Three problems related to side/window air bag have been reported for the 2005 Toyota Matrix. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
2005 Toyota Matrix. Consumer writes in regards to defective passenger side airbag. The consumer stated the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time completing the recall repair.
Toyota will not let dealerships disable these defective passenger side air bags. Honda recently went through the same thing and they did disable the airbags until the parts were available to fix them. I got a complete run around from Toyota's customer service when I called them and was told "it had to go through the state. " ridiculous. If it has to be coordinated through the state then Toyota should be responsible for that. Why should I be driving around in a car that can have shrapnel flying around in it? "don't let anybody sit right in front of it" is not an acceptable solution. Not to mention they have no idea how long it will be til the parts are available - and this recall went out in June but I am only just now being notified. So 2 mos. Passengers have been sitting on the deadly side. They should not be allowed to get away with this as a business practice - totally unacceptable to put people at risk this way. Please do something about this.
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Matrix. The contact stated that the recall notice for NHTSA campaign number: 14v350000 (air bag system) was received in September of 2014. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the front passenger side air bag was deactivated. The contact was informed that the parts needed to remedy the vehicle were not available and no estimated time for receiving the parts could be given. The manufacturer was not notified in reference to the delay. The contact had not experienced a failure.