SCION Complaints

THE REAR DOOR LATCH BROKE OFF IN MY HAND. THE WHOLE MECHANISM NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. SCION CLAIMS THAT THE OWNER'S MANUAL ADVISES NOT TO LET THE MECHANISM BEAR ANY WEIGHT. THIS IS ERRONEOUS, AS THE OWNER'S MANUAL TELLS YOU TO LIFT AFTER PUSHING THE BUTTON. THIS LIFTING OVER TIME CAUSES WEAR OF THE TINY PLASTIC PIECES THAT ARE BEARING THE WEIGHT OF THE ENTIRE REAR/HATCH BACK DOOR. AFTER HAVING THIS PROBLEM I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD, AND NOT MANY HAVE THIS KIND OF FAULTY DESIGN. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS TWO-FOLD: NUMBER ONE, THE LIGHT ON TOP OF THIS MECHANISM IS THE BRAKE LIGHT. IT JUST FALLS OFF OVER TIME. ONCE IT IS BROKEN, THERE IS NO WAY TO HOLD IT IN PLACE AND IT BLOCKS THE LICENSE PLATE AND ALSO COULD FALL OFF ENTIRELY AND DAMAGE ANOTHER VEHICLE. NEEDLESS TO SAY I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS DESIGNED INTO THE VEHICLE. I AM CONVINCED THAT NUMEROUS OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AS BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND THE SCION HELP LINE ADMITTED THAT THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY. THEY ALL SEEM TO BE IN COLLUSION ABOUT IT BEING A DESIGN DEFECT EVEN THOUGH THEY ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE WEIGHT BEARING ASPECT OF THE TRUNK LATCH. I WAS TO OPEN IT BY TOUCHING THE BUTTON AND THEN LIFTING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUNK. WHEN DOING THIS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THE DOOR AS THE LATCH NEEDS TO BE PUSHED AT THE SAME TIME IT IS LIFTED UPWARD. OTHERWISE THE LATCH JUST STAYS LOCKED. I FIND THIS WHOLE SITUATION PROBLEMATIC AS I PURCHASED A SCION BECAUSE OF TOYOTA'S SOLID REPUTATION OF STANDING BY THEIR VEHICLES. AS MAY VEHICLE IS PAST ITS WARRANTY THIS DEFECT IS NOT COVERED. I WAS TOLD THAT AS ONE TIME GESTURE THEY WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM IF I PAID FOR IT AND THEN APPLIED FOR REIMBURSEMENT. I LIVE FROM PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK AND DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX THE DANGLING DOOR LATCH. AFTER SPEAKING WITH SCION OVER SEVERAL DAYS THEY AGREED TO COVER THE REPAIR IF THE DEALERSHIP WOULD BILL SCION FOR THE COST. THE ISSUE IS THAT IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR

I HAVE A LARGE CRACK IN THE FRONT WINDSHIELD OF MY 2008 SCION XB. I BOUGHT THE CAR IN MAY SO IT IS A LITTLE OVER 3 MONTHS OLD. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY ANYTHING HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. MY SCION DEALER SAYS THAT IT IS NOT COVERED BY MY WARRANTY. THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME $1010 TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD AND THE MOLDING. *TR

BOUGHT A SCION TC IN MAY OF 2008 AND WITHIN A WEEK OF PURCHASE, NOTICED A RATTLE COMING FROM THE MOONROOF ASSEMBLY. MADE APPOINTMENT WITH DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY FOR SERVICE, AND BROUGHT IT BACK SEVERAL TIMES, AS WELL AS OPENED A CASE WITH SCION TO INVESTIGATE. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN DONE. DEALERSHIP AND SCION HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT AND NOT AT ALL HELPFUL, GOT THE MAJOR RUN AROUND. TOLD THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO BECAUSE THERE IS NO TSB FOR THE PROBLEM, AND IT IS A "CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CAR" - THEY ALL RATTLE LIKE THAT. (MY VEHICLES ASSEMBLY ONLY RATTLES ON THE DRIVERS SIDE) CONCERNED THIS MIGHT BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE - THIS IS ONE LARGE PANE OF GLASS RATTLING OVER TIME AND HAVE READ PRIOR COMPLAINTS ON "SHATTERING" MOONROOFS. HAVE FILED FOR LEMON LAW SINCE THIS IS A BREECH OF WARRANTY THAT NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTED, BUT WILL NOT BE HEARD IN COURT UNTIL APRIL OF 2009. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN. *TR

AROUND MARCH 2008, I PEBBLE HIT MY SCION XB WINDSHIELD AND CAUSED A SMALL CRACK. ABOUT A WEEK LATER THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED IN DIFFERENT PLACES AND I HAD TO GET IT REPLACED. RECENTLY, ON AUGUST 4TH, 2008, ANOTHER PEBBLE HIT MY WINDSHIELD AND ANOTHER CRACK. AND TODAY AUGUST 27TH, 2008, MY FRIEND WHO HAS AN XB ALSO GOT A CRACK ON HER WINDSHIELD FROM A SMALL PEBBLE. I LOOKED ONLINE FOR SOME SORT OF EXPLANATION AND IT SEEMS THAT TONS OF SCION XB OWNERS ARE COMPLAINING OF SUCH A DEFECT ON THEIR WINDSHIELDS. SO I AM ALSO HERE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SINCE IM GOING THROUGH MY 2ND WINDSHIELD. *TR

1. MAYBE A PEBBLE IMPACT 2. WINDSHIELD CRACK (ONE TIME, I HAVE NOT CHANGED THE WINDSHIELD YET) 3. NOTHING YET. *TR

THE CAR WOULD STALL WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE MORE QUICKLY THAN NORMAL. THIS OCCURRED THREE TIMES IN APPROXIMATELY 10 DAYS. THIS OCCURRED TWICE ON TOWN ROADS, AND THE THIRD TIME WHILE ENTERING THE INTERSTATE TO DELIVER THE CAR TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS DONE WHICH PRODUCED CODE #P2112--THROTTLE ACTUATOR STUCK CLOSED. THREE NEW PARTS WERE REPLACED: HOSE, THROTTLE BODY; BODY ASSY, THROTTLE; GASKET , THROTTLE BOD. *TR

I WAS A PASSENGER IN THE BACK SEAT OF MY '05 SCION WHEN WE WERE REAR ENDED AT LOW IMPACT APPROX 15 MPR. I IMMEDIATELY FELT INTENSE PAIN BETWEEN MY SHOULDER BLADES FROM THE IMPACT OF THE FRAME AROUND BACKSEAT AND HEADREST AREA. I HAVE BEEN RECEIVING TREATMENT FOR MY INJURY EVER SINCE. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE METAL FRAME WITHIN THE BACK OF THE BACKSEAT, I WOULD NOT HAVE ANY INJURY. THE MANUFACTURER NEEDS TO KNOW THAT IF AN ADULT SITS IN THE BACKSEAT, THEY ARE IN DANGER OF POSSIBLE INJURY IF REARENDED. AND THE INJURY IS FROM THEIR SEAT CONSTRUCTION, NOT WHIPLASH. *TR

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2008 SCION XB ON AUGUST 3, 2008 AND ONLY AFTER 2.5 WEEKS NOTICED THE "L" SHAPED CRACK ON MY WINDSHIELD. AFTER MY INITIAL INSPECTION I COULD NOT SEE ANY VISIBLE ABRASIONS. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER 2 DAYS AFTER I FIRST NOTICED AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS DUE TO A ROCK. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE THAT CONDUCTED THE TEST HAD TO LITERALLY TRY TO FIND A "POINT OF CONTACT". HE EVEN HAD TO REQUEST FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO FIND ONE. FINALLY AFTER NUMEROUS PASSES WITH HIS PEN AND FINGER HE FINDS A SMALL CHIP ABOUT THE SIZE OF A PEN TIP, AN INCH DOWN FROM THE SEAM OF WHERE THE GLASS MEETS THE CAR. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 600 MILES. IS PARKED IN A GARAGE (AT WORK AND HOME). THE CRACK IS NOW AN ESTIMATED 7+ INCHES. I SAID TO THE SERVICE REP, "IS THE QUALITY OF THE WINDSHIELD THAT POOR, THAT A VERY SMALL ROCK HITTING A BRAND NEW WINDSHIELD WOULD CAUSE THIS MUCH DAMAGE". HIS RESPONSE WAS YES. *TR

A COOPER LIFELINER TOURING TIRE WITH LESS THAN EIGHT THOUSAND MILES ON IT (PURCHASED APP. EIGHT MONTHS AGO) FAILED ON MY WIFE'S CAR. NO PUNCTURE, NO SIGN OF TREAD DAMAGE, BUT THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE BURST OPEN. THERE WAS NO IMPACT WITH ANY OBJECT OR CURB, THE CAR WAS TRAVELING AT AROUND 50 MILES PER HOUR. TIRE INFLATION AND ROAD CONDITION WERE OPTIMAL. NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. TIRE SIZE: 185/60 R15 DOT CODE: DOT UT 90 C53 2806. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE BELTWAY (495 NORTH), MY SCION TC MOONROOF SHATTERED AND THE GLASS FELL ON ME AND ON THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. MY MOONROOF WAS FULLY OPENED AT THE TIME. NEITHER THE DEFLECTOR NOR THE STATIONARY MOONROOF (WHICH IS LOCATED ABOVE THE BACKSEAT) SHATTERED BUT ONLY THE RETRACTABLE MOONROOF. THERE WAS NO IMPACT FROM INSIDE THE CAR THAT CAUSED THE MOONROOF TO SHATTER NOR DID I HEAR OR SEE ANY ROCK OR DEBRIS HIT THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR BEFORE IT SHATTERED AND EXPLODED INTO THE CAR. I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION OF GLASS WHICH WAS FALLING ALL AROUND ME. I PULLED OVER TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED AND THEN I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE SALESPERSON WHO SOLD ME THE CAR. I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN MAY 2008 FROM LAUREL TOYOTA/CARMAX. THIS WAS THE ONLY TIME THAT THIS OCCURRED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY. THE SERVICE MANAGER LOOKED AT THE MOONROOF AND TOLD ME IT WAS AN INSURANCE MATTER. HE NEVER ASKED ME WHAT HAPPENED; HE ONLY LOOKED AT THE MOONROOF. I WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUE OF HAVING A MOONROOF EXPLODE FOR NO REASON SO I INSISTED ON SEEING THE GENERAL MANAGER OF CARMAX LAUREL. HE SHOWED CONCERN AND WANTED TO RULE OUT ANY SAFETY HAZARD SO HE SAID HE WOULD HAVE A TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE COME AND LOOK AT THE CAR TO SEE IF THERE WAS A DEFECT. THE TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE IS SCHEDULED TO LOOK AT MY CAR SOMETIME TODAY BUT I WAS TOLD BY CARMAX THAT I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO MEET WITH THE REP BECAUSE HE ONLY DEALS WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND NOT THE CUSTOMER. I TOLD THEM THAT WAS UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE THE REP WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE A DETERMINATION WITHOUT SPEAKING TO THE PERSON WHO HAD A FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAPPENED. I AM WAITING TO HEAR FROM TOYOTA/SCION ABOUT THEIR DECISION TO ADDRESS THE SAFETY ISSUE CONCERNING MY 2008 SCION TC. *TR