2012 Toyota Matrix

Routine

Owners filed 5 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air Bags4
000
Engine1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Air Bags › Air Bag/Restraint Control Module20V024000
Filed Jan 17, 20202,891,976 vehiclesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

Defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly disabling the deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners.

Risk. In the event of a crash, air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners that do not deploy as intended may increase the risk of injury.

Remedy. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness, as necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of the safety risk beginning March 2, 2020. A second letter notifying owners of the remedy repair will be mailed between March 16, 2020 and June 27, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB03, 20TA03 and 20TA05.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air Bags
Filed Sep 9, 2017AL

TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL. REPEATED ATTEMPTS FOR FIXING AIRBAG UNRESPONSIVE FROM TOYOTA DEALERS

Air Bags
Filed Jul 11, 2017FL

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V006000 (AIR BAGS) EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR REPAIR. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION IN JANUARY OF 2018. THE DEALER (EASTERN SHORE TOYOTA 29732 FREDRICK BLVD, DAPHNE, AL, 36526) STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

Air Bags
Filed May 26, 201723,000 milesTX

TAKATA RECALL - RECEIVED NOTICE IN JANUARY, 2017 AND TO DATE "NO REMEDY" FOR THE AIRBAG RECALL ON MY VEHICLE. RECALL ADVISES TO AVOID HAVING PASSENGER IN FRONT SEAT. I AM UNABLE TO TRANSPORT ANYONE UNLESS IN THE BACK SEAT AND AM CONCERNED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO ME IF THE AIRBAG GOES OFF WHILE AWAITING TOYOTA'S REMEDY. PLEASE ADVISE.

Air Bags
Filed May 19, 2017CA

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V006000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

Engine
Filed Feb 14, 2017135,000 milesRI

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA MATRIX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE MADE NOISES UNDERNEATH THE HOOD AND SHUT DOWN. THE OIL AND SERVICE ENGINE INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND LATER TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME. THE NEXT DAY, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL AND THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 135,000.

5 of 5 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2003
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20130100Routine
2012 — this page5100Routine
201110200Routine
201045400Routine
2009192310Routine
200838200Routine
200796220Routine
2006170400Routine
2005213221Fatalities reported
2004138320Routine
2003268331Fatalities reported
20022010Routine

Compare every Matrix year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Jan 17, 2020. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.