AI Damage2009 Scion TC: common problems
Owners of the 2009 Scion TC filed 60 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 60
- involving a crash
- 15
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 25% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 15% of all complaints
- 3 Structure 13% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 13% of all complaints
- 5 Visibility 10% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- 7 Latches, locks, linkages 5% of all complaints
- 8 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- Engine: 15 complaints (25% of all).
- Air bags: 9 complaints (15% of all), 7 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 8 complaints (13% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 8 complaints (13% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Visibility: 6 complaints (10% of all).
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 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 60 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 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 9 | 7 | 0 |
| Structure | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| Visibility | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Steering | 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.
Just entered the interstate and was 2 miles from home when the car started shaking cause the car to make a sudden hard right across multiple lanes of traffic going down an embankment and hitting trees.
I had a bad mva accident on 6/12/2019 @ 0815am in the morning, a lady t bone me with fast impaction, the airbags did not deploy nor the side air bag curtains deployed during the accident. The airbags did malfunction in my opinon and caused me to hit my head and chest hard on the steering wheel.
The drivers seat belt tensioned the drivers seatbelt but ignited a fire in drivers side trim behind the door pillar. The fire melted the interior trim panels and surrounding plastic parts.
The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained chest, neck, and shoulder injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was destroyed.
My daughter and son were in an accident as a passenger in a scion tc 2009 and the car rolled multiple times and both the front and back passenger seat belts unlatched and the passenger curtain airbag did not deploy or inflate.
While driving approximately 55 mph, the rear passenger side tire blew out and caused the vehicle to crash into a guardrail. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to an independent mechanic. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The tire was a replacement tire.
There was no warning lights illuminated. There were extensive damages to the front end of the vehicle. The police were notified and a police report was filed. The manufacturer was notified who sent a representative to further access the failure but the representative was unable to duplicate the failure.
Consumer states unintended acceleration the consumer stated the sudden acceleration occurred as she placed her foot on the accelerator after being stopped at a red light. The vehicle took off at a high rate of speed. The foot break did not work and when she grabbed the emergency brake, the vehicle went into a spin.
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 4,840 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 13% most complained about).
On average one model year of the TC has 58 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 60, about average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Scion TC?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, air bags, structure. Total complaints: 60. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: oil leak or consumption (15%), windows, sunroof (12%), airbags did not deploy (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 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 2009 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 2009 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.