2009 Toyota Matrix

No clear pattern

13.3% of complaints about the 2009 Toyota Matrix arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2009 vehicle, but with only 180 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is air bags (76 complaints), typically at 8.3 yr or about 46,000 miles.

Complaints: 180
Median age at failure: 5.7 yr
Median mileage: 34,695 n=101
Crash / fire / tow: 18.3% of reports
Safety recalls: 3

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

16V340000 2016-05-23

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Scion xB and Lexus IS F, 2009-2011 Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix, 2006-2011 Toyota Yaris, Lexus IS250 and Lexus IS350, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, Lexus IS250C, Lexus IS350C and Lexus GX460, 2011 Sienna, 2007-2011 Lexus ES350, and 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe vehicles, originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Z

An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

10V035000 2010-02-03

Equipment:other:labels

GULF STATES TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2010 VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1, 2005 AND JUNE 2, 2008 WITHOUT THE REQUISITE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS.

THIS DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARD REQUIREMENTS.

10V023000 2010-01-27

Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008-2010 HIGHLANDER, MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 COROLLA, VENZA AND MATRIX PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CAN GET STUCK IN THE WIDE OPEN POSITION DUE TO ITS BEING TRAPPED BY AN UNSECURED OR INCOMPATIBLE DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT. THIS RECALL IS AN EXPANSION OF A CAMPAIGN OF 3.8 MILLION OTHER TOYOTA VEHICLES ANNOUNCED IN 2009 FOR THE SAME ISSUE (SEE 09V-388).

A STUCK OPEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY RESULT IN VERY HIGH VEHICLE SPEEDS AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH, SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

In owners’ own words

Air bags 46,000 mi 3.1 yr in service crash / fire / tow

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH ON A MOUNTAINOUS ROAD AND UNEXPECTEDLY FELL ASLEEP. THE VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN A RAVINE AND CRASHED INTO TWO TREES AND BOULDERS. THE CONTACT FRACTURED HIS STERNUM AND SUSTAINED BRUISES FROM THE SEAT BELT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY WITH THE IMPACT AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION CENTER TO DETERMINE THE SEVERITY OF THE DAMAGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000.

Air bags mileage not reported 5.8 yr in service crash / fire / tow

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE WAITING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND AN INJURY WAS REPORTED WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 10/24/2014*LJ UPDATED 7/8/2015*JS

Air bags 60,000 mi 5.7 yr in service

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD RECURRINGLY FLASH UNTIL IT PERMANENTLY REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V168000 (AIR BAGS). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

Speed control 400 mi 1.0 yr in service

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE ALL-WEATHER FLOOR MAT INTERFERED WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND CAUSED THE DRIVER TO EXPERIENCE UNINTENDED VEHICLE ACCLERATION. THE CONTACT IS AWARE OF THE SAFETY RISK AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A CRASH IF THE FLOOR MAT INTERFERED WITH THE ACCELERATOR OR BRAKE PEDALS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 400. UPDATED 12/7/09 *CN UPDATED 12/08/09.*JB

Other Matrix model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2009 Toyota Matrix

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Matrix model years

How to read this