"How reliable is the 2009 Toyota Matrix?"

"Based on 224 NHTSA complaints, the 2009 Toyota Matrix has a median complaint mileage of 23000 miles. The most common issue is AIR BAGS."

"What are common problems with the 2009 Toyota Matrix?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2009 Toyota Matrix is AIR BAGS, accounting for a significant portion of the 224 total complaints filed."

2009 Toyota Matrix: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 224 complaints

224

Total Complaints

23,000mi

Median Mileage

AIR BAGS

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

9,000 25th Percentile

23,000 Median Mileage

61,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

AIR BAGS

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

STEERING

ENGINE

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

SERVICE BRAKES

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"AS A OWNER OF A BRAND NEW 2009 TOYOTA MATRIX, I WAS RECENTLY HIT BY A BICYCLE RIDER RIDING HIS BIKE IN A OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON A SIDE WALK. HE HIT MY FRONT BUMPER AND THE BUMPER WAS SLIGHTLY DAMAGED. THE BIKE RIDER HAD MINOR INJURIES. THE POLICE ISSUED THE RIDER A CITATION FOR RIDING HIS BIKE IN THE..."

"THE 2009 TOYOTA MATRIX HAS A SAFETY ISSUE IN MY OPINION. I BOUGHT MY MATRIX (NEW) FROM DOWNEAST TOYOTA IN BREWER, MAINE, ON OCTOBER 6, 2008. WHILE DRIVING THIS CAR DURING A TEST DRIVE IN THE PROXIMITY OF THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT 60 DAYS PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE, THERE CAME A TIME WHEN I HAD DO MAKE A LEFT..."

"I SIGNED UP A LEASE WITH HUDSON TOYOTA FOR A MATRIX 2009 PRESUMABLY A BRAND NEW ONE. I SIGNED THE PAPERS AND BROUGHT IT HOME ON SEPT.3,2008. I DRIVE IT TO NYC ON SEPT.4,5,6 THEN IT WAS PARKED ON MY DRIVEWAY THE WHOLE DAY ON SEPT.7. ON SEPT.9,IT WAS DEAD. I CALLED SERVICE AND DESCRIBED THEM THE PROB..."

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