2004 Toyota Matrix Problems, Recalls & Reliability
217 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Toyota Matrix, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 64/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 147,439 miles.
Below average
Where 2004 sits among all Matrix years
What owners report
“Takata recall this car was a recall, it was taking in on 02/11/2016 for the air bag now it need to be fix for over $500.dollars today date 07/01 2016 on the recall was this air bag i want to know was this taking care of at the time of service?”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Matrix
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 133 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 81,243 miles. Half of those reports fall between 34,300 and 120,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
TOYOTA IS RECALLING 662,178 MY 2003-2004 COROLLA, COROLLA MATRIX AND PONTIAC VIBE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH POWER WINDOWS. THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER DOOR GLASS BOLTS MAY LOOSEN AND COME OFF, CAUSING THE DOOR GLASS TO SEPARATE FROM THE WINDOW REGULATOR.…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER DOOR GLASS BOLTS WITH NEWLY DESIGNED BOLTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 16, 2008 TO TOYOTA OWNERS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 21, 2008,…
CERTAIN ANZO COMBINATION HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS WHICH FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS,…
Fix: ANZO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE HEADLAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN MAY 9, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ANZO USA AT 909-468-3688.
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…
Model years named: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their…
Led to recall campaign 13V172000.
Led to recall campaign 08V162000.
Technical service bulletins
138 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and airbags — are on file for the 2004 Toyota Matrix. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2004 Matrix TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2004 Toyota Matrix reliable?
The 2004 Toyota Matrix drew 217 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 64/100, scored against the model's worst year (2009).
What are the most common 2004 Toyota Matrix problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Toyota Matrix are airbags (56 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (39), and speed control (16).
At what mileage do 2004 Toyota Matrix problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Toyota Matrix problems around 81,243 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 34,300 and 120,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Toyota Matrix have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 Toyota Matrix. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.