0x sensor failure, then soon cat converter replacement.

[R.J.]

"Check Engine" has lit-up twice on my 2003 XR, and these "Diagonostic" tests cost $90 here in Chicago. Though I experience no problems with XR-FWD performance, the Dealer replaced O2 sensor at 44,900 miles. Then 3,000 miles later, "Check Engine" light lit-up again. Now, I've got a 3 week lead-time for a replacement of the catalytic converter/front pipe assembly... according to my long-time Toyota Service Dept.

Have anyother Matrix drivers here experienced this? (most of my mileage, by the way, is typically on highway, not city street, and I use only Mobil gas).

[melodiccharm]

Hello R.J.

I have a 2003 Matrix 2WD STD (lowest model). My "Check Engine" light lit up several times. At first I was told by the dealer here in San Diego that it was probably my gas cap not being tight enough and that my "Check Engine" light will probably reset. The engine light did turn off after a week. Then it came on again a couple weeks later and never turned off. I went to the dealer and for $85 had my engine light checked. I was told that the catalytic converter code came up under their diagnostic test. I was told that I will now need to replace my catalytic converter for $1300. My car runs fine and I don't notice anything unusual in the way that it drives. Unfortunately, I will not pass my smog test without a new catalytic converter. I believe my warrenty is already up. This is the first car I've owned where this has happened.

J.G.

[R.J.]

You cat converter, Melodic, has an 80,000 mile warranty! That's federal law in the U.S. for all vehicles, and Toyota HQ in California is happy to remind you about that. More important, they will be very unhappy to learn of your dealerships efffort to charge. For now, I can tell you that has replaced my entire front pipe (from the manifold) and cat converter assembly. This was done by a second dealership for a second opinion, which I discussed in advance with Toyota HQ. They were happy to accomodate me and probably paid both dealerships for their "diagnostic" fees ($89 each). More important, when that second dealership replaced my front pipe & cat converter assy, Toyota was invoiced for almost $2,000. Cat converter failures may or may not be a forthcoming production & maintenance problem for Toyota, but Toyota readily acknowledged that it would never be their style to wait reactively for a federally-mandated recall, that it would always act pro-actively. Either way, I will do no further business with my previous long-time dealership, will wait & see whether I can trust my new dealership and would advise you to do the same. Do not agree to that cat converter replacement at your expense unless you believe it was damaged by you (most unlikely). Hope this helps you out!

[R.J.]

Let me know, Melodic, if you'd like me to clean-up some of those typos (above) for you and some of those left-out words as well. Especially meant to include the word "Toyota" early on in my resposne when I conveyed that Toyota authorized replacement under warranty.

[srt4_me]

Sounds like a pattern is developing. I have a 2003 XR with 57k miles. Check engine light comes on so it is off to the dealership for my $90 diagnostics. Bad Cat. They replace Cat and ECU, I have this documented on the invoice, all under warrenty no charge to me. Two weeks later, this weekend, check engine light comes on again. Another trip to the dealership and Ox sensor is out and that IS NOT covered under warrenty and I need to pay a few hundred bucks to pick up my car. Something don't jive here and this is the point of all this. Only two real possible things can happen to a cat other than physical damange that I am aware of; clogging, or poison. If the ECU was defective, they did replace it after all, and it poisoned my cat doesn't it make sense the same over rich condition clogged my Ox sensor?

[MatrixXRS]

Any mods in the car?

When was the last time you had a tuned up?

melodiccharm, with $1300 you can get a nice exhaust system including a brand new magnaflow universal high flow cat and still have some money left to spend on other important things .

[srt4_me]

Good question. I was remiss about not providing the information in my original post. I have installeda K&N CAI and Borla exhaust. The dealership did call back yesterday afternoon and they are covering the sensor as a no charge repair. My lucky day. I left them with one question. Why did they change the ECM when the diagnostic code that originally sent me to the shop was a P0420, and what condition could have poisoned my cat in the first place?

[MatrixXRS]

Originally Posted by srt4_me

Good question. I was remiss about not providing the information in my original post. I have installeda K&N CAI and Borla exhaust. The dealership did call back yesterday afternoon and they are covering the sensor as a no charge repair. My lucky day. I left them with one question. Why did they change the ECM when the diagnostic code that originally sent me to the shop was a P0420, and what condition could have poisoned my cat in the first place?

Read these .

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t63116.html

http://www.matrixowners.com/forum/vi...ighlight=p0420

[R.J.]

Since our posts toward the end of 2004, I decided in early JAN to trade the XR for a Mazda pick-up. NO REGRETS. Has far fewer electro-sensors, and I had gotten pretty dam tired of the Toyota management styles among the dealers here anyway. Never did find one in metro Chicago for either of my two Toyota products, which seemed all that trustworthy in the long-run anyway. Guess they'd gotten too used to too much business for too many decades... for my own good. Now that I read the Matrix postings here, which follow mine, I no longer view that O2 sensor & CAT failure as a production problem nor an OEM supplier problem. And it's no consolation to me (in terms of time, trouble, expense) that Toyota replaced the CAT & front pipe assy under warranty. Poison spreads, huh?