FORCAR
Go Pro

Toyota Scion xB Reliability

Owners filed 11 complaints about the Scion xB: 1.57 per production run against 3.73 for the market, fewer complaints than most cars.

NHTSA owner complaints · 11 complaints · 2008–2008 · Updated Nov 3, 2026
Quick answer

Half of all complaints arrive by 12 years of age, so 100% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Unknown Or Other, with 4 complaints, typically at 12 years.

Toyota Scion xB years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Toyota Scion xB — complaint rate by model year
Model yearPer runComplaintsRunsEnough history?
20081.57117yes
ROWS 1·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Toyota Scion xB — age at failure
Age at failureComplaintsRunning totalWarranty
8 years19.1%you pay
9 years227.3%you pay
10 years136.4%you pay
12 years7100%you pay
ROWS 4·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 36% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

What waits further out is Unknown Or Other at 12 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Toyota Scion xB — what fails and when
SystemComplaintsTypical ageCrashFire
Unknown Or Other412 yrs——
Engine410.8 yrs——
Structure312 yrs——
Air Bags19 yrs——
Fuel/propulsion System18 yrs——
Service Brakes112 yrs——
ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints
Upgrade to Pro

Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.

  • Check any VIN against complaints for its exact build year and plant
  • Exact value for that car, adjusted for its mileage
  • Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
  • Alerts if a recall lands on a car in your garage
  • No ads, on every page
  • No ads, no tracking — and much more
See plans → Start free →
Free plan available — no credit card needed
Everything on the Toyota Scion xB
Recalls7 campaignsCommon problems208 complaintsCheck a VINAgainst this exact buildUsed prices300 listingsWhat yours is worthValue by year & mileageWindow stickerOriginal Monroney labelDecode a VINWhat each character meansAbout this car2004–2015

Frequently asked questions

Is the Toyota Scion xB reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 1.57 against 3.73 for the average car.

When do Scion xB problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 12 years of age. The most reported system is Unknown Or Other, typically at 12 years, followed by Engine.

Will the warranty cover Scion xB 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 36% 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.
Found this useful?

Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.

Prefer ForCar →