AI Damage2008 Scion XB: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Scion XB filed 339 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and visibility. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 339
- involving a crash
- 30
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 39% of all complaints
- 2 Visibility 14% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 11% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 10% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 7 Electronic stability control 6% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 4% of all complaints
- Air bags: 132 complaints (39% of all), 16 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Visibility: 46 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 38 complaints (11% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 37 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 35 complaints (10% 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-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 339 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 | 132 | 16 | 0 |
| Visibility | 46 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 38 | 6 | 0 |
| Steering | 37 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 35 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 34 | 1 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 20 | 3 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 15 | 5 | 0 |
| Structure | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| Wheels | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 5 | 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.
The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the neck, back, and right knee. Medical attention was not required. The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was towed to a junk yard. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the crash.
I was aware that I was abiding by the speed limit, going around 25-30 miles, because I had just left a stopped traffic light and was heading into school zone that had a flashing warning light.
For some reason the airbags did not deploy. Creating a dangerous situation either way. We could've been both severely injured and the fact that they didn't deploy we was still injured.
Air bags did not deploy. We have 2 witnesses that saw the accident and all witnesses including the police officer noticed the air bag was not deployed. Police report: [xxx] police information: [phone]; officer [xxx]- montgomery county police department location: montgomer county, md information redacted pursuant to…
I was behind a pickup truck in a left turn lane .the truck turned and hit a motorcycle which then hit my bumper,left front wheel,drivers door ,left passenger door, left rear wheel and left rear quarter panel. $5700 damage. Not one air bag deployed.
Warning lights for abs, brakes and vsc on the gauge cluster illuminated at that time. While driving at slow speed in the storm I realized that abs was not working. The warning lights remained lit for about two days, then went out and did not return until december 2013.
Scion has a tsb on parking brake cables that freeze in cold weather. When the cables freeze, it will cause the rear brake calibers to lock against the rotors. You would have to drive about 10 minutes to warm the rotors to unlock the brakes. This could cause brakes to fail and may not stop at all.
The anti-lock brakes failed and my wheels locked up and I slid into the ditch. I contacted the dealership and they said a speed sensor went out. I ordered the part and was going to have it replaced for $90. When they went to install the part they found a short in the wiring and that is what caused the sensor to fail.
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 1,189 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 3% most complained about).
On average one model year of the XB has 75 complaints (14 years in the data). This year has 339, above 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.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Scion XB?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, visibility, service brakes. Total complaints: 339. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (11%), steering or power steering problems (8%), oil leak or consumption (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Scion XB?
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 XB 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.