2011 Toyota Matrix Problems, Recalls & Reliability

16 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2011 Toyota Matrix, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 4/100 on the trouble index — too lightly reported for a fair score. Airbags leads the reports.

16Complaints
4/100Trouble index
2Recalls

Few reports

Where 2011 sits among all Matrix years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Airbags 14 complaints (88%)
Engine 1 complaints (6%)
Speed control 1 complaints (6%)

Recalls (2)

AIR BAGS 20V024000 2020

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Corolla, 2011-2013 Matrix, 2012-2018 Avalon, and 2013-2018 Avalon Hybrid vehicles. During certain crashes, the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may malfunction, possibly…

Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ECU and install a noise filter between the air bag control module and its wire harness, as necessary, free of charge. Owners were notified of…

AIR BAGS 16V340000 2016

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Scion xB and Lexus IS F, 2009-2011 Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix, 2006-2011 Toyota Yaris, Lexus IS250 and Lexus IS350, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, Lexus IS250C,…

Fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag…

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 →

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture EA21002 opened September 17, 2021 · still open

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

Electrical overstress EA19001 opened 2019, closed 2024

Led to recall campaign 20V024.

Technical service bulletins

254 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and body & structure — are on file for the 2011 Toyota Matrix. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2011 Matrix TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2016peak 7 in 20172020

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2011 Toyota Matrix reliable?

The 2011 Toyota Matrix drew 16 complaints in federal safety records — too lightly reported for a fair score. Its trouble index is 4/100, scored against the model's worst year (2009).

What are the most common 2011 Toyota Matrix problems?

The top reported problems for the 2011 Toyota Matrix are airbags (14 complaints), engine (1), and speed control (1).

Does the 2011 Toyota Matrix have recalls?

2 recall campaigns apply to the 2011 Toyota Matrix. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

← 2010 Matrix All Matrix years 2012 Matrix →
Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

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.