Body complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Every now and then I hear this rattling loud noise on my sunroof at slow speed. I noticed that it has something to do with the weather when it's hot above 80 degrees fahrenheit. I live in florida and it is hot and humid here. The rattling noise disappears after a minute. It's very strange. After reading all the complaints about sunroof shattered,exploded from other owners, I would like to have this particular model recall before anybody will have a serious injury.
I have had my 2009 Scion tC for just about 2 years now, back in February I was just doing some grocery shopping, went to open the trunk and the whole trunk release handle fell off,and now is just connected by wires which is a distraction to drivers behind me and also covers the license plate which I'm sure is just cause for me to get a traffic fine. I took it to the dealership where I bought it and they said its not under warranty,even though I have a full warranty left on my car for 100,00 miles. This is an outrage that this part isn't covered for manufacture defects and poor workmanship, this should not fall apart after 2 years, and it clearly should be recalled.. If Toyota wants to keep selling cars, they need to make good on fixing this problem.. My car has a warranty on it so I should not have to pay out of pocket for something that shouldn't have fallen off so easily!!!! …
The hatch handle on my car broke off when I was lifting the hatch to put some items in my trunk. When I looked further into why it broke, I realized that the pieces were just small plastic pieces and could be easily snapped. I was able to tape the piece back, but was unable to remove it completely because there are wires that connect the handle piece to the car and you need them to be able to lift the back of the car. When I taped it up well enough I realized that I was also covering a big portion of my brake lights which I and other drivers need or it could cause a wreck. I called the dealership and they want to charge me over $300 to fix this issue when clearly it is a manufactures issue. I have noticed since this happened to me, multiple tC's with the same issue when I am driving. I see lots of tape on the rear of those cars as well. …
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.
Vehicle burning oil at increasingly fast rate, large oil consumption. No oil light or dashboard warning. As I was driving down the highway my car shut down... I pulled over to the shoulder got out...my car was smoking... Within minutes my car was in flames.
Vehicle struck highway 99 center guard rail (at a 45 degree angle) on passenger front bumper traveling approximately 65 miles per hour (spin) then reversed spin slamming rear bumper of vehicle into same guard rail. Vehicle has front (driver and passenger) and side airbags, not one airbag deployed. According to the vehicle safety features, the front airbags should have deployed.
Our Toyota 2006 Scion tC was involved in a head on collision when it was pulling out slowing on a main road and the other truck involved was probably traveling close to 45mph, the car was totaled but not one air bag worked. This car was purchased because it had a high safety rating, however it is just lucky the driver and passenger were not seriously hurt. Had the car not been totaled we would have insisted it be totaled, would never purchase another Toyota again.
NHTSA investigations
Glass moonroof shatters
Odi's investigation discloses that the subject vehicles sustain moonroof shattering and/or damage at rates comparable to those for most other similarly equipped vehicles.this review also discloses that such incidents occur in most vehicles with moonroofs and that while tempered glass panels commonly used in moonroof fabrication are shatter-resistant, some catastrophic failures do in fact occur.impact with small…
Frequently asked questions
Which Scion tC years have body problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2005 (31), 2006 (28), 2008 (22), 2007 (16) and 2009 (8) model years. Body complaints make up 20% of all complaints for the 2005.
Is there a recall for Scion tC body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for any Scion tC model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Scion tC body problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 52,000 miles; 49% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the body (61 mentions), followed by the frame and members (7).
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.