Overview & Reviews
The Matrix is an all-new model from Toyota. It offers sporty looks, enhanced cargo-carrying abilities and useful features not commonly found in small cars.
- Versatile cargo area, good gas mileage, available all-wheel drive, plumped-out features list.
- Modest torque output from engines, numb steering.
User Reviews:
Showing 1 through 10 of 325.00-
No yours is not the only one! - 2003 Toyota Matrix
By paulette - January 26 - 10:00 amBought the XR 2wd. Sluggish steering response MoonRoof LEAKS! Rattles....all over the dash, glove compartment. Overall quality feels cheap. Buttons on radio wobble, park brake lever wobbles, wires in steering column can be seen. Front cup holder is awkward, rear holder is flimsy. Red dashboard lights can be difficult to read.
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Not your parents Toyota - 2003 Toyota Matrix
By Last Toyota - October 19 - 7:43 pmThis was our first new car purchase, and given our extensive Toyota experience (5 previous used Toyotas), we were expecting much. The flexibility of a 64/40 fold-flat rear seat with solid plastic cargo liner was outstanding. So too was the fold-forward passenger seats, which extend the size of possible cargo to 8 in length! Unfortunately the other aspects of the car werent panning out so well. To summarize, performance, economy, fit-and-finish, trouble free driving, and fun to drive quotients were just not living up to the claims. After repeated problems with MAP sensors and various parts breaking repeatedly, if fell out of love. Now 7 years old, Ive seen enough of my last Toyota.
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Poor Toyota support. Very poor traction. - 2003 Toyota Matrix
By Will Keith - June 7 - 3:23 amOur 2003 Matrix, only 58,454 km. Alternator dead. Car is past the 5 year warranty period. However, alternators - especially on Toyotas - should last longer than 58,454 km. Toyota Canada says replacing alternator not covered, even at this low mileage. Toyota suggested I pay a Toyota dealer to check the system officially, but admitted they likely wont help us out on this anyway. Replace with a rebuilt - not new - alternator is over $500. The fact that we have 5 Toyotas in our family didnt seem to matter: the person on the phone just kept reading from the policy manual.
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Advice - 2003 Toyota Matrix
By ready - October 11 - 10:00 amI am currently dealing with nightmare of the 2003 AWD Matrix. I do have a warranty. I am looking in to my rights under the lemon law. It seems to me that these cars are coming up with the same transmission problems and the transmission is different in the AWD then from other Matrixs that the trans is Faulty. And Toyota should be responsible. If anyone feels the same way or has any advice for me post on this forum ill be looking out. Thank you
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Cheap Parts, No Service - 2003 Toyota Matrix
By Gerald Peal - June 18 - 2:00 amIve put over 20K miles on this car, driving it over 100 miles daily. It zips through traffic and handles satisfactory. I am disappointed in Toyota build quality and the service you get from a dealership. CD player went out almost immediately. Brakes wore out (and we dont ride them) too early. The cheap tires are unreal! Impressed with safety tests. Would recommend this car to young set.
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The Snail - 2003 Toyota Matrix
By Ted - November 6 - 2:43 amMy wife has owned this car for three years now. It averages about 28 mpg and its size is deceiving. Things I like: size, seat height, fuel econmomy. Things I hate: performance - it cant hardly get out of its own way. This is the worst performing car we have ever owned. Seating position in relation to the steering wheel, console and door arm rest. Who designed this? My knee is against the shifter console and my arms are straight out to reach the wheel. The door arm rest is too far back as is the storage console to rest your arm while holding the wheel, if you can reach it. POOR Performing AC unit. This car has too much glass and not enough cooling capacity.
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Manual trans is a piece of junk - 2003 Toyota Matrix
By mhlaur - May 10 - 4:00 amMy manual transmission fell apart at 5 mths past warranty in 2007 as have many others since. Youll find plenty of posts on this website under Matrix Transmission Problems. Do not under any circumstances buy a used 2003 or 2004 manual transmission Matrix or you will sadly pay the price at around 60-100,000 miles. The transmission has been proven to have a faulty bearing which of course Toyota will not admit and take responsibility for. I had Toyotas from 1990-2007 and will never own another one in the next 50y.
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Give me back a Honda - 2003 Toyota Matrix
By Mikeloran - February 21 - 2:00 amHate not being able to control the lights. The other day the lights switched between running lights and regular lights 8 times on the way to work as I went in and out od the shade.
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leaks & rattles - 2003 Toyota Matrix
By b.mclearen - December 16 - 10:00 amVery versatile car but has lots of rattles in dash and drivers door. The cooling system adeveloped a leak early on. Not typical Toyota quality. Also, is not a "full-Time" 4 wheel drive as advertised by Toyota. Works like the CRV. Front drive until slippage is detected and then up to 50% of the power is transferred to the rear wheels.
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Unrefined Fast and Cheap - 2003 Toyota Matrix
By Markm4 - November 21 - 2:00 amIll start with the postitive comments: The thing is fast when you get it in the high rpm range. The suspension is pretty tight for such a high vehicle, and the 17" wheels with firehawks have a-lot of grip. otherwise, at low rpms the thing is a dog. The 1st gear is so tall, it is hard to get it moving without either burning up the clutch or stalling. The interrior is cheap hard plastic. If you must have one, get a good price. On ebay they are going for $15k or less. They are not worth the $20k dealers are charging.
