SCION Complaints

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

WHILE DRIVING ON SNOWY AND SALTED ROADS, THE BRAKE, ABS, AND VSC LIGHTS ALL CAME ON AT THE SAME TIME. THEY REMAINED ON WHILE DRIVING ON THOSE SAME SNOWY AND SALTY ROADS. THE NEXT DAY THEY EVENTUALLY WENT OFF. WEEKS LATER THEY CAME ON AGAIN IN WET WEATHER AND REMAINED ON. THE LOCAL TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER DUPLICATED THE ISSUE AND PULLED THE DIAGNOSTIC CODES C0210 & C1238. THE TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER SAID THE ENTIRE HUB AND BEARING ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED AS THE INTERNAL ABS SENSOR WHICH THEY SAID WAS AT FAULT WAS NOT SOLD SEPARATELY AND ONLY CAME AS PART OF THE HUB AND BEARING ASSEMBLY KIT. THEIR QUOTE TO REPAIR THIS ISSUE WAS $915 FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF ONE HUB AND BEARING KIT! THIS IS RIDICULOUS. BRAKE SENSORS SHOULD NOT FAIL DUE TO SNOW, SALT, OR WATER COMING INTO CONTACT WITH THEM. THIS IS A DANGEROUS FLAW IN THE DESIGN OF THIS VEHICLE AND ONE THAT IS NOT COMMONLY FOUND WITH OTHER MAKES AND MODELS, BUT IS COMMONLY REPORTED ALL OVER THE INTERNET FROM OTHER OWNERS OF TOYOTA'S SCION XB. TOYOTA SHOULD ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE AND COVER THE COST TO REPLACE THE SENSORS WITH ONES THAT DO NOT FAIL DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2009 TOYOTA SCION FROM THE FAIRFIELD, CA DEALERSHIP . I WAS ON THE FREEWAY WHEN MY CAR ACCELERATED UP TO A FASTER SPEED THAN I WANTED I TRIED TO CORRECT IT IN THE CONFUSION AND NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT WAS GOING ON I LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WAS 10,000.00 OF DAMAGE TO THE CAR IT WAS REPAIRED BUT THEN I HAD ANOTHER ACCIDENT IN THE SAME CAR AGAIN SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT I BARLEY TAPPED THE GAS PEDAL MY CAR JUMPED INTO A HIGH SPEED SMASHING INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AFTER I HIT I TURNED AROUND TO CHECK ON MY CHILD THINKING A CAR HAD HIT ME FROM BEHIND BUT IT WAS NOT ANOTHER CAR IT WAS JUST MINE BUT THEN IT DID IT AGAIN SMASHING INTO THE CAR AGAIN. IT WAS CRAZY I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON MY FACE WAS SMASHED UP PRETTY BAD 2 BLACK EYES AND FAT LIPS EXTRA. MY CAR HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME SO HARD IT SMASHED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF IT. NOW GATHER I WAS ALREADY STOPPED SITTING AND WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO TURN GREEN WHAT CAUSED MY CAR NOT ONCE BUT TWICE TO SMASH INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. MY CAR WAS TOTALED. I HAD THE WORST TIME WITH THIS CAR IT SEEMED LIKE I WAS DRIVING WITH A DARK CLOUD OVER ME. NOT ONLY WAS THE ACCELERATION A PROBLEM BUT THE TRUNK LID ALSO BROKE OFF AND MY SEAT BELTS DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. THERE ALSO WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES SOMETIMES IF I WAS ON A STEEP HILL THE BRAKES WOULD SKIP AND NOT CATCH ALMOST LIKE IT WOULD JUMP. *TR

ON 08/28/2012 I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK WHEN I NOTICED THE RADIO WENT OUT. I EXITED THE FREEWAY. I MADE IT ABOUT 2 BLOCKS AND WAS AT A STOP LIGHT WHEN SUDDENLY MY CAR WOULDN'T ADVANCE. A POLICE OFFICER A FEW CARS BEHIND WAS ABLE TO PUSH MY CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAD MY CAR TOWED FOR SERVICE TO AN INDEPENDENT NON-TOYOTA MECHANIC. I WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW ALTERNATOR. GIVEN THIS WAS A NECESSARY REPAIR I WENT AHEAD AND HAD THE REPAIR DONE. THE CAR WAS RUNNING PRETTY WELL UNTIL 01/01/2013. ON 01/01/2013 I WAS DRIVING HOME WHEN I NOTICED THE HEATER STOPPED WORKING. THINKING NOTHING OF IT, I KEPT DRIVING. ON 01/04/2013 (ABOUT 75,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE) I WAS RETURNING FROM AN ERRAND (DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH) WHEN I NOTICED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD TURNED ON. I PULLED OVER AT A GAS STATION TO FILL UP AND CALLED AN INDEPENDENT NON-TOYOTA MECHANIC TO SEE IF I COULD BRING MY CAR IN. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO BRING MY CAR IN ON 01/05/2013. AFTER I PULLED OUT OF THE GAS STATION AND DROVE A FEW BLOCKS I NOTICED THE NEEDLE FOR THE THERMOSTAT WAS AT THE HOTTEST LEVEL POSSIBLE. THE NEXT MORNING I TOOK MY CAR IN, IT OVERHEATED IN THE 5 MINUTES IT TO ME TO ARRIVE TO THE SHOP. I WAS INFORMED THE ENGINE HAD STRIPPED HEAD BOLTS AND I WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE . I CALLED TOYOTA/SCION AND THEY DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE EITHER THE ALTERNATOR OR STRIPPED HEAD BOLTS BEING AN ISSUE. THE REPRESENTATIVE, [XXX] SAID THEY WOULD OPEN UP A CASE AND I WAS GIVEN THE FOLLOWING CASE # 1301070610. I HOWEVER CAME ACROSS VARIOUS SCION/TOYOTA OWNERS ONLINE WHO HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE. A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH FOR "SCION STRIPPED HEAD BOLTS" WILL SHOW JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD BY [XXX] THAT IF IN THE FUTURE SCION/TOYOTA RECOGNIZES THE ISSUE(S) I MAY RECEIVE A REIMBURSEMENT BUT THERE IS NO GUARANTEE. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE FIX THAT I JUST CAN'T AFFORD. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE VEHICLES REAR HATCH HANDLE HAS A DESIGN FLAW WHICH MAKES THE PART FAIL. THE REAR HATCH HANDLE IS FASTENED TO THE TRUNK/HATCH WITH PLASTIC CLIPS. WHEN THE RELEASE BUTTON FOR THE HATCH IS PRESSED, IT ONLY UNLOCKS THE HATCH DOOR. IT DOES NOT SPRING UPWARD LIKE OTHER VEHICLES. IN THE MANUAL IT SHOWS TO HOLD THE RELEASE BUTTON AND LIFT WITH THE HATCH HANDLE. BECAUSE THERE ARE NO SPRINGS TO HELP LIFT IT APPLIES LOTS OF PRESSURE TO THE CLIPS WHICH WEAKEN THEM. EVENTUALLY, THEY JUST SNAP. THEY ARE ALSO KNOWN FOR SNAPPING WHEN THE HATCH IS LOCKED, IN COLD WEATHER, AND THERE ARE EVEN REPORTS OF THE RELEASE BUTTON MELTING. ANOTHER PROBLEM DEVELOPS WHEN THE HATCH HANDLE IS COMPLETELY REMOVED AFTER FAILING. THERE ARE HOLES FOR THE CLIPS WHICH ARE LEFT OPEN IF THIS PIECE IS NOT ATTACHED. THESE HOLES CAN ALLOW EXHAUST AND OTHER EMISSIONS INTO THE VEHICLE. LASTLY, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF BECOMING TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE. IF THERE WERE AN ACCIDENT THAT LEFT THE SIDE DOORS INOPERABLE AND THE PERSON(S) IN THE VEHICLE WERE ABLE TO EXIT SAFELY THROUGH THE HATCH, THEY ARE UNABLE TO DO SO. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH ANY TYPE OF MANUAL RELEASE (WHICH IS NOT REQUIRED BY LAW). HOWEVER, RESCUERS CANNOT OPEN THE HATCH FROM THE OUTSIDE EITHER. THIS IS BECAUSE WHEN THIS DEFECTIVE PART BREAKS OFF, IT LEAVES THE DANGLING RELEASE BUTTON. CONSUMERS ARE CAPPING THE WIRES SO IT DOESN'T RIP OFF WHILE DRIVING. THERE IS NOW NO WAY TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. *TR

2008 TOYOTA SCION XB. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE WINDOW MALFUNCTION. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, TO HAVE THE RECALL ISSUE ADDRESSED. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE MASTER WINDOW SWITCH, BUT THE WINDOW MOTOR IN THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WAS WORN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AT A COST OF $ 502.03. THE CONSUMER STATED THE SWITCH MALFUNCTIONED MONTHS BEFORE THE RECALL. THE MASTER SWITCH IN THE DRIVER'S DOOR PANEL FOR THE PASSENGER WINDOW WOULD STICK IN EITHER THE FULL UP OR FULL DOWN POSITION AND HE COULD HEAR THE ELECTRIC WINDOW MOTOR CONTINUE TO RUN WHEN THE SWITCH WAS RELEASED. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA SCION XB. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE FRONT HOOD FLEW OPEN AND STRUCK THE ROOF OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD SEND AN INSPECTOR TO FURTHER ASSESS THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

SCION HAS A TSB ON PARKING BRAKE CABLES THAT FREEZE IN COLD WEATHER. WHEN THE CABLES FREEZE, IT WILL CAUSE THE REAR BRAKE CALIBERS TO LOCK AGAINST THE ROTORS. YOU WOULD HAVE TO DRIVE ABOUT 10 MINUTES TO WARM THE ROTORS TO UNLOCK THE BRAKES. THIS COULD CAUSE BRAKES TO FAIL AND MAY NOT STOP AT ALL. I DROVE THE SCION ABOUT 1 MILE WHEN A CAR MADE A LEFT TURN IN FRONT OF ME AND THE BRAKES AND OR TRACTION CONTROL FAILED TO WORK. I'VE NOTICED THAT THE CAR STILL HAS STOPPING PROBLEMS WHEN ITS COLD. I WAS LUCKY IT WAS A LOW SPEED CRASH THAT CAUSED ABOUT 5000 IN DAMAGE. SCION TOYOTA HAS NOT RECALLED THESE CARS FOR BRAKES AND ONLY YOUR TOYOTA MECHANICS KNOW OF THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 SCION IQ. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT A UNKNOWN SPEED, SHE CRASHED INTO A BRICK WALL. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUFFERED INJURIES TO THE CHEST AND RIBS DUE TO STRIKING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN I.D. NUMBER 12V528000 (AIR BAGS) AND CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT ALL OF THE VEHICLES UNDER THE RECALL HAD ALREADY BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A BODY SHOP FOR REPAIRS. THE BODY REPAIR TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSORS WERE TOO LOW TO ACTIVATE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT DURING THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 562.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA SCION XA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAD TO CONTINUE TO HIT THE SWITCH IN ORDER TO GET THE WINDOW TO CLOSE COMPLETELY. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER AND STATED THAT SHE NEEDED TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,200.