NHTSA Complaint #10297505 — 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX

WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, OUR 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX, APPROX. 98K MILES STARTED TO BUCK AND MAKE A TERRIBLE GRINDING NOISE. WE THEN LOST 4TH AND 5TH GEARS. WE WERE FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND GET TO THE SIDE HOWEVER WE WERE STUCK AT NIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY. THE TRANSMISSION BEARINGS SHREDDED CAUSING THE CLUTCH TO FAIL. REPLACEMENT COST $3500.00. SINCE, WE HAD READ ABOUT HUNDREDS OF OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS VEHICLE AND WERE SHOCKED THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY FOR INFERIOR PARTS AND RECALLED THE TRANSMISSION. TOYOTA'S REPUTATION AND THOUGHT OF DEPENDABILITY AND SAFETY HAS FALTERED. IT IS SAD BECAUSE WE HAVE OWNED SEVERAL OTHER TOYOTA'S IN THE PAST BUT WILL NOT CONSIDER PURCHASING ANOTHER. WE FEEL WE WERE PUT KNOWINGLY INTO DANGER DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AS SO MANY OTHERS UNFORTUNATELY SHARED THE SAME EXPERIENCE WITH SAME MODEL/YR TOYOTA. *TR