Suspension Problems of Toyota Matrix

2006 Toyota Matrix. Consumer writes in regards to rusted right side rear strut.

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I just found out that the rear suspension cross-member (part # 51206-12190) in my 2004 Toyota Matrix is about to fail due to rust. While doing something else my mechanic happened to notice the issue. He showed me the problem and said it would be dangerous to drive the car. The car has low mileage for being 16 years old (about 8k a year). This car was built in canada and sold in new york state so it should have been designed to take many years of wet/winter road conditions. If my car had 16k miles per year it would only be 8 years old. Should a part that holds the differential up (not let it drop to the road) go bad in even 20 years on the road? I only found out about this problem by chance. Otherwise I could have been driving down the road and possibly had a fatal accident due to the rear parts of the drive train dropping to the road. The car looks fine otherwise. So how many other people who own the same car that is the same age, or newer or a bit older, have no idea that this problem exists? if even one owner of this car has an accident caused by this problem and is hurt or killed that would be very bad! and that person could have been me - because there has been no recall issued intended to check for this potential failure. I have spoken with Toyota about this issue and they told me I am on my own, that they couldn't/wouldn't help me. The two people I talked with never said that they would do anything to be sure other Toyota Matrix owners were informed about this possible rust issue.

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Front of vehicle shook when I applied the brakes and came to a stop.

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The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Matrix. The contact stated that an unknown sound emitted from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

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The car was purchased new. At 50,000 miles I've gone through two sets of tires and about replace my third set. . Read more...

Tl- the contact owns a 2009 Toyota Matrix. The contact stated that the front tires were prematurely wearing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that there was not a problem with the tires. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 500. Kmj.

1) I took my 05 Toyota Matrix into the dealership for a 60,000 mile check up. I had purchased the 100,000 mile warranty when the vehicle was bought. I was billed $700. 00, and took the vehicle home. 2) I took the vehicle on the interstat to work and noticed a very bad 'shimmy', and the vehicle drifted to the left. A definite alignment problem. I was very upset at spending $700, to have the vehicle returned is worse condition than when I took it in. For the check up. I took the vehicle back to the dealership. They told me they "adjusted" the alignment, and returned the car to me. I took the vehicle on the interstate and found I had the same problems. I took the vehicle back the next day to the dealership. The delership told me that 'centering rings' were not put on the rims installed on the vehicle. I had centering rings put on the vehicle, and took it back to the dealership for the problems to be fixed. They returned the vehicle the next day. I took the vehicle on the intersate and found I had the same problems. I returned the vehicle the next day. I informed the dealership that I went on-line and found others who have had the same problems. It was suggested that a 'shim kit'could help. The delalership told me I had the 'wrong' tires on the vehicle, although they were virtually new. They said I needed "directional" tires. I purchased and installed new directional tires. I took the vehicle back to the dealership. The dealership installed a shim kit, which helped but did not solve the problems. They told me that they did all they could do. They did not list the shim kit on their repair paperwork for the vehicle. I had no problem with the vehicle before taking it in for the checkup. This is evidently a manufacturing defect, which a 'quick fix' was done at the timeof manufacture. It did not eliminate the problem. It only "hid" the problem. My vehicle still has a shimmy and alignment problems.

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2006 Toyota Matrix. Tires wear out every 16,000 miles. The problem is in the rear axle. Toyota has consistently told me there is no problem. Today I am on a discussion board and find it is a common problem for the Matrix/vibe. The solution is an aftermarket rear wheel shim kit costing $50 plus labor. Why is Toyota allowed to continue denying the problem exists and not recall and correct the problem.

My wife and I own 2 Toyota Matrix's. A 2005 and a 2006. Both are front wheel drive. For some reason the car wears through tires very fast. We can only get 25,000 miles max out of a 60,000 mile tire. We make it a point to rotate every 5,000 miles and keep pressure at 35psi as recommended, but the car just wears tires so quickly for some reason.

Premature excessive tire wear on rear of 2007 Toyota Matrix at 40,000 miles. Advised by local ntb tire store that rear tire/wheel alignment is out of specs while front alignment was perfect.

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I have to replace tires due to them wearing on the outside that the tire companies say is not a consequence of the tires but rather my car.

2008 Toyota Matrix xr. . . . Car drifts severely to the left at highway speeds. . . Especially when in the left lane. I realize there is a crown to every road, but our other vehicles do not do this on the same stretch of highway in any lanes. To give an indication of the severity, at 65+mph, the car would be in the median within 2-3 seconds without the constant rightward pressure on the steering wheel. I did not notice the drift on the test drive at the dealer. For what it's worth, the new roadway near the dealer is nearly perfectly flat. Also, the car does not seem to drift as much with two adults in the car as was the case during the test drive. I noticed it immediately upon driving the car a longer distance on other major highways with only myself in the car. I notified the salesman right away. I have not yet had an accident, but must maintain constant rightward pressure on the steering wheel. . . Especially any time I venture into the left lane. It doesn't take much of a distraction to imagine a scenario where the car drifts into the oncoming lane, or worse, an oncoming car. I have taken it to dealer three times with no success. Now I am getting the run-around (dealer from which I purchased the car is trying to push me off on another Toyota dealer who did the first "warranty" alignment which did not resolve the issue.

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I have about 15500 miles on a 2006 Toyota Matrix that has abnormal tire wear. The head service mechanic explained to me that my car had to light of a rear end and that the tires bounce around and create abnormal wear. He stated that it would only make it worse to rotate them to the front. I have vibration and two ruined tires. Toyota answers that it is a tire issue and to take it up with the manufacturer. The manufacturer states they are not responsible for tire wear. Every tire installer and mechanic know about the flaw in these cars but Toyota does not take responsibility for this design error.

Defective shocks caused premature and uneven tire wear.

Excessive tire wear/misalignment on 2006 Toyota Matrix: I have had my car for about 2 and 1/2 years, about 35,000 miles. I have already replaced the tires three times due to excessive wear, and had several four-wheel alignments done. I've noticed on the chat boards that several other owners with the same car type are having similar problems. I suspect that the misalignment and subsequent drift was one of the leading causes in an accident I had last year.

Own a 2006 Matrix and had all 4 tires ware out on inside of thread with 21000 miles on car. Did not notice the problem till car went off road hitting a tree. Repair shop said tires were worn excessively, and car shouldn't be driven. Upon repair, car was taken to have front end aligned and was told it was within Toyotas specks, but could be corrected to a tighter standard. Contacted Toyota and they said it was the tires fault, when contacted the tire manufacture(continental) , they stated it was clearly out of alignment, and therefore car came from the factory like that.

I own a 2006 Toyota Matrix my tires are wearing improper. The tires are cupping, at 3,000 to 5,000 miles. After researching I found that every Matrix, pontiac vib and corolla owner is having the same problem and it is a manufacturer defect. All owners are having this problem. A solution for this problem has been found but the Toyota does not want to correct the problem.

Vehicle was taken to dealer for service to investigate a loud vibration noise coming from the tires as long as vehicle was rolling. The car has about 18,000 miles on it. All four tires were severely cupped. The dealer contacted the factory reference the tires and the factory recommended the tires be replaced. All four tires were replaced and were aligned to spec. Upon leaving the dealer service center a new tire noise was noticed. It was not the same vibration noise but a loud roar as long as the tires were rolling.

The tires on my 2006 Toyota Matrix are cupping. I had to replace them at 13,000 miles. I have since found out that this is a common problem on Matrixs no matter what type of tire are on the car.

With only 24,707 miles on my 2006 Toyota Matrix, I was told that all four tires needed to be replaced. I have found many such complaints about these vehicles after doing an internet search. The problem was described as excessive cupping or wear to the inside of the tires. The sixteen inch continental tires standard on these have a tread life of 50,000 miles, but the customer service representative told me they have a tread life of about 25,000 miles. I have the records to prove that I brought the auto in every 5,000 miles for a scheduled maintenance. Each one called for a tire rotation. I am so angry that the dealership didn't mention this problem or make corrections to the alignment or balance of the tires, that I refuse to go back to them. In my opinion, this constitutes negligent behavior on the part of the dealership and a serious design flaw on the part of the manufacturer that should be corrected for all Toyota Matrix.

After owning my new car for about a year (around 25,000 miles), I was informed that my tires were cupping and all needed replaced. This issue was blamed on alignment issues. I had the alignment fixed and tires replaced. I had read discussion boards of other Matrix owners, many of whom had similar tire/alignment complaints. A worker at the car dealership suggested this has been a common issue with the Matrix. I complained to Toyota, who blamed both my driving and driving conditions (I don't drive recklessly--typically all my driving is highway), as well as the tire manufacturer (but my warranty had already run-out). I've been getting my tires rotated on a regular basis, but about a year after the aforementioned repairs (may 2008), the tech rotating my tires noted one of my tires was cupping and to have my rear alignment checked. Again, my alignment was off and the car had to be re-aligned. Now, two months later, I am again having possible alignment issues (will be checked this week). I think the Toyota Matrix has a serious design flaw considering so many people have been having alignment/tire issues with their cars.

Jan. 2007 anchorage, ak driving 50mph on a highway, as the road bended to the right, we went into the turn and began to slide sideways. It was 30 degrees f, so we must have hit black ice. I tried to correct and sent the car fish tailing to the other side. We whipped back and forth a few times, before the car started to spin. We did two full circles before we gently hit a burm of snow and came to a stop. No other cars were oncoming so we did not have any significant damage and there were no injuries. I went and bought studded tired the next day. Dec. 2009 juneau, ak I was a passenger. Same make, model, and year. Driving 40 mph on straight road, slushy snow conditions. The car started to fish tail and spun 1. 5 times before it stopped. No significant damage or injuries. No studded tires. (all-weather tires) Feb. 2012 juneau, ak I was a passenger in the same car as above. Driving 55mph on highway, going straight. We must have hit black ice and the car started to fish tail. We spun two times and the car did not slow down like in previous incidents and we hit a guardrail going full speed (hit it backwards). I got whiplash, face lacerations, broken nose, and a mild traumatic brain injury. No airbags deployed. We were able to drive away from the crash and take me to the hospital. Driver was unharmed. (all-weather tires).

I have a 2006 Toyota Matrix xr 2wd with 14000 mi. I have had the tires rotated 3 times in this period and keep 32psi in each tire, upon presentation to the tire shop (continental eco plus tires). The shop refused to rotate the tires since one had 2/32 tread wear and another tire was showing belts on the very inside of tire. There is also a humming noise coming from the tires as well.

Bought new Toyota Matrix 2 wheel drive in 2006. All four tires are worn excessively on the inside part of tire. Dealership says I drove the car therefore not their problem. Toyota says tires not their problem. Neither organization seems to think the car may have a manufacturing defect. After searching the internet I have found others reporting same troubles. I know am faced with buying 4 new tires having to get an alignment. And still not convinced the problem will go away. The problem may have been their when I bought the car. Both dealership and Toyota want to blame me and the tire company.

Toyota refuses to acknowledge alignment issues with this model. Constant inner tire wear issues. Aligned to spec. Every year. Shim added to rear to correct factory misalignment. Tires badly chopped after just 15k miles.

The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Matrix. The contact noticed that the alignment was uneven, causing excessive wear on the tires. The contact replaced the tires three times. The contact did not inform the dealer nor the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The current mileage was approximately 54,000. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000. Updated 04/12/lj updated 04/13/11.

Toyota is ignoring the alignment problem causing uneven tire wear on every model and year of the Matrix.

Low speed braking vehicle moves either left or right. Several service visits to dealer for brake repairs, replaced abs sensor, brake pads, turned rotors, alignments and tire rotations.