FaultScore

Worst years for a Toyota Matrix

Owners have filed 1,422 complaints about the Toyota Matrix with NHTSA across model years 2002 to 2012. More of them are about the airbags than anything else.

Avoid

2009 Toyota Matrix

224 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly airbags.

Cleanest on record

2011 Toyota Matrix

10 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Toyota Matrix year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2012 5 0 0 Airbags
2011 B 10 1 0 Airbags
2010 C 55 10 0 41,000 Airbags
2009 F 224 44 1 23,000 Airbags
2008 C 56 9 0 30,000 Acceleration & Cruise Control
2007 D 109 16 3 45,325 Airbags
2006 F 212 25 0 32,497 Airbags
2005 D 260 14 2 79,000 Airbags
2004 D 175 26 3 70,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
2003 F 314 25 4 80,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
2002 2 0 1 Transmission & Drivetrain

What breaks on a Toyota Matrix

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Airbags 409 28.8%

Worst in 2005

Worst in 2003

Worst in 2009

Engine & Cooling 136 9.6%

Worst in 2003

Worst in 2005

Brakes 73 5.1%

Worst in 2003

Tires 70 4.9%

Worst in 2006

Steering 55 3.9%

Worst in 2009

Worst in 2004

Suspension 39 2.7%

Worst in 2006

Worst in 2003

Worst in 2003

Worst in 2004

Lights 14 1.0%

Worst in 2003

Exactly what failed on a Toyota Matrix

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Manual Transmission 65 32.0%
Clutch Assembly 33 16.3%
Automatic Transmission 28 13.8%
Engine 22 10.8%
Accelerator Pedal 13 6.4%
Frontal 10 4.9%
Power Window Devices AND Controls 9 4.4%
Body 8 3.9%
Front 8 3.9%
Tread/Belt 7 3.4%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Toyota Matrix, by the month it reached NHTSA.

May 2002 peak 72 Aug 2025

Toyota Matrix problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Toyota Matrix

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.