AI Damage2010 Scion TC: common problems
Owners of the 2010 Scion TC filed 20 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and visibility. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 20
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 35% of all complaints
- 2 Visibility 20% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 15% of all complaints
- 4 Tires 15% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 5% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel/propulsion system 5% of all complaints
- 7 Seats 5% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 5% of all complaints
- Engine: 7 complaints (35% of all).
- Visibility: 4 complaints (20% of all).
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (15% of all).
- Tires: 3 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 1 complaints (5% 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 20 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 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Neither the front or side air bags deployed and I hit my head against the driver's side window. I do not believe the tires that are provided are suitable for wet pavement.
At 70 mph on a straight section of I-40, the scion tc 2010 unexpectedly veered left. Driver attempted to steer right as the vehicle continued going left from the right lane to the left. The steering was not responsive, resulting in the vehicle going into the median safety wires. The vehicle is totaled.
My car is burning oil, like a quart per week I always maintain the oil level, not leaks I just want to know [dealer], I am a third owner of this car has 94000 miles
Warranty Enhancement Program â ZE7 OIL Leak Certain 2007-2010 Scion tC Extension of Warranty Coverage for 2AZ Engine Oil Consumption Toyota is now announcing the part replacement phase of Warranty Enhancement Program ZE7 for vehicles exhibiting excessive engine oil consumption.
Warranty Enhancement Program âPart Replacement for Excessive Oil Consumption (NEVER INFORMED OF THIS ISSUE) I just found out that this expired on 3/27/2020 but Toyota mentioned this was created by your department.
On the 17th of march when coming to a stop the driver seat moved forward on its own. The seat had became unlatched from the seat runner under the driver seat. I had to adjust the seat and made sure that it locked into place. Since then this problem has happened over and over. I would say at least 40 times.
It scared the living daylights out of us because it was so loud, like an explosion. We pulled over into a parking lot to investigate what had happened. The sunroof of the car had completely exploded with shattered glass streaming off the back of the car. Thankfully, we had the canvas part of the sunroof closed.
Discovered brake overheating sounded like a wheel bearing failing but mechanic discovered brake not releasing.
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 8,257 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 23% most complained about).
On average one model year of the TC has 58 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 20, below average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2010 Scion TC?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, visibility, service brakes. Total complaints: 20. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: oil leak or consumption (30%), windows, sunroof (25%), knocking, grinding or other noise (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2010 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 2010 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 2010 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.