2002 Toyota Matrix XR from North America - Comments

I have been experiencing problems with the gas gauge. It fails to register accurate fuel levels when the gas tank is less than half full. First, I ran out of gas because I thought I still had between a quarter of a tank and half a tank of fuel remaining. After getting towed back to town, the dealership allegedly fixed the problem and returned the car to me. Four months later, I filled the tank when it read half-way and noticed that I put 11.4 gallons into the tank. The tank only holds 13.2 gallons. Thus, it was less than half full. I returned to an authorized dealer service and once again they allegedly fixed it. It is now 2 months later and I have filled it with 10.4 gallons while reading at half-full. I am about to return to the dealership, again.

The car is extremely comfortable to travel in. The seats support well and the passenger seat reclines easily with a lot of variety for adjustment. The driver's seat is at a perfect height for me and is very good for posture while driving and ease of entering and exiting the vehicle.

The CD changer is a definite plus, but the radio has a lot of adjustment buttons that are difficult to learn about. Also, the sound system is awkward to balance throughout the vehicle.

This vehicle handles long-distance travel extremely well. I especially like the way the cruise control functions.

The car handles storage very well, with spacious "trunk" area. I really like the fact that the seats fold flat for hauling things.

The child locks and user block on the window controls make this a great car for travel with children as well.

I read about certain areas getting shipments of gas which can cause the problems you're experiencing. I believe it was in Kentucky or Tennessee. This may be the problem rather than the car. Just a thought.

Hey there, my brother had the same problem with his car. It would read until there was about 1/4 tank of gas, and left him stranded a few times. After changed gas indicator in pump and changing his dash gauges, they finally figured it out. He had installed a sub in the trunk and the thick wire that was hooked up to the battery terminal (+) was right next to the fuel gauge wire and caused a wierd energy field (i don't remember the term) and would give a false reading at the gas gauge. You should check out the wires connected to the terminal to see if they're too close...

Ciao

fabs.