2009 Toyota Matrix Visibility & Wipers Problems

TOYOTA MATRIX. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO PASSENGER AIRBAG RECALL NOTICE (16V-340) ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE DRIVE SIDE WINDOW. *JB

THE CAR HAS AN UNACCEPTABLE BLIND SPOT THE SIDE MIRRORS DO NOT COMPENSATE FOR THIS. IT RESULTED IN ME WHILE BACKING UP NOT SEEING AN ELDERLY LADY WALKING PAST MY CAR, AND I HAVE HAD SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS WHILE BACKING OUT OF SPACES WITH CARS BEHIND ME JUST IN THE BLINDSPOT OR PEDESTRIANS. I AM ALMOST TEMPTED TO POST A WARNING IN BACK WINDOW. PERHAPS A MIRROR INSERT WOULD PREVENT THIS. BACKING OUT WHILE TURNED LOOKING OUT REAR YOU MISS PEOPLE IN THAT SPOT. IT IS A HAZZARDOUS CAR TO BACK UP WITH.

I NOTICED THAT WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN THE FRONT VIEW OF WHERE YOU ARE TURNING IS BLOCK...WORSE WHEN MAKING U TURN....BECAUSE THE LEFT SIDE MIRROR BLOCKS THE ENTIRE VIEW... I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH THAT MY NEPHEW ADVISE ME TO BE CAREFUL WITH THE PEDESTRIANS AS I IMMEDIATELY HIT THE BRAKES AND THE SAW THE UPSET PEDESTRIAN GIVE ME A DIRTY LOOK. I HAVE SINCE BEEN VERY CAREFUL WHEN TURNING AND I RAISE MY HEAD UP TO LOOK OVER THE BLOCKING MIRRORS. I BELIEVE THIS IS A STRUCTURAL ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE EXTERIOR SIDE VIEW MIRRORS ON BOTH SIDE OF THE VEHICLE BLOCK THE CONTACT'S VIEW WHENEVER A TURN IS BEING MADE. SHE STATED THAT THE MIRRORS PREVENTED HER FROM PROPERLY SEEING THE ROAD. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE MIRRORS WERE PLACED IN THE PROPER POSITION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20 AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS 1,100. UPDATED 07/28/09. *LJ UPDATED 07/30/09.*JB

THE SIDE REAR-VIEW MIRROR IS LARGE AND CREATES A LARGE BLINDSPOT SO THAT IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE OBJECTS WHEN TURNING LEFT. I WAS TURNING INTO MY SUBDIVISION AND ALMOST HIT A VEHICLE THAT WAS WAITING FOR ME TO COMPLETE MY TURN BEFORE ENTERING THE INTERSECTION. I BELIEVE THE VEHICLE WAS A RED BMW SEDAN (SMALL), AND I DIDN'T SAW IT UNTIL WE ALMOST COLLIDED. FORTUNATELY I WAS GOING SLOWLY ENOUGH TO MAKE A QUICK CORRECTION WHEN THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE HONKED. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS OTHER SIMILAR INCIDENTS DURING THE SIX MONTHS I HAVE DRIVEN MY CAR. *TR

THE 2009 TOYOTA MATRIX HAS A SAFETY ISSUE IN MY OPINION. I BOUGHT MY MATRIX (NEW) FROM DOWNEAST TOYOTA IN BREWER, MAINE, ON OCTOBER 6, 2008. WHILE DRIVING THIS CAR DURING A TEST DRIVE IN THE PROXIMITY OF THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT 60 DAYS PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE, THERE CAME A TIME WHEN I HAD DO MAKE A LEFT-HAND TURN AS DIRECTED BY THE DEALERS SALESMAN WHO WAS WITH ME. BEFORE I MADE THE TURN I NOTICED A YOUNG LADY ON THE EDGE OF THE ROAD TO WHERE I WAS TURNING. THIS BROUGHT ON A CAUTION IN MY MIND TO BE EXTRA CAREFUL IN MAKING THE TURN. AS I PROCEEDED THE TURN, THE OVERSIZED (IN MY OPINION) SIDE VIEW MIRROR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE THAT IS SITUATED TOO HIGH (IN MY OPINION) BLOCKED ABOUT 80 % OF MY VIEW. AT ONE POINT IT WAS DIRECTLY IN MY LINE OF VISION. I LET OUT A, "WHOA, ERIC" (TO THE SALESMAN)," I CAN'T SEE A THING." HE DID NOT SAY A WORD. I LIKED THE MATRIX OTHERWISE, SO ABOUT SIXTY DAYS LATER, I BOUGHT IT (I THOUGHT THE "BAD VISION INCIDENT" WAS A FLUKE.) WHILE RETURNING HOME FROM MY DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT TWO DAYS LATER, I CAME UPON A LEFT-HAND TURN IN DOWNTOWN ORONO, MAINE. TO MY ABSOLUTE DISAPPOINTMENT, I COULD NOT SEE WHERE I WAS TURNING WHEN THE OVERSIZED SIDE MIRROR CAME IN MY LINE OF VISION. AGAIN, APPROXIMATELY 80 % OF MY VISION WAS BLOCKED! I RETURNED THE MATRIX TO THE DOWNEAST TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN BREWER. I TOLD SEVERAL PEOPLE AT THE DEALERSHIP, IN PERSON, AND BY PHONE FROM HOME, THAT I COULD NOT DRIVE THE MATRIX BECAUSE OF A SAFETY ISSUE. I ASKED FOR MY MONEY BACK. THEY MORE OR LESS AGREED, TOGETHER, THAT I NOW OWNED THE VEHICLE AND THAT THEY WOULD NOT RETURN MY MONEY EXCEPT THAT I COULD TRADE THE MATRIX IN ON ANOTHER VEHICLE AS A USED CAR. NOW, I KNOW YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING FOR ME ON THE FAIRNESS ISSUE. I AM HERE SAYING THAT THERE IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE 2009 TOYOTA MATRIX. I LOVE TOYOTAS. I'VE DRIVEN THEM FOR YEARS. THIS MATRIX SHOULD BE RECALLED. THANK YOU. ROBERT DUBAY *TR