Problems · NHTSA complaints

2006 Toyota Matrix problems

Owners filed 170 complaints about the 2006 Toyota Matrix with NHTSA between Mar 2006 and Aug 2025. The most-cited component is air bags (50).

Complaints
170
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
17
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
10
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Air bags50
  2. Tires29
  3. Electrical system22
  4. Engine and engine cooling22
  5. Suspension20
  6. Vehicle speed control20
  7. Power train18
  8. Service brakes, hydraulic6
  9. Equipment5
  10. Steering5
  11. Engine4
  12. Structure4
  13. Visibility3
  14. Electronic stability control (esc)1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20067
200715
200823
200912
201048
20115
20125
20131
20142
201534
201613
20172
20181
20190
20201
20210
20220
20230
20240
20251

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Air bags

50 reports3 crashes
“The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Matrix. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V627000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 4, 2025Air bagsODI 11678343

Tires

29 reports3 crashes
“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…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 23, 2012Suspension, TiresCrash reportedODI 10467114

Electrical system

22 reports1 crash
“MY CLOCK STARTED GOING OUT. SOMETIMES IT WOULD BE ON AND OTHER TIMES IT WOULD GO OFF AND NOW IT TURNS ON AND OFF IN ITS OWN TIME FACTOR WHEN I AM DRIVNG AND THE CAR IS IN MOTION AND WHEN I AM STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS.. I ASKED THE TOYOTA DEALER IF THEY COULD FIX MY CLOCK. I HAD THEM DO A DIAGNOSTIC TEST ON THE CLOCK WHICH COST AROUND $110 APPROX.. THEY SAID THEY COULD FIX MY CLOCK FOR $416.31 AND THAT IS WAS CONNECTED TO MY AIR BAGS. MY TOYOTA DEALER SAID THEY REPLACED MY TAKATA AIRBAG ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE ON 2-18-2016, AND TOLD ME THE OTHER AIRBAGS WERE NOT TAKATA. BUT I WONDERED IF MY CLOCK DOESN'T WORK AND IT'S TIED INTO MY AIRBAGS, IF I GET INTO A WRECK WILL MY AIRBAGS DEPLOY OR NOT DEPLOY BECASUSE I HAVEN'T FIXED MY CLOCK?”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 30, 2017Electrical system, Air bags, Electronic stability control (esc)ODI 11020675

Engine and engine cooling

22 reports1 crash1 related recall
“2006 TOYOTA MATRIX. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE ENGINE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE STALLED AT IDLE AND WOULD NOT RESTART AT TIMES. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE TECHNICIAN FOUND NO COMMUNICATION WITH THE MASTER TECH DIAGNOSTIC SCANNER. HE ALSO FOUND NO ENGINE SPARK OR FUEL INJECTOR PULSE DUE TO ENGINE CONTROL MODULE FAILURE. HE FOUND A MAJOR FUEL LEAK AT THE FUEL INJECTOR RAIL. THE TECHNICIAN RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE, FUEL INJECTOR, O-RINGS AND SEALS. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE, A YEAR AFTER PAYING FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 14, 2011Engine and engine coolingODI 10396416

Suspension

20 reports3 crashes
“2006 TOYOTA MATRIX XR. TIRES WHERE PREMATURALLY. 66,000 MILES ON CAR AND THIRD SET OF TIRES ARE CUPPING AND STARTING TO CAUSE HANDLING PROBLEM. EACH SET OF TIRES (2 DIFFERENT BRANDS) HAS LASTED ABOUT 16,000-20,000 MILES. HAD REGULAR ALIGNMENTS AND TIRE ROTATION. WENT AS FAR AS REPLACING SHOCKS AND STRUTS ALL THE WAY AROUND (VERY EXPENSIVE). NOTHING SEEMS TO HELP. *TT”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 22, 2011SuspensionODI 10414653

Vehicle speed control

20 reports10 crashes
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THE CAR INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED CAUSING THE CONTACT TO BE DRAGGED OVER A CLIFF. THE CONTACT STATED SHE THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT HER EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPLACED AFTER IT WAS REPAIRED. A YEAR LATER THE CONTACT FOUND OUT THE CAR WAS INCLUDED IN A RECALL FOR WHICH SHE IS EXPECTING TO BE REIMBURSED FOR REGARDING THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 11/20/14*LJ UPDATED 4/30/2015 *JS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 4, 2014Vehicle speed controlCrash reportedODI 10562880
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.