Plant Company Name: Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Inc.
Plant Country: Canada
Plant State: Ontario
Seat Belts All: Manual
Series: ZRE142L / AZE141L / AZE144L / AZE146L
TPMS: Direct
Vehicle Type: PASSENGER CAR
Model year
COMPONENT
Complaint
2003
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
TOYOTA MATRIX 2003 (ALSO APPLIES TO PONTIAC VIBE 2003) AS INSTRUMENTS ARE THE SAME. USE OF ALL "RED" COLORED INSTRUMENTS, (SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER, FUEL GAUGE, ETC.) MAKES THEM DIFFICULT TO READ, READING TRIP METER REQUIRES REMOVING SUNGLASSES TO READ. CAN BECOME IMPOSSIBLE TO READ IN BRIGHT SUN. BECAUSE SPEEDOMETER IS DIFFICULT TO READ, DRIVER CAN EASILY BE PUT IN POSITION OF DRIVING WITH EXCESSIVE SPEED BECAUSE SPEEDOMETER IS HARD TO READ OT MAY REQUIRE SUNGLASSES TO BE REMOVED TO READ SPEEDOMETER. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TELLS ME THAT BY TAKING A FEW SECONDS TO READ INSTRUMENTS CAN PUT A DRIVER IN A POTIENTALLLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN IN SOME TRAFFIC SITUATIONS. COULD LEAD TO ACCIDENTS OR DEATH. "COMPLAINTS" ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ARE NOTED IN THE REVIEWS ENTERED BY INDIVIDUALS ON THE WEB SITE WWW.EDMUNDS.COM, SPECIFICALLY: HTTP://WWW.EDMUNDS.COM/USED/2003/TOYOTA/MATRIX/100074126/RATINGS_CONSUMERSDETAIL.HTML?DCR_SID=100074126&DCR_USEIN=U&TID=EDMUNDS.U.RATINGS_CONSUMER.CONTENT..4.TOYOTA*. PLEASE ALSO SEE ALSO CAR & DRIVER 6/2002 PAGE 62 IN AN ARTICLE TITLED "COMPARISON TEST: BOXES SIZE SMALL", WHICH STATES IN PART: "...THE RED INSTRUMENTS ARE HARD TO READ THROUGH SUNGLASSES, AND THE DIALS SEEM PECULIARLY LOCATED DOWN IN DARK TUNNELS...". PLEASE NOTE THAT BOTH TOYOTA AND PONTIAC CORRECTED THIS IN THEIR 2004 MODELS OF THE TOYOTA MATRIX AND PONTIAC. ACTION REQUESTED: REQUIRE BOTH TOYOTA AND PONTIAC TO OFFER OWNERS OF THE 2003 MODELS THE CHOICE OF UPDATING THEIR INSTRUMENT PANELS TO THE 2004 MODEL INSTRUMENTS. *AK
2009
STEERING
2009 MATRIX XRS CERTIFIED VEHICLE PURCHASED WITH 33,000 MILES AROUND 2010, CURRENTLY 48,000 MILES AND HAS 5 YR, 100,000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THIS VEHICLE IS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE WANDERS INTO THE LEFT OR RIGHT LANES AND DRIVER MUST FIGHT TO KEEP THE VEHICLE IN A STRAIGHT LINE. THE LOCAL CHANTILLY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP DENIES THE ISSUE AND ANY TSB. THE STEERING ON THIS VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS AND WARRANTS FURTHER REVIEW BY NTSB IF TOYOTA CONTINUES TO STONEWALL ITS CUSTOMERS REGARDING SAFETY ISSUES. I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH TOYOTA NATIONAL. *TR
