NHTSA Complaint #10342899 — 2005 TOYOTA MATRIX

2005 TOYOTA MATRIX WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAD CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME AND IMMEDIATELY START SHIFTING HARD. NO PRIOR SYMPTOMS. CALLED TOYOTA SERVICE THEY SAID IT WAS A LOOSE GAS CAP, I ASKED ARE YOU SURE IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TRANSMISSION BECAUSE WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON IT SHIFTS HARSHLY. NO PRETTY SURE IT IS GAS CAP IF IT COMES BACK ON YOU HAVE TO PAY $110 TO CHECK IT. AFTER IT CAME BACK ON DROVE FOR A WEEK TO SEE IF PROBLEM CONTINUED THEN TOOK TO TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST WHO SAID IT HAD PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID OUT. TOOK IT FOR SECOND OPINION TO TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID IT IS COMMON PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA MATRIX AND COROLLA SIMILAR TO RAV4 PROBLEM THAT ECM IS BAD AND CAUSES TRANSMISSION ISSUES WHICH IN THIS CASE CAUSE DAMAGE TO TRANSMISSION. CALLED TOYOTA AND POINTED OUT THAT TOYOTA SERVICE BULLETIN TC014-06 AND TC-015-07 STATE THAT IF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THERE IS HARSH SHIFTING TO CHANGE THE ECM OUT WITH A DIFFERENT PART NUMBER. THEY AGREED THAT IF MY CAR HAD EXHIBITED THESE SYMPTOMS AT UNDER 80,000 MILES THEY WOULD HAVE REPLACED THE ECM UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN IMPROVED TO NOT DO THIS. THEY SAID THE UNIT COULD BE REPLACE NOW AT 88,000 MILES AT A COST TO ME AND THEY WOULD NOT HELP ME WITH THE COST OF THE DEFECTIVE UNIT OR THE TRANSMISSION DAMAGE IT CAUSED. *TR