Toyota - Matrix :: 2003 - Replaced The Differential - Handling Stinks - New Noise


Jul 25, 2011

2003 Matrix XR, 89K, well maintained by old owner, just about to become mine.Took it to old owner's mechanic for pre-sale checkup. He said humming noise was rear differential and replaced it.

Now it pulls to the right when driving, to the left when braking (also throbs), and generally just feels like total crap to drive. There's also a noise that I hear as sort of a ...rough grinding/roaring sound? Seems to be from the back.

Details: the hum increased in pitch as wheel speed went up. Nothing else changed it - not going from dirt to pavement, drive to neutral, uphill to down, straight to cornering. Otherwise, everything felt fine - handled really nicely, that's why I wanted to buy it.

When I picked it up from the shop after the differential implant I drove it about a mile, flipped out at the way it felt, and took it right back; it was near closing time. Kid put it up on the lift, looked and said it was a front wheel bearing and to bring it back next morning. This morning the still-owner picked it up, test drove it and said "Yep, feels all loosey-goosey," brought it in to the shop, and different guy says "it's the alignment, bring it in tomorrow."

Alignment? Wheel bearing? Why all of a sudden? Maybe the differential is bad or not installed properly? Why am I the only one thinking this? Also, they lost one of the springs to the bit at the front where the exhaust joins on to the engine so there's a big loud exhaust noise, which they didn't notice when they test drove it.

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Everything in the front end seem tight. When I lay under it if I get someone to spin te wheel the thump sound sounds like its in the front dif, kinda echoes through the front drive shaft but u joints seem good. I really think it's in the dif, and I'm hoping the banging noise I hear when I hit bumps is the same problem as the noise when the wheels go around....

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Then, just yesterday, I was doing about 65 on the interstate and the engine died, tach dropped to 0, but I didn't lose power steering or brakes. I was coasting for a few seconds and the engine came back. When I slowed down to pull into a parking garage, it died but I was coasting enough to pop the clutch and it restarted for a moment allowing me to almost get into a parking stall. As I slowed to get into the stall it died completely and had to be pushed into the stall.

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Here is YouTube link to noise car is making : [URL] .....

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I did have a lot of corrosion on the battery terminals last summer and had starting problems then, and had the mechanic clean the terminals and check the battery, and the battery was fine, yet the sound continues, but no further starting issues. What might be going on?

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