This will unfortunately be my last update. I finally gave in to some pressure from my wife to get a bigger car for our growing kids for more comfortable road trips (and a little more cargo capacity). We were planning to replace her car with a used hybrid Toyota Highlander, but they are hard to find ...

Just to close the loop on this, I ended up getting a WJB wheel bearing/hub/knuckle assembly from RockAuto for $107.79 for a 2004 AWD Toyota Matrix (WLK065). Because I was worried about separating the old ball joint from the old steering knuckle, I got a ball joint from Advance Auto parts for about $...

Time for another update: I'm just shy of 172,000 miles. REPAIRS 1) Front End: I've posted about this elsewhere, but I replaced the front wheel wheel bearings and hubs, inner and outer tie rod ends, driver's side brake hose, resurfaced the front brake rotors and replaced the front brake pads at 157,4...

Update: the left front wheel bearing appears to have failed. There is some noise and vibration, and the brake pads seem to drag intermittently when I'm turning into my driveway or a parking lot. I'm going to replace the whole left front spindle and hub assembly this time, to save time. Since the rig...

...Bottom line, if you look at the threads behind your jam nut and they are barely visible due to rust, save yourself some hassle and replace both the inner and outer tie rod. Inner tie rods are about $25. I'll report back after I've done this replacement, which hopefully won't be too tough! My rep...

Thanks for this write-up. Unfortunately, the picture no longer shows up on the post, but hopefully I can figure it out. I have a leaking boot on the outer tie rod. The lower clamp (wire) that secures the boot must have rusted away. Word to the wise: If the threads on your outer tie rod end are cover...

Re: the oil leak. It was the timing chain tensioner gasket. I degreased the engine where it was leaking and replaced the o-ring (simple job) and applied some oil resistant RTV to the mating surface as well. I have periodically slid my phone behind the engine to verify that the area around the timing...

Just thought I would relay my experience, as wheel bearings are a common maintenance item on these cars. Rear Wheel Bearings- $79.94 My rear wheel bearings went out at 149,500 miles. Replacement was a fairly simple bolt on process, parts were MOOG wheel bearing and hub assembly (Part # 512512 for AW...

Time for another update. I just posted about a persistent airbag light that wasn't fixed by several clock springs- ended up needing to replace the airbag control module. So, here is what I've done to my car since the last update, in the order of my original post. Gas Mileage I'd say 25-26 in mixed d...

Thought I would follow up on this post- the GM part worked perfect!

Thought I'd share some info that I didn't find elsewhere on this site. I would make this post short, but this was so frustrating that it will be therapeutic to me to share the whole story. Well, here is the short version- I had an airbag light come on, and had to replace the clockspring (many times)...

My cruise control started cutting out on hills or under hard acceleration. The green cruise control light would stay lit, but the system would forget the set point and resume did not work. I could re-set the speed, and it would work again until the next time the car needed to accelerate to keep up w...

I have a 2004 AWD Vibe that I have owned since 68,000 miles (130,000+ now). I installed a Curt Class II hitch soon after purchasing it, and have used it to haul a 5x8 utility trailer loaded with construction debris, yard waste, and most often, firewood. I also tow a 14 ft. aluminum boat on occasion....

Time for a long overdue (3+ years) update on my Vibe. I'm over 130,000 miles now, and still very happy with the car. I'll stick with the order of my previous update: GAS MILEAGE I track this with every fill. I average about 23 in the winter, and 27 in the summer, and my driving is probably 50/50 cit...

It has been a while since I have posted anything, but I have made a couple minor improvements to my Vibe and thought I would share. I don't post very often, so this is probably going to be comprehensive. First, I just got it tinted yesterday. Here are some before and after pics. The tinting is 35% i...

I know this is an old post, but I had remembered seeing pictures of an AWD Vibe undercarriage somewhere, and finally found them on the Matrixowners' website. Here: http://matrixowners.com/index.php?/topic/82383-4wd-underbody/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; For some reason, ...

I have something strange happening with my '04 Vibe- approx 72,000 miles on the car. The alternator/battery indicator light on the dash stays dimly lit during normal daytime and nighttime driving, but the dash indicator light turns off when I'm idling at a stoplight. Rev the engine and the light goe...

IMG_4267.jpg We go down to a lake every other weekend or so, and I put the boat in the water off of an old dirt road that that was flooded out when the lake was created. Unfortunately, my wife was the first person who had the opportunity to check out the AWD capabilities of the new-to-us Vibe. Whil...

I have a few things I want to do right away: 1- Install mudflaps (already ordered). This car will see some gravel and muddy roads. Rear mudflaps installed, cheap universal ones installed in front due to shipping error. 2- Fix the recirc actuator (already ordered) so it stops clicking. Thanks to thi...

Awesome! I have this same issue on my passenger side! I'm a big fan of cutting into old license plates to rig things up, so this is right up my alley!

*Edit- the passenger side setup is different- I unfortunately have to order a new/used bezel instead. Bummer!

I've been researching this forum for a couple months now while searching for a 1st generation AWD Vibe or Matrix. I finally found one and bought it, so I thought it is time to register and perhaps contribute. A little background, if you care. I've wanted an AWD Matrix ever since I first saw one, but...