2004 Toyota Matrix Powertrain & Transmission Problems

LOW NOISE FROM ENGINE AREA, THEN HEARD A POP OR THUD. AFTER THIS CAME A SCRATCHY/GRINDING NOISE WHEN CAR WAS IN GEAR AND COASTING. THE NOISE WENT AWAY WHEN CLUTCH WAS DEPRESSED OR CAR WAS TAKEN OUT OF GEAR TO COAST. I CALLED A SERVICE REPAIR TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT THE SAME DAY. THE VERY NEXT DAY THE CAR LOCKED UP AND WAS UNDRIVEABLE. SOUNDED LIKE THE ENGINE HAD FALLEN OUT THE BOTTOM WITH HORRIBLE METAL GRINDING NOISE. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED ($150) AND THE SERVICE CENTER SAID I WOULD NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND CLUTCH AND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA MATRIX AND COROLLA. AFTER READING ONLINE, IT SEEMS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA OWNERS WITH LOW MILES HAVING BEARING ISSUES AND THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS GONE UNADDRESSED. EVEN THOUGH I WAS GOING ONLY 10 MILES PER HOUR, THE CAR LOCKS UP. THIS ISSUE WILL KILL SOMEONE, SOMEDAY. COST OF REPAIR WILL BE AROUND $3,100+. *TR

MY CAR STARTED MAKING A WEIRD NOISE. WHEN THE CLUTCH WAS PUSHED IN, THE NOISE WOULD STOP. 3 WEEKS LATER I HAD TO GO TO WORK SO I GOT ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE NOISE WAS GETTING LOUDER AND LOUDER. MY FRONT WHEELS LOCKED UP AND MY TRANSMISSION SHOT ME OUT OF GEAR. A CAR ALMOST HIT ME WHICH WOULD OF COST MY LIFE. I WILL NEVER BUY A TOYOTA AGAIN. IT COSTS $2000 TO FIX. HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS DO SOMETHING BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THE BEARINGS IN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO DECELERATE TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 63,000. UPDATED 09/12/11

STARTED MAKING LOUD NOISE, THEN LOCKING UP. COULD NOT SHIFT OR GET INTO GEAR. *TR

2004 MANUAL TOYOTA MATRIX XR 1. I WAS HEARING A VERY SLIGHT TINKLING SOUND WHEN AT LOW RPMS IN 2ND, 3RD AND 5TH GEARS. WHEN THE CLUTCH WAS PRESSED THE SOUND WENT AWAY. THE SOUND WAS OCCURRING FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS BEFORE THE FAILURE. 2. COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION. DRIVING IN 5TH GEAR AND THERE WAS A WHIRRING SOUND, A CLUNK, AND THE CAR JUMPED OUT OF GEAR. COULD NOT GET INTO 1ST, 2ND, 5TH, OR REVERSE. WHEN CAR IS NEUTRAL IT IS STILL IN GEAR. WE HAD SIGNIFICANT TROUBLE TOWING THE CAR AS I HAD TO BE INSIDE THE CAR WITH THE CLUTCH DOWN AS THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER PUSHED IT. 3. REPLACEMENT OF TRANSMISSION. *TR

I OWN A 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX. IT HAS LESS THAN 100,000 MILES AND HAVE BEEN WELL TAKEN CARE OF. ON AUGUST 20, 2010, DRIVING 30-35 MILES PER HOUR, THE FRONT AXEL BROKE! I DID NOT RUN OVER A POT-HOLE, THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT---NOTHING TO REMOTELY CAUSE THE FRONT AXEL TO BREAK. IT IS VERY UPSETTING HAVING TO PAY FOR A REPAIR THAT IS A DEFECT IN THE CAR AND NOW BEING TOLD THAT THEY CAN'T EVEN FIND THE PART TO REPAIR THE CAR. *TR

HEARD RATTLING WHEN CAR IN GEAR. OUR MECHANIC SAID IT IS THE MAIN BEARING IN THE TRANSMISSION AND IT WOULD GET LOUDER AND THEN SEIZE UP EVENTUALLY. THIS CAR HAS BEEN REGULARLY AND WELL MAINTAINED AND HAS ONLY 107 K ON IT. THE CLUTCH IS STILL ORIGINAL AND THE TRANS NEEDS REPLACING BEFORE IT ? LOCAL DEALER SAYS THERE IS NOTHING HE DO. WE ARE GOING TO PUT A NEW TRANSMISSION IN AND DRIVE IT FOR ANOTHER 40 K THEN DUMP IT. AM COMPLETELY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS CAR AND IN TOYOTA. *TR

I OWN A 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX 2WD BASE MODEL WITH 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. I HAD 75,000 MILES ON IT AND VERY FEW ISSUES UNTIL ONE DAY ON THE HIGHWAY, THE TRANSMISSION SEIZED UP COMPLETELY. THE ONLY RECOURSE WAS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY. *TR

MANUAL TRANSMISSION SEIZED WHILE DRIVING TOYOTA MATRIX. CAR TOTALLY LOCKED UP AND STOPPED ON THE FREEWAY. CAR ONLY HAD 114,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS REGULARLY SERVICED. FAULTY EQUIPMENT AND DANGEROUS. *TR

THE CAR HAS A CONTINUOUS GRUMBLE FROM CLUTCH AREA, TOYOTA SAYS IT HAS A INPUT SHAFT BEARING FAILURE. ESTIMATED REPAIR $3500.00. *TR

2004 MATRIX TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE WIFE WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY ON A RAINY NIGHT. PRIOR TO THIS THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO HAVE NOISES WHICH ONE MIGHT ATTRIBUTE TO AN AUTO AT 110,000 MILES. AFTER THIS FAILURE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT EXCEPT WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY. I HAD THE MATRIX TOWED HOME AND AM IN THE PROCESS OF DETERMINING SOLUTION. THE REST OF THE CAR IS FLAWLESS BUT THIS EARLY FAILURE OF A MANUAL TRANSMISSION IN A TOYOTA IS DISCOURAGING. THE SITUATION WAS A DANGEROUS ONE AS FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION CAUSED THOSE VEHICLES AROUND HER TO BECOME AGGRESSIVE TOWARDS THE SLOWLY MOVING MATRIX. MY WIFE WAS EXTREMELY FORTUNATE TO COAX THE CAR TO SAFETY. THESE UNEXPECTED REPAIRS WILL COST ME AROUND $2500 TO $3000 TO RESOLVE. THE AUTO IS OF NO VALUE WITHOUT THE REPAIR, AND WITH THE REPAIR RESALE NOT MUCH GREATER. *TR

MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILED ON MY 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX. STARTED MAKING CLUNKING AND GRINDING NOISES AND FIFTH GEAR STOPPED PROVIDING FORWARD MOVEMENT. I WAS ABLE TO USE LOWER GEARS. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILURE DUE TO FAULTY BEARINGS. *TR

DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, HEARD A GRINDING NOISE DROVE TO THE MECHANIC WE USE AND WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION IS BAD AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *TR

HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 2004 MATRIX. THE CAR HAS BEEN MAKING NOISE FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. I DID NOT TAKE IT TO THE SHOP TO FIND THE NOISE BECAUSE IT RAN FINE. THE LAST TIME I STARTED THE CAR BEFORE IT BROKE DOWN THE NOISE WAS REALLY LOUD AND DID NOT DRIVE VERY WELL. THE TRANSMISSION AND CLUTCH SHIFTED FINE. CAR BROKE DOWN ON THE INTERSTATE. WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE FIRST EXIT. TOOK IT THE REPAIR SHOP. THEY DESCRIBED IT AS A METAL GRINDING NOISE AND SAW HEAVY VIBRATIONS FROM THE TRANSMISSION WHEN THE CAR WAS ON THE LIFT. REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION FOR $2700. GOT THE CAR BACK, DRIVES FINE. NO NOISE. *TR

TOYOTA MATRIX 2004 I HAVE BEEN NOTICING (WHAT APPEARED TO BE) SLIPPAGE IN THE CLUTCH, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHER GEARS. THIS KEPT GETTING MORE PROBLEMATIC UNTIL 12-6-2009 THE CAR WOULD NOT GO MORE THAN 20 MPH AND SMELLED HOT. WHAT APPEARED TO BE TRANSMISSION OIL WAS FOUND ON THE DRIVEWAY UNDER THE CAR. NOTE: UPON LOOKING AT THIS ISSUE VIA THE WWW, I SEE THIS IS A 'PREVALENT' ISSUE WITH TOYOTA MATRIX BUT THE CAR DEALERSHIPS DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS. ?? *TR

WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, OUR 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX, APPROX. 98K MILES STARTED TO BUCK AND MAKE A TERRIBLE GRINDING NOISE. WE THEN LOST 4TH AND 5TH GEARS. WE WERE FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND GET TO THE SIDE HOWEVER WE WERE STUCK AT NIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY. THE TRANSMISSION BEARINGS SHREDDED CAUSING THE CLUTCH TO FAIL. REPLACEMENT COST $3500.00. SINCE, WE HAD READ ABOUT HUNDREDS OF OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS VEHICLE AND WERE SHOCKED THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY FOR INFERIOR PARTS AND RECALLED THE TRANSMISSION. TOYOTA'S REPUTATION AND THOUGHT OF DEPENDABILITY AND SAFETY HAS FALTERED. IT IS SAD BECAUSE WE HAVE OWNED SEVERAL OTHER TOYOTA'S IN THE PAST BUT WILL NOT CONSIDER PURCHASING ANOTHER. WE FEEL WE WERE PUT KNOWINGLY INTO DANGER DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AS SO MANY OTHERS UNFORTUNATELY SHARED THE SAME EXPERIENCE WITH SAME MODEL/YR TOYOTA. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 MATRIX (5 SPEED MANUAL) WITH 85K AND THE THROWOUT BEARING HAS FAILED. I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM A CONCERT WITH A FEW YOUTH KIDS ON SATURDAY NIGHT. I WAS ENTERING THE 1-10E TRYING TO MERGE IN WITH TRAFFIC WHEN THE THROWOUT BEARING FAILED. I TRIED TO SHIFT INTO 3RD GEAR, BUT IT WAS STUCK IN 2ND. I HAD TO SLAM THE GEAR INTO PLACE TO PREVENT GETTING RUN OVER BY A SUV. THIS WAS MY SECOND NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE THIS YEAR IN MY CAR DUE TO THE TRANSMISSION. EARLIER, WHEN THE CAR WAS AT 74K, THE FRONT AXLE ON THE TRANSMISSION BROKE. THIS BROKE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION WHERE I HAD TO KEEP SWAYING MY BODY FORWARD UNTIL THE CAR HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO ROLL ACROSS. AFTER REPLACING THE FRONT AXLE, I REALLY DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX ANOTHER TRANSMISSION ISSUE. TOYOTA NEEDS TO RECALL THEIR TRANSMISSIONS ON THE 2004 MATRIX, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MORE TIMES I CAN AFFORD TO CHEAT DEATH. *TR

TRANSMISSION WENT OUT ON HIGHWAY. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX WITH MILEAGE OF 52,811 AND A STANDARD TRANSMISSION. I HAD TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH. THE WARRANTY COVERS 60,000 MILES OR FIVE YEARS, SO I WAS UNDER THE MILEAGE BUT SIX MONTHS OVER THE YEARS. I UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH CLUTCH/TRANSMISSION WITH THE 2003-2006 MATRIXES. IT SEEMS VERY EARLY TO ME FOR THE CLUTCH TO HAVE FAILED AND IT COST $1,295 TO FIX. *TR