2008 SCION XB Complaints

LOST POWER STEERING WHILE MAKING A U-TURN. WAS ABLE TO GAIN CONTROL BY STEERING HARD ON THE STEERING WHEEL! ALMOST CRASHING ONTO ANOTHER CAR. FOUND OUT THAT THEY'RE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINTS IN REGARDS TO THIS MATTER ONLINE. SCION WOULD NOT RECALL, OR INVESTIGATE FURTHER. COST OF REPAIR, TOW, DIAGNOSTIC IS IN THE $1500+! *TR

I PURCHASED THE SCION XB 2008 NEW AND HAVE HAD ALL OIL CHANGES AND RECOMMENDED SERVICE PERFORMED TIMELY. AT APPROX. 45,000 MILES (BUT AFTER THE 5 YEAR WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED, (I AM A LOW MILEAGE DRIVER) I NOTICED THAT IT HAD CONSUMED TWO QUARTS OF OIL WITHIN AROUND 1500 MILES AFTER THE OIL CHANGE (RECOMMENDED TO PERFORM EVERY 5000 MILES). I HAD AN OIL CHANGE AND TOOK A ROAD TRIP SO THAT I PUT MORE THAN A 1000 MILES ON IT IN ABOUT 10 DAYS, AND WHEN I WAS ON A STEEP INCLINE THE CHECK OIL LIGHT CAME ON. MY MECHANIC SAID IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT THE OIL HAD NOT BEEN FILLED PROPERLY AFTER THE CHANGE AND TOPPED IT OFF. IT WAS LOW AGAIN WHEN I HAD IT CHANGED AT THE 51,000 MARK; AFTER ABOUT 1,500 MILES IT NEEDED TWO QUARTS OF OIL WHICH WAS ADDED. AFTER ANOTHER 1,500 OR SO MILES IT NEEDED ANOTHER TWO QUARTS OF OIL, WHICH I ADDED. I CONTACTED TOYOTA, AND WITHOUT RECITING THE INITIAL RUNAROUND, THEY SET UP AN OIL CONSUMPTION TEST AFTER CONFIRMING IT WAS NOT LEAKING OIL. THE OIL CONSUMPTION TEST IS NOT COMPLETED - IT MAY NOT BE A TRUE REFLECTION OF OIL USAGE AS IT SEEMS TO BE WORSE WHEN DRIVEN A LONG DISTANCE AT ONE TIME WHICH WILL PROBABLY NOT HAPPEN DURING THIS 1,000 MILE CYCLE. I THEN GOT A NOTICE IN THE MAIL THAT THEY HAD A PROGRAM TO REIMBURSE OWNERS FOR THE PARTS (NOT THE LABOR) IF THEY BELIEVED THE VEHICLE MET CERTAIN (UNSPECIFIED) CRITERIA AFTER THE OWNERS HAD THE REPAIRS DONE FOR THE DEFECT WHICH, APPARENTLY, THEY ALREADY KNOW SPECIFICALLY EXISTS AND HOW TO FIX IT. THE NOTICE SAID THEY ARE MAKING AS MANY REPLACEMENT PARTS AS POSSIBLE BEFORE ENCOURAGING US TO GET OUR VEHICLES REPAIRED. MY NUMBERS ARE NOT EXACT BUT THE INFORMATION IS GENERALLY ACCURATE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS AND HAVE A RECALL ISSUED. THANK YOU *TR

THE 1ST THING I NOTICED AFTER STARTING MY CAR AFTER WORK WAS THE HEATER WAS BLOWING COLD AIR, EVEN AFTER 4 MILES ON THE ROAD (2 LANE ROAD - 40 MPG). ABOUT 4 MILES FURTHER ON (FREEWAY - 60+ MPH), I NOTICED A THIN GREY CLOUD BEHIND ME, BUT THE EVENING MISTS WERE EVIDENT, SO I WASN'T SURE AT FIRST IF IT WAS COMING FROM MY CAR. I CHECKED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WHICH SHOWED FLAT COLD - UNUSUAL! I CHECKED MY REARVIEW MIRROR AGAIN, MAYBE 200 YDS LATER, AND THERE WAS A PALER GREY CLOUD FOLLOWING ME. I CHECKED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AGAIN AND THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS SHOWING. ABOUT 200-500 YARDS FARTHER, THE VSC LIGHT CAME ON, THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON AND ANOTHER LIGHT THAT IS NOT SHOWN IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL STARTED BLINKING: THE SYMBOL WAS A CAR WITH A RECYCLE ARROW INSIDE THE BODY. I TOOK IT TO MEAN THAT THE CONTROLS WERE ACKNOWLEDGING THE HEATER WASN'T WORKING (THE SYMBOL IS THE SAME AS "AIR INTAKE SELECTOR" ON THE HEATER/AIR CONDITIONER CONTROLS). I FELT THAT I STILL HAD GOOD CONTROL OVER THE STEERING; IT WAS A CLEAR EVENING AND THE ROAD WAS DRY, SO I FELT I COULD GET HOME SAFELY (2 MILES). THE CAR WAS RUNNING QUITE ROUGH WHEN I GOT HOME AND THERE WAS WHAT SEEMED TO BE STEAM COMING FROM THE FRONT QUADRANT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE DEALER SAYS THE WATER PUMP FAILED, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT, SO NOW THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ($6800). WHY DID THE WARNING LIGHTS AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE NOT LET ME KNOW THE ENGINE WAS OVERHEATING????? OR WHY DID THE WATER PUMP SUDDENLY FAIL?? NO WARNING LIGHTS TO INDICATE FAILURE OF A CRITICAL PART!!!!!??!. (CAR HAS BEEN REGULARLY MAINTAINED, ALL RECOMMENDED SERVICE PERFORMED BY CERTIFIED MECHANICS). NO SIGN THAT THE WATER PUMP WAS LEAKING PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. *TR

VEHICLE'S REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR CONNECTORS GET CORRODED BY ROAD SALT, RESULTING IN FAILURE OF CAR'S COMPUTER TO REGISTER SPEED OF REAR WHEELS. THEREFORE, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM AND VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL MAY NOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY IN SNOWY CONDITIONS. TOYOTA RELEASED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN REGARDING THIS ISSUE AND CORRECTED THE DESIGN FLAW ON LATER SCION XB MODELS. (S-SB-0040-09 JULY 6, 2009). *TR

1. INCIDENT THE DRIVER WAS DRIVING THE 2008 SCION XB ALONE ON EAST-BOUND I-80, APPROACHING CARQUINEZ BRIDGE, VALLEJO, WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPPED WORKING. THE DRIVING SPEED WAS ABOUT 70 MPH. TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS AROUND 12:45 A.M. ON DECEMBER 25, 2014. HE WAS DRIVING ON THE 1ST LANE, AND TO THE BEST OF HIS KNOWLEDGE, THERE WAS ONLY ONE COMPACT CAR PASSING NEARBY, WHEN THE CAR STOPPED ALL OF A SUDDEN . HE TRIED TO REACH OUT FOR A TOW TRUCK WITHOUT SUCCESS, BUT LATER ON HE REMEMBERED HE WAS AN ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF A CLASSIC MEMBERSHIP CARD REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF HIS MOTHER. BUT HE DID NOT HAVE THE CARD ON HIM AT THAT TIME, BUT GAVE HIS NAME TO AAA TO PROVE HE IS AN ASSOCIATE MEMBER. FINALLY, THE AAA TOW TRUCK ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AROUND 1:45 A.M. HE TOWED IT TO HOME, AND DAYS LATER HAD IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC SHOP, EAST BAY AUTO LOCATED ON NORTH TEXAS STREET. THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AND SAID THE ENGINE GOT BROKEN AND THE CAR NEEDED REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE. 2. SCION SIDE ON FEB. 10, 2015, THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE RECEIVED A LETTER OF WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT NOTIFICATION FROM SCION. THE OWNER DID NOT TAKE AN INITIATIVE TO CALL SCION BEFORE RECEIVING THIS NOTIFICATION. THE NEXT DAY, THE VEHICLE OWNER CALLED SCION AND FILED A CLAIM FOR ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO EXCESSIVE ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION. CASE #[XXX]. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP AT SCION ARRANGED FOR TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN VACAVILLE TO INSPECT AND DIAGNOSE SCION XB TO SEE IF THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS DUE TO EXCESSIVE ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

SALT AND SNOW CAUSES ERROR CODES C0210, REAR SPEED SENSOR RH CIRCUIT TO MALFUNCTION AND SHUTS DOWN THE ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, AND AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. ALL SAFETY DEVICES ARE OFF WHEN SALT IS USED ON ROADWAYS. SALT AND SNOW CAUSES ERROR CODES C0215, REAR SPEED SENSOR LH CIRCUIT TO MALFUNCTION AND SHUTS DOWN THE ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, AND AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. ALL SAFETY DEVICES ARE OFF WHEN SALT IS USED ON ROADWAYS. THIS IS A KNOW PROBLEM WITH 2008-2009 SCION XB, TOYOTA TSB S-SB-0040-09, JULY 6,2009 **THE CONNECTORS FOR THESE SENSORS ARE EXPOSED TO THE ENVIRONMENT, CAUSING NON DEPLOYMENT OF SAFETY DEVICES LEADING UP TO, AND DURING A CRASH** *TR

ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE PARKED. WHEN I PARKED THE CAR MY STEERING WORKED. WHEN I STARTED MY CAR AND PRECEDED TO BACK UP, THE POWER STEERING LIGHT APPEARED AND IT WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE WHEEL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACTS OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA SCION XB. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE RIGHT. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE CONTROL ARM WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000.

EXTREMELY EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. THE VEHICLE USES OVER 3 QUARTS OF OIL BETWEEN OIL CHANGES (5000 MILE OIL CHANGE INTERVAL.) WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THE ENGINE MAY SEIZE WHILE DRIVING, DUE TO LACK OF OIL, CAUSING A CRASH. (TOYOTA ISSUED A TSB REGARDING THIS ISSUE IN 2011, DUE TO A DESIGN DEFECT.) *JS

DATES AND MILEAGE ARE APPROXIMATE. I HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH OIL FOR OVER A YEAR AND I HAVE LESS THAN 90,000 MILES ON MY SCION. I ALSO HAVE A POWER STEERING LEAK. WHEN I FIRST START THE VEHICLE, IT MAKES AN AWFUL NOISE, BUT WHEN I TAKE IT IN, NO ONE CAN FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I HAVE ANOTHER 2,000 MILES TO GO BEFORE I NEED TO CHANGE THE OIL AGAIN. I CHECKED IT ONCE, THEN CHECKED IT AGAIN ON 11/14/2014 AND IT WAS 3 QUARTS LOW! I TOOK IT TO WHERE I GET THE OIL CHANGE AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS TOLD - THEY CHECKED FOR LEAKS - NONE EXCEPT THE POWER STEERING. I DON'T SEE THE VEHICLE SMOKE NOR DO I SMELL THE OIL BURNING. I HAVE HAD 2 OTHER TOYOTA AND HAVE NOT HAD PROBLEMS - THEY RAN WITH OVER 150,000 MILES. *TR