I have a 2008 Toyota Matrix with a standard transmission 130k miles. The car would shudder starting off from a stop and would occasionally rev up without accelerating in 3rd and 4th gear so I started pricing around town for clutch. A family friend of mine mentioned that it maybe a bad clutch slave cylinder. That got me thinking that I have not check/flushed the clutch fluid since I bought the car with 118k on it. I did a clutch slave bleed with fresh DOT 3. The fluid that cam out was the color of mud so i was fairly confident that was the cause of the issue. The problem has completely gone away!!!! $4 is way cheaper than the $1300 clutch estimate I was given Thank you Scotty for giving me the confidence and knowledge to work on my own car!!!
Is It possible that the clutch fluid has never been changed? What is a good interval to flush the clutch fluid?
I'd go with 50K if you do mostly city/suburban stop and go, more if you do mostly highway miles. But probably the more important number is 14 - the years since it was built. I'd do your brake fluid, too. You can download all your info from Toyota here - be sure to sign in with your VIN so you get the right one for your car - you have 2 engines, 2 trans and FWD or 4WD versions.
https://www.toyota.com/owners/resources/warranty-owners-manuals.matrix.2008
Thank you Glen_stet, I flushed the brake fluid at 125k mile mark. Luckily that fluid wasnt nearly as murky as the clutch fluid. I wanted to flush the clutch at that same time but my helper wasn't comfortable enough to tackle that job even though I assured him that it was exactly the same process as bleeding the brakes but just pumping the clutch pedal instead.