Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Toyota Matrix owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My clock started going out. Sometimes it would be on and other times it would go off and now it turns on and off in its own time factor when I am drivng and the car is in motion and when I am stopped at traffic lights.. I asked the Toyota dealer if they could fix my clock. I had them do a diagnostic test on the clock which cost around $110 approx.. They said they could fix my clock for $416.31 and that is was connected to my air bags. My Toyota dealer said they replaced my Takata airbag on the front passenger side on 2-18-2016, and told me the other airbags were not Takata. But I wondered if my clock doesn't work and it's tied into my airbags, if I get into a wreck will my airbags deploy or not deploy becasuse I haven't fixed my clock?
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Toyota Matrix. While depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was able to restart after several attempts. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not included NHTSA campaign number: 10V384000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.
My complaint was first filed on 3/25/2006 (odi # 10153679). This is the 2nd complaint about the defective Toyota Matrix that I drove in 2006. I was driving a 2006 Toyota Matrix and lost total control over the vehicle. I was driving on rt 2 west bound out of boston during evening rush hour. I was trying to change lane to my right and found there was a car approaching and honked at me. I had not left my lane yet and tried to pull my car straight back. The car reacted by shifting too much to the left and I tried only to adjust it, keeping in mind that was a power-steered system, to keep it straight. There was a 1-2 seconds afterwards the car seemed to be on track and I was driving fine. After that 2 seconds, the car accelerated all of a sudden, gas pedal was down to the floor, the car veered toward the left on it's own. …
On October 3, 2008, while driving my 2006 Toyota Matrix I had to accelerate rapidly to merge onto a busy street. I immediately smelled a odor coming from my vents of burning wiring. My check engine light came on. I pulled over and made some calls to service stations and the Toyota dealership. Was advised to take it to the dealer. Did. After investigating the issue for several days they decided my ECM was bad and replaced it. With the recent Toyota recalls, I finally decided yesterday that I should check into if I am involved. My vehicle is Toyota certified and they do have record of the ECM failure to my vehicle. I also wanted to report it to you folks, just in case it is in fact the computers that are faulty. It is unknown to me whether the replacement computer they put in my car is a 2006, or what year ECM it is. …
I have a 2006 Toyota Matrix and the vehicle started jerking when it shifted out of 1st gear. It jerked so hard that I had to be careful to not lose control of the vehicle. Also the vehicle would stall when I would be in heavy traffic. The shifting issue occurred every time I drove it after the problem started. The stalling issue occurred around 5-6 times when I was driving. I recently took it into the dealership and they replaced the ECM for a cost of over $700 since I was out of factory warranty. So far, the problem has been corrected however, I noticed a service bulletin in 2007 which I believe Toyota should have informed customer's. This was very scary when it occurred and luckily I didn't end up in an accident.
During normal driving conditions dry weather flat road, car began to miss, run rough and shut down while on the road. I was able to still get vehicle to side of the road without incident. I believe a less experienced driver May have not had the same results. This sounds strangely related to the current ECM recall. They did not change my ECM, but replaced my camshaft timing gear to the tune of $440.00. Do I have another pending problem? Or maybe they did additional testing and replacing? I have no record of this....if someone would like to investigate this. I have the part.. Also.. I was able to finally get it restarted with check engine light on and it was running very poorly. Had to keep rpms up to keep from stalling.
2006 Toyota Matrix: engine stalled and check engine plus oil light came on while approaching highway onramp. Pulled off. Checked for loose wires. Tried to start engine, engine started and was able to drive 100 miles home without a problem except that the check engine light stayed on. Next morning, engine started but accelerator would not respond. Engine simply idled. Turned it off, called tow. Tow truck driver was able to start engine and reverse out driveway. Engine stalled again but luckily in the street. Towed to mechanic. DTC code po607. Mechanic said failed ECM and only Toyota can fix due to reprogramming parameters. Towed to dealer. Dealer confirmed failed ECM. Over $900 to fix.
I was stopped at a busy intersection during morning rush hour when my car stalled. I tried unsuccessfully several times to restart the engine. After allowing it to sit for several minutes, the car finally restarted. I moved the car into a parking lot and allowed it to sit, idling, for several minutes. When I put the car back into drive, it lurched forward. Despite pressing on the gas, it would not accelerate past 10 MPH. I had the car towed to the dealership, where they said the engine control module had failed. It was under warranty but, had it not been, would have cost me $900. I purchased this car new in 2006, and it has been serviced regularly.
Normally sitting at stop light, when engine light came on. Car immediately started shifting very hard. The idle speed was erratic. Engine wanted too and did cut off at various times. Took car to rosner Toyota/stafford va and was topd that the ECU was defective and that rosner had been notified of a defect code that was prevalent in the corolla and Matrix models. Asked about a Toyota recall and was informed that there was not one at this time or in the foreseeable future. This part/ECU is very expensive and integral to the car's performance.
Computer failure, quite suddenly the car stopped working, jerked and slowed down. All the service lights on the dash board came on. After a couple minutes the car could be turned on but after about 1.5 miles the same thing would happen. The highway was avoided but it occurred on a local road with lots of cars. The hazards were turned on but it was a frightening and concerning incident. Aaa was called to tow the car to the dealer. At the dealer a computer part was replaced. The car has been working for 48hrs. The car was only four years old.
Electrical complaints in other Matrix years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2006 Toyota Matrix?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the electrical system of the 2006 Toyota Matrix, 13% of the model year's 170 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2006 Toyota Matrix electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2006 Toyota Matrix, though it has 3 recalls 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 2006 Toyota Matrix electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to electrical system 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.