Scion tC Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

The 2008 draws 5.46 complaints per run and the 2015 1.82, a 3.0-fold gap within the same model. Half of all complaints arrive by 4 years of age, so 68.8% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Visibility, with 105 complaints, typically at 2.8 years.

Scion tC years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Scion tC — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2016	1.25	5	4	yes
2015	1.82	20	11	yes
2014	1.89	17	9	yes
2013	1.33	8	6	yes
2012	1.17	7	6	yes
2011	2.3	23	10	yes
2010	1.6	16	10	yes
2009	3.23	42	13	yes
2008	5.46	71	13	yes
2007	3.87	89	23	yes
2006	4.44	120	27	yes
2005	4.85	126	26	yes

ROWS 12·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Among the 6 Scion tC years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2008, 2005, 2006; the three worth hunting are 2015, 2009, 2007.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Scion tC — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	69	13.5%	covered
1 year	57	24.6%	covered
2 years	34	31.2%	covered
3 years	58	42.5%	you pay
4 years	44	51.1%	you pay
5 years	41	59.1%	you pay
6 years	40	66.9%	you pay
7 years	36	73.9%	you pay
8 years	36	80.9%	you pay
9 years	34	87.5%	you pay
10 years	20	91.4%	you pay
11 years	17	94.7%	you pay
12 years	12	97.1%	you pay
13 years	7	98.4%	you pay
14 years	7	99.8%	you pay
15 years	1	100%	you pay

ROWS 16·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 31.2% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 68.8% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 22% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Scion tC, the early trouble is Visibility and Vehicle Speed Control — reported at around 2.8 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Engine at 8.4 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Scion tC — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Visibility	105	2.8 yrs	1	—
Engine	90	8.4 yrs	—	4
Structure	87	4.2 yrs	7	2
Air Bags	71	4.7 yrs	52	—
Unknown Or Other	50	6.3 yrs	3	1
Service Brakes	47	4.6 yrs	16	2
Power Train	27	5.3 yrs	1	—
Vehicle Speed Control	25	3.9 yrs	9	—

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the tC's vehicle class. Per production run, the Toyota Corolla draws 5.16, the Lexus IS 1.31 and the BMW M3 1.49, against 3.58 for the tC.

FIG.05·Scion tC — rivals in the same class
Same class as the tC	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Toyota Corolla	12,389	219	1981–2026
Lexus IS	47	118	2001–2026
BMW M3	565	78	1988–2026
Acura TLX	893	41	2015–2026
Ford Focus	22,576	138	2000–2026
Subaru WRX	290	17	2015–2026

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Everything on the Scion tC

Recalls30 campaigns Fuel economy26 mpg best Common problems512 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build Cargo space15 cu ft Used prices384 listings Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car2005–2016

Frequently asked questions

Is the Scion tC reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 3.58 against 3.73 for the average car, and in the middle of its class rivals.

Which tC years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2008, 2005, 2006. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2015, 2009, 2007. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do tC problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 4 years of age. The most reported system is Visibility, typically at 2.8 years, followed by Engine.

Will the warranty cover tC problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and only 31.2% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 22% of the complaints here.

Is the tC more reliable than the Toyota Corolla?

Yes: 3.58 complaints per production run for the tC against 5.16 for the Toyota Corolla.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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