Scion · tC · 2008
3
Recalls
86
Complaints
-
Not Rated
The 2008 Scion tC has 3 recalls and 86 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Most reported issue: engine (19 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
GULF STATES TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2010 VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1, 2005 AND JUNE 2, 2008 WITHOUT THE REQUISITE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS.
Remedy Status
DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. DEALERS WILL ALSO CORRECT THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GULF STATES TOYOTA AT 713-580-3300.
SOUTHEAST TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2011 PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD WITHOUT THE REQUISITE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS.
Remedy Status
DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SOUTHEAST TOYOTA AT 1-800-301-6859.
TOYOTA IS RECALLING 27,080 MODEL YEAR 2005 THROUGH 2010 PASSENGER CARS BUILT FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 2005 TO MAY 4, 2009. THESE VEHICLES WERE NOT EQUIPPED WITH LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS."
Remedy Status
TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND PROVIDE THEM WITH A NEW, ACCURATE LABEL TO BE INSTALLED OVER THE INACCURATE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 18, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-888-270-9371.
Burning oil bad
SUNROOF / MOONROOF EXPLOSION. DRIVING 50 MPH ON FREEWAY AND WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUN SHOT WAS MY MOONROOF EXPLODING. NOTHING HIT THE VEHICLE, IT JUST EXPLODED ON ITS OWN.
2008 - SCION - TOYOTA - BURNING OIL, BURNING A QUART OF OIL IN LESS THAN EVERY 800 MILES. CAR IS UP TO DATE WITH ALL MAINTENANCE. MECHANIC REFERRED US TO DEALERSHIP. TOYOTA ISSUED A TSB - 'SOME 2006 ' 2011 MODEL YEAR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE 2AZ-FE ENGINE MAY EXHIBIT ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION. THE PISTON ASSEMBLY HAS BEEN CHANGED TO MINIMIZE OIL CONSUMPTION.' AND THAT 'P030# (CYLINDER # MISFIRE DETECTED) DTC MAY ALSO BE SET AS A RESULT OF OIL CONSUMPTION.' HOWEVER DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO EVEN TEST OR REPAIR THE VEHICLE. SAYING WE ONLY HAD UNTIL AUG 2017. WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF SUCH ISSUES, NO LETTERS OR ANYTHING WERE SENT TO US. CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN REGISTERED AND OUR OWNER INFO HAS ALWAYS BEEN AVAILABLE TO TOYOTA. SO NOW WE ARE STUCK WITH DEFECTIVE VEHICLE.
ENGINE CONSUMES TOO MUCH OIL . HAVE TO REFILL THE OIL IN MY ENGINE ABOUT TWO TIMES IN BETWEEN OIL CHANGES.
TAKATA RECALL. MY FRONT TIRES WEARING FAST. WHEN I TOOK TO DEALER FOR SERVICE & ALIGNMENT, I WAS INFORMED THAT MY CAR HAS A ROW BAR THAT IS RUSTED AND FROZEN AND I WILL NEED TO REPLACE IT ($2,000 ESTIMATED). WHEN I DRIVE IT IN THE RAIN, THE CAR FLAILS ALL OVER THE LANE. I HAD TO STOP AND LET CARS PASS ME, I COULD ONLY DRIVE AT LOW SPEEDS AND I HAD TO PULL OVER 4 TIMES BEFORE GETTING HOME SAFELY. I FELT LIKE I WAS GOING TO DRIVE OFF THE ROAD. VERY SCARED AND DANGEROUS. I CAN'T DRIVE MY CAR ON WET ROADS. ALSO, I'M HAVING TO BUY NEW TIRES EVERY 20,000 MILES IT SEEMS AND I'VE REGULARLY HAD THEM ROTATED. LAST TIME THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T ROTATE THEM BECAUSE THE ROD WAS FROZEN AND IT'S ONLY THE TC MODEL THAT HAS THIS PARTICULAR ROD.
PURCHASED THIS CAR FOR MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER 2 MONTHS AGO. CAR RUNS LIKE A CHAMP. RECENTLY HAD TO ADD A QUART AND A HALF OF OIL THEN CHANGED THE OIL SATURDAY AND YESTERDAY THE CAR WAS 2 QUARTS LOW AGAIN. HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT EXCESSIVE OIL USE ON THESE VEHICLES, SAME YEAR YET TOYOTA HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL, WHY? WHEN READING COMPLAINTS, APPARENTLY IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM, DEFECT, WITH THE 08 TC IN WHICH INVOLVES THE PISTON RINGS. THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE FIX AND TOYOTA SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE REPAIRS.
EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION AND THIS IS THE SECOND ENGINE THAT HAS BLOWN IN MY CAR. THE FIRST PROBLEM WAS WHEN THE PISTONS BLEW UP MY ENGINE AND NOW HERE WE GO AGAIN WITH THE PISTONS IN THE SECOND MOTOR. I CALLED SCION CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SPOKE WITH CAMILLE AND SHE BASICALLY TOLD ME I AM STUCK WITH THIS BAD MOTOR THAT I JUST HAD PUT IN ON APRIL 7, 2017.
THIS VEHICLE WAS JUST INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, REAR-ENDING THE CAR IN FRONT, THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE IS DEMOLISHED, THE RADIATOR AND EVERYTHING CRUSHED AND SLAMMED BACK, FLUIDS LEAKING FROM EVERYTHING, EVEN BUCKLED THE PASSENGER DOOR, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF THIS VEHICLE'S AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THE POLICE OFFICERS ON THE SCENE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THEY DID NOT DEPLOY.
RAPID OIL CONSUMPTION. OVER 4 QUARTS IN <2,000 MILES. PROBLEM STARTED AROUND 147,000 ODO
HIGH CONSUMPTION OF ENGINE OIL. I AM HAVING TO ADD ABOUT A QUART EVERY 1000 MILES OR SO. TOOK TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD I WAS 2 WEEKS PAST THE DEADLINE OF 10 YEARS FROM THE DATE THE VEHICLE WENT INTO SERVICE. THE CAR IS WELL UNDER THE 150,000 MILES COVERAGE PERIOD AT ONLY 90,000 MILES. TOYOTA'S POSITION WAS FIRM ON THE 2 WEEK OVERAGE PERIOD. THIS JUST DOES NOT SEEM RIGHT. THIS CAR'S ENGINE COULD LOCK UP DUE TO LACK OF OIL AND CAUSE ME TO WRECK NOT TO MENTION THE UNNECESSARY AMOUNT OF AIR POLLUTION THIS IS CAUSING
ON SEP 24TH, 2017, I WAS MERGING ONTO THE SOUTH 710 FREEWAY FROM MISSION BOULEVARD IN ALHAMBRA, CA AROUND 7 PM WHEN MY CLOSED SUNROOF SHATTERED. I QUICKLY PULLED OVER AND LOOKED AT THE ROOF IN THE FADING LIGHT OF SUNSET. THERE WERE NO TREES, BIRDS OR OVERHEAD BRIDGES WHERE THE FAILURE OCCURRED AND APPEARED TO BE NO OBJECTS THAT APPEARED TO HAVE HIT THE CAR OR EMBEDDED IN THE SUNROOF GLASS. I CLEANED SOME OF THE LOOSE GLASS AND CAREFULLY ROLLED BACK ONTO THE 710 FREEWAY WAY TO DRIVE UP THE FREEWAY TO GET HOME AND CONTACT MY INSURANCE COMPANY
EXCESSIVE ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM. BURNS MORE THAN TWO QUART OF OIL IN LESS THAN 1800 MILES.
MY ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED, BUT INSTEAD OF GETTING A SCION THEY GOT A COROLLA ENGINE, SO NOW MY CAR DRINKS TOO MUCH GAS. THE BRAKES STOPPED BEING STOP CLOSE TO ON THE DIME AFTER THEY FIXED THE ENGINE, AND REPLACED THE TIRES. WHEN THEY CHANGED THE TIRES THEY USED IMPACT STUDS/BOLTS. EVERY TIME I USE CRUISE CONTROL IT GOES FASTER A LITTLE NO MATTER IF IT'S UP OR DOWN HILL. I HAVE TO PUSH DOWN TO SLOW IT DOWN.
CENTER CONSOLE BURST INTO FLAMES CAUSING AN INTERNAL FIRE, WHILE STATIONARY.
I JUST WENT TO THE DEALER AND HAVE INDICATED THAT MY CAR BURNS OIL 2 TO 3X'S FASTER THAN NORMAL. I WAS MADE AWARE (FOR THE 1ST TIME) OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT TOYOTA ISSUED. HOWEVER, MY CAR NOW HAS 150,737 MILES AND DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE WARRANTY WORK. HERE'S THE DOCUMENT THAT SHOWS MY CAR NO LONGER QUALIFIES. HTTP://MEDIA.FIXED-OPS.COM/TOY_CAMPAIGNS/ZE7-DLRLTR.PDF PLEASE HELP!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 SCION TC. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT FACILITY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 156,000.
AT AROUND 35000 MILES I NOTICED MY CAR STARTED BURNING OIL. I THOUGHT THIS WAS NORMAL SO I BEGAN USING THICKER OIL. THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. MY CAR NOW HAS 185000 MILES AND I'M USING 10W40 OIL WITH OIL STABILIZER AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. I'VE HAD TWO OIL CONSUMPTION TESTS DONE ON MY CAR AND, ACCORDING TO THEIR TESTING STANDARDS, IT HAS PASSED BOTH TIMES. HOWEVER, THE ISSUE IS ONGOING AND HAS OF COURSE WORSENED. IT'S TO THE POINT THAT MY OIL LIGHT CAME ON IN MY CAR AND I HAD TO ADD 2 QUARTS OF OIL AFTER ONLY 3500 MILES. TOYOTA HAS SIMPLY LEFT ME IN THE DARK WITH THIS PROBLEM AS I WAS HOPING TO HAVE THIS VEHICLE FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.
CAR WAS TESTED FOR THE OIL CONSUMPTION TEST THEY WERE DOING AND IT SUPPOSEDLY PASSED, BUT THEN AS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, THE MOTOR COMPLETELY BLEW DUE TO THE LACK OF OIL. I'D EVEN BEEN ADDING OIL TO MY CAR DAILY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SCION TC. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SCION TC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS CONSUMING AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF OIL, EVEN BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS AN UNKNOWN SAFETY CAMPAIGN THAT EXPIRED IN JUNE OF 2015. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED IN JUNE OF 2015 AND WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE CAMPAIGN. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE NOTICE WAS PROBABLY MAILED TO THE PREVIOUS OWNER. THE CONTACT CONTESTED THAT THIS WAS NOT HIS FAULT. THE MANUFACTURER PROMISED THAT THEY WOULD RESEARCH THE MATTER, BUT THEY STILL WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIRS. WHEN THE CONTACT WENT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE'S OIL CHANGED AT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, HE WAS DENIED SERVICE BECAUSE THE VALVE GASKET COVER EXPLODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED IMMEDIATELY. AS A RESULT, OIL SPILLED ALL OVER THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,000.
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2008 Scion tC has 3 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 86 owner-reported complaints for the 2008 Scion tC.
NHTSA has not published a safety rating for the 2008 Scion tC.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2008 Scion tC are engine (19 reports), structure (16 reports), air bags (9 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 3 recalls on record for the 2008 Scion tC. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Look up recalls and complaints for any year, make, and model.
This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.