Selling a Toyota Matrix that no longer runs

The Matrix is a Corolla underneath, built in Cambridge, Ontario, for the 2003 to 2013 model years. NHTSA holds 1,177 complaints under its name. Many of its recalls sit under the Corolla's name instead, so search by VIN, not by model.

The first generation, 2003-2008

Early cars used the 1.8-liter 1ZZ-FE, rated 130 hp through 2005 and 126 hp after. A higher-output 2ZZ-GE from the Celica GT-S was offered until late 2006. Gearboxes were automatics, a 5-speed manual and a 6-speed manual. All-wheel drive came only with the 1ZZ and the automatic, and only through 2006.

Manual gearboxes on the 2003 and 2004

Power train is the most-named part on the first two years: 80 of 268 complaints on the 2003 and 36 of 138 on the 2004. Owners describe manual transmission failures. One writes that third and fourth gear got no oil and a bearing tore the transmission apart at about 110,000 miles. Another hears a loud metal pop shifting from first to second. We found no recall or Toyota bulletin for this.

An engine computer that cracks

Recall 10V384 covers 2005-2008 cars with the 1ZZ-FE and front-wheel drive. Solder points or varistors on the engine control module can crack. The car may then show a warning lamp, shift harshly, refuse to start or stall on the road. Dealers check the module's production number and replace it free. The campaign also covers the Corolla, and the two together come to 1,128,659 vehicles.

Door glass and a smoking seat belt

Recall 08V162, begun April 16, 2008, swapped the bolts holding the door glass on power-window 2003-2004 cars. The Corolla and the Pontiac Vibe were part of it too. Separately, the air bag computer on 2003-2004 cars can short inside (13V029, then 15V043, which replaced the module). One 2003 owner reports a seat belt that smoked at a drive-thru, then popped open as the passenger bag fired.

The Takata chain on early cars

A 2003 or 2004 Matrix named in both 15V-043 and 15V-285 is under a do-not-drive advisory until the passenger air bag is replaced. Toyota went back twice more:

• J0B (18V-025) covers about 26,000 2003-2008 Matrix cars in Toyota's zone B that had earlier been fitted with a Takata inflator lacking desiccant. On August 28, 2019, Toyota said the J0B remedy "has been suspended for 05-08 Matrix vehicles until further notice" because parts were not available.
• K0Q (19V-627) covers about 121,700 2005-2008 cars whose replacement passenger bag may not inflate properly. Toyota widened it on December 18, 2019.

On the 2005, air bags make up 101 of 213 complaints. Owners write about waiting months for a recall part, and one saw the air bag light come on after the repair.

The second generation, 2009-2013

The 2009 redesign brought a 132 hp 1.8-liter 2ZR-FE and a 158 hp 2.4-liter 2AZ-FE. The 1.8 shipped with a five-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic; the 2.4 had its own manual or a five-speed automatic. Toyota announced on August 5, 2013 that US production would end after the 2013 model year, citing falling sales.

The 2009 is the busy year of this generation, with 192 complaints: 76 on air bags, 41 on speed control and 22 on steering. Both 2010 pedal recalls apply, one for floor mats that can trap the pedal and one for a pedal that sticks. A 2009 owner describes a pedal stuck at about 55 mph and a crash. NHTSA's PE10-008 looked at steering drift on 2009-2010 Corollas and Matrixes, and owners here report power steering that stopped working, and one says it seized at 35 mph.

Other campaigns that reach these years:

• 09V338: 2009-2010 cars with the 1.8 sold or registered in 19 cold-weather states got a relocated brake vacuum port.
• 16V340: Takata passenger inflators on 2009-2011 cars sold or registered in certain states. The campaign spans 1,754,517 vehicles across several brands.
• 20V024: an air bag computer on 2011-2013 cars that may not fire the bags in some crashes.

The 2.4 also falls under Toyota's ZE7 program for oil consumption, which named certain 2009-2013 Matrix cars. After October 31, 2016, its coverage became "10 years from the date of first use or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first," and that clock has run out on nearly every Matrix.

Complaints and recalls by model year

NHTSA's records for the Matrix, read October 10, 2026. The right-hand column counts only campaigns NHTSA files under the Matrix name. Sixteen more campaigns on the Corolla's file name the Corolla Matrix, the Takata recalls among them, so this column understates the real number.

The two complaints dated 2002 come before the first Matrix, which went on sale as a 2003 model.

Worth fixing?

Even the newest Matrix is now 13 model years old, so one large repair bill can top what the car is worth running. Three checks first:

1. Search the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Air bag, module and pedal recalls are repaired free when still open.
2. A 2005-2008 that stalls or won't crank may need only the 10V384 module, so ask a Toyota dealer before you pay for engine work.
3. Manual gearbox failures on 2003-2004 cars show up in owner complaints, and no Toyota program covers them. Get a quote, then weigh it against the car's value.

If the math fails, let it go unrepaired. Selling a car that won't start covers what to expect.

How the sale works

1. Jot down the VIN and odometer reading, then list what's broken in plain words.
2. Request an offer online, or phone (877) 421-6008.
3. Tell us where the Matrix sits (garage, driveway, curb or shop lot) and whether it rolls.
4. Don't take it apart. Missing seats, wheels or a converter? Tell us before pickup.
5. At pickup, sign over the title, hand over the keys and show ID. Plates follow state law, which after you sell explains state by state.

Also on this site: the Corolla it was built from, the Yaris and the RAV4.