SCION Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA SCION XB. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING, FLAMES WERE SEEN FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW SWITCH. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

I NOTICED A FEW WEEKS AGO THAT WHEN I TRIED TO OPEN THE LIFT GATE, THAT MY FINGERS WERE COVERED IN A BLACK MUSHY SUBSTANCE. THE SWITCH TO OPEN THE DOOR WAS COMPLETELY MELTED AND WOULD BARELY OPEN. MY WIFE AND I DON'T USUALLY USE THE HATCH DOOR, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG ITS BEEN IN THIS CONDITION . WE HAVE BEEN VERY HAPPY WITH THE SCION UP TO THIS POINT.I FOUND OUT THAT MANY OTHERS ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM AND FEEL TOTALLY DISAPPOINTED IN TOYOTA'S PRODUCT. I'M SERIOUSLY PLANNING ON TAKING THIS FLAW TO THE MEDIA SINCE THE DOOR MAY NOT EVEN OPEN IN AN EMERGENCY. THE OTHERS HAVE TOLD ME THAT IT IS NO LONGER COVERED BY WARRANTY, AND TOYOTA REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP WANTS OVER $200.00 TO FIX IT. I FEEL IT IS A FLAW THAT TOYOTA SHOULD REPAIR AND NOT ME. THE PART WAS PROBABLY MADE IN CHINA AND IS JUNK.THE CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN KEPT IN THE CARPORT AND NEVER ABUSED. *TR

TWO OCCURRENCES WITHIN 3 DAYS, UNINTENDED FULL ACCELERATION - ACCELERATOR STUCK AT FULL THROTTLE. *TR

TRAVELING HOME FROM WORK WHEN I FELT SOMETHING POP UNDER THE FRONT OF THE CAR. THE STEERING BOOMERANGED TO THE LEFT, I WAS NOT ABLE TO RECOVER AS IT WAS LIKE IT WAS LOCKED.UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL BACK TO THE RIGHT, I APPLIED THE BRAKES WHICH WOULD NOT STOP THE CAR AS IT ACCELERATED . THE CAR CROSSED THE CENTER LINE INTO A RESIDENTIAL YARD HITTING A TREE HEAD ON. I ENDED UP WITH FACIAL, CLAVICLE, RIB, PELVIS AND HIP FRACTURES. THE PHYSICIANS SAY IT WILL BE A YEAR BEFORE I WILL BE ABLE TO WORK AND I MAY END UP WITH A PERMANENT LIMP. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 072913 UPDATE: CRASH ON JUNE 5, 2012 RESULTED IN PERMANENT DISABILITY, FOOT DROP, AN "ERECTOR SET" INSIDE MY LEG/HIP/PELVIS, ALWAYS WEARING THE LEG BRACE, DEALING WITH ATROPHY, PAIN/DISCOMFORT, LOSING THE HOUSE, NEED HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE APT, FINANCES SUCK, WILL ALWAYS BE PAYING THE MEDICAL BILLS, CAN'T GO BACK TO WORK (EVER), HAVE ALREADY BECOME A BURDEN TO OTHER TAXPAYERS & THE LAWYER ADVISED NO SUCCESSFUL TORT WAS POSSIBLE AGAINST TOYOTA SCION BECAUSE THERE WAS NO OTHER WITNESS... (DON'T BELIEVE TOYOTA WOULD CARE EITHER WAY ! ). WE GOT RID OF THE TUNDRA FOR A RIDGELINE TOO. NO TOYOTA PRODUCTS IN OUR FUTURE - EVER. AM NOT COMPLAINING THOUGH - AM VERY HAPPY TO STILL BE VERTICAL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT LEASED A 2010 TOYOTA SCION TC WITH YOKOHAMA S32A93201(NA) TIRES, SIZE 215/ 45 R17. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRES WOULD CONTINUOUSLY LOSE AIR. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO ADD AIR TO THE TIRE WEEKLY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE SIDEWALLS OF THE TWO PASSENGER SIDE TIRES WERE CRACKED. THE MECHANIC TRIED TO SEAL THE TIRES BUT THE TIRES BLEW AS THE CONTACT DROVE HOME. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 11,000. UPDATED 9/4/13 *CN THE TIRES WERE REPLACED/REPAIRED.

MY ENGINE SEIZED. LONG STORY SHORT, MY CAR WAS BURNING OIL AT A RATE OF 1 QUART EVERY 700 MILES. I WAS TAKING MY CAR TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP EVERY 5000 MILES FOR MY FREE OIL CHANGES. NO ONE NOTICED I WAS BURNING THAT MUCH OIL UNTIL I STARTED HEARING SOUNDS FROM MY ENGINE. IT WAS TOO LATE AT THAT POINT. THERE WAS PERMANENT ENGINE DAMAGE CONFIRMED BY 2 MECHANICS AT PRIVATE SHOPS. AFTER ADDING HIGH MILEAGE OIL TO MY CAR TO SLOW DOWN THE OIL CONSUMPTION AFTER A MONTH OF HEARING THE SOUND AND NOTICING THE AMOUNT OF OIL BEING BURNED, THE ENGINE SEIZED LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER THAT. I HAD TO REPLACE THE WHOLE ENGINE BLOCK. CORPORATE TOYOTA COVERED THE BRAND NEW ENGINE BUT I HAD TO PAY FOR SERVICE (ALL DONE AT ANOTHER DEALERSHIP) WHICH CAME OUT TO $3000 OUT OF MY POCKET. *TR

MAJOR LOSS OF VEHICLE POWER ON THE HIGHWAY ABOUT 20 TIMES THE PAST FEW WEEKS. LUCKILY, EACH TIME, I MANAGED TO GET INTO THE BREAKDOWN LANE WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT OCCURRING. TURNING OFF AND ON THE VEHICLE SOMETIMES RETURNED IT TO NORMAL OPERATION. SOME TIMES, THE ENGINEWAS 'RACING' WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNED BACK ON. AND OTHER TIMES, I HAD TO PERFORMMULTIPLE OFF-ON CYCLING OF THE ENGINE BEFORE NORMAL BEHAVOIR WAS RESTORED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. THIS BEHAVIOR ALSO OCCURRED A FEW TIMES LAST YEARBUT SINCE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT REMAIN ON, I WASN'T SURE THAT THE DEALER WOULD BE ABLE TO REPRODUCE OR DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. I'M NOT SURE WHETHER OR NOT THE RECENT HOT WEATHER WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROBLEM TO OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH ACTON TOYOTA FOR 7/20/2013. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS BEING CAUSED BY A FAILED THROTTLE BODY AND PARTS ARE ON ORDER. THEY SAID THAT THE REPAIR WOULD BE $1300. SO, I'M NOW RESEARCHING WHETHER THIS DEFECTIVE PART SHOULD BE REPLACED UNDER THE CUSTOMER SERVICE PROGRAM OF THE TOYOTA ECONOMIC LOSS SETTLEMENT THAT RECEIVED FINAL APPROVAL BY THE FEDERAL COURT ON 7/19/2013. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR A THROTTLE BODY TO FAIL ON A VEHICLE WITH ONLY 36K MILES AND 4 YEARS OLD. *TR

THE POWER WINDOWS ARE DEFECTIVE. THEY BREAK DOWN EASILY. CANNOT USE THE WINDOWS BECAUSE THEY DON'T WORK. THE COST TO REPLACE EACH WINDOW MOTOR IS VERY EXPENSIVE AND NOT AFFORDABLE. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

I WAS DRIVING BACK FROM WORK GOING AROUND 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, AND HEARD LOUD BANG LIKE A GUNSHOT. FIRST I THOUGHT THAT ONE OF MY TIRES HAS HIT ON SOMETHING AND EXPLODED BUT THEN I FELT SOMETHING FALLING FROM THE ROOF AND I MANAGED TO PULL OVER RIGHT AWAY. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR I SAW MY MOON ROOF SHATTERED IN PIECES. THERE WASN'T ANY DEBRIEF ON THE ROAD OR ANY SMALL ROCKS THAT COULD'VE HIT THE ROOF AND SHATTERED IT. THE BANG WAS VERY LOUD AND VERY DISTURBING AND I HOPE THIS CAN BE INVESTIGATED AND PREVENTED IN THE FUTURE. *TR

MY DAUGHTER WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE HER DREAM CAR, A SCION TC, A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND AS SHE WAS RETURNING HOME FROM OC, MD, ON 18 JUL 13, SHE HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT AND SAW SOMETHING FLY OFF HER CAR SO PULLED OVER TO DISCOVER HER SUNROOF HAD EXPLODED (SUNROOF WAS CLOSED AS IT WAS HOT AND SHE WAS USING AC)...SHE WAS 1-1/2 HR AWAY FROM HOME. AS SHE TRIED TO LOCATE A VACUUM CLEANER TO CLEAN OUT THE GLASS INSIDE HER CAR, SHE REALIZED PIECES OF GLASS WERE BREAKING LOOSE FROM HER SUNROOF AND FLYING BEHIND SO SHE PULLED OVER AGAIN AND LITERALLY HAD TO WRAP HER SUNROOF IN A TOWEL TO KEEP HERSELF AND OTHER MOTORIST SAFE. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY WOULD NOT ACCEPT IT AS BEING DEFECTIVE...CLAIMED SOMETHING HAD TO HAVE FALLEN AND HIT HER SUNROOF FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. CONTACT HAS BEEN MADE TO INSURANCE FOR A CLAIM, BUT AFTER READING ALL THE BLOGS, I WILL PURSUE TOYOTA TO REPLACE THIS AT THEIR COST AS IT SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE. PRIMARY BUYERS OF THESE VEHICLES ARE THE YOUNGER GENERATION AND IT SICKENS ME TO KNOW TOYOTA IS NOT STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE AND RECALLING THEM TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AND KEEP THE DRIVERS AND SURROUNDING MOTORIST SAFE. I AM ON MY SECOND TOYOTA TACOMA, HAVE ALWAYS DEEMED TOYOTA AS ECONOMICAL AND SAFE VEHICLES; HOWEVER, DEPENDING ON HOW THIS ORDEAL IS HANDLED, WILL DETERMINE HOW FAITHFUL OF A CUSTOMER I AM IN THE FUTURE! *TR