| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
Toyota Matrix repairs by problem area
Engine (41%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (10%)
Brakes and Traction Control (6%)
Suspension and Steering (14%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (18%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (7%)
Other (4%)
Select a problem area
- Engine
- Transmission and Drivetrain
- Brakes and Traction Control
- Suspension and Steering
- Electrical and Air Conditioning
- Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim
- Other
Chart based on 593 repairs.
Toyota Matrix electrical repair cost distribution
$2500+ (0%)
$1000 - $2499 (1%)
$500 - $999 (8%)
$100 - $499 (44%)
< $100 (47%)
Chart based on 102 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2010 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
158-horsepower 2.4L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 67580 mi C $15 |
Replaced corroded battery terminals |
2009 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
158-horsepower 2.4L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 17360 mi C $40 |
Display for radio not working intermittently. Dealer has ordered new radio(covered under warranty) but has not contacted me about it yet. |
| 23000 mi US $120 |
replace battery |
| 14260 mi C $25 |
Radio problem. |
2009 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
158-horsepower 2.4L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| 117180 mi C $1800 |
Alternator also. |
2009 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
158-horsepower 2.4L I4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 13020 mi | My stereo was malfunctioning so they replaced it on warrenty and the new stereo is also malfunctioning. I haven't bothered to take it in yet as I'm sick of bringing my car in. I will go in in the near future though. Stereo was replaced under warranty. New stereo is also acting up and may need to be replaced as well. |
| 120900 mi C $95 |
The supplemental restraint system (SRS) or airbag light came on. Diag costs so far $95. The dealer quoted further diag costs in spring coil in the steering wheel or central SRS computer at almost $900 w/o guarantee of fixing the problem. |
| 129580 mi | This was to replace the spiral cable in the steering wheel airbag under the huge recall for this issue. The dealer and I have had "discussions" about who should pay for this for at least 14 months. |
| 129580 mi | SRS Warning Light ON - Spiral cable in steering wheel center airbag was replaced under recall - SRS Light went out - dealer refused to pay for earlier diagnostic work to determine cable might be problem. |
2009 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
132-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic FWD
| 50200 mi | Power locks on driver's side inoperable |
| 54000 mi | Front passenger side power locks inoperable |
| 42500 mi US $100 |
Aux port stopped working. Part was replaced and now it works fine. |
| 71558 mi US $272 |
Battery failed load test - battery replaced |
2008 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
126-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic FWD
| 81000 mi | Replaced Low Beam Headlight Bulb |
| 91000 mi US $520 |
Dealer doing other work reported that on test drive after other work alternator bearing started making noise. They were concerned the alternator would fail so they kept the vehicle until it could be replaced. |
2007 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
126-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic FWD
| 101000 mi | Negative terminal connector failed catastrophically. Removed terminal connector remnants and upgraded with higher quality replacement part. The corrosion wouldn't have been an issue if Toyota's stock cables used more robust clamps, but because they are very thin and can't be tightened as well as a more robust option the stock cables promote corrosion as much as they fail because of it. I had cleaned it up at each oil change or other under hood operation, probably close to every 60 days. |
| 146600 mi US $120 |
Rear windshield washer motor died, replaced motor |
| 40290 mi US $120 |
Replaced 10 year old battery |
| 256471 mi US $200 |
Alternator dies |
| 49360 mi | Drain hose detached from AC causing water to leak into interior on passenger side carpeting |
2006 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
126-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| 145080 mi C $290 |
Starter skipping. Replaced. |
| 74000 mi US $320 |
Dashboard clock backlight failing intermittently. Told this is a common failure, internal circuit board solder joints are faulty. Unit must be replaced at astronomical cost. Chose not to repair. |
| 93000 mi US $80 |
Intermittent airbag light. Shop cannot find cause. |
| 93000 mi | Intermittent airbag light when sold. |
| 90000 mi US $175 |
Noticed slightly less AC capacity. Took for preventative maintenance. Evacuated A/C system and replaced coolant and lubricant. Mechanic added dye for possible future leak check. |
2006 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
126-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic FWD
| 117130 mi US $9 |
Driver's side headlamp burned out. Replaced burned-out driver's side headlight bulb myself. |
| 136000 mi US $10 |
Passenger-side headlamp burned out. I replaced it with OEM part. |
| 194680 mi C $700 |
battery, terminal and alternator window washer pump |
| 47000 mi | Alarm went off at any time. Replaced with new alarm. |
| 161000 mi US $80 |
Replaced starter |
2006 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
118-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 80700 mi | Clock inop |
| 94000 mi US $140 |
Water from car wash leaked into cabin air filter. Filter saturated with water restricting air flow. Filter removed and dried. |
2005 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
170-horsepower 1.8L I4 6-speed manual FWD
| 76300 mi US $12 |
Rt Front low beam headlight replaced; required removing & reinstalling battery |
| 162000 mi US $550 |
AC compressor clutch failed. Looks like rubber material squeezed out of the clutch and seized. Had to order and install new compressor. |
2005 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
130-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| 84632 mi C $150 |
Windshield wiper motor slowly died out, ordered generic from auction site, fitted right in, everything works fine now. |
| 133300 mi | Ac comp. would engage & shut off after few seconds. After checking if recharge was needed, problem was id'd as too much pressure in the system, some moisture got into the system so as temp rose so did the pressure. Purged, now working fine. |
| 141980 mi C $187 |
replaced starter assembly |
| 144460 mi C $50 |
replaced dried A/C system O-rings then purged & recharged system. |
| 168000 mi US $30 |
Backup light switch |
2005 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
130-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic FWD
| 119900 mi US $140 |
Simple relay needed replaced. $20 part |
| 49700 mi C $160 |
Driver's air bag light comes on. Received a quote of $350 to replace the air bag sensor located in the clock. They could not get a reading on the scanner and said this air bag was not covered by any of the air bag recalls. Update: There is no air bag sensor in the clock. Morons at dealership don't know anything. It is a clock spring in the steering wheel for the air bag. |
| 20 mi | We took car to dealer to reset "low tire pressure" after a flat. The owner's manual was not useful in getting the sensor to reset. |
| 52700 mi | clock stopped working due to cold solder problem. resoldered |
| 73160 mi C $400 |
Clock module broke. Had been living with the problem for 6 months, but wife was constantly complaining about it. |
| 108520 mi C $160 |
Battery died during an intense cold snap. I was still on the original 8+ year old battery, so this was expected. |
| 143000 mi | The A/C hose came off and the inside of the car on the passenger side got wet. |
| 155800 mi US $180 |
Starter replaced. |
| 198000 mi US $150 |
Radiator fan went out. |
| 189000 mi US $678 |
Clock spring in passenger air bag. |
2005 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
123-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 48980 mi C $250 |
Starter replacement due to malfunction caused by corroded through grounding cable. |
| 36580 mi | New blower motor for fan |
| 57000 mi US $104 |
SRS (airbag system) warning light on -> passenger occupancy detector ECU faulty. Per TSB EL005-05, not covered by 5/60 powertrain warranty. Mail-ordered part 89952–35010 based on VIN lookup, to be installed by local dealer. Paid $104 diagnostic charge. |
| 57000 mi US $339 |
I provided mail-ordered part 89952–35010 based on VIN lookup. Actual part found in vehicle is 89952–33011. Dealer will order part and provide at cost ($214 plus tax). Replacement of passenger occupant detection ECU (part 89952–33011) did not fix the problem even after recalibration. My own review of repair manual indicates that error code B1660 points to different flowchart not involving occupant ECU; I told them. |
| 59000 mi | They kept the car for several weeks (free loaner provided) and ended up replacing the clock assembly, listed as one of the trouble spots in the correct repair flowchart. No addl. charge for this repair b/c they had already charged for the wrong one. |
2004 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
173-horsepower 1.8L I4 6-speed manual FWD
| 222000 mi US $300 |
Starter not always able to start the car. Starter motor replaced. |
2004 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
130-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| 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. |
| 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 |
| 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. |
| 141980 mi C $100 |
Middle brake cluster burned out, license plate light burned out. |
2004 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
130-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic FWD
| 43000 mi US $125 |
CD player in factory radio failed to function properly. Replaced factory radio with new unit. |
| 179180 mi C $55 |
Recharged AC using kit from Canadian Tire - Easy to do. |
| 98000 mi | Rear windshield wiper motor needed replacing when sold. |
| 97340 mi C $300 |
The air conditioner compressor needed to be replaced. |
2003 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
180-horsepower 1.8L I4 6-speed manual FWD
| 280000 mi US $400 |
New AC blower motor |
| 500 mi | AC recharge, something not right with AC gurgles and makes odd noises. |
| 5000 mi | still something wrong with the AC, still gurgles, if I cycle the A/C button on and off sometime it kicks in again. electrical. they can't figure it out. |
| 12000 mi | A/C still not right. they claim that it is a disconnected condenser hose routed through the dash. reconnected. still the A/C only works when it feels like it. Cycling the button to wake it up is only remedy. My other cars never had issues like this. |
| 160700 mi US $350 |
OE Starter Motor died. |
| 139500 mi C $700 |
Driver's door power window motor replacement |
| 78000 mi US $150 |
AC just quit. turns out to be a ceramic relay, part cost $85.00 found problem in fifteen minutes. Easy fix |
2003 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
180-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic FWD
| 152600 mi US $250 |
Battery died. |
| 161000 mi US $400 |
Starter failed. Replaced it. |
2003 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
130-horsepower 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| 137000 mi US $35 |
Starter would not even spin or click, removed starter my self, took it to claire generator, we found that the brushes were completely worn out. Parts and labor to change the brushes was less than $40, it took less than 40 minutes to remove starter and replace starter. |
| 155000 mi C $497 |
Replaced starter, new serpentine belt, oil change. Cost was 497 dollars - labour included. |
| 106500 mi | One of the lights in the radio display failed such that about 1/3 of the display is dark and hard to read. A replacement factory radio was around $300 but as the old still one works otherwise I decided to live with the dim display. |
| 112000 mi US $600 |
Windshield fluid motor had broken, had to be replaced. Belts replaced. Fluids. |
| 114500 mi US $130 |
Right front low beam light and the "pigtail" of wiring, which had shorted and left minor burn marks at a wiring connection a few inches behind the lamp. |
| 143700 mi US $90 |
Car horn stopped working |
| 204000 mi | Replace starter |
| 101000 mi US $42 |
Right headlight bulb failing and replaced; still worked but sometimes needed to be knocked to light up. right headlight failing; still worked but sometimes didn't light up until knocked. I haven't reported routine oil changes @ 8k mi, air filters & coolant change @ 30k, and 4x tire change at 60k. Otherwise all original parts from 2002. |
| 164600 mi C $80 |
Odometer stopped at 299,999km. Odometer replaced |
| 122140 mi C $130 |
Starter replaced. Sturgeon Falls Canadian tire said they had part and did not, then said they would have it the next day and did not. Unresponsive to complaints. Work time included driving time to pick up part and learning time for myslel |
| 139500 mi C $200 |
Alternator seized, also had to repair serpentine belt |
| 199000 mi US $400 |
Starter broke, had to be replaced. |
| 206600 mi US $120 |
Replaced battery |
| 215000 mi US $450 |
Steering wheel clock spring for airbag failed |
| 219000 mi US $200 |
Fractured battery lead cable |
| 98000 mi US $200 |
Replaced headlight |
2003 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
130-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic FWD
| 101060 mi | Starter replaced. It would start if the engine was warm, but not a cold start. I've got a young child, so fixing it asap was impt. |
| 82000 mi | Speaker in driver side door had poor output. Cleaned connections and applied conductive anti corrosion gel. Sound improved. Speaker in driver side door had poor output. Cleaned connections and applied conductive anti corrosion gel. Sound improved. |
| 89300 mi US $20 |
Cabin air filter broke down and collapsed into the blower fan. Made a terrible noise and I thought the fan was toast. Opened it up behind the glove box, took out the shredded remains of the filter and popped in a new one. Problem solved. |
| 30000 mi US $70 |
Headlight relay was shorted out, causing a fuse to blow. The relay was repaired. |
| 59000 mi | The starter in the vehicle was deemed to be faulty. The starter was replaced, but failed again the following morning. A second trip to the shop revealed that the replacement starter was defective. It was replaced yet again. At this point, no further trips Starter replaced second time. |
| 78700 mi US $20 |
Replaced both headlights which failed within one day of each other |
| 156000 mi US $100 |
Starter brushes worn down. Replaced brushes, brush holder & solenoid |
| 80000 mi US $190 |
weak battery |
| 141360 mi C $450 |
A/C RADIATOR BREAK BY STONE. THERE IS NO PROTECTION FOR INCOMMING OBJECT. AS LISTED ON INTERNET FORUM, IT IS A PROBLEM FOR MATRIX. THE WEAKNESS OF MATRIX A/C. |
| 170500 mi C $528 |
Starter |
2003 Toyota Matrix 4dr Hatch
123-horsepower 1.8L I4 4-speed automatic AWD
| 171500 mi US $75 |
Relay for compressor failed, was replaced. |
| 180000 mi US $400 |
Old battery Starter failure |
See TrueDelta's information for all Hatchbacks
See TrueDelta's information for all Toyota models.
