NHTSA Complaint #10231635 — 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX

MY 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX XR WITH A 5 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION HAD A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. I WAS TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE I-565 IN LIGHT TRAFFIC. THE CAR WAS IN FIFTH GEAR AND CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET AT ABOUT 70 MPH. AFTER BEING ON THE INTERSTATE FOR ABOUT 3-4 MINUTES, THE CAR STARTED DECELERATING. SO I RESPONDED BY CANCELING CRUISE CONTROL AND PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR TO THE FLOOR WITH NO EFFECT. THE CAR CONTINUED TO DECELERATE. SO I DOWNSHIFTED TO FOURTH GEAR AND PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR TO THE FLOOR. AGAIN THE CAR CONTINUED TO DECELERATE. SO I PULLED OVER AND STOPPED THE CAR ON THE SHOULDER OF THE INTERSTATE. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND STARTED IT BACK ON. THE ENGINE STARTED NORMALLY, BUT I COULD NOT PUT THE GEAR SHIFTER INTO ANY GEAR. I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR TO REV THE ENGINE UP AND THE ENGINE MADE A HIGH PITCHED, WEANING SOUND. SO I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND TRIED TO PUSH THE GEAR SHIFTER INTO GEAR WITH THE CAR OFF AND WAS NOT ABLE TO GET IT INTO ANY GEAR. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP AND THEY INSPECTED IT AND DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD COMPLETELY FAILED. THE ODOMETER READING ON THE CAR WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED WAS APPROXIMATELY 63,050 MILES. TOYOTA'S POWERTRAIN WARRANTY ON THIS CAR IS 60,000 MILES. I CONTACTED TOYOTA TO ASK FOR GOODWILL ASSISTANCE BECAUSE IT IS SO UNUSUAL FOR A MANUAL TRANSMISSION IN A TOYOTA TO COMPLETELY FAIL AT SUCH A LOW MILEAGE. HOWEVER TOYOTA WAS UNWILLING TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. I PURCHASED A NEW TRANSMISSION FROM THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND HAD IT INSTALLED BY AN INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION SHOP. THE COST OF THE TRANSMISSION WAS $2,343.17 (INCLUDING TAX) AND INSTALLATION COSTS WERE $450. SO THIS FAILURE COST ME A TOTAL OF $2,793.17. *TR