VehicleVerdict

2007 Toyota Corolla Matrix problems

Verdict · NHTSA data

One of the years to avoid

The 2007 Toyota Corolla Matrix carries two red flags at once: 57 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA and an open NHTSA defect investigation (subject: Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture). It is one of the Corolla Matrix years to avoid.

The trouble concentrates in one system: airbags issues account for 65% of all reports (37 of 57), far ahead of other at 3.

57

NHTSA complaints

4

Recalls

2

Investigations · 1 open

4

Crash-involved

0

Fires reported

9

Injuries

0

Deaths

—

NCAP overall

How does 2007 compare to other Corolla Matrix years?

Corolla Matrix NHTSA complaints by model year, 2007 highlighted107 complaints2003: 39 complaints2004: 42 complaints2005: 107 complaints2006: 75 complaints2007: 57 complaints2008: 38 complaints2009: 88 complaints2010: 24 complaints2011: 6 complaints2012: 0 complaints2013: 1 complaints
Corolla Matrix NHTSA complaints by model year, 2007 highlighted. Red bars are years to avoid.

See all Corolla Matrix years to avoid →

What are the most common 2007 Toyota Corolla Matrix problems?

ComponentComplaintsShare
Airbags3765%
Other35%
Electrical System35%
Engine35%
Tires & Wheels24%
Brakes24%
Body & Structure24%
Transmission12%
Lighting12%
Seats12%
Speed Control12%
Steering12%

Does the 2007 Toyota Corolla Matrix have recalls?

4 NHTSA recall campaigns on file. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.

19V627000AirbagsAugust 28, 2019 · 229,460 units

Defect

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2003-2008 Corolla, 2005-2008 Corolla Matrix, and Pontiac Vibe vehicles equipped with a front passenger air bag assembly replaced under a prior recall. The air bag may not unfold as designed during inflation under high temperature conditions, possibly resulting in the air bag not inflating properly.

Consequence

An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy

Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag assembly or sub-assembly, free of charge. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are K1Q and K0Q. Pontiac owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is N192273760.

18V025000AirbagsJanuary 9, 2018 · 116,126 units

Defect

On January 9, 2018, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified NHTSA that they are recalling 14,585 model year 2010-2012 Yaris vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. As of January 30, 2018, Toyota is additionally recalling 3,347 model year 2010 Pontiac Vibe vehicles located in states listed above. Also included in this recall filing is 98,194 model year 2003-2008 Toyota Corolla Matrix vehicles, located throughout the U.S., that previously received a “like-for-like” interim air bag inflator replacement. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag assemblies with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are G0R (Zone B), and H0A (Zone C), J0A (Matrix Zone A), J0A (Matrix Zone A), J0A (Matrix Zone A).

15V285000AirbagsMay 13, 2015 · 1,973,468 units

Defect

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015 that they are recalling certain model year 2004 Sequoia vehicles manufactured August 18, 2003, to August 19, 2004, and 2003-2004 Tundra vehicles manufactured March 18, 2003, to August 25, 2004. On June 16, 2015, Toyota expanded the recall to include an additional 1,270,468 vehicles, including model year 2002-2003 and 2005-2007 Sequoia, 2005-2006 Tundra, 2003-2007 Corolla, 2003-2007 Corolla Matrix, 2003-2007 Pontiac Vibe and 2002-2007 Lexus SC vehicles. This is to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag inflator which may produce excessive internal pressure causing the inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag. This recall addresses both the passenger side frontal air bags that were originally installed in the vehicles, as well as replacement air bags that may have been installed as replacement service parts. A replacement air bag may have been installed, as one example, if a vehicle had been in a crash necessitating the replacement of the passenger side frontal air bag.

Consequence

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-285 are under a Do Not Drive advisory. Owners of these vehicles are advised not to drive their vehicles until the recall remedy has been completed. Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag. The recall began on July 13, 2015. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Pontiac owners may call 1-800-762-2737. NOTE: This recall supersedes recall 14V-312 in its entirety.

15V286000AirbagsMay 13, 2015 · 1,069,055 units

Defect

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015, that they are recalling 2005-2007 Lexus SC, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sequoia, and Pontiac Vibe, and 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra vehicles that were originally sold, or ever registered, in Florida, along the Gulf Coast, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa. On June 16, 2015 Toyota expanded the recall to cover an additional 769,055 vehicles, including certain model year 2002-2004 Lexus SC, Toyota Sequoia, 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla Matrix, Toyota Corolla, Pontiac Vibe, and Toyota Tundra vehicles, as well the vehicles covered by the May 13, 2015 notification in the portions of Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas that were not previously included. The inflators in the front passenger air bags are susceptible to rupture in the event of a crash necessitating the deployment of the front passenger air bag.

Consequence

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-286 are under a Do Not Drive advisory. Owners of these vehicles are advised not to drive their vehicles until the recall remedy has been completed. Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the passenger side front air bag, free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota began the recall on July 13, 2015. Pontiac Vibe owners may contact GM at 1-800-762-2737. GM began the recall on June 29, 2015. NOTE: This recacll supersedes recall 14V-655 in its entirety. For vehicles located in the U.S. states not listed above, please see Toyota recall 15V-285 which covers all other U.S. states.

Open NHTSA investigations

EA21002

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

Consumer complaints filed with NHTSA

Representative excerpts, cleaned of personal information. These are consumer statements, not verified defects.

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2007 TOYOTA COROLLA MATRIX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR BUMPER OF ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT STOPPED ABRUPTLY. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Airbags · September 26, 2017 · crash

“I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT LAST YEAR AND I WAS SITTING ON THE PASSENGER SEAT AND MY HUSBAND WAS ON THE DRIVERS SEAT ALONG WITH MY TWO CHILDREN IN THE BACK SEAT. WE WERE REAR ENDED BY HIGH SPEED VEHICLE DRIVING ERRATICALLY. ALL OF US SUFFERED WHIP LASH AND BACK INJURIES IN THE ACCIDENT. ALSO, THE…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Electrical System · May 22, 2019 · crash

“The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Corolla Matrix. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a transmission center and the contact was informed that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V384000 (Engine and…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Engine · June 24, 2020

“I BOUGHT BRAND NEW TOYOTO 2007 MATRIX IN 2007 IN USA. WHY UNTIL NOW IT NOT GIVE ME RECALL PROBLEM FIX??? IN 2019, TOYOTA KNOW MY PHONE NUMBER AND MY CAR 3 MONTHS IT CALLED ME WAIT FOR RECALL FOR 2 MONTH MORE. BUT NOW IT NOT GIVE ME RECALL SUCCESSFULLY. ”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Other · October 4, 2019

“MY FOUR EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES ARE MADE UP OF CHEAP PLASTIC AND THEY HAVE DISINTEGRATED. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO OPERATE THIS VEHICLE SINCE GETTING IN AND OUT OF THIS VEHICLE IS NOT EASY. I CAN ONLY ACCESS THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE DRIVER'S DOOR. ALL THE OTHER HANDLES HAVE BROKEN OFF COMPLETELY. WHEN…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Body & Structure · March 3, 2010

2007 Toyota Corolla Matrix — common questions

Is the 2007 Toyota Corolla Matrix reliable?

NHTSA data argues against it: 57 complaints put the 2007 model at #4 of 11 Corolla Matrix years, and a defect investigation remains open. It is one of the Corolla Matrix years to avoid.

What are the most common 2007 Corolla Matrix problems?

According to NHTSA complaint data, the leading problem areas are airbags (37 complaints), other (3 complaints), engine (3 complaints).

Does the 2007 Toyota Corolla Matrix have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns affecting the 2007 Toyota Corolla Matrix. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers; check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm the work was done.

Is the 2007 Toyota Corolla Matrix under NHTSA investigation?

Yes — an investigation remains open (Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture). An open ODI action means NHTSA is actively assessing a possible defect.

Which Toyota Corolla Matrix years should you avoid?

Based on complaint rates and open investigations, the Corolla Matrix years to avoid are 2005, 2009, 2006, 2007, 2004, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2012.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.