Problems with 2003 Toyota Matrix POWER TRAIN

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. while driving, the check engine sensor indicator illuminated and the vehicle experienced hard shifting. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the ecm was faulty. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 107,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. while driving various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the third and fourth gears were not getting any oil and tearing the bearing and transmission apart. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 110,000.

It seems to be nearly a class action lawsuit over the 5 speed manual transmissions used in the matrix< corolla< vibe and a few other models as the lay shaft bearings fail after so many miles! is there a recall or recourse to get factory assistance for this issue! si there any financail help for this problem out there? *tr

My son was shifting from 1st to 2nd gear when there was a loud popping metal sound; he took the car out of gear, coasted out of harms way and then got the car towed. my son said that it was dangerous and unexpected. we had just had our mechanic change the oil and test drive the car last week after putting on new tires. the car was diagnosed with needing a new transmission. this is the 2nd transmission that has been replaced as defective on this car. am a single mom with multiple jobs and cannot afford to pay for a billion dollar company's' mistakes..(when providing a service or product to the public that costs money, if i make a mistake i admit it, correct it, am sorry and make it right at my expense). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. the contact stated that while driving various speeds, there was an abnormal grinding noise when the vehicle was decelerating. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician advised the contact that the transmission would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 97,700.

Prior to incident, vehicle ran and shifted fine. vehicle was never used for towing or other extreme use. transmission fluid was changed at these mileages: 31,669; 61,023; 92,012; and 105,330. vehicle was otherwise well-maintained, and driven with care by experienced users of manual transmissions. the first three tranny fluid changes done at toyota dealership. on jan. 1, 2012, toyota matrix (2003) , w/manual 5-speed transmission had sudden, severe failure on tollway. roadway was clear. vehicle did not hit anything in the road to precipitate this. vehicle was just starting to decelerate for toll booth when sudden, harsh, grinding, metal-on-metal sound began. car was then unable to shift into first gear, and shifted into second with difficulty. vehicle was pulled over to side of road immediately and towed away. an independent transmission specialist removed & disassembled tranny. diagnosis is: everything in 5th gear is broken. fifth gear literally broke. pinion shaft & everything housing ring gear is also broken. apparently 1st through 4th gears look ok. transmission re-build is advised, using toyota factory parts. estimated cost $3,100. in addition, i had vehicle towed 45 miles from rural site of failure ($160). and i had to rent a car to get home from failure site ($225+). i still must return to fort wayne, in to pick up repaired vehicle when ready. i have now read of widespread tranny failures in matrixes. toyota dealers and toll-free number personnel admit no knowledge of such issues. but, every independent source i've consulted acknowledges these drivetrain issues. since these failures are so common, toyota should take responsibility. a recall, or at least toyota admitting and taking financial responsibility for this is in order. i loved my 1989 camry, but no longer have any trust in toyota. nhtsa, please help us. thank you. *tr

Excessive transmission noise in tranny and noise stop when clutch is push in. *tr

While driving, the car seized up and locked - dead in the middle of the road. luckily we had taken side streets and not the freeway, where we would have surely been rear ended. my 8-year-old was in the backseat. mechanic is saying a gear blew out and tore through, melting part of the transmission core. we already replaced clutch at 80,000. car is not salvageable. this is very dangerous. we sat (unable to push the car, it was locked up - 6 people tried) in the middle of the street, a few feet from the intersection - nearly hit several times, with flashers on until tow truck could come. this is not the first report of this - it needs to be made public so people can get their transmission looked at and fixed before someone dies. *tr

The transmission failed. has been serviced regularly. this seems like it is a common problem with this make and model car. i believe this should be a manufacture recall issue. the transmission could have locked up while driving and caused an accident. looks like it will cost between $2000 and $3000 to repair. this is a problem that should not have happened. *tr

5-speed manual: for the last 10k miles, engine compartment has been making an unusual noise when gas is applied or when downshifting. at 120k miles, problem became much worse and when applying gas, sometimes a loud whirring noise, like a spinning sawblade, comes and goes. mechanic drained transmission and found metal particles. $2200 for rebuilt transmission. *tr

My transmission had been racing off and on for a couple of weeks. the car just didn't feel right. i went to make a left turn out of my street and my car just stopped moving. i was in the middle of the road and nothing would happen when i stepped on the gas pedal. it turns out my transmission died and i had to spend several thousands dollars to have it replaced. after 8 months my check engine light is still on and everything i try doesn't work. i've replaced oxygen sensors, speed censors, etc. i've put more money into this car in the last year than i should have. i see that other people have transmission problems, too. i can't imagine whey this hasn't been addressed by toyota yet. *tr

Manual transmission failure in a 2003 toyota matrix. mostly highway miles, maintained regularly at the dealer. noticed a noise and took it to the dealer and they said everything was fine. a few thousand miles later, there was a high pitched whine out of fifth gear. upon stopping and restarting, pretty much all the forward gears were grinding, popping, squealing. repair at the dealer was quoted $2500 for a used transmission and $3200 for a new! about half the value of the car. *tr

Abs, brake, & service engine lights came on. took it to midas, they replaced speed sensors. when i got car back it shifted gears (automatic) funny & hesitated significantly shifting from 2nd to 3rd. immediately returned car to midas. they re-diagnosed & suggested i take it to toyota dealer (john elway's crown toyota). they said it was speedometer cluster & replaced it which did not resolve my problem so declined to pay & asked them to put back my old speedometer cluster. they didn't & didn't charge me for the new one. had car towed back to midas. they disconnected speed sensors & told me it was drivable. got on freeway next day & car wouldn't shift from 3rd to 4th gear, engine revved to 6000 rpms, got off freeway & called midas corporate to complain. they said they would have franchise owner call me. he called but did not identify himself as the person i originated dealt with at midas shop, i know this because i called the number they called from & it was the midas shop. went to midas, today (8/27/10), they asked me to bring car in tomorrow & they would put back old speed sensors & see what happens. they think it's the car's computer but in the meantime i'm out a thousand dollars. *tr

I recently noticed a strange extra noise in my transmission, noise is a low purring sound and at lower speeds in lower gears. *tr

2003 toyota matrix xr manual transmission - 70,000. the transmission needs to be completely replaced. subtle engine knocking, more noticeable when lift foot off accelerator. sudden onset while exiting freeway- rpms hovered when shifted into neutral, difficult to put in 1st on start, then horrible noise when started moving forward then completely seized in place. whole process in less than 60 miles. assessed at private shop and then dealership which quoted over $4,000. corporate/regional district office offered no assistance, compensation, or acknowledgment of issue. this is a frequent problem that has been reported in numerous cases in the 5-speed matrix and pontiac vibe. *tr

Driving down the highway our (03 toyota matrix, manual trans), (north bound i-45 conroe, texas) the car abruptly started a thumping slapping sound. from the frount end. asap! pulled to the side of the road, stopped and turned the car off. my husband arrived, to figure out the problem. he had me turn the car on without starting and pushed the vehicle. the thumping, slapping sound is coming from under the engine. to be continued. *cn

My 2003 toyota matrix xr sometimes accelerates uncontrollably. usually when i am cruising at highway speeds, when i let off of the gas pedal, the car's throttle still feels like it's in the open position, causing the car to speed up instead of slowing down. it almost feels like if the cruise control is turned on and the car is trying to maintain speed. my cruise control was turned off during each of these incidents, and there was no indication that they were turned on at the time of the incidents. this problem occurs once every few months and i usually don't pay attention to them. the car will accelerate for a few seconds then eventually the throttle will close and the car will slow down and then i will apply the brakes gently. i have informed my toyota dealer of this but they usually just brush the complaint off and say they couldn't find any problems. i personally think it's an electronics issue where the cruise control system override the manual system without the input of the driver. *tr

A rattling noise started under the car. it would disappear when the clutch pedal was pushed down. over a 2 day period, the noise became very loud and became more like a clacking noise, but not constant. we took the car to a transmission specialist. the transmission is shot and we've ordered a new transmission. i told the technician there were lots of reports about the '03 and '04 transmissions. when the service technician spoke to toyota about any frequency of this happening with the '03 matrix, toyota said they hadn't had any reports on it. (i understand they fixed problems by '05) this is the 3rd toyota we have had. never had transmission problems. i hope the replacement transmission does not have the same problems. *tr

While driving down the highway one evening, an odd clicking sound was heard from the front end of our 2003 toyota matrix (manual transmission with 88,000 miles). the sound was louder with acceleration. after getting off the highway, the sound was noted to be louder in higher gears, and absent when the clutch was pressed down. the vehicle was brought in for service at our local toyota dealer the next morning. after paying a $95 diagnostic fee, we were told the vehicle needed a new transmission at the estimated cost of $3300, with nothing being covered by any warranty or recall. we brought the car to a transmission specialist for a rebuild. the bearings, rings, and two transfer gears were replaced, along with the clutch, at a cost of $2100. it is noted that the mechanic had a delay in getting the parts due to a manufacturer back order, reportedly from a high demand due to many others with the same problem with this make/model car! this is our first toyota, which we bought due to their good reputation. it has been regularly maintained and subjected to only normal driving conditions. we have never had a vehicle with transmission problems and are shocked that this expensive repair was needed on such a young car. toyota should be held responsible for covering the cost of what appears to be widespread transmission failure due to defective/inferior parts used on this vehicle! *tr

Transmission went bad before 100,000 miles. *tr

I heard a scraping and grating noise as i exited the freeway that i thought was some trapped debris under the front end or in the wheel well. i pulled into a gas station to investigate, finding a loose plastic plate ( a recurring problem with the cheap plastic screws and fasteners used) i rigged something to hold it up and get home. after a few more blocks the sound intensified and the car began to shudder and shake and i heard a pop. i pulled over, got towed home, and the next morning had it towed to a shop. the mechanic informed me that my transmission was shot and would need to be replaced. the car only has 140,000 miles on it, and i do not drive it like some crazed maniac. an internet chat room has recorded lots of matrix owners with the same transmission issues...i am going to need a new transmission and a new clutch. *tr

After normal driving and wear and tear (103,000 miles), manual transmission on 2003 toyota matrix has gone bad, resulting in a needed replacement of the transmission, clutch, and clutch plate. *tr

The transmission on my 2003 toyota matrix died after 100,000 miles and it's a manual. i purchased the car used and it had about 70k miles on it. i had a transmission fluid flush at about 80k. the car started making noises and then i couldn't shift it into gear and then it completely died. i had to have a new/rebuilt transmission put into the car for about $2,500. apparently this is fairly common with the matrix and i don't think it's specific to the 2003 car. *tr

I was pulling into a parking spot at an apt. complex; i had my foot on the brake so as not to hit the curb; the car became airborne, jumped the curb and landed onto a children's playground stopping just short of hitting a tree. i still had my foot on the brake, now pressed to the floor. i asked my passenger to get out of the car, i then backed up over the curb and back onto the macadam. *tr

My wife was driving on the interstate in our 2003 toyota matrix with two of our three young children in the car when she heard a loud bang and felt what she describes as the car jumping off the ground. she slowed the car down to a crawl, exited the interstate and limped it home. presently it sits in the yard and will only move forward. in fact, even in neutral the car can't be pushed backward. upon searching for answers on the internet i found a forum with what appears to be dozens of people who have had transmission failures with 2003 to 2005 matrixes. i am filing this complaint because my wife came close to going off the road when the transmission failed and it appears that toyota is aware of the issue but won't take any action to remedy it. they had a recall on the windows because it was a safety issue but i can't imagine that a broken window would have scared my wife as much as the bang she described and the jerking of the car it caused. thank you. *tr

I own a 2003 toyota matrix with a manual transmission. the car only has 92,000 miles and the tranny needs to be replaced due to a bad bearing. from my research on the web i have seen this happen to many others. i spoke to a repair shop that does rebuilds and he informed me that toyota had gotten bad bearings and used them on a series of transmissions and they tend to go bad around 80k to 120k miles. he himself has rebuilt many. *tr

My 2003 toyota matrix completely broke down in the middle of a highway. the transmission is dead at 94,542 miles. toyota refuses to take responsibility. *tr

My 2003 toyota matrix has a manual transmission. a bearing in the transmission started to fail (noise) at 80,000 miles. this type of failure is common for both the matrix and the pontiac vibe (identical car). luckily i had it changed before any accident occurred. neither toyota nor gm are providing any customer support despite numerous complaints regarding the 2003 manual transmission. *tr

After 200 mile round trip, noticed a grinding noise when accelerating. took matrix to dealer, who told us the bearings in the transmission were bad, and needed replaced. 2003 matrix, 115,000 miles (mostly highway, we have a long commute to work) bearings replaced and clutch work done for $2063. when asked about this, was told "sometimes things break". *tr

Grinding noise began, shortly thereafter the transmission failed. i've replaced the transmission twice already and cannot afford to replace it again. the car now sits as i continue to make payments on it. *tr

Noticed and increasing grinding noise coming from the transmission. had the transmission fluid changed also having the mechanic look for metal shaving with none found. took to transmission specialist who confirmed the "differential" was going to fail soon and advised to not drive the car until repaired. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. while driving at any speed, the contact hears a ticking sound coming from the transmission. prior to the noise, the transmission would slip gears occasionally. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. the current and failure mileages were 63,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. the contact stated that the transmission bearings were faulty. while driving at an unknown speed, she heard an odd sound coming from the engine compartment. the dealer found failure with the transmission and verified that the bearings needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not willing to assist with the repairs. through online research, the contact discovered that the manual transmission failures were common for her year, make, and model vehicle. the failure and current mileages were less than 130,000.

2003 toyota matrix manual 5 speed transmission has completely come apart due to being built with bad throw out bearings. loud rattling noise began 6 months ago even though the transmission and the entire vehicle has been maintained flawlessly. two weeks ago, on march 9, 2009 my boyfriend was driving on the 15 freeway going north when the car began to make a horrible rattling noise. my boyfriend pulled the car over to safety off the freeway and took a look. he knew it was the tranny, he didn't need to see anything...the first clue was that it would not go into 1st or reverse gear at all. we had to get it to a place that we could park it legally, so he started it in second gear and the car wailed and whined and sounded like metal was breaking apart as the car literally limped it's way the entire short ride. warranty good for 100,000 miles, but my car is out of warranty at 105,000 miles. toyota will not acknowledge the fact that the entire 2003 matrix line is experiencing this issue, and will not even do anything as a goodwill gesture. a brand new tranny from toyota is $4000+/-, and the problem will most certainly happen again - as i have seen many, many people attest to. a rebuilt transmission is less $...toyota needs to be held accountable for this. my car could have been involved in an accident due to this failure on the freeway, to say nothing of the fact that it's very scary and unsafe to leave your vehicle on the side of the road, as well as breaking down in the middle of the night. *tr

Own a toyota matrix 2003 xr have been hearing odd sounds for about 6 months. had mechanic do a check and couldn't find anything. never stopped to think it could be the transmission on a manual transmission with less than 100k miles. a week later, driving on highway in the middle of the night, heard a loud explosion type sound and swerved off the road. mechanic said its a bad bearing in the transmission. toyota has yet to respond to my complaint. the entire transmission needs to be replaced. *tr

Toyota differential failed at 100k. according to the mechanic, the problems must have been existent for a significant amount of time. *tr

I had my '03 toyota matrix xrs serviced on 08/08/08 at a toyota dealership in berkeley, ca. they told me everything was fine, and i have never had any problems with my car. the next day (today, as i write) i was driving on i-80 eastbound past reno, nv and my speed dropped 20mph for no reason. my car then began to smoke, and i pulled over to find a trail of transmission fluid behind my car and my engine service light on. after the tow back to reno, the toyota dealer service station told me they weren't receiving any response from my transmission and that it would be upwards of $6,000 to repair. i have never had one, single problem with my car and have had it serviced regularly. it has 66,000 miles and was serviced yesterday. i find this outrageous, unsafe, and deceptive. *tr

Our son's 2003 toyota matrix had it's transmission completely fail 2 nights ago. he had an extended warranty ( 100,000 miles). unbelievably he was 1600 miles over his warranty. i looked on the internet and found dozens and dozens of complaints about 2003 and 2004 matrix transmissions. our son is a rather poor college graduate who can't afford the $3300 it will take to replace the transmission and clutch. i would like some advise on how to pursue some action against toyota. there should be a way to pursue "consideration" for this type of situation something is wrong here! please respond if you can... *tr

2003 toyota matrix transmission failure after 57,000 miles. extended warranty company replaced it with a used rebuilt transmission. i've seen many complaints online about this same thing happening on the manual transmissions of the 2003/2004 models. *tr

Whilst driving at 55 mph the transmission started to grind and then locked up. at 66,000 miles the transmission was shot. reading on edmunds this appears to be a common problem. here is the link. http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/webx/.f0d9b0e i had to put a used transmission in at a cost of $2,000 and suspect the same failure will happen with this one. i'm filing a complaint now due to the amount of other matrix drivers this is happening too. *tr

I have a 2003 toyota matrix auto transmission, that has 58,000 miles on it. a month ago the 1st and reverse gears started to slip and was hard to get into gear. i took it to the toyota dealer and they said they couldn't find anything wrong. i left the dealer and it started again. 2 days later i was not able to get it in to reverse at all. i took it to a transmission shop since the 'check engine' light came on and they checked the codes and looked at the transmission. the engine needs to be rebuilt now and will cost me $2400. i love this car. i baby it all the time. i change the oil regular and always keep up on the maint. i don't understand how a transmission can go out on a car that is only 5 yrs. and 4 mo. old and only 58,000 miles on it ! i did call toyota and they said nothing was reported and all was fine. i asked them to pay for the fix and they said the warranty was only 5yrs. 60,000 miles. i'm over by 4 mo. i found a website that has about 10 other people with this same yr and make car that had transmission issues. *tr

Original '03 toy. matrix xrs mfg. clutch burnt out @ 37k mi of normal (not racing) driving. clutch assembly had to be replaced. no burning smell - just higher revving, no power. i have been driving sticks for 18+ yrs (mostly toyotas - this is not normal)! *tr

2003 toyota matrix, 64000 miles and the transmission went out, bought it used 10/2007 certified toyota and thank goodness we bought the extended warranty. just took it into the dealer and they stated the transmission fluid was dirty and had metal shavings in pan also hydraulic went out and had a faulty sensor in trans axle. dealer will replace it but thank goodness we had the extended warranty and will we have the same problem with the replacement???? we purchased this car for our daughter because toyota is suppose to be reliable, but we have never had a transmission go out in any of our other cars and we usually keep them for 10 years..... *tr

Transmission completely ruined at 72,000 miles 5 speed manual toyota matrix 2003. *tr

I have a 2002/03 toyota matrix that had the transmission replaced at 70k miles. it was covered under warranty. the car has 130k miles now and i am being told the bearing in the transmission is bad. *tr

My 2003 toyota matrix xr with a 5 speed manual transmission had a complete transmission failure. i was traveling on interstate i-565 in light traffic. the car was in fifth gear and cruise control was set at about 70 mph. after being on the interstate for about 3-4 minutes, the car started decelerating. so i responded by canceling cruise control and pressing the accelerator to the floor with no effect. the car continued to decelerate. so i downshifted to fourth gear and pressed the accelerator to the floor. again the car continued to decelerate. so i pulled over and stopped the car on the shoulder of the interstate. i turned the car off and started it back on. the engine started normally, but i could not put the gear shifter into any gear. i pressed the accelerator to rev the engine up and the engine made a high pitched, weaning sound. so i turned the car off and tried to push the gear shifter into gear with the car off and was not able to get it into any gear. i had the car towed to a transmission shop and they inspected it and determined that the transmission had completely failed. the odometer reading on the car when this incident occurred was approximately 63,050 miles. toyota's powertrain warranty on this car is 60,000 miles. i contacted toyota to ask for goodwill assistance because it is so unusual for a manual transmission in a toyota to completely fail at such a low mileage. however toyota was unwilling to provide any assistance. i purchased a new transmission from the local toyota dealer and had it installed by an independent transmission shop. the cost of the transmission was $2,343.17 (including tax) and installation costs were $450. so this failure cost me a total of $2,793.17. *tr

2003 toyota matrix the vehicle odometer currently shows 57,108 miles. on january 24th, the clutch went out and would not shift into gear. the car was towed ($45) to our mechanic at polly's shell in nashville and we paid the following amount to have the clutch replaced: clutch set: $268 additional parts: 42 tow: 45 labor: 455 oil: 38 the total bill with other items came to more than $900.00. a copy of the original receipt is enclosed. when we examined the clutch, the pressure plate disc had broken into four equal parts. in addition to our regular mechanic, other mechanics at polly's commented that the fact the mechanism broke equally into four parts is obviously the result of a manufacturer's defect since this type fracture had nothing to do with the way the vehicle was driven. *tr

I bought a used 2003 matrix in may of 2007. in november (90k miles), i started noticing that the transmission was slipping. when i took it to the dealer where i bought it, they said that i needed a new clutch ($1200). i was shocked because i have driven stick shifts for over 15 years now & have never had to replace a clutch. found another mechanic to install the new clutch for $800. he informed me that this is not the first time the clutch had been replaced in this car. apparently the clutch in the 2003 matrix is made to burn out every 50k miles! toyotas are supposed to have a better reputation than this !@#$%! *tr

Main bearing in the manual transmission failed. needed new transmission and clutch. toyota canada and my dealer covered 60% of cost 5mth past warranty. *tr

I own a 2003 toyota matrix 5-speed with 75k miles on it. serviced every 5k miles by the dealership until 60k, and has had regular oil changes and all manufacture suggested maintenance. purchased new by me from toyota & scion of lake city in seattle. on 6/17/2007, i was driving on state route 520 through east king county (divided, limited access highway). the car suddenly began making a loud high-pitched noise, then lurched to a sudden stop. i was able to pull off the highway but if i hadn't been right next to the exit when the noise started, i would have frozen in a lane of traffic moving at 60 mph. i had literally 90 seconds to deal with the sudden loss of the drive train, and absolutely no advance warning to any impending mechanical failure. currently, toyota is reviewing whether they will extend the power train warranty (60k/5year) to cover my car. *tr