $$$ until repair is made. Car runs pretty good, except at idle; if put in neutral, all okay. Gas mileage is normal, around 29 MPG. ???? 
Aug 2015

211500 mi
CEL still on. Car still idles rough. Repair shop tried running injector cleaner through system, with no improvement. Problems not fixed, but I'm tired of taking the car in, and it is okay to drive. I'm throwing good money after bad.... 
Dec 2015

219000 mi

US $95
Exhaust leak at manifold. Took to new mechanic. Exhaust pipe was malformed at manifold, possibly done by former mechanic. Mechanic was able to straighten the exhaust pipe. Leak fixed, but still have CEL. 
May 2016

221000 mi
CEL with several codes, all related to evaporative control system. Virtually everything has already been replaced. This time the tech replaced two hoses. No charge yet, waiting until we get problem resolved. CEL is back on. 
Jun 2016

222000 mi
Trying little things, hoping to cure the "small emissions leak" problem. Big stuff has been replaced. Car idles rough, motor mounts. Otherwise, runs great, gets 28-31 mpg. Nuisance problem, not a genuine mechanical one. 
Apr 2017

231000 mi

US $135
Intermittent CEL related to small emissions leak for several years; spent over $1000 but not fixed. Took to Toyota dealer for full-blown assessment. Total repair estimate $6,000, including needed items not related to CEL. Car is 14 yrs old with 231,000 miles. Not worth it, even though car runs good, does not burn oil. 
Jul 2017

232000 mi
Due to long-term problem with emissions-related check engine light, including about $1,000 spent unsuccessfully, the car cannot pass mandated inspection FOR THE COUNTY IN WHICH I LIVE, and the current inspection expired in July 2017. I have taken the car out of service, although it is tight, runs good, and looks good; I would not hesitate to set drive the car from Texas to Washington to Maine and back. IF MY HOME WERE 2 MILES NORTH, IT WOULD BE IN A COUNTY THAT REQUIRES ONLY A SAFETY INSPECTION (tires, brakes, lights, exhaust system, etc.) WHICH IT WOULD EASILY PASS. 
Toyota Matrix in Illinois, United States
Mar 2010 - Apr 2010
Apr 2010

98000 mi
Rear windshield wiper motor needed replacing when sold. 
Toyota Matrix in Ontario, Canada
Dec 2007 - Oct 2015
Jan 2011

81220 mi

C $300
A bolt holding the tensioner for the belt that drives the power steering, etc, broke but didn't fall out because side wall close. Belt tension was then loose. Mechanic had to remove part of bolt broken and in the engine before replacing with a new bolt. 
Jun 2012

97340 mi

C $300
The air conditioner compressor needed to be replaced. 
Jan 2013

75780 mi

C $160
An O2 sensor on the engine needed to be replaced. 
Oct 2013

104140 mi

C $80
Oil pressure sensor was leaking. Had to be replaced 
Oct 2014

111180 mi

C $200
Replaced catalytic converter, and rusted part of muffler. 
Toyota Matrix in Ontario, Canada
Mar 2012 - Jul 2013
Jun 2012

148800 mi

C $1800
Both front wheel bearings. Bearings were making a grinding noise. both struts replaced 
Jul 2013

179180 mi

C $55
Recharged AC using kit from Canadian Tire - Easy to do. 

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2004 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch

123-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic AWD

Toyota Matrix in Ontario, Canada
May 2007 - Jun 2018
Mar 2009

48360 mi

C $100
Loose heat shield over exhaust pipe/rear axle 
Aug 2010

57040 mi
check engine light on - no cause found 
Mar 2014

85560 mi

C $120
Fixed intermittent cold-soak P0122 ODBII error code by replacing intake manifold gasket as per Oct 2007 Toyota TSB EG045-07. 
Jul 2015

93920 mi

C $150
rusty pinhole in exhaust pipe between engine & muffler - small part of pipe replaced. 
Nov 2017

109120 mi

C $150
broken exhaust pipe between resonator and muffler 
Feb 2018

111600 mi

C $250
replaced rear driver side wheel hub and bearing assembly - noise and vibration coming from worn wheel bearing. 
Apr 2018

114080 mi

C $150
replaced rusted front disc brake backing plates - old plates rusted away to nothing, issue discovered at previous shop visit. 
May 2018

115320 mi

C $250
Replaced rusty rear hatch assembly with parts sourced from a scrap yard. 

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2004 Toyota Matrix 4-door

4-cylinder automatic 2WD

Toyota Matrix in California, United States
May 2007 - Mar 2010

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2004 Toyota Matrix Repair Histories

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