Help. I was scheduled to take possession of my new 2010 Toyota Matrix next week, but but now am on hold to take delivery until this recall is rectified. I don’t know if I should stick with the Matrix or not, I really liked it, and I do respect Toyota for suspending sales and manufacturing until they fix the problem, cuz that has to be at great expense to them and the dealerships. As one Car Talk post states, Toytoa is…“willing to stop selling the defective cars. That sounds like a responsible action in the face of lost revenue and profit. Toyota will take a hit, but to me they are doing the right thing.” But there may be a real ripple effect for Toyota, not to mention real safety issues, no matter the rhetoric and damage control, so I am not sure what I should do and would welcome advice. I have not actually signed nmay poaerwork yet. I was supposed to do that tonight.
Are you asking if YOU should buy one, or if I would? two entirely different questions. I wouldn’t, I don’t like Toyota’s road feel. I much prefer my Mazda, but wouldn’t buy another. Go witha Honda.
In a heart beat…all car companies get caught with their pants down. The disintegrating Vega motor, exploding Pinto, tuck and roll Corvair, Chrysler transmissions and on and on. The price becomes more competitive and potentially a better buy with the problem. Use it to renegotiate the price.
I agree with you a. I much preferred our 1989 Mazda 626 to the Ford Taurus (Inherited) and Toyota Camry that later replaced it. I’m not sure we will buy another Camry. It’s too big, has poor clearance, and is difficult to work on. They designed it not to break, not to be easy to fix. But it’s still by far the most reliable car I’ve ever dealt with. And – with the exception of every fastener in the exhaust system and the shift cable – it is proving to be remarkable resistant to rust – even here in roadsalt country.
Yes, I would absolutely buy another Toyota. At least they’ve taken action (albiet under pressure) rather than nor doing so like some other manufacturers have done in the past. Other manufacturers have waited until the feds mandated a recall.
Some manufacturers have even responded to a fed mandated recall with a pretend fix. Like when GM responded to Vega axles coming out by inspecting the axles…which fell out anyway. I know, mine did, even after they “inspected” it twice under recall.
We won’t even need to discuss Ford’s handling of the rolling-over Explorers. Denial and finger pointing was the order of the top office.
Despite this, Toyota’s reliability stats are better, and it’s the odds I play.
The Matrix is one of the most reliable vehicles on the planet. There’s no reason not to buy the car once Toyota OKs them for sale again, which won’t be long.
Toyota will fix the problem as soon as they get replacement parts.
Not all cars are affected, and very few have actually had problems. The cars with Denso (Japanese) gas pedal assemblies are OK. The cars with US-supplied gas pedal assemblies are the ones that have occasional problems.
Do you have a vehicle that’s still running right now, or are you in need of one yesterday? If you put a deposit down, are you able to get it refunded because of this situation? Have you considered other small hatchbacks besides the Matrix(Mazda 3, Fit, Focus, etc)?
The current problem they are having would not stop me. What would give me considerable pause would be the kind of problems that some US manufacturers have had and have chosen to hide as long as they could.
It appears they are taking the conservative approach and is not going to sell cars that have safety issues. Personally I like there response to this one.Buy the car; most companies have had recalls, some a whole lot wose than this one.
Hah. Toyota was already pretty much dead to me. Their vehicles are each like an automotive yawn. Maybe if they’re serious about the FT86.
Yes, I’d buy another Toyota, but not tomorrow. Your reservations in the face of a known problem that is not yet fixed is very real. If you can afford to wait the several weeks, or maybe months, until your car is fixed that’s when I’d take delivery. If you have a dead car and can’t wait, well that is just the price Toyota will have to live with.
What surprises me is that Toyota has apparently only one part supplier for this defective part. If there were other suppliers perhaps the problem won’t affect so many cars. According the CSI, the part manufacturer, the part they made and supplied to Toyota meets all of Toyota’s design specs, and Toyota designed the part - not CSI. What this means is there isn’t a quick fix that will have your Matrix ready next week. So, how long can you wait?
I also own a Honda and a Ford, as well as two Toyotas. Perhaps you can get out of the Toyota deal and see how you like a Honda Fit.
Audi had sudden acceleration issues years ago, and they regained their reputation. VW made some oil burning motors and they survived. Ford Pintos blew up and Ford is still around. Toyota will recover, but this is a big hit and it will take years. I’m sure they’ll look at parts sourcing more closely to keep something like this from happening again.
Toyota has been very up front with this compared to other auto makers.
If this were Ford or GM, they would not have started a recall until the caskets started piling up.
The Corvair, Pinto, S-10, Explorer are examples. Heck, death tolls for the Ford Explorer tread separation/roller accident are 460 dead and around 3,000 seriously injured (including the Mercury and Mazda twins).
That’s more than the number (446) of US soldiers that died in Iraq in the first 9 months of the war!
Don’t worry about it. There is no immediate problem, only one that crops up after 3 to 5 years (or more). The Matrix problem is a sticky accelerator pedal. This requires both wear and humidity to cause the failure. Toyota won’t deliver the car until they are sure they have a cost effective and timely solution. They could replace all the accelerator mechanisms with new ones, but there aren’t enough to do the job within a several month span. They are looking for a repair to the existing mechanism. But don’t be surprised if Toyota replaces the accelerator mechanism in all new cars and trucks. Surely they have enough for that. And they could start selling cars again. It appears to me that you are in a good position.
The last Corvair was built 41 years ago. The last Pinto was built 30 years ago. The last S-10 was built 17 years ago. Do you have any recent safety issues to bring up with the Detroit 3? Druing the Corvair/Pinto era, Toyotas didn’t last long enough to fail mechanically. They ended up as piles of rust in short order. They are fine cars now. You seem to be mired in the past. Is the Explorer issue related to rollovers around 2000? That was a tire problem related to delamination. Other automakers are up front now, too. NHTSA sees to that.
Not only would I buy a Toyota, I would use this recall as an excuse to haggle. Right now is probably the best time to get a great deal on a Toyota, if you can take control of the negotiations.
I would but not right away. Partly to let the dust settle and see if they have corrected the errors and also because Toyotas are designed in the town of BORING LOOKS (IMOO). I had a 4wd Toy truck, mid to late 70’s model. It was great, my dad and I took it 4wheeling and fishing back in the hills of the Current River in Mo.
Back then Toyota had a bad design in door handles that allowed anyone to unlock it from the outside with a pencil.
My 2002 Sienna only has 165,000 miles on it, so unless it gets wrecked this is not a relevant question for many years.
I do expect Toyota to give this problem the highest priority. Those who don’t think so in most cases simply don’t like Toyotas.
But, yes, if and when I need another car, I expect to get a Toyota. Not to discredit Honda, this is a personal preference issue.
My Sienna is the finest car I have ever owned in my life.
Sure I’ll buy a Toyota. At least you will know that they looked at the situation very carefully and are coming up with a reliable solution.
It reminds me of a time, almost 40 years ago, when George Wallace was running for President. It came out that he had undergone mental health treatment, for depression. He was asked whether that meant he was not suited to be President. He said, “I’m the only candidate who has been certified sane.”
When this is over Toyotas will be the only cars certified to NOT have sticky gas pedals.
It seems that Toyota is get serious about sporty cars again, starting with the new Sienna and Toyobaru. But until they do, no Toyota for me. There are many other choices out there that are sensory deprivation chambers.
For many, it’s how Toyota handles the recall.
I had a transmission failure in one of my tractors while still under warranty. After close inspect, I surmised it was more of a linkage problem than with the tranny itself. The dealer agreed. When I asked how long I would have to wait for new parts to get it back; his reply was: "About as long as it takes you to drive home and take delivery of a new tractor which is being loaded as we speak. This manufacturer doesn’t make bad transmissions."
I continue to buy equipment from them…
Do you hear that Toyota ?