NHTSA Complaint #10308378 — 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX

1) I TOOK MY 05 TOYOTA MATRIX INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A 60,000 MILE CHECK UP. I HAD PURCHASED THE 100,000 MILE WARRANTY WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT. I WAS BILLED $700.00, AND TOOK THE VEHICLE HOME. 2) I TOOK THE VEHICLE ON THE INTERSTAT TO WORK AND NOTICED A VERY BAD 'SHIMMY', AND THE VEHICLE DRIFTED TO THE LEFT. A DEFINITE ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. I WAS VERY UPSET AT SPENDING $700, TO HAVE THE VEHICLE RETURNED IS WORSE CONDITION THAN WHEN I TOOK IT IN. FOR THE CHECK UP. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD ME THEY "ADJUSTED" THE ALIGNMENT, AND RETURNED THE CAR TO ME. I TOOK THE VEHICLE ON THE INTERSTATE AND FOUND I HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK THE NEXT DAY TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DELERSHIP TOLD ME THAT 'CENTERING RINGS' WERE NOT PUT ON THE RIMS INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE. I HAD CENTERING RINGS PUT ON THE VEHICLE, AND TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE PROBLEMS TO BE FIXED. THEY RETURNED THE VEHICLE THE NEXT DAY. I TOOK THE VEHICLE ON THE INTERSATE AND FOUND I HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. I RETURNED THE VEHICLE THE NEXT DAY. I INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP THAT I WENT ON-LINE AND FOUND OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT A 'SHIM KIT'COULD HELP. THE DELALERSHIP TOLD ME I HAD THE 'WRONG' TIRES ON THE VEHICLE, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE VIRTUALLY NEW. THEY SAID I NEEDED "DIRECTIONAL" TIRES. I PURCHASED AND INSTALLED NEW DIRECTIONAL TIRES. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP INSTALLED A SHIM KIT, WHICH HELPED BUT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEMS. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY DID ALL THEY COULD DO. THEY DID NOT LIST THE SHIM KIT ON THEIR REPAIR PAPERWORK FOR THE VEHICLE. I HAD NO PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE BEFORE TAKING IT IN FOR THE CHECKUP. THIS IS EVIDENTLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, WHICH A 'QUICK FIX' WAS DONE AT THE TIMEOF MANUFACTURE. IT DID NOT ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM. IT ONLY "HID" THE PROBLEM. MY VEHICLE STILL HAS A SHIMMY AND ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS. *TR