Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2006 Toyota Matrix
NHTSA data on file today
The 2006 Toyota Matrix has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns and 170 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #10V384000 ENGINE STALLING NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #10V036000 LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #10V035000 LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #06E023000 FMVSS 108/HEADLAMP/AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTOR NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Air Bags 50 complaints
- Tires 29 complaints
- Electrical System 22 complaints
- Engine and Engine Cooling 22 complaints
- Suspension 20 complaints
- Vehicle Speed Control 20 complaints
Of the 170 complaints on file, 17 report a crash; across all 170 complaints, owners report 10 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $3,500–$6,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2006 Toyota Matrix receives an average rating due to a moderate number of complaints and four recalls. Key areas of concern include the airbag system and engine control module issues. The limited recall and complaint data suggest it's neither exceptionally reliable nor highly problematic.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | Unknown | $500–$1,500 | common |
| Engine control module | 80,000–120,000 miles | $600–$1,200 | occasional |
| Tires | 30,000–50,000 miles | $300–$600 | common |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil and filter changes
- Brake pad replacement
- Coolant replacement
- Timing belt replacement
- Transmission fluid service
- Spark plug replacement
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Airbag warning light
- Engine control issues
- Unusual tire wear
- Loss of power
- Steering instability
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2006 Toyota Matrix at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.