Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Scion tC owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Toyota Scion tC. The contact stated that after the vehicle was parked, he observed that the rear driver side door garnish was fractured. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the garnish assembly was fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
I own a 2008 Scion tC which that is driven by my son and have 2 complaints which I feel are safety defects. Upon taking it in for repairs on 6/16/10 we advised the service advisor at Toyota of hollywood (fl) that the front grill fell off after hitting a bump in the road. The service advisor told us that we should repair this ourselves since he didn't want Toyota to be liable if it fell off again. Shouldn't they be liable in the first place since they are the manufacturer of the vehicle? Secondly, while my son was driving on I-95 last week (7/1/10), the hatchback popped open while driving at a speed of approximately 55 MPH. When he arrived home, we noticed that the latch to the hatchback was very loose and held together by 2 worn out screws. I contacted the service manager at Toyota of hollywood for a resolution to this matter and have not yet received a return phone call.
The rear hatch handle is part of the a plastic molding garnish that matches the color of the car. The molding garnish that has the read hatch handle had all the plastic clips that attach it to the trunk break. So the part is barley staying on the car now. I called Scion and was told that mold and trim pieces are not covered under the warranty and are only covered for the first 12 months or 12000 miles from date of purchase. This was from the service manager at the Scion dealership where I bought my car. And I bought their platinum warranty (6 years/100,000 miles) when I got the car back in 2007. The car currently has only about 43,000 miles and I have had it just about 4.5 years.
During the normal course of opening the rear hatch, the entire panel snapped off due to plastic clips that have become brittle. I have attempted to fix it but no fix seems to be permanent and, through additional research, I have seen that this is a common issue with most TCS and is clearly a design flaw. In order to replace the hatch release, the cost is upwards of $350. The handle just broke again today. With the number of issues surrounding this part, there should be a recall by Toyota/Scion as they are responsible for the inadequate hatch release parts.
Defective trunk hatch handle, the handle broke on around November 2011, I strongly believe that it is manufacture defective and it is not meant to last. I"ve seen not just one, or two, or several, but a lot of cars with the same problem in the freeways; therefore, I believe that this is something that Toyota must pay and ask for a recall. Also, I considered dangerous because the handle is connected to the brake light and if there is any interference it can cause an accident.
The lift gate on the trunk broke off with minimal usage. It seems to be a recurring problem going back to the 2005 model. I have reviewed many complaints online. Its to bad they don't report it here. The dealers know this is a problem because when I went in to get it fixed the guy said without looking it up it would $425.00 so he said it happens a lot. It is a major problem on these vehicles. Please check this out for us owners.
Just like all the others, my rear hatch panel came off I was opening the trunk. I can't believe this isn't a recall. I never got the letter stating an extended warranty to replace this. Horrible. The only reason it hasn't come off prior to this is because I contort my body to open the trunk because I can tell it wants to come off. Well it finally did. Anyone that goes near that rear hatch panel with the emblem gets yelled at.
2008 Scion tC hatchback handle/cover has broken twice. This occurred with only normal use and in researching seems to be a design flaw in the series. The part is held on with plastic and slim metal parts that break during the course or normal use. In order to open the hatch you must push the handle underneath the cover and pull up. The design seems to be such that the parts are not sturdy enough to handle this normal use.
First, the rubber hatch release melted & dripped onto my rear bumper. (I suspect that faulty wiring of some sort kept the release somewhat engaged, which melted the rubber.) then the hatch latch/lock would only completely release after multiple attempts. Finally, after unlocking the hatch & engaging (I thought) the release, the entire panel pulled off the car, leaving it dangling by the wiring harness.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Scion tC. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the hatchback latch became fractured during normal usage. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician advised that the handle needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 60,000.
Body complaints in other tC years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2008 Scion tC?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the body & structure of the 2008 Scion tC, 26% of the model year's 86 complaints. The component named most often is body (11 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Scion tC body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2008 Scion tC, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2008 Scion tC body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 46,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.