Toyota Matrix Vehicle Speed Control Problems
Owners have filed 145 complaints with NHTSA about vehicle speed control problems on the Toyota Matrix across 8 model years. The 2009 model year has the most (45). The words owners use most often: “suddenly accelerated” (13% of reports).
- 145vehicle speed control complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 59mention a crash
- 30mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 20%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Suddenly accelerated: mentioned in 19 of 145 complaints (13%)
- Unintended acceleration: mentioned in 14 of 145 complaints (10%)
- Continued accelerate: mentioned in 13 of 145 complaints (9%)
- Foot brake: mentioned in 13 of 145 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems happen?
Based on 120 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 145 complaints, 59 mention a crash, 30 an injury.
Toyota Matrix vehicle speed control complaints by model year
| Model year | Vehicle Speed Control complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Matrix | 4 | 9% | 41,000 |
| 2009 Matrix | 45 | 23% | 13,800 |
| 2008 Matrix | 11 | 29% | 28,750 |
| 2007 Matrix | 12 | 13% | 29,000 |
| 2006 Matrix | 20 | 12% | 34,749 |
| 2005 Matrix | 17 | 8% | 19,500 |
| 2004 Matrix | 15 | 11% | 34,250 |
| 2003 Matrix | 21 | 8% | 55,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal
Model years: 2009, 2010
Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 highlander, model year 2009-2010 corolla, venza and matrix passenger vehicles. The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat. This recall is an expansion of a campaign of 3.8 million other toyota vehicles announced in 2009 for the same issue (see 09v-388).
Risk: A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.
Fix: Toyota will modify or replace the accelerator pedals on the subject vehicles. Floor surface modifications are also being considered and will be included for any model for which it is deemed appropriate. Initially, dealers will be instructed on how to reshape the accelerator pedal for the repair. As replacement parts with the same shape as the modified pedal become available, they will be made available to the dealers for the repair. Customers who have had the pedal reshape remedy completed will have the opportunity to receive a new pedal if they desire, after replacement pedals become available. In addition, toyota will replace any toyota all-weather floor mat in a subject vehicle with a newly designed mat, free of charge. For those customers who have the previous design all-weather floor mat but do not need or want the newly designed all-weather floor mat, toyota will recover the previous design all-weather floor mat and reimburse its price. The safety recall began march 30, 2010. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota matrix. While pulling into a parking space, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and crashed into an apartment building. The driver stated that the brake pedal was depressed during the failure. The front end of the vehicle was severely damaged…
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota matrix. While the contact was placing the vehicle in drive, the accelerator pedal became stuck in the depressed position. As a result, the contact crashed into a wall in the parking garage. There were no injuries. The side and frontal air bags deployed. A police…
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 toyota matrix. While driving 3 mph, the vehicle accelerated rapidly without warning and caused a crash. The contact crashed into another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was destroyed. It was unknown…
My matrix 2009 has had intermittent sudden acceleration problems. I mention it at my regular maintenance check ups, but receive non-committal replies. I figure i must be losing it. Over the last 8 months or so, it got extreme: the car will lurch forward at different times: when i start up the car…
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota matrix. While the vehicle was exiting a parking garage and waiting at a toll booth, it suddenly accelerated out of control and crashed into another vehicle and a retaining wall. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. There were minor injuries…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Toyota Matrixs have vehicle speed control problems?
No. NHTSA has 145 owner complaints about vehicle speed control for the Toyota Matrix. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Toyota Matrix vehicle speed control?
Yes: 1 safety recall list vehicle speed control. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about vehicle speed control problems on the Toyota Matrix?
The most frequent phrase is “suddenly accelerated”, in 19 of 145 complaints, followed by “unintended acceleration” (14).
Other Toyota Matrix problems
- Air Bags problems (406)
- Power Train problems (173)
See all Toyota Matrix problems.