2003 Toyota Matrix: engine failure

6 of the 268 complaints about the 2003 Toyota Matrix describe engine failure.

owner complaints: 6
of this car's complaints: 2%
typical mileage: 82,000
recalls: 0

Is there a fix? 15 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Engine failure by model year

2009
5
2007
1
2006
8
2005
4
2004
3
2003
6

What owners say

Filed Dec 11, 2011 · Transmission · 92,000 miles · OR

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.

Filed May 28, 2010 · Transmission · 70,268 miles · CA

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.

Filed Oct 7, 2008 · Engine · 111,000 miles · CA

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. While driving 65 MPH, the engine failed in the middle of the road. The road conditions were not a factor. There were no warning lights illuminated prior to the failure. The contact was driving in rush hour traffic at the time; therefore, he was accelerating and decelerating before the failure occurred. Roadside assistance pushed the vehicle out of the middle of the freeway and it was towed to the repair shop. The vehicle was inspected for two days and engine sludge was determined to be the cause of the failure due to improper lubrication, although there was oil present in the engine. The manufacturer stated that the engine failure was not covered for the matrix; however, the camry was covered. The camry and matrix have the same exact engine and the contact feels that it should also be covered. He was provided with reference number 200810070867. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 111,000.

Filed Dec 3, 2007 · Engine · 74,000 miles · LA

Factory defect on engine part. Had to spend over $4,000 for engine replacement & repairs.

Filed Apr 17, 2007 · Engine · 82,000 miles · GA

I was driving the vehicle home when the check engine light came on steady. I did not pay much attention to it as I realized that more than likely the problem was an oxygen sensor or something emissions related. 5 more minutes went by and the light started blinking, accompanied by a pinging sound coming from the engine that coincided with engine rpms. Within 30 seconds the car died. After a local repair shop received the towed vehicle, they diagnosed the problem. The pinging"was caused by the piston hitting the spark plug. Translation, I needed a new engine. When this happened for 30 seconds it caused an electrical short which caused the car to suddenly fail. The car had 82,000 miles on it , and I had babied it since day one with nothing but synthetic oil.

Filed Jul 20, 2004 · Engine · 38,000 miles · DE

I have a 2003 toyota matrix with approximately 38,000 miles on it. Vehicle was driven for about 6 or more hours when it began a loud knocking sound, and started to lose power. Then there was a loud bang. As it turned out, the car had thrown a rod through the front of the block, as well as blew the starter from the transmission housing. In addition there was a hole in the back of the oil pan about 3 inches in diameter. From the spot where the engine blew up I took measurements. The initial oil spot was 121" long by 18" wide. From there the car sprayed oil 1104' averaging 15" to 18" wide as it coasted downhill to a stop where it made another oil spot about 15" wide by 24" long. The dealership (newark toyota 1344 marrows rd.. Newark, de 19711) is alleging that the care had no oil in it although I provided maintenance records and a video of the oil spill from the start of the breakdown to the finish. They said they were denying the warranty work for lack of maintenance.