SCION ADMITS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE COMBINATION OF ACCESSORIES:1) AUTO-DIMMING MIRROR AND 2) SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS. WHEN THE MIRROR IS INSTALLED THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THE WIRING OBSTRUCTS THE AIR BAGS. THEY CLAIM A TSB WILL BE ISSUED BUT CAN GIVE ME NO TIME LINE FOR THE ISSUE OF A NEW WIRING HARNESS. DEALERS WILL NOT EVEN PULL THE DRIVER'S "A" PILLAR TRIM TO SEE IF THE WIRING HAPPENS TO BE CORRECT. SO, WE JUST WAIT ... AND WAIT ... AND WAIT AND PRAY THAT THERE IS NO NEED FOR THE AIRBAGS TO FUNCTION. THERE IS ALSO A PROBLEM WITH THE "LID" COVERING THE RADIO. IT FUNCTIONS WHEN IT WANTS - OFTEN TAKING MANY ATTEMPTS TO GET IT TO OPEN. ON THE OPEN ROAD THIS IS QUITE A DISTRACTION. WE ALL KNOW HOW MANY ACCIDENTS ARE CAUSE BY SUCH "MINOR" DISTRACTIONS AS TUNING THE RADIO, TALKING ON MY PHONE, ETC. *NM
2005 Scion TC complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2005 record →
TOOK FOOT OFF GAS TO SLOW DOWN WHEN APPROACHING CURVE. RAKED TO SLOW DOWN WHEN ENTERING CURVE AND VEHICLE FAILED TO SLOW...FULLY ENGAGED BRAKE AND VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP AND KEPT ACCELERATING. THIS RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE CRASHING INTO AN EMBANKMENT WHICH CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THIS IS IS BRAND NEW SCION TC PURCHASED 09/01/04. *AK
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT APPROX 70 MPH. I HAD THE SUN ROOF OPENED. WHILE DRIVING I HEARD A LOUD CRACK AND GLASS CAME POURING IN FROM THE SUNROOF OPENING. I WENT STRAIGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP BY MY HOUSE. THE FRONT PANEL THAT ANGLES UP WAS BROKEN ALL AROUND THE ENTIRE PIECE OF GLASS. THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT SEE A POINT OF IMPACT WHERE SOMETHING MAY HAVE HIT. HE SAID HE COULD STILL HEAR IT CRACKING AS WE WERE STANDING THERE TALKING. HE SAID SINCE THERE WAS NO POINT OF IMPACT IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. (I'VE ONLY HAD THE CAR A MONTH.) I AM CURRENTLY AWAITING FOR THE PIECE TO COME IN. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST ONE OTHER TIME THAT I'VE HEARD OF FROM A SCION WEB SITE. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I HADN'T DUCKED DOWN WHEN I HEARD THE CRACK. EVEN WITH DUCKING DOWN I HAD GLASS DOWN THE FRONT OF MY SHIRT, THE BACK OF MY SHIRT AND IN BETWEEN MY BACK THE THE SEAT OF THE CAR.*AK
ON AUGUST 17 @ ABOUT 4:30 P.M. IN THER AFTERNOON THE WHEELS ON MY SCION TC LOCKED UP GOING ABOUT 35 MPH ON THE HYPERION BRIDGE. I APPLIED THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO SLOW DOWN ON A SLIGHT TURN AT THE END OF THE BRIDGE AND THE REAR OF THE CAR FISHTAILED AND MY REAR RIGHT WHEEL HIT AND SCRAPED THE CURB. NOTHING YET HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I HAVE REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO TOYOTA/SCION. IT HAS TAKEN THEM A WEEK TO EVEN GET BACK TO ME TO TELL ME THAT A FIELD ENGINEER WILL BE INSPECTING THE VEHICLE. THE CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP (TOYOTA OF GLENDALE. *AK
A YOUNGSTER WEIGHING 140 LBS. LEANED ON THE WINDSHIELD AND IT SHATTERED. IT HAS BEEN 5 DAYS, AND WHEN CONTACTING MANUFACTURER'S HEADQUARTERS, THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE A WINDSHIELD FOR FREE ON THE BASIS THAT THEY COULD NOT CONFIRM IT WAS DEFECTIVE AFTER THE FACT! IT BOTHERS ME TO THINK THAT A 'PERFECTLY GOOD, SAFE' WINDSHIELD CAN BE SHATTERED BY MERELY 'LEANING' ON IT! WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I CRASH? OR IF A PALM TREE BRANCH FALLS ON IT? I GUESS I WILL HAVE TO DIE OR GET INJURED TO FIND OUT! *AK
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2005 Scion TC → · Every TC year → · How the figures are calculated →