Selling a junk Toyota Matrix
Any Matrix sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.
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What owners report about the Toyota Matrix
NHTSA has 1,422 owner complaints on file for the Toyota Matrix, model years 2002 to 2012, the 231st-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are air bags (409, 29%), transmission and drivetrain (181, 13%), speed control (145, 10%). 170 complaints involved a crash, 14 a fire, and 28 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 55,500 miles. The 2003 model year has the most complaints (314). Data as of 2026-10-12.
When the top complaint is air bags, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car after an accident: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.
Toyota Matrix by model year
| Year | Complaints | Most reported | Crash | Fire | Recalls | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 2 | Transmission and drivetrain | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2003 | 314 | Transmission and drivetrain | 25 | 4 | 3 | 81,350 |
| 2004 | 175 | Transmission and drivetrain | 26 | 3 | 3 | 72,000 |
| 2005 | 260 | Air bags | 14 | 2 | 2 | 80,500 |
| 2006 | 212 | Air bags | 25 | 0 | 4 | 32,497 |
| 2007 | 109 | Air bags | 16 | 3 | 2 | 46,500 |
| 2008 | 56 | Speed control | 9 | 0 | 2 | 35,169 |
| 2009 | 224 | Air bags | 44 | 1 | 3 | 26,250 |
| 2010 | 55 | Air bags | 10 | 0 | 4 | — |
| 2011 | 10 | Air bags | 1 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 2012 | 5 | Air bags | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.
Toyota Matrix recalls
NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for lights (2), equipment (2), air bags (2). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.
- 2011 model year, air bags (campaign 20V024000, Jan 2020): 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 u…
- 2009 model year, air bags (campaign 16V340000, May 2016): Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2011 Scion xB and Lexus IS F, 2009-2011 Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix, 2006-2011 Toyota Yaris, Lexus IS250 and Lexus IS350, 2010-…
- 2005 model year, engine and cooling (campaign 10V384000, Aug 2010): TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2008 COROLLA AND COROLLA MATRIX VEHICLES. THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) FOR THE SUBJECT MODELS EQUIPPED WITH THE 1ZZ-FE ENGINE AND TWO-WHEEL DRIVE MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY MA…
- 2006 model year, equipment (campaign 10V036000, Feb 2010): SOUTHEAST TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2011 PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE S…
- 2006 model year, equipment (campaign 10V035000, Feb 2010): GULF STATES TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2010 VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD BETW…
What a Toyota Matrix is worth as a junk car
Buyers price a junk Matrix on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.
Guides for selling this car
How to sell a car after an accident 
How much is my junk car worth? 
How junkyards price cars 
Catalytic converters and junk cars 
How to prepare your car for the junkyard 
Junk car scams and how to avoid them Other Toyota models
- Toyota Camry 21,206
- Toyota Prius 15,527
- Toyota Corolla 13,585
- Toyota RAV4 11,581
- Toyota Sienna 11,232
- Toyota Tacoma 10,386
- Toyota Tundra 8,098
- Toyota 4Runner 7,196
Questions people ask
- What is a junk Toyota Matrix worth?
- What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Matrix gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
- Will a junkyard buy a Toyota Matrix that doesn't run?
- Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
- Should I fix an open recall before selling a Toyota Matrix?
- Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
- Where do these Toyota Matrix numbers come from?
- From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.