AI Damage2008 Scion XD: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Scion XD filed 67 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 67
- involving a crash
- 8
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 43% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 16% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 13% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 9% of all complaints
- 6 Electronic stability control 9% of all complaints
- 7 Seats 7% of all complaints
- 8 Engine 4% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 29 complaints (43% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 11 complaints (16% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 9 complaints (13% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 7 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 6 complaints (9% 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.
- 1.8 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speednamed in 3 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 67 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 29 | 5 | 0 |
| Suspension | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 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.
Was stopping behind a line of cars on an exit ramp, mashed brake pedal and brake did not stop car completely,hit truck in front of me rolled back and hit it again rolled back again and finally had to pull emergency brake to get car to stop completely.
The brakes failed to bring the vehicle to a complete stop. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 3,190 and the current mileage was 3,195. Updated 10/11/11 updated 3/28/12
While driving approximately 34 mph, the vehicle spontaneously jerked to the right. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle would not stop. The vehicle crashed into a parked vehicle and some bushes; however, the only thing that stopped the vehicle was the mud.
I am glad my son is ok, since he was wearing his seat belt aside from the whiplash he experienced due to the rollover. I think the airbags in this scion were defective and didn't deploy when they should have especially when the car is rolling over on both of its sides.
Around 50% of oncoming traffic is using dangerously bright headlights. It is so bright that itâs physically painful to my eyes and leaves a blind spot in my field of vision that lasts for several minutes after each encounter.
My warning lights on the dash are coming on and causing the car to lock up, jerk, and stall while in motion in slower speeds usually when at a street sign and going into a turn, a stop light also going into a turn on main hwys and worse of all in neighborhoods prior to my getting to the hospital.
Nothing was visible, but was informed that assembly could be rusting from inside out. Several weeks later, while traveling the highway, car started making noise and had a hot tire smell. Pulled over and left rear tire had leaned in and cut the tire all the way around. Left side had also cracked.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 scion xd. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v169000 (seats). The contact called an unknown dealer and was informed that the parts were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available.
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 4,533 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 12% most complained about).
On average one model year of the XD has 15 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 67, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Scion XD?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, suspension, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 67. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (22%), rust, corrosion (12%), knocking, grinding or other noise (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Scion XD?
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 XD 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.