AI Damage2008 Scion TC: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Scion TC filed 86 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and structure. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 86
- involving a crash
- 15
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 27% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 26% of all complaints
- 3 Air bags 12% of all complaints
- 4 Visibility 7% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 6% of all complaints
- 7 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 8 Latches, locks, linkages 5% of all complaints
- Engine: 23 complaints (27% of all).
- Structure: 22 complaints (26% of all).
- Air bags: 10 complaints (12% of all), 8 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Visibility: 6 complaints (7% of all).
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (6% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 86 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 10 | 8 | 0 |
| Visibility | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Wheels | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
This vehicle was just involved in an accident, rear-ending the car in front, the front end of the vehicle is demolished, the radiator and everything crushed and slammed back, fluids leaking from everything, even buckled the passenger door, the air bags did not deploy.
The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to an independent facility. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 156,000.
In addition, the vehicle jerked when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was undetermined. The vehicle was not repaired. While driving over a speed bump, the vehicle spun out independently. The contact lost control and the vehicle spun into the grass and stalled.
While driving this car I have felt as if I was going to be slung into traffic on the interstate ,highways, city roads , country roads, and definitely in most curves.
I was in the third lane on the freeway I was going 65 miles per hour motion and I switch lane to the right and my steering wheel lock on me after switching lane my break pedal wasn't working and the steering wasn't responding to the left , the subject vehicle was merging really fast passing 2-1 lanes until I hit the…
Driving at 50 mph,being forced to right paving edge,corrected quickly to left,car went over center line and very extreme single vehicle crash with driver and front set passenger .car was beyond distroyed.loss of control unknown.one fact that is present is left front tire has no air in tire,still on wheel,and no damage…
The air bags did not deploy during the crash. The vehicle was destroyed, but no injuries were reported. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not traveling fast enough to have the air bags deploy during a crash. The failure mileage was 29,000.
February 15, 2010 an orlando mother died monday afternoon after losing control of her car and plunging into a retention pond beside state road 417. Sparkle corinee pomeroy was trapped inside her submerged toyota scion for about 30 minutes before rescue crews were able to free her.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 3,912 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 11% most complained about).
On average one model year of the TC has 58 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 86, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Scion TC?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, structure, air bags. Total complaints: 86. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: oil leak or consumption (19%), windows, sunroof (13%), airbags did not deploy (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Scion TC?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2008 Scion TC from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2008 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.