"How reliable is the 2005 Toyota Matrix?"

"Based on 260 NHTSA complaints, the 2005 Toyota Matrix has a median complaint mileage of 77919 miles. The most common issue is Air Bags."

"What are common problems with the 2005 Toyota Matrix?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2005 Toyota Matrix is Air Bags, accounting for a significant portion of the 260 total complaints filed."

2005 Toyota Matrix: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 260 complaints

260

Total Complaints

77,919mi

Median Mileage

Air Bags

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

25,000 25th Percentile

77,919 Median Mileage

98,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Air Bags

103

Electrical System

Vehicle Speed Control

Tires

Engine And Engine Cooling

Power Train

Engine

Clutch Assembly

Engine

Automatic Transmission

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"MY WIFE BOUGHT A NEW 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX ON JULY 24, 2004. FIVE DAYS LATER, WITH ONLY ABOUT 85 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AS SHE WAS AT A STOP LIGHT. WHAT WAS WORSE, SHE WAS ON A HILL AND THE CAR STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS. *AKWE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER ..."

"RE: TOYOTA SEAT BELT EXTENDER POLICY COMPLAINT. *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THAT PASSENGERS CAN NOT RIDE IN THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT DOES NOT HAVE SEAT BELT EXTENDERS AND THE PERSON(S) WOULD NEED TO COME TO THE DEALERSHIP IN PERSON TO BE MEASURED FOR THE SEAT BELT EXTENDERS. *TC *JB"

"COMMON INTERMITTENT STARTING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE. WHEN ENGINE IS WARM IT TAKES LONGER FOR IT TO START, APPROXIMATELY 5 SECONDS. TOYOTA CORP SAID THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE BUT HAVE NO PLANS TO REMEDY THE SITUATION.*AK"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Air Bags 103 complaints

25th: 74,749 mi Median: 92,000 mi 75th: 101,885 mi

Electrical System 21 complaints

25th: 76,248 mi Median: 88,856 mi 75th: 95,500 mi

Vehicle Speed Control 16 complaints

25th: 14,179 mi Median: 20,000 mi 75th: 39,000 mi

Tires 11 complaints

25th: 21,500 mi Median: 24,000 mi 75th: 58,331 mi

Engine And Engine Cooling 11 complaints

25th: 31,584 mi Median: 80,372 mi 75th: 89,800 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 51 NY: 17 FL: 15 VA: 13 OH: 13 WA: 13 IL: 12 MA: 11 MD: 9 WI: 8

Who Files Complaints?

17.3%

Original Owners

82.7%

Second+ Owners

Toyota Matrix — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
2003	314	80,000	Air Bags	25
2004	175	70,000	Air Bags	26
2006	212	32,497	Air Bags	25
2007	109	45,325	Air Bags	16
2008	56	30,000	Vehicle Speed Control	9
2009	224	23,000	Air Bags	44
2010	55	41,000	Air Bags	10

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28