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Toyota Scion tC Reliability

Owners filed 16 complaints about the Scion tC: 1.14 per production run against 3.73 for the market, fewer complaints than most cars. The year to avoid is 2008; the cleanest year old enough to judge is 2007.

NHTSA owner complaints · 16 complaints · 2007–2008 · Updated Nov 3, 2026
Quick answer

Half of all complaints arrive by 13 years of age, so 100% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Engine, with 12 complaints, typically at 13 years.

Toyota Scion tC years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Toyota Scion tC — complaint rate by model year
Model yearPer runComplaintsRunsEnough history?
20081.1776yes
20071.1398yes
ROWS 2·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Does the market discount it? In our listings a 2008 Scion tC asks a median $3,500, against $3,250 for a 2009, the next model year: 8% more, so the price shows no discount for its complaint record.

Among the 2 Toyota Scion tC years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2008, 2007; the three worth hunting are 2007, 2008.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Toyota Scion tC — age at failure
Age at failureComplaintsRunning totalWarranty
6 years213.3%you pay
10 years120%you pay
12 years233.3%you pay
13 years353.3%you pay
14 years480%you pay
15 years3100%you pay
ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 0% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 100% 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 81% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

What waits further out is Engine at 13 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Toyota Scion tC — what fails and when
SystemComplaintsTypical ageCrashFire
Engine1213 yrs——
Electrical System314 yrs——
Suspension210 yrs——
Structure16 yrs——
Vehicle Speed Control1———
Power Train114 yrs——
Steering110 yrs——
Unknown Or Other110 yrs——
ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints
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Everything on the Toyota Scion tC
Recalls8 campaignsCommon problems211 complaintsCheck a VINAgainst this exact buildUsed prices287 listingsWhat yours is worthValue by year & mileageWindow stickerOriginal Monroney labelDecode a VINWhat each character meansAbout this car2005–2016

Frequently asked questions

Is the Toyota Scion tC reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 1.14 against 3.73 for the average car.

When do Scion tC problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 13 years of age. The most reported system is Engine, typically at 13 years, followed by Electrical System.

Will the warranty cover Scion tC problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and only 0% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 81% of the complaints here.

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 , founder of ForCar.
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