Faults:

Hard starting - took a long time to fix. The dealer had to program the on-board computer.

Rust started on the windshield frame two years after new, but it was out of warranty by then.

Odometer stopped working at 299,999. This is a design limit.

General Comments:

This car is very practical and has unique styling.

It is a basic car without much insulation, so it is loud and somewhat rough riding.

Faults:

The car shipped with a defective battery (supplied by another company). The dealer replaced it without question.

The 'tire inflation warning light' on the dash tends to come on when the wheels are changed seasonally, or for unknown other reasons. It's not a real 'problem' once I checked that the tires were fine.

General Comments:

This Matrix is a very good all-around vehicle. It offers:

- Good space for 4 people (5 in a pinch).

- Very good fuel economy (I monitor every tank-full, and get about 42 miles/gal (imperial) in urban/suburban driving).

- Very handy, with split folding rear seats, and the hatchback, it can swallow a lot of 'stuff'.

- Very reliable; virtually no problems in 5 years.

- It handles quite well for a 'tall sedan.'

As with most Japanese cars, the seats are not comfortable. The cushions are too short for me, and the back lacks lumbar support-- I bought a set of Obusforme cushions, and solved the problem that manufacturers ought to fix at the design stage!

The engine is smooth and free-revving, but slim on low-end torque. Once you get it over 3000 rpm, it starts to pull energetically, but of course, starts to get noisy. At cruising speeds it's pretty quiet.

It's annoying that I had to buy the most expensive model package just to get ABS brakes; but I believe it is now standard in the later Matrix models.

Faults:

Replaced front strut @ 94,000 kms.

General Comments:

This car is great. It's like a pick-up truck with a roof! I actually managed to fit a dishwasher in it!

I replaced an original strut @ 94,000km, other than that, just oil changes and routine maintenance.

Gets great gas mileage and is very reliable.

If I get another one, it will have the 2.4L engine. The 1.8L is a great engine, but not exactly a powerhouse. I definitely would recommend the 5 speed over the automatic.

The only thing I don't like about the interior is the oddly positioned center arm rest - it needs to be a little closer to the front, and a shade higher.

Faults:

Bad catalytic converter indicated by check engine light. This was covered under the federal 80,000 mile emission warranty.

General Comments:

I am having intermittent starting problems with this car. This occurs on average about twice a week. The engine turns over, but doesn't want to start. I turn the key off, try again and it turns over for a while then finally starts. I have heard that Toyota has had problems with the computer in the 2005 Matrix. I went to the dealer because the "check engine" light was on. The check engine light turned out to be a bad catalytic converter. The dealer wouldn't do anything about the computer because there was no trouble code indicating this.

Matrix owners -- have any of you had your computer replaced by Toyota under warranty? I am curious what needs to happen before I can get it replaced. The warranty for the computer expires in 4500 miles. Also, I saw a TSB put out by Toyota that shows part numbers of potential bad computers and mine was listed on there. The dealer was telling me that my car might have a dirty throttle body. I will clean that myself, but I doubt that will solve the problem.

Other than the starting issue, this car has been great for the few hundred miles I have owned it. It shifts smooth, gets great gas mileage (33+ mpg), and looks cool!