NHTSA Complaint #10244924 — 2009 TOYOTA MATRIX

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-HAND TURN AS DIRECTED BY THE DEALERS SALESMAN WHO WAS WITH ME. BEFORE I MADE THE TURN I NOTICED A YOUNG LADY ON THE EDGE OF THE ROAD TO WHERE I WAS TURNING. THIS BROUGHT ON A CAUTION IN MY MIND TO BE EXTRA CAREFUL IN MAKING THE TURN. AS I PROCEEDED THE TURN, THE OVERSIZED (IN MY OPINION) SIDE VIEW MIRROR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE THAT IS SITUATED TOO HIGH (IN MY OPINION) BLOCKED ABOUT 80 % OF MY VIEW. AT ONE POINT IT WAS DIRECTLY IN MY LINE OF VISION. I LET OUT A, "WHOA, ERIC" (TO THE SALESMAN)," I CAN'T SEE A THING." HE DID NOT SAY A WORD. I LIKED THE MATRIX OTHERWISE, SO ABOUT SIXTY DAYS LATER, I BOUGHT IT (I THOUGHT THE "BAD VISION INCIDENT" WAS A FLUKE.) WHILE RETURNING HOME FROM MY DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT TWO DAYS LATER, I CAME UPON A LEFT-HAND TURN IN DOWNTOWN ORONO, MAINE. TO MY ABSOLUTE DISAPPOINTMENT, I COULD NOT SEE WHERE I WAS TURNING WHEN THE OVERSIZED SIDE MIRROR CAME IN MY LINE OF VISION. AGAIN, APPROXIMATELY 80 % OF MY VISION WAS BLOCKED! I RETURNED THE MATRIX TO THE DOWNEAST TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN BREWER. I TOLD SEVERAL PEOPLE AT THE DEALERSHIP, IN PERSON, AND BY PHONE FROM HOME, THAT I COULD NOT DRIVE THE MATRIX BECAUSE OF A SAFETY ISSUE. I ASKED FOR MY MONEY BACK. THEY MORE OR LESS AGREED, TOGETHER, THAT I NOW OWNED THE VEHICLE AND THAT THEY WOULD NOT RETURN MY MONEY EXCEPT THAT I COULD TRADE THE MATRIX IN ON ANOTHER VEHICLE AS A USED CAR. NOW, I KNOW YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING FOR ME ON THE FAIRNESS ISSUE. I AM HERE SAYING THAT THERE IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE 2009 TOYOTA MATRIX. I LOVE TOYOTAS. I'VE DRIVEN THEM FOR YEARS. THIS MATRIX SHOULD BE RECALLED. THANK YOU. ROBERT DUBAY *TR