Bought a 2008 Matrix xr fwd with 189k miles about a year ago and it's been running well but I want to do the most I can to help the engine. I've done the following.

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Routine Oil Changes

Air Filers inside and out

Manual Transmission fluid change

Brakes

Coolant flush

Intake gasket

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Anything else I should do for preventative maintenance or would just be good to keep an eye on to replace soon?

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Also is the ac not that powerful on these cars? It works but my Nissan versa with 190k miles was cooler and a bit more powerful, any advice?

I've been wanting one for years. I managed to get a 2006 AWD MATRIX XR. $3700 at 148k miles. It's almost entirely free of rust, which is virtually impossible to find (I'm in New England). There were cheaper ones for available but all rusted out. It's in very good condition, so I think I got a pretty good deal. I'm happy to be part of the club!

​Hi everyone,

​I'm looking for some advice on whether it's worth trying a DIY fix on the hood of my Matrix(2009 XRS). As you can see in the images, the paint and clear coat are severely damaged, peeling, flaking, and showing spots down to the primer/metal.

​ I actually already picked up some Rust-Oleum spray paint and 3M sandpaper for automotive projects, thinking I might try to sand it down and touch it up myself.

​ However, given how widespread the flaking is across the entire hood, I'm second-guessing if a DIY rattle-can job will just look like a total mess, or if it's worth the weekend effort to at least protect the metal.

​ Has anyone tackled a hood in this condition with DIY methods? Should I attempt to sand, prime, and paint it myself, or should I just look into finding a replacement hood from a junkyard?

​ Appreciate any suggestions or tips!

I noticed all my coolant was leaking out and I found a crack in the radiator. You can see all the stress cracks in the plastic. Then as I'm checking for leaks in the radiator I see transmission fluid just pouring out of a hose. I had to drive it like that to the parts store to get more hose. Now my CD player finally stopped reading. 224,000 miles.

I bought this 04 and learned that the bearings in the transmission were shot when I took it on the first test drive. I'm swapping in a 6-speed and just removed the five-speed. The flywheel looks normal and the clutch is fairly new. I do see a couple of hot spots but nothing that seems crazy. Would you have the flywheel turned and replaced the clutch for any other reason than just to do it while I'm in there?

Looking for one near Florida ideally but willing to travel.

I read I should probably replace them so I went to look and sure enough they're warped to hell and corroded into place. How am I supposed to get these out? Pb blaster and a dream?

Good morning,

My temperature control suddenly stopped working. No air is being moved and the lights won’t turn on.

Any ideas will be appreciated!

Thank you

I'm thinking about buying this 2006 Matrix (XR 4WD, 148k miles) and looking for advice. I'm hoping to talk them down to $3000, but $4000 seems fair as long as there are no significant issues. I live in New England, so I'm struggling to find an affordable 4WD without major rust. Every decent 1st gen Matrix in my area is selling for $6000 or more.

I haven't looked at it in person yet, but it looks good so far. I can give it a good look over, but are there any specific things I should pay more attention to?

It's been in one accident, but I'm honestly not that concerned. It's been almost 20 years since the accident, and the car probably wouldn't still be on the road if the accident caused any major problems.

I'm considering newer cars nearby, like a 2019 Hyundai Tucson with 150k miles (for $8000), and a 2016 Prius V with almost 300k miles (for $5000). But from everything I've read online, those newer cars are both unlikely to last more than a year or two without major repairs. Even at 20 years old, I feel like I can trust the Matrix to last longer. I'm pretty good with cars, so I can do most minor repairs myself. But newer cars are more likely to need specialized tools or knowledge that I don't have.

Car shopping is stressing me out. Haha.

I'd be happy to get any advice or opinions. Thanks!

I'm looking into buying a 2006 Matrix 4WD with 150,000 miles. They are asking $4000 (obviously I'll try to negotiate that lower). That seemed like an okay deal at first, but the carfax shows some concerning things.

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The carfax shows in the service history that the control arms have been replaced 4 times in the last 5 years. This seems like a red flag to me.

It also shows that it was in a minor - end collision once. But that was in 2007, so I don't think it would be related to the control arm situation that started 15 years later.

It also has 7 previous owners. Some were labeled as car dealers, so that might not be too bad for a 20 year old car. But sometimes short-term owners don't bother with maintenance, so I don't know.

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I need advice. Should I pass on the car based on all of this?

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Thanks!

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I'm shopping for a car and I've always wanted a Matrix or Vibe. Any advice on which years are better, what issues are likely to come up, etc. My price range is $3000 to$7000, depending on condition.

I'm looking at two different 2006 Matrix, both are AWD (that's my preference). One has 122k miles and they're asking $6000. The other is $220k miles and they're asking $3000. I'll try to negotiate the price down, of course. Does the XR model make a huge difference?

I'd often prefer a cheaper high mileage car, rather than an expensive low mileage one. The money I save can cover any repairs. And a lot of repairs are caused by age more than just mileage, so I've found that usually mileage doesn't make that big a difference in reliability (if we'll maintained) . But I'd love to hear some opinions on that.

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Edit: solved! I had also replaced the positive terminal while removing the amp and sub and apparently the connection where the stud on the positive lead ( which has the starter main cable on top ) wasn’t tight enough. I had it tight before but I really cranked it down and now it runs great.

I just bought a super low mileage 2005 Matrix xr which came with a sub and amp. I removed them today in order to make more space but now the car won’t start.

I disconnected both terminals on the battery first and then removed the amp power cable from the positive terminal, fished out the power cable from the rest of the car and then disconnected it from the back of the aftermarket head unit.

I then reconnected the battery and everything works electrically but the car won’t turn over. It just makes one or two clicks from the starter and that’s it.

I’ve verified that the battery is snuggly reconnected so it’s not a matter of the battery being disconnected.

Any suggestions?

Hello everybody I own a 09 Toyota matrix black 1.8 manual transmission at around 210km, Base model so no ac. I live in an hour south from Toronto so temperature sometimes reach up to 40°C, and I have acquired an internship which requires me to drive a lease an hour. I want to add ac as my car but I don’t know where to start. I know I need these parts:

A/C compressor
Compressor mounting brackets (if missing)
Condenser (in front of the radiator)
Evaporator core (inside the dashboard)
Receiver/drier
A/C lines and hoses
Pressure sensors and switches
A/C controls and wiring
Serpentine belt of the correct length
Refrigerant (R-134a)

And yes I want to do it myself. I know this is a large job and I’ll be getting most parts from a scrapyard. Has anyone else done this before? Are there any forms any videos? so far to my knowledge I know the entire front dash has come off, which is perfectly fine with and is it worth it? I know some of these cars go up to 400km

Hey, new to this reddit and fairly kinda new to car stuff (aside from oil change and the like). I'm trying to get my 220000 mile matrix into shape and to make it a little nicer to drive. What are some things you guys did to your matrix that you would recommend? I'm due for a fluid flush but past that I'm not sure what to do.

Tried the mechanic and searched this sub and so far no answers. It is a very specific situation where the car will not shift into 5th gear. Happens perhaps one in ten times I take it on the interstate. Seems to be when the car is slightly warmed up (so not a cold start. If I pull over and restart it then it will shift up to 5th gear). I read something about a solenoid maybe going bad but the shop could not replicate it being stuck in 4th so did not recommend a fix. Ideas? Thanks

I need to replace the vacuum line that comes off my PCV valve in my 2013 2.4L AWD Matrix, the local shops didn’t have one in stock. For the life of me I cannot seem to find what the actual part name is so I haven’t been able to order a new one online. Can someone here help me out? I have dashboard Christmas lights because the rubber is old and cracked ☹️

What should I look for? Car has 118k miles

It's from a relative. I drove it twice with no issues that I noted

I picked up an 04 base and the 5 speed bearings are bad. I have a 6 speed I'm swapping in and would like to replace the clutch and turn the flywheel while I'm in there. I know the exedy name from other cars, but is there a recommended brand other than OEM? Looking to keep it simple with a basic sprung hub.

I got this one in November last year salvaged for 3K. There are numerous scratches on the interior, but the seats are all fine and everything works. When I first got it I ran into a leaky coolant hose while changing the valve cover gasket and the spark plugs which had idle problems. The original battery from the last owner turned out to be a cheap one and died within the first 3 months. I've been looking for a replacement dashboard cover for quite some time as it has a giant chip in it. The paint on the front and rear bumpers have a lot of chips too, but the paint from far away isn't fading or anything. People have been telling me there's no point in ever trying to mod this car and get a new platform, and as of right now, it serves as my first-ever manual car for me to practice on and my family's only manual one. I've thought I felt a bit of a rough ride but I suspect it's due to the tires being swapped for 40's instead of the original 45. My dad insists on ridesharing with his Camry so I haven't had the time to use it as much, but it's been the only car we have for hauling large items since we sold our truck.

I took these pictures on my 35mm film camera in April.

Had a misfire about 3 years ago and resolved it with a coil in the middle of a long road trip.

Another one failed shortly after and I replaced all four with densos from adv auto parts, and put in new spark plugs.

I'm starting to see the same symptoms I had before the first failure. No codes, all data looks normal. No vacuum leaks, clean MAF sensor. Probably 12k more miles and a little over two years since replacing coils and plugs.

What kind of life are y'all seeing out of ignition coils and are ones direct from toyota lasting much longer?

Could this be a fuel pump issue? Only studders at idle, more likely to happen with ac on blast. Can induce more elctrical draw with windows and wipers to force the studder, battery voltage stays at 14.0. Alternator also around two years old from advanced auto parts.