2008 Toyota Matrix: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 56 complaints
56
Total Complaints
30,000mi
Median Mileage
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Top Issue
9
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

9,600 25th Percentile
30,000 Median Mileage
55,318 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
11
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
8
STEERING
4
AIR BAGS
4
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
3
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
3
ENGINE
2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
2
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2
TIRES
2

Severity Assessment

9
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"DRIVING NEW TOYOTA MATRIX (<400 MILES) ENTERING FREEWAY, HEAR A POP BEHIND DRIVER. CAR CONTINUES TO DRIVE FINE. WHEN STOPPED, NOTICED THAT ENTIRE REAR QUARTER WINDOW GLASS IS SHATTERED. NO EVIDENCE OF HAVING BEEN HIT BY ANYTHING (HIGHLY IMPROBABLE GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES OF WHEN POP WAS HEARD). NO HOLE ..."
"ON MAY 16TH I WAS REAR-ENDED WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. MY 2008 MATRIX XR WAS PUSHED INTO THE BACK OF A SCHOOL BUS. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT CRUMPLED THE FRONT END OF MY CAR, YET THE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. SHOULD IT HAVE? I CAN SEND YOU PHOTOS OF THE ACCIDENT AND THE DAMAGE TO MY CAR. *TR"
"WITHOUT WARNING MY 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP. I'M TOLD I NEED A NEW ONE, AND MY CAR HAS ONLY 60,560 MILES. *TR"

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

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