AI Damage2005 Scion XA: common problems
Owners of the 2005 Scion XA filed 40 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and visibility. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 40
- involving a crash
- 13
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 35% of all complaints
- 2 Visibility 15% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 13% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 13% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 8% of all complaints
- 7 Tires 8% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 5% of all complaints
- Air bags: 14 complaints (35% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Visibility: 6 complaints (15% of all).
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (13% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 5 complaints (13% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (10% of all), 2 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.
- 1.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 40 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 14 | 4 | 0 |
| Visibility | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Seats | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 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 unintended acceleration had happened 3-4 times previously but I was able to stop. After inspecting the car at the tow lot, my son and I could see that the frame was bent so I gave it to the tow lot for the cost of tow fees. Fortunately I was not injured beyond aches and pains. I kept thinking about what happened.
Airbags did not deploy, vehicle speed was 45 mph. The entire front end was damaged. Swerved to miss hitting a deer, spun out and hit an embankment. Point of impact was drivers side front and nothing, not one airbag deployed.
She applied brakes as she was coming to a stop light and the brake did not work. She tried again and the car kept going. She then tried to "pump" the brake to no avail. The result was that she hit the car in front of her totaling her car. In addition to the brakes not working, the driver seatbelt did not "lock".
My daughter was driving a 2005 scion xa down a private dirt road when a deer ran in front of her - she swerved to miss the deer and hit brakes. At the time she said that the car didn't brake but seemed to speed up. The car rolled.
The brakes failed and were totally useless. I had my car towed, to the toyota dealership, where I purchased my car. I reported this incident to the toyota dealership and was informed that they never heard of any problems, like my own, with the scion.
Tl contact owns a 2005 toyota scion xa. While driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle accelerated aggressively. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to slow down. The gear was shifted into neutral and the vehicle slowed down. The failure occurred without warning.
On june 15, 2009 I was parking my 2005 toyota scion xa in my parking space at work. All of a sudden my car accelerated and the engine raced and took off over the bumper into the wall. I was unable to control the car because the brakes totally failed.
The vehicle rolled over four to six times and her air bag did not deploy. The contact had head injuries and whip lash. The driver was the only occupant of the vehicle and was wearing her the seat belt. The seat belt was never serviced. There is a police report if needed.
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 5,948 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 16% most complained about).
On average one model year of the XA has 42 complaints (3 years in the data). This year has 40, about average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- 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 2005 Scion XA?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, visibility, service brakes. Total complaints: 40. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (18%), airbag warning light (15%), airbags did not deploy (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2005 Scion XA?
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 2005 Scion XA 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 2005 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.