2003 Toyota Matrix Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Matrix years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 12 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 268 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Toyota Matrix. That is the most of any Matrix model year in the database (12 years). The most reported problem area is power train (83 complaints, 31%), typically at around 75,000 miles. Complaints mention 19 crashes, 3 fires, 22 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 268owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 19complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Toyota Matrix problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 83 | 31% | 75,000 | “manual transmission” (22%) | $3,800 |
| Air Bags problems | 57 | 21% | 120,000 | “numbers air bags” (21%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 25 | 9% | 76,820 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 21 | 8% | 55,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 13 | 5% | 37,115 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 12 | 4% | 53,540 | — | — |
| Structure | 12 | 4% | 8,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 11 | 4% | 95,025 | — | — |
| Visibility | 9 | 3% | 98,514 | — | — |
| Engine | 8 | 3% | 128,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 8 | 3% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 2% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 2% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 5 | 2% | 6,065 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 1% | 48,900 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 1% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 1% | 19,840 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 1% | 182,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 1% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% | 95,025 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | 100 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 1% | 222,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 1% | 62,500 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 1% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | 130 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | 102,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Toyota Matrix recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Visibility:glass, side/rear
Problem: Toyota is recalling 662,178 my 2003-2004 corolla, corolla matrix and pontiac vibe vehicles equipped with power windows. The driver and front passenger door glass bolts may loosen and come off, causing the door glass to separate from the window regulator. Due to the components becoming loose and possibly rattling, an abnormal noise may be heard from the driver and /or front passenger door when operating the power windows.
Risk: The door glass may separate from the window regulator, bind and shatter during operation of the power windows, causing driver distraction and/or injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver and front passenger door glass bolts with newly designed bolts free of charge. The recall began on april 16, 2008 to toyota owners. The recall began on may 21, 2008, for pontiac owners. Owners may contact toyota at 1-888-270-9371 or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Side front power window shatters (EA08004) — opened Feb 5, 2008, closed May 1, 2008, led to recall 08V162000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 toyota matrix. While driving approximately 50 mph, the contact rear ended another vehicle. The front end of the contact's vehicle was severely damaged, but the air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained an injured chest and shoulder, which required medical treatment…
I have gotten the "takata recall" letter and took my car on march 18, 2018, with mike briseno from toyota here near my place 1901 s figueroa st, los angeles, ca 90007. They offered me an uber ride home from the dealership with my husband and said it will take 2-3 hours. Got the call from mike…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota matrix. While the contact was idling at a red light, the seat belt air bag restraint system erroneously activated and forcefully secured the driver into the seat. During the incident, no crash had occurred. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer (baierl toyota…
Takata recall my wife and i had an accident in the freeway on our way home more than 7 years ago. We were travelling at around 50-55 mph when suddenly the car in front of us stopped. Resulted in hitting the back bumper of the car in front of us. The car sustained just minor scratched but our car…
The airbag indicator on my car lit up. I scheduled an appointment with toyota to have it diagnosed, and they said that i needed a new spiral clock spring cable, which is part number 84306-02110. This is an expensive part, over $300. After doing some searching, i found out that 1) many other toyota…
Other Toyota Matrix years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 Matrix | 0 | 1 |
| 2012 Matrix | 5 | 1 |
| 2011 Matrix | 10 | 2 |
| 2010 Matrix | 45 | 4 |
| 2009 Matrix | 192 | 3 |
| 2008 Matrix | 38 | 2 |
| 2007 Matrix | 96 | 2 |
| 2006 Matrix | 170 | 3 |
| 2005 Matrix | 213 | 1 |
| 2004 Matrix | 138 | 1 |
| 2003 | 268 | 1 |
| 2002 Matrix | 2 | 0 |
See all Toyota Matrix problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Toyota Matrix?
Owners most often report power train, air bags, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 83 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Toyota Matrix?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Toyota Matrix a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Matrix model years, the 2003 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.