At 2:41 pm, I called my husband to advise I was leaving to head home from a trip out of town. Early in this conversation (approximately 1-2 minutes after the call was placed), the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (commonly the "Check Engine" light), on my car activated.
I immediately advised my husband the light had activated and I would need to have it checked before driving home to Yonkers. I turned off my radio and checked the dash gauges. There were NO SIGNS of engine issues- no noises, no drastic change in the temperature gauge, no trouble with acceleration, and the air conditioning was cranking away happily!!!
I then attempted to comply WITH TOYOTA'S OWN INSTRUCTIONS as provided on page 353 of the 2009 Matrix Owner's Manual regarding activation of this warning light: "Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer immediately".
At 2:49 pm, I contacted my sister (the person I was visiting) to help me find a Toyota dealership that was open, or somewhere I could go to have the light checked. Within about 1 minute of making this call, I heard/felt a thumping sound and saw a belt fly out from the back of the car. At the same time, the Charging System warning light came on.
I said “OH S%&#, a belt just flew off my car" and started trying to pull over. But, I was on an overpass, with almost no shoulder and a cement guardrail system. Then my car stalled and I had to push the car to the end of the overpass to get off the road.
I called my sister back at 2:51 PM to let her know I was safe and off the road. THIS WAS 2 MINUTES AFTER I LOST THE BELT.
At 2:52 PM, I called my insurance company to request Roadside Assistance.
I had the car towed to my sister’s mechanic, thinking I just needed a belt replaced. The next day, the mechanic called and told me that the belt damage was actually caused by FAILURE OF THE WATER PUMP BEARING. He said this has been a big problem with these engines and he sees it a lot in Corollas and the Matrix.
Since my car was purchased as a “Certified Used†vehicle, I called Toyota ExtraCare Services, detailed the issue and had the car towed to Dorschel Toyota of Rochester. After they looked at the car, Dorschel Toyota Certified Service Center, they called to tell me that the water pump failure had caused severe overheating, which caused engine damage.
SO: both an independent mechanic and the Dorschel Toyota Certified Service Center agree that this whole drama was initiated by FAILURE OF THE VEHICLE’S WATER PUMP BEARING and that the engine damage was overheating secondary to failure of the water pump bearing.
THE WATER PUMP IS CLEARLY LISTED AS A COVERED COMPONENT IN THE AFOREMENTIONED TOYOTA CERTIFIED USED VEHICLE 7 YEAR/100,000-MILE LIMITED POWERTRAIN WARRANTY.
AND in the Toyota Certified Used Vehicle 7 year/100,000-mile Limited Powertrain Warranty, the vehicle engine block is covered by the warranty: "IF DAMAGED AS A DIRECT RESULT OF A MECHANICAL FAILURE OF A COVERED ENGINE COMPONENT".
BUT TOYOTA EXTRA CARE HAS DENIED THE CLAIM! They say I was clearly negligent. Not only that, but they aren’t even owning up for the water pump!! They are saying that the damage to the water pump bearing (which was described as “disintegratedâ€- not melted), must have been caused by me overheating the car. They have implied, although have not actually stated in writing, that the drive belt caused the whole issue. BUT- my car underwent a Multi-Point Inspection at a Toyota Authorized Service Center on May 28, 2013; LESS THAN 6 WEEKS before this disaster! During this inspection, all belts were “Checked and OKâ€. Extra Care said I should take that up with the service center that inspected my car (way to throw that service center under the bus, you little rays of sunshine!).
AND (!) the oil and coolant levels in my car WERE GOOD when the whole overheat mess happened!! Soooo... I was negligent because I didn't stop my car in the middle of a busy highway and instead tried to get to a safe place to pull over?
Toyota is saying that there is NO WAY the engine damage could have happened in the time frame given, and have completely disregarding things like: I was on a highway, in a 65 mph speed zone, in a summer with record high temperatures, at the hottest time of day, with the vehicle air conditioning on its highest setting, after the car had been parked for hours in a sunny driveway!
Doesn't EACH OF THESE FACTORS DRASTICALLY INCREASE HOW FAST AN ENGINE IS DAMAGED IN AN OVERHEAT SITUATION??
I did EVERYTHING I COULD – and everything a normal consumer would do given the indicators of car function, as well as the car’s own monitoring system and safety indicators. My only delay (a matter of seconds) in stopping the vehicle immediately when I should have was SIMPLE PRESERVERVATION OF MY OWN SAFETY, AND THE SAFTEY OF THOSE AROUND ME.
I EVEN FOLLOWED TOYOTA'S OWN INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE OWNER'S MANUAL ABOUT WHAT TO DO IF THE check engine light and activation of the Charging system warning light. I EVEN ACTED FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE MANUAL ABOUT WHAT TO DO IF THE VEHICLE OVERHEATS.
I honestly have NO idea WHAT ELSE I COULD HAVE DONE!! And I’m a smart person with an advanced education, who works in a highly technical field!!!! Even my mechanical engineer uncle with several years of experience in the automotive industry is flabbergasted by Toyota’s response to this whole thing.. I MEAN WHAT THE HECK PEOPLE???
At 2:41 pm, I called my husband to advise I was leaving to head home from a trip out of town. Early in this conversation (approximately 1-2 minutes after the call was placed), the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (commonly the "Check Engine" light), on my car activated.
I immediately advised my husband the light had activated and I would need to have it checked before driving home to Yonkers. I turned off my radio and checked the dash gauges. There were NO SIGNS of engine issues- no noises, no drastic change in the temperature gauge, no trouble with acceleration, and the air conditioning was cranking away happily!!!
I then attempted to comply WITH TOYOTA'S OWN INSTRUCTIONS as provided on page 353 of the 2009 Matrix Owner's Manual regarding activation of this warning light: "Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer immediately".
At 2:49 pm, I contacted my sister (the person I was visiting) to help me find a Toyota dealership that was open, or somewhere I could go to have the light checked. Within about 1 minute of making this call, I heard/felt a thumping sound and saw a belt fly out from the back of the car. At the same time, the Charging System warning light came on.
I said “OH S%&#, a belt just flew off my car" and started trying to pull over. But, I was on an overpass, with almost no shoulder and a cement guardrail system. Then my car stalled and I had to push the car to the end of the overpass to get off the road.
I called my sister back at 2:51 PM to let her know I was safe and off the road. THIS WAS 2 MINUTES AFTER I LOST THE BELT.
At 2:52 PM, I called my insurance company to request Roadside Assistance.
I had the car towed to my sister’s mechanic, thinking I just needed a belt replaced. The next day, the mechanic called and told me that the belt damage was actually caused by FAILURE OF THE WATER PUMP BEARING. He said this has been a big problem with these engines and he sees it a lot in Corollas and the Matrix.
Since my car was purchased as a “Certified Used†vehicle, I called Toyota ExtraCare Services, detailed the issue and had the car towed to Dorschel Toyota of Rochester. After they looked at the car, Dorschel Toyota Certified Service Center, they called to tell me that the water pump failure had caused severe overheating, which caused engine damage.
SO: both an independent mechanic and the Dorschel Toyota Certified Service Center agree that this whole drama was initiated by FAILURE OF THE VEHICLE’S WATER PUMP BEARING and that the engine damage was overheating secondary to failure of the water pump bearing.
THE WATER PUMP IS CLEARLY LISTED AS A COVERED COMPONENT IN THE AFOREMENTIONED TOYOTA CERTIFIED USED VEHICLE 7 YEAR/100,000-MILE LIMITED POWERTRAIN WARRANTY.
AND in the Toyota Certified Used Vehicle 7 year/100,000-mile Limited Powertrain Warranty, the vehicle engine block is covered by the warranty: "IF DAMAGED AS A DIRECT RESULT OF A MECHANICAL FAILURE OF A COVERED ENGINE COMPONENT".
BUT TOYOTA EXTRA CARE HAS DENIED THE CLAIM! They say I was clearly negligent. Not only that, but they aren’t even owning up for the water pump!! They are saying that the damage to the water pump bearing (which was described as “disintegratedâ€- not melted), must have been caused by me overheating the car. They have implied, although have not actually stated in writing, that the drive belt caused the whole issue. BUT- my car underwent a Multi-Point Inspection at a Toyota Authorized Service Center on May 28, 2013; LESS THAN 6 WEEKS before this disaster! During this inspection, all belts were “Checked and OKâ€. Extra Care said I should take that up with the service center that inspected my car (way to throw that service center under the bus, you little rays of sunshine!).
AND (!) the oil and coolant levels in my car WERE GOOD when the whole overheat mess happened!! Soooo... I was negligent because I didn't stop my car in the middle of a busy highway and instead tried to get to a safe place to pull over?
Toyota is saying that there is NO WAY the engine damage could have happened in the time frame given, and have completely disregarding things like: I was on a highway, in a 65 mph speed zone, in a summer with record high temperatures, at the hottest time of day, with the vehicle air conditioning on its highest setting, after the car had been parked for hours in a sunny driveway!
Doesn't EACH OF THESE FACTORS DRASTICALLY INCREASE HOW FAST AN ENGINE IS DAMAGED IN AN OVERHEAT SITUATION??
I did EVERYTHING I COULD – and everything a normal consumer would do given the indicators of car function, as well as the car’s own monitoring system and safety indicators. My only delay (a matter of seconds) in stopping the vehicle immediately when I should have was SIMPLE PRESERVERVATION OF MY OWN SAFETY, AND THE SAFTEY OF THOSE AROUND ME.
I EVEN FOLLOWED TOYOTA'S OWN INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE OWNER'S MANUAL ABOUT WHAT TO DO IF THE check engine light and activation of the Charging system warning light. I EVEN ACTED FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE MANUAL ABOUT WHAT TO DO IF THE VEHICLE OVERHEATS.
I honestly have NO idea WHAT ELSE I COULD HAVE DONE!! And I’m a smart person with an advanced education, who works in a highly technical field!!!! Even my mechanical engineer uncle with several years of experience in the automotive industry is flabbergasted by Toyota’s response to this whole thing.. I MEAN WHAT THE HECK PEOPLE???
- Melissa H., Yonkers, NY, US