2008 SCION TC Complaints

ON FEBRUARY 24, 2013, I WAS OPENING MY TRUNK LIKE NORMAL AND THE ENTIRE PLASTIC PIECE SNAPPED IN HALF AND DANGLED FROM THE BACK OF MY CAR VIA THE WIRING THAT POWERS THE LIGHTS ABOVE THE LICENSE PLATE. BASICALLY, THE HYDRAULICS THAT IS SUPPOSED TO OPEN THE TRUNK IS WORTHLESS AND DOESN'T EVEN PICK UP THE WEIGHT OF THE TRUNK UNTIL IT IS TWO-THIRDS OF THE WAY OPEN. I RARELY USE MY TRUNK BECAUSE I USUALLY JUST TOSS EVERYTHING INTO THE BACK SEAT. I WOULD SAY THAT AFTER OWNING MY CAR FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS, I'VE MAYBE OPENED THE TRUNK 50 TIMES, IF THAT. TOYOTA ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN STATING THEY KNOW THAT THE PIECE HAS EXTREME POTENTIAL TO BREAK BUT REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THE PIECE. FOR THE THOUSANDS OF SCION USERS OUTSIDE THEIR WARRANTY PERIOD, WE ARE FACED WITH THE COST OF ENSURING THE SAFETY OF OURSELVES AND FELLOW DRIVERS BECAUSE OF A POORLY MANUFACTURED, PLASTIC GARNISH DESIGNED BY TOYOTA AS A MEANS TO ENTER THE TRUNK. MY PIECE IS CURRENTLY DUCT TAPED BACK TOGETHER AND COVERS THE BRAKE LIGHTS ABOVE THE PIECE. OTHER OWNERS FACE THE ISSUE OF THE LIGHTS ABOVE THEIR LICENSE PLATE NOT WORKING WHICH MAKES THEM IN VIOLATION OF TRAFFIC LAWS THAT REQUIRED AN ILLUMINATED LICENSE PLATE. A TOYOTA SERVICE BULLETIN STATES THAT THE PART NEEDS TO BE REPLACED WITH AN ?IMPROVED GARNISH? AS DETAILED IN SERVICE BULLETIN S-SB-0001-10 DATED JANUARY 6, 2010. AS OF JANUARY 6, 2010, I WAS STILL IN MY WARRANTY PERIOD WITH SCION AND COULD HAVE HAD THE PIECE REPLACED WITHOUT THE HASSLE OF GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH SCION CUSTOMER SERVICE. IF TOYOTA ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THE PIECE, THEY MUST REALIZE THE SHODDY ENGINEERING OF THE GARNISH. MOREOVER, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT SCION AND TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL THE TRUNK GARNISH IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT SCION OWNERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES WON'T BE FACED WITH THE SAME HEADACHE AND POTENTIAL DANGERS. *TR

I WAS SIMPLY TRYING TO OPEN THE REAR HATCH TO MY CAR AND THE PLASTIC PIECE THAT HOLDS THE BUTTON TO OPEN THE BACK BROKE OFF. I LOOKED INSIDE THE PLASTIC COVER AND IT APPEARED AS THOUGH THE PLASTIC PIECE ITSELF HAD BROKEN. MY LICENSE PLATE LIGHT DOES NOT WORK NOW WHICH IS REQUIRED BY LAW IN THE STATE OF TEXAS SO I CAN POSSIBLY GET A TICKET DUE TO TOYOTA'S GROSS NEGLIGENCE. *TR

THE HATCHBACK LATCH HAS BROKEN FOR THE SECOND TIME. BOTH TIMES WERE UNDER MINIMAL USE. THE PART IS DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE REPLACED BY THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

I GOT OUT OF MY PARKED CAR AND WAS GOING TO PUT SOMETHING IN THE TRUNK. AS I WENT TO OPEN THE TRUNK, THE REAR HATCH PIECE, WHICH HAS THE SCION EMBLEM ON IT, TORE AWAY FROM THE CAR. IT SEEMS THE PLASTIC PIECES WHICH HELD THE PIECE ON HAD SNAPPED OFF AS I OPENED THE TRUNK. *TR

DURING THE NORMAL COURSE OF OPENING THE REAR HATCH, THE ENTIRE PANEL SNAPPED OFF DUE TO PLASTIC CLIPS THAT HAVE BECOME BRITTLE. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO FIX IT BUT NO FIX SEEMS TO BE PERMANENT AND, THROUGH ADDITIONAL RESEARCH, I HAVE SEEN THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH MOST TCS AND IS CLEARLY A DESIGN FLAW. IN ORDER TO REPLACE THE HATCH RELEASE, THE COST IS UPWARDS OF $350. THE HANDLE JUST BROKE AGAIN TODAY. WITH THE NUMBER OF ISSUES SURROUNDING THIS PART, THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL BY TOYOTA/SCION AS THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INADEQUATE HATCH RELEASE PARTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SCION TC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE HATCHBACK LATCH BECAME FRACTURED DURING NORMAL USAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE HANDLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA SCION TC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT THE PISTON RINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

THE LIFT GATE ON THE TRUNK BROKE OFF WITH MINIMAL USAGE. IT SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM GOING BACK TO THE 2005 MODEL. I HAVE REVIEWED MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE. ITS TO BAD THEY DON'T REPORT IT HERE. THE DEALERS KNOW THIS IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE WHEN I WENT IN TO GET IT FIXED THE GUY SAID WITHOUT LOOKING IT UP IT WOULD $425.00 SO HE SAID IT HAPPENS A LOT. IT IS A MAJOR PROBLEM ON THESE VEHICLES. PLEASE CHECK THIS OUT FOR US OWNERS. *TR

FIRST, THE RUBBER HATCH RELEASE MELTED & DRIPPED ONTO MY REAR BUMPER. (I SUSPECT THAT FAULTY WIRING OF SOME SORT KEPT THE RELEASE SOMEWHAT ENGAGED, WHICH MELTED THE RUBBER.) THEN THE HATCH LATCH/LOCK WOULD ONLY COMPLETELY RELEASE AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS. FINALLY, AFTER UNLOCKING THE HATCH & ENGAGING (I THOUGHT) THE RELEASE, THE ENTIRE PANEL PULLED OFF THE CAR, LEAVING IT DANGLING BY THE WIRING HARNESS. *JS

HELLO I WENT TO MY CAR TO GET MY GROCERY OUT OF THE TRUNK AND WHEN I WENT TO OPEN THE TRUCK THE HATCH HANDLE CLIPS BROKE I CONTACTED SCION THEY SAID THERE AREN'T ANY COMPLAINTS AND BECAUSE I HADN'T HAD MY CAR SERVICE AT SCION DEALERSHIP I WASN'T SHOWING BRAND LOYALTY SO THEY CAN'T HELP ME, WITH THIS PART BEING BROKEN THEIR ISN'T A WAY TO GET INTO THE TRUNK. *TR