2012 Toyota Matrix problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Air Bags (4) · Engine (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota Matrix model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (1)
Air Bags: Air Bag/Restraint Control Module 2020-01-17 · campaign 20V024000 · 2,891,976 vehicles
Defect: 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 disabling the deployment of the air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners.
Risk: In the event of a crash, air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners that do not deploy as intended may increase the risk of injury.
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 the safety risk beginning March 2, 2020. A second letter notifying owners of the remedy repair will be mailed between March 16, 2020 and June 27, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB03, 20TA03 and 20TA05.
Service bulletins (218)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-01-07 · T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2005 – 2026 toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. the purpose of this service bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. if these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicle surface, especially the horizonal areas of the hood, roof,
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
to prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. the purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and initial rust before the vehicle is delivered to the customer.
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0035-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. if these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood, roof, and decklid, significant damage to the painted surfa
Structure:body 2024-12-05 · T-SB-0061-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
toyota vehicles are currently protected with rapgardtm protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. this material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. follow the removal procedure in this bulletin to remove the rapgardtm protective film wi
Structure:body 2024-12-03 · T-SB-0062-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. this type of contamination can be identified by the presence of small, red or brown particles on the paint surfa
Showing the 6 most recent of 218 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2017-09-09 · Air Bags“takata airbag recall. repeated attempts for fixing airbag unresponsive from toyota dealers…”
2017-07-11 · Air Bags“tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2012 toyota matrix. the contact stated that nhtsa campaign number: 17v006000 (air bags) exceeded a reasonable amount of time for repair. the contact received notification in january of 2018. the dealer (eastern shore toyota 29732 fredrick blvd, daphne, al, 36526) stated that the parts were unavailable for the r…”
2017-05-26 · Air Bags · 23,000 mi“takata recall - received notice in january, 2017 and to date "no remedy" for the airbag recall on my vehicle. recall advises to avoid having passenger in front seat. i am unable to transport anyone unless in the back seat and am concerned what would happen to me if the airbag goes off while awaiting toyota's remedy. please advise.…”
2017-05-19 · Air Bags“tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2012 toyota matrix. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 17v006000 (air bags); however, the part for the recall repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. th…”
2017-02-14 · Engine · 135,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2012 toyota matrix. while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle made noises underneath the hood and shut down. the oil and service engine indicators illuminated. the vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and later towed to the contact's home. the next day, the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnos…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.