Toyota Matrix
Owners filed 1,177 complaints across 12 model years of the Toyota Matrix. The 2003 drew the most (268); the 2013 the fewest (0).
Model years12
Complaints1,177
Recalls27
Fires11
Deaths2
Every Toyota Matrix model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | Routine | |
| 2012 | 5 | 1 | — | — | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2011 | 10 | 2 | — | 1 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2010 | 45 | 4 | — | 5 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2009 | 192 | 3 | 1 | 34 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2008 | 38 | 2 | — | 6 | Vehicle Speed Control | Routine | |
| 2007 | 96 | 2 | 2 | 11 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2006 | 170 | 4 | — | 17 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2005 | 213 | 2 | 2 | 10 | Air Bags | Fatalities reported | |
| 2004 | 138 | 3 | 2 | 18 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2003 | 268 | 3 | 3 | 19 | Air Bags | Fatalities reported | |
| 2002 | 2 | 0 | 1 | — | Power Train › Clutch Assembly | Routine |
Which Toyota Matrix years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2003 is the weakest year on record, with 268 complaints concentrated in the air bags. It carries 3 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.