NHTSA vehicle safety data

2012 Toyota Matrix Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

The 2012 Toyota Matrix has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 5 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Toyota dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2012 Toyota Matrix, plus NCAP crash-test ratings. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

2012 Toyota Matrix owner complaints

Owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Toyota Matrix, describing incidents dated January 27, 2017 to May 26, 2017.

Most-cited components

Air Bags 4 complaints
Engine 1 complaint

Newest complaints

ODI #11022419 · Filed September 9, 2017
TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL. REPEATED ATTEMPTS FOR FIXING AIRBAG UNRESPONSIVE FROM TOYOTA DEALERS
ODI #11004249 · Filed July 11, 2017
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…
ODI #10991786 · Filed May 26, 2017
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…

Read all 5 complaints

Air Bags/Seat Belt Pretensioners may not Deploy

NHTSA #20V024000 · Air Bags — Air Bag/Restraint Control Module · NHTSA notice

Reported January 17, 2020 · Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

Potentially affected: 2,891,976 vehicles

Repair completion: 70.02% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Toyota campaign 20TB03 / 20TA03 · Owners notified March 16, 2020 · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Defect description

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.

Safety consequence

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.

Manufacturer remedy

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.

Notes

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.

2012 Toyota Matrix SW FWD

—

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Not Rated

Frontal Crash

Not Rated

Driver: Not Rated, Passenger: Not Rated

Side Crash

Not Rated

Driver: Not Rated, Passenger: Not Rated

Side Pole

Not Rated

Rollover

14% rollover risk

Safety Technology

Electronic Stability Control

2012 Toyota Matrix SW AWD

—

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Not Rated

Frontal Crash

Not Rated

Driver: Not Rated, Passenger: Not Rated

Side Crash

Not Rated

Driver: Not Rated, Passenger: Not Rated

Side Pole

Not Rated

Rollover

14% rollover risk

Safety Technology

Electronic Stability Control

5 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Toyota Matrix.

Air Bags

ODI #11022419

Incident: May 1, 2017 · Filed: September 9, 2017

TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL. REPEATED ATTEMPTS FOR FIXING AIRBAG UNRESPONSIVE FROM TOYOTA DEALERS

Air Bags

ODI #11004249

Incident: January 27, 2017 · Filed: July 11, 2017

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 REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE FOR THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

Air Bags

ODI #10991786

Incident: May 26, 2017 · Filed: May 26, 2017

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.

Air Bags

ODI #10990577

Incident: May 19, 2017 · Filed: May 19, 2017

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. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

Engine

ODI #10954579

Incident: February 5, 2017 · Filed: February 14, 2017

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 DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL AND THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 135,000.

Other Toyota Matrix model years

Check your 2012 Toyota Matrix VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Toyota Matrix at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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