2004 SCION XB Complaints

LIFTGATE HANDLE / LIGHT FIXTURE HOUSING BROKE AND SEPARATED FROM THE LIFTGATE, HANGING BY THE WIRE; I HAD TO TAPE IT IN PLACE IN ORDER TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT THE PART DANGLING AND KNOCKING AGAINST THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE / OBSCURING THE LICENSE PLATE. *TR

THE REAR DOOR LATCH HANDLE BROKE OFF IN MY HAND AFTER TRYING TO OPEN THE REAR DOOR ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO. I REPLACED THE PART AT THE DEALERSHIP AT A COST OF ALMOST $300. THIS HAPPENED AGAIN IN NOV. 2012. IT IS A HIGH STRESS PART THAT IS HELD ON BY 2 VERY SMALL CHEAP PLASTIC BRACKETS. *TR

REAR HATCH HANDLE ON 2004 SCION XB CONTINUES TO BREAK OFF. HAD IT REPLACED JUNE 5 2009 AND IT BROKE OFF AGAIN MARCH 2012. THE ENGINEERING AND MATERIALS ARE DEFECTIVE. *TR

IT HAD RAINED EARLIER IN THE DAY, BUT BY THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE RAIN HAD BEEN OVER FOR A FEW HOURS. I WAS DRIVING AT 35 MPH, AND I REACHED A HILL IN THE ROAD, AND I PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR TO INCREASE MY MOMENTUM. I THEN EASED OFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BUT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DIDN'T EASE UP WITH ME. INSTEAD, IT KEPT GOING DOWN. I TRIED THE BRAKES. THEY WERE LOCKED UP. AFTER SEEING ALL THE HORROR STORIES OF TOYOTA'S FLOOR MATS, I IMMEDIATELY RIPPED MY FLOOR MAT OUT FROM UNDER MY FEET AND THREW IT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UP THE HILL. I TRIED THE BRAKES AGAIN. NOTHING. THEN I REACHED DOWN, AND TRIED TO PULL THE GAS PEDAL UP. I PULLED AS HARD AS I COULD, BUT THE PEDAL STAYED STUCK. I LOOKED DOWN AT MY FEET TO MAKE SURE THAT I WAS NOT ACCIDENTALLY PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, BUT I WAS NOT. BY THIS POINT IN TIME, MY CAR HAD INCREASED ITS SPEED FROM THE 35 MPH TO 65 MPH. AS I CRESTED THE TOP OF THE HILL AND RAN THROUGH A STOP LIGHT, I SLAMMED ON MY BRAKES WITH ALL MY STRENGTH. IT TOOK ALL MY STRENGTH TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN TO ABOUT 40 MPH FROM THE 65 MPH IT HAD BEEN AT THE TOP OF THE HILL. I, THEN, SLIPPED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL, AND CONTINUED PRESSING ON THE BRAKES, WHICH WERE STILL FIGHTING ME. THE CAR'S ENGINE WAS STILL REVVING AS IF I HAD MY FOOT FIRMLY PRESSED DOWN ON THE GAS. BY THE TIME I WAS 20 FT AWAY FROM ANOTHER INTERSECTION AND A RED LIGHT IN MY DIRECTION AND A GREEN LIGHT FOR THE CROSS-FLOWING TRAFFIC, I MANAGED TO GET MY CAR DOWN TO 10 MPH. I HAD NO TIME. I COULD EITHER FORCE IT INTO PARK OR GO SWIFTLY INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC IN THE INTERSECTION. SO I PUT IT IN PARK, BUT EVEN IN PARK THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV AS IF I STILL HAD MY FOOT PRESSING DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL. THE ONLY THING THAT GOT THE ENGINE TO STOP REVVING WAS TURNING OFF THE VEHICLE, BUT EVEN THEN THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO GO FOR ANOTHER 10 TO 15 SECONDS. *TR

WHEELS: PREMATURE TIRE WEAR (PRIOR TO TIRE MILEAGE WARRANTY) ALONG WITH UNEXPLAINABLE WARPING OF THE RIMS. TIRE BLOW OUT AND/OR HANDLING/STEERING ISSUES CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND SAFETY HAZARDS, THEREBY PUTTING AN OWNER INTO A PHYSICAL DAMAGE SITUATION, AS WELL AS BY STANDERS. WIPERS: REAR WIPER FLUID DOES NOT SPRAY, STRAIGHT STREAM DOWN THE CENTER OF REAR WINDOW; WIPER BLADE DOESN'T CONTACT 'STRAIGHT' REAR WINDOW THEREBY DECREASING VISIBILITY WHICH IN TURNS INITIATES AND INTENSIFIES SAFETY/ACCIDENT HAZARDS, NOT TO MENTION DEFEATS THE NEED/USEFULNESS OF THE REARVIEW MIRROR. FRONT WINDSHIELD: THE 'STRAIGHT' UP AND DOWN FORM CAUSES IT TO BE A CATCH ALL RATHER THAN AN AERODYNAMIC DEFLECTOR, ALLOWING THE WINDSHIELD TO BECOME A PHYSICAL HAZARD, WHEN AN OBJECT HITS IT WITH PENETRATING FORCE. THE SECONDARY ISSUE IS NUMEROUS WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENTS, WHICH MOST INSURANCE COMPANIES DO NOT COVER THEREBY CAUSING RECURRING, AND TREMENDOUS, FINANCIAL HARDSHIP ON AN OWNER. REAR TAILGATE HATCH: BREAKS AND HANGS BY WIRING HARNESS ALONE, MAKING THE TAILGATE/REAR HATCH VIRTUALLY INACCESSIBLE AND UNUSABLE. THIS THEN BECOMES A NUISANCE FACTOR AS WELL AS A SAFETY HAZARD WHEN AN OWNER WOULD NEED TO ACCESS AND REMOVE THE SPARE TIRE. SINCE LICENSE PLATE ILLUMINATION IS REQUIRED BY LAW, A BROKEN HATCH HANDLE CLEARLY PUTS AN OWNER IN VIOLATION OF THIS LAW, THEREBY CAUSING LEGAL IMPLICATIONS AND EXCESS COST FACTORS WHEN HE OR SHE RECEIVES A TICKET FOR A NON-OPERATIONS TAG LIGHT. *TR

I BOUGHT A 2004 TOYOTA SCION XB USED FROM LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER IN MASSACHUSETTS THE SALES MEN TALK ME INTO GETTING THE EXTENDED BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY FOR $1400.00 SO I DID. A YEAR LATER I GO TO GET MY ANNUAL INSPECTION STICKER THE CAR WOULDN'T PASS I BROUGHT IT BACK TO DEALER THEY DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND TOLD ME THAT IT NEEDED A JUNCTION BLOCK, INSTRUMENT PANEL PART # 82732-52040, BUT IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY SO MUCH FOR BUMPER TO BUMPER,$92.00 TO DIAGNOSE AND $566.00 TO REPAIR ,OK REPAIRS GET DONE NOW IS TIME TO GET MY INSPECTION STICKER AGAIN AND GUESS WHAT SAME PROBLEM CALL THE DEALER THEY WANT ANOTHER $92.00 TO DIAGNOSE AND IF ITS THE SAME PART AGAIN THEY WANT ANOTHER $566.00 TO REPAIR I FEEL THIS IS UNJUSTIFIED.THE REGISTRY OF MOTOR VEHICLES IN MY STATE DEEM THIS VEHICLE UNSAFE AND WILL NOT ISSUE A STICKER BECAUSE THEIR COMPUTER CAN NOT COMUNICATE OR READ THE INFORMATION FROM MY VEHICLES ECM. I PERSONALY DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR. MEAN WHILE I'M MAKING PAYMENTS ON A CAR I CAN'T DRIVE ! P.S I DO HAVE THE OLD PART.THANKS. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2004 SCION XB FOR MY DAUGHTER IN JUNE 2009. SHE CAME HOME FROM WORK LAST NIGHT (JULY 17, 2010) AND WHEN SHE STOPPED HER SCION IN THE DRIVEWAY, WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE (JUST BEFORE PUTTING IT IN PARK), THE CAR ACCELERATED. SHE INSTINCTLY PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND TURNED THE IGNITION OFF. WHEN I WENT OUTSIDE TO CHECK IT, THE CAR WAS STILL IDLED UP WHEN I STARTED THE VEHICLE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING POSTED SPEED ON INTERSTATE 71 SOUTHBOUND FROM CLEVELAND TOWARDS COLUMBUS OHIO, MY CAR DOWNSHIFTED BY ITSELF AND KEPT SLOWING DOWN. I WAS ABLE TO GET ON THE SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE CAR HAD STALLED. I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE CAR. IT WOULD CRANK NORMALLY BUT WOULD NOT START. I CHECKED ALL THE FLUIDS, THEY WERE AT OPERATING LEVELS. I PERFORMED A VISUAL CHECK UNDER THE CAR AND HOOD FOR FLUID LEAKS. THERE WERE NONE. I CALLED A NEARBY (40 MILES) TOYOTA DEALER WHO DISPATCHED A TOW TRUCK TO PICK US UP AND BRING THE CAR TO THEIR REPAIR CENTER IN DELAWARE OHIO. THIS OCCURRED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, AND AS OF THIS WRITING ALL THEY AT BYERS TOYOTA, SUSPECT IS A POSSIBLE ECM FAILURE. THEY ARE STILL TROUBLESHOOTING. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THE CAR START AND RUN SUCCESSFULLY. *TR

NUMEROUS TIMES MY 2004 TOYOTA SCIONXB REQUIRED ME TO SOMETIMES PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE WHEN STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT DUE TO THE ENGINE RACING. WHEN I TOLD TOYOTA SERVICE ABOUT IT, THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. JUNE 1, 2005 APPROACHING A KIDS PLAYGROUND AREA AT 30MPH, I PUT ON BRAKES AS THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WAS ABOUT TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN. THE BRAKE DID NOT HOLD, I HIT THE REAR OF THE CAR AHEAD OF ME , I BRAKED AGAIN AND HIT THE CAR AGAIN. NO DAMAGE TO THE OTHER CAR BUT I WAS CITED FOR A MAJOR ACCIDENT, 1ST ONE IN 50 YRS OF DRIVING INCLUDING 15 AS A SCHOOL BUS DRIVER. I ALWAYS BELIEVED SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT WITH THE BRAKES AND WITH THE CURRENT TOYOTA BRAKE PROBLEMS I BELIEVE THE SCION XB SHOULDN'T BE IGNORED. I NEVER FELT SAFE AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND GOT RID OF IT. *TR

MOTHER SUFFERED FROM COSTOCHONDRITIS AS A RESULT OF THE EMERGENCY LOCKING RETRACTOR IN 2004 TOYOTA SCION XB NOT LOCKING WHEN VEHICLE CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP. THIS CAUSED HER CHEST TO STRIKE THE STEERING WHEEL, INJURING THE RIBS AND CARTILAGE ON THE FRONT OF THE CHEST. *TR