2004 Toyota Corolla matrix problems

General information about Toyota-Corolla matrix
Overview of popular issues
Recalls list

The Toyota Matrix, officially named Toyota Corolla Matrix, is a compact hatchback manufactured by Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada in Cambridge, Ontario and derived from the Corolla. Introduced in 2002 as a 2003 model, the Matrix was the result of a joint venture between Toyota and General Motors, with the GM version being the Pontiac Vibe, which was assembled by New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) in Fremont, California, United States.

The Matrix was positioned as a sporty hatchback counterpart of the North American Corolla and was counted as a variant of it in Toyota's sales figures.

Although identical mechanically, and nearly as much internally, the Matrix and Vibe had different sheetmetal and exterior trim designed by their respective brands. Both vehicles are narrow, tall station wagons styled in a quasi-SUV fashion (called a crossover utility vehicle or "CUV" by Toyota) and marketed to a fairly youthful market segment. This type of car is also commonly referred to as a sport wagon.

First sold in February 2002, the Matrix saw a minor facelift for the 2005 model year, and was redesigned completely in 2008 for the 2009 model year, following the tenth generation Corolla. Sales of the Matrix were discontinued in the United States in 2013 and in Canada in 2014.

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Common 2004 Toyota Corolla matrix problems

The Toyota Corolla Matrix 2004, also known as the Matrix, is known for its practicality and reliability. However, like any vehicle, it has some common problems that owners have reported.

One of the most common issues is faulty oxygen sensors. The oxygen sensors measure the amount of oxygen in the exhaust gases and send this information to the engine control module (ECM). If the oxygen sensors are faulty, they can cause the engine to run poorly, increase fuel consumption, and cause the check engine light to come on.

Another common problem is premature brake wear. This can be caused by several factors, including driving habits, brake system design, and the type of brake pads used. If the brakes are worn out prematurely, they may need to be replaced more frequently than expected, which can be costly.

Excessive oil consumption is another issue that some Matrix owners have reported. This can be caused by several factors, including worn piston rings, valve seals, or cylinder walls. If the engine consumes too much oil, it can lead to engine damage and reduced performance.

Window regulator problems are also common in the Matrix. The bolts attaching the glass windows to the window regulators on the front doors of the Matrix can come loose, causing the glass windows to fall into the door. This can be a safety hazard and may require costly repairs.

The Matrix also has some engine and transmission problems, particularly in the 2003 and 2004 models. The transmission system, especially in manual models, is prone to fail, causing loud grinding noises, hesitation while shifting, and no fifth gear. The engine can also consume too much oil and make ticking or rattling noises, eventually failing and requiring costly repairs.

In addition to these common problems, there have been reports of a faulty ECM in 2005-2008 Toyota Matrix models, which can cause harsh shift conditions and require replacing the ECM with an updated part. There was also a recall for a faulty ECM in 2005-2008 Toyota Matrix models.

Despite these common problems, the Matrix is still a reliable and practical vehicle, with good fuel economy and low repair costs. However, potential buyers should be aware of these issues and consider them when purchasing a used Matrix.

What is the most common problem with Toyota Matrix?

One of its most severe issues is the engine problem. Many owners have noticed that the car consumed too much oil and heard ticking or rattling noises coming from the engine. Eventually, the Matrix engine just failed.

How long will a 2004 Matrix last?

300k miles

without a doubt the most reliable engine ever built. If the maintenance schedule was followed from new, a Matrix should last well over 300k miles.

Are Toyota Matrix cheap to fix?

The average annual repair cost is $396 which means it has excellent ownership costs.

Is Toyota Matrix a good car to buy?

The Toyota Matrix has an overall reputation for dependability, too. RepairPal gives the Matrix a 4.5 out of 5.0 dependability rating, and the 2012 edition has an average annual repair cost of just $448. The 2007 edition has an even lower average annual repair cost of $287.

What is the common problem of Toyota Matrix?

How long will a 2004 Matrix last?

300k miles

without a doubt the most reliable engine ever built. If the maintenance schedule was followed from new, a Matrix should last well over 300k miles.

Is Toyota Corolla Matrix a good car?

According to carparts.com, the Toyota Matrix has good reliability ratings, such as a four out of five or a reliability score of 81 out of 100. This could be attributed to the fact that the Matrix is basically a Toyota Corolla, just with a larger trunk.

Is Toyota Matrix expensive to maintain?

The average total annual cost for repairs and maintenance on a Toyota Matrix is $396, compared to an average of $526 for compact cars and $652 for all vehicle models.

2004 Toyota Corolla matrix complaints

The NHTSA has received 0 complaints about various vehicle components related to the 2004 Toyota Corolla matrix.

You can leave your car complaint via the special form below.

2004 Toyota Corolla matrix recalls

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued 5 recalls for different components of the 2004 Toyota Corolla matrix.

2018-01-09

Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Components: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Summary: On January 9, 2018, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified NHTSA that they are recalling 14,585 model year 2010-2012 Yaris vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. As of January 30, 2018, Toyota is additionally recalling 3,347 model year 2010 Pontiac Vibe vehicles located in states listed above. Also included in this recall filing is 98,194 model year 2003-2008 Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles, located throughout the U.S., that previously received a like-for-like interim air bag inflator replacement. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag assemblies with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are G0R (Zone B), and H0A (Zone C), J0A (Matrix Zone A), J0A (Matrix Zone A), J0A (Matrix Zone A).

2015-05-13

Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Components: AIR BAGS
Summary: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015, that they are recalling 2005-2007 Lexus SC, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sequoia, and Pontiac Vibe, and 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra vehicles that were originally sold, or ever registered, in Florida, along the Gulf Coast, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa. On June 16, 2015 Toyota expanded the recall to cover an additional 769,055 vehicles, including certain model year 2002-2004 Lexus SC, Toyota Sequoia, 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla Matrix, Toyota Corolla, Pontiac Vibe, and Toyota Tundra vehicles, as well the vehicles covered by the May 13, 2015 notification in the portions of Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas that were not previously included. The inflators in the front passenger air bags are susceptible to rupture in the event of a crash necessitating the deployment of the front passenger air bag.
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-286 are under a Do Not Drive advisory. Owners of these vehicles are advised not to drive their vehicles until the recall remedy has been completed. Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the passenger side front air bag, free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota began the recall on July 13, 2015. Pontiac Vibe owners may contact GM at 1-800-762-2737. GM began the recall on June 29, 2015. NOTE: This recacll supersedes recall 14V-655 in its entirety. For vehicles located in the U.S. states not listed above, please see Toyota recall 15V-285 which covers all other U.S. states.

2015-05-13

Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Components: AIR BAGS
Summary: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015 that they are recalling certain model year 2004 Sequoia vehicles manufactured August 18, 2003, to August 19, 2004, and 2003-2004 Tundra vehicles manufactured March 18, 2003, to August 25, 2004. On June 16, 2015, Toyota expanded the recall to include an additional 1,270,468 vehicles, including model year 2002-2003 and 2005-2007 Sequoia, 2005-2006 Tundra, 2003-2007 Corolla, 2003-2007 Corolla Matrix, 2003-2007 Pontiac Vibe and 2002-2007 Lexus SC vehicles. This is to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag inflator which may produce excessive internal pressure causing the inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag. This recall addresses both the passenger side frontal air bags that were originally installed in the vehicles, as well as replacement air bags that may have been installed as replacement service parts. A replacement air bag may have been installed, as one example, if a vehicle had been in a crash necessitating the replacement of the passenger side frontal air bag.
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-285 are under a Do Not Drive advisory. Owners of these vehicles are advised not to drive their vehicles until the recall remedy has been completed. Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag. The recall began on July 13, 2015. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Pontiac owners may call 1-800-762-2737. NOTE: This recall supersedes recall 14V-312 in its entirety.

2015-01-28

Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Components: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Summary: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla vehicles manufactured December 28, 2001, to May 2, 2004, 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles manufactured January 6, 2002, to April 29, 2004, 2003-2004 Avalon vehicles manufactured June 5, 2002, to December 20, 2004, and 2003-2004 Pontiac Vibe vehicles manufactured January 18, 2002, to April 27, 2004. Due to electrical noise, a component in the air bag control module may fail, causing the front air bags, side air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.
Consequence: Inadvertent deployment of the air bags or the seat belt pretensioners increases the risk of an injury or crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the air bag control module, free of charge. The recall began on August 24, 2015. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. GM issued an interim notification to owners on March 27, 2015. The recall began on August 24, 2015. Pontiac owners may call 1-800-620-7668. Note: This recall supersedes recalls 13V-029 and 14V-147. Vehicles that had a noise filter installed as the remedy for one of those campaigns need to have the air bag control module replaced under this campaign.

2013-01-30

Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Components: AIR BAGS
Summary: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles and 2003-2004 Pontiac Vibe vehicles. The supplemental restraint system (SRS) circuits are susceptible to internal shorting. The electrical short may create an abnormal current flow and increased heat which can damage the circuits. This could result in an inadvertent deployment of the front airbags and/or seat belt pretensioners.
Consequence: Inadvertent deployment of the airbags or the seat belt pretensioners may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will re-notify their owners who have already had their vehicles repaired with a noise filter, but did not receive a new airbag control module, and General Motors will re-notify theirs. Dealers previously installed a supplemental harness containing an electrical filter between the airbag control module and its wire harness, free of charge. Dealers will replace the airbag control module, free of charge. The recall began on March 13, 2013. The manufacturer has not yet provided a schedule for second notices. For more information, Toyota owners may call 1-800-331-4331 and Pontiac owners may call 1-800-620-7668.

Additional sources

More sources of information about 2004 Toyota Corolla matrix problems:

2004 Toyota Matrix Problems and Complaints - 7 Issues

https://repairpal.com/2004-toyota-matrix/problems

Top 2004 Toyota Matrix Problems · Check Engine Light Due to Oxygen Sensor Failure · Check Engine Light Due to EVAP System · Bolts That Attach Front Window Glass to ...

XRS issues | Toyota Nation Forum

https://www.toyotanation.com/threads/xrs-issues.568657/

Jul 28, 2013 ... If I could have I would have gotten an 03-06 Toyota Matrix XRS with the 2zz. It's got the same engine but has the functionality of a wagon ...

Q&A: Common Problems with 2004 Toyota Matrix Engine

https://www.justanswer.com/toyota/4z1nl-2004-toyota-matrix-engine-revs-rpm-it-does-not-slow-down-until.html

May 9, 2011 ... I have a 2004 Toyota Matrix. When starting at any outside temperature, the engine revs to about 2000 RPM. It does not - Answered by a ...

2004 Matrix Early Transmission Failure: Corolla also? | Toyota ...

https://www.toyotanation.com/threads/2004-matrix-early-transmission-failure-corolla-also.418096/

Jul 13, 2012 ... It seems that many Matrix owners are having problems with a faulty transmission bearing which necessitates the transmission needing to be ...