2012 Toyota Matrix recalls and problems

The 2012 Toyota Matrix has 1 recall and 5 owner complaints on file with NHTSA; the most reported problem area is air bags.

How the 2012 compares
Fewest complaintsMost complaints

Lowest complaint count among 11 Matrix model years — 10th most.

1recalls
5complaints
0crashes
0fires
0injuries
135,000median miles

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not verified and not adjusted for sales. Ranking compares this model's own years only.

Does your car have an open recall?
Recalls apply to specific vehicles. Only a VIN lookup on NHTSA's official site shows whether yours is affected and still unrepaired.
Check your VIN →

1 recall

Air Bags

Jan 17, 2020 · NHTSA campaign 20V024000 · 2,891,976 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Remedy & notes

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.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Recall text as published by NHTSA and the manufacturer.

What owners complain about

Air Bags4
Engine1

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA; one complaint can name several areas. Not verified by NHTSA.

2012 vs. other Toyota Matrix years

2002: 2 complaints20022003: 268 complaints20032682004: 138 complaints20042005: 213 complaints20052006: 170 complaints20062007: 96 complaints20072008: 38 complaints20082009: 192 complaints20092010: 45 complaints20102011: 10 complaints20112012: 5 complaints20125

Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2012. Click a bar to switch year.

Questions

Does the 2012 Toyota Matrix have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign covering the 2012 Toyota Matrix, the latest from Jan 17, 2020 (air bags). A recall applies to specific vehicles: enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours is affected and still open.

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Toyota Matrix?

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA most often mention air bags (4), engine (1). Complaints are consumer reports and are not verified by NHTSA.