Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Toyota Matrix owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was slowly pulling into my garage (in the basement of my house), gradually braking as I had done many times before. I was stopping the vehicle in its usual position when the engine suddenly began racing and the car accelerated forward. It struck some shelves I had against the wall of the garage, crumpling both the shelves and the front of the car's hood. Everything happened so fast at that point that I am not sure just what happened, but I ended up with the car stopped up against the garage wall and the car in park. I believe I threw it into neutral, then applied the brake since it was still moving, then tried to back up, and finally put it into park. The car was declared a total loss by my insurance company. I experienced the same problem of sudden acceleration when stopping several times previously, but none of those incidents caused any damage. …
I took the Matrix in twice shortly after I bought it because the car would unexpectedly lunge forward while at a complete stop. I also complained that the brakes felt "loose" and did not "catch" as they should. I was advised both times by the service manager that they could not duplicate the problem and that nothing abnormal was found with car. While I was beginning to look into "lemon laws", in September of last year I was at a stop light with the brake pedal fully engaged. Due to my previous experiences with the car lunging forward, I would keep several feet between me and the car in front of me to avoid an accident. This time the car not only lunged forward, but it was like the accelerator stuck-I had my foot on the brake but could not stop the car after it lunged forward and I hit a car that was in front of me at the light. …
Consumer was pulling into a parking space and the vehicle accelerated while consumer's foot was on the brakes, striking a tree on the front passenger's side. Upon impact, frontal airbags did not deploy. Consumer contacted Toyota ,and it was inspected by a representative and no defects were found. Vehicle was sold for parts.
ABS, brake, & service engine lights came on. Took it to midas, they replaced speed sensors. When I got car back it shifted gears (automatic) funny & hesitated significantly shifting from 2nd to 3rd. Immediately returned car to midas. They re-diagnosed & suggested I take it to Toyota dealer (john elway's crown Toyota). They said it was speedometer cluster & replaced it which did not resolve my problem so declined to pay & asked them to put back my old speedometer cluster. They didn't & didn't charge me for the new one. Had car towed back to midas. They disconnected speed sensors & told me it was drivable. Got on freeway next day & car wouldn't shift from 3rd to 4th gear, engine revved to 6000 rpms, got off freeway & called midas corporate to complain. They said they would have franchise owner call me. …
My 2003 Toyota Matrix xr sometimes accelerates uncontrollably. Usually when I am cruising at highway speeds, when I let off of the gas pedal, the car's throttle still feels like it's in the open position, causing the car to speed up instead of slowing down. It almost feels like if the cruise control is turned on and the car is trying to maintain speed. My cruise control was turned off during each of these incidents, and there was no indication that they were turned on at the time of the incidents. This problem occurs once every few months and I usually don't pay attention to them. The car will accelerate for a few seconds then eventually the throttle will close and the car will slow down and then I will apply the brakes gently. I have informed my Toyota dealer of this but they usually just brush the complaint off and say they couldn't find any problems. …
Tl contact owns a 2003 Toyota Matrix. The contact stated the rpms suddenly increased while the vehicle was in park and would move forward even when the brakes are being appied. The contact took the vehicle to a dealership to have it inspected and the dealer informed the contact that the idle was low. In 2007, the sales dealer told the contact they would lower the idle but she is not sure if that repair was performed. Her concern was that the vehicle could possibly lunge forward and cause a crash. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000. Updated 5/10/10 the consumer stated since the vehicle was purchased, it has lurched forward about once a week or more. Occassionally, when the vehicle was started, the engine would rev extremely high. Updated 06/11/10.
Cruise control on my 2003 Toyota Matrix sometimes disengages while traveling on the freeway. Deceleration is better than acceleration, but it is still unnerving when followed by other cars. Frequency is about once a month, occurs on one trip and happens three or four times. The cruise control disengages even when the light is on. My wife and friends have experienced this in my car, so it is not just me. When I turn my vehicle over to the Toyota people for analysis, they can find nothing wrong. I cannot tell if this is an electrical short in wiring within the steering column or in the electronics.
Morning of June 22nd, when I drove back from charlotte, nc airport to university area, on highway I-85, my Toyota Matrix 2003 stop acceleration-quickly drop the speed from 70mph to 40mph and still dropping. Doesn't matter how hard I apply the gas pedal, it won't accelerate. I stopped the car in an open area close to an exit and stopped the engine--power was on and radio was working. I stopped the engine and waited a few minutes. I then turned the engine back on, tried it again. I was able to drive it to home. God, I was lucky.
I was exiting on a ramp from the highway. I stopped the car before coming off the ramp on an incline when the engine suddenly revved up with my foot on the brake. I immediately put the shifter in neutral and it returned to normal rpms. This is the second time that this has happened in three weeks.
Whenever vehicle was at a stop signal and without warning vehicle surged forward. Consumer's foot was on the brakes when surging occurred. This problem occurred several times since ownership of the vehicle.
Acceleration complaints in other Matrix years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2003 Toyota Matrix?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2003 Toyota Matrix, 8% of the model year's 268 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Toyota Matrix acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2003 Toyota Matrix, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Toyota Matrix acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 56,000 miles, and 38% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 10 injuries to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.