NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 Scion xD. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SCION XD WITH <40K MILES. THE BRAKE SYSTEM, IN PARTICULAR, THE SPEED SENSOR AND PARKING BRAKES, FAILED DURING A SNOW A WEEK AGO. THE CONTACT WAS FORCED TO SLIDE WITHOUT ABS AND WITH A FUNNY BRAKE ALL THE WAY HOME. TOYOTA OBVIOUSLY KNOWS THIS SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT ON THEIR SCION XD AND YARIS (PLATFORM MATES) SINCE A TSB WAS ISSUED FOR YARIS (T-SB-0120-08, JUNE 27, 2008) AND THE DEALER IMMEDIATELY GUESSED "FAILED REAR PASSENGER-SIDE WHEEL SENSOR" WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT THE VEHICLE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT IN FOR REPAIR. THE CONTACT AGREED TO PAY $750 OUR OF POCKET FOR THE REPAIR, YET THE PART WAS BACK-ORDERED FOR MORE THAN A MONTH DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER VEHICLES SUFFERING FROM THE SAME DEFECT. NHTSA, LOOK AT THE RECENT SURGE IN ABS RELATED COMPLAINTS ON THE SCION XD AND THE YARIS. TOYOTA OBVIOUSLY KNOWS THAT THIS IS A DESIGN/MANUFACTORING DEFECT YET NO RECALL HAVE BEEN ISSUED AND THE OWNERS ARE FORCED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS WHILE WAITING INDEFINITELY FOR THE REPLACEMENT PART. EVEN WORSE, THE REAR DRIVER SIDE SENSOR IS LIKELY TO BE DEFECTIVE, YET TOYOTA WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT EVEN IF A RECALL IS ISSUED. IT'S LIKE SITTING ON A BOMB THAT'S WAITING TO EXPLODE.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA SCION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALER TOLD HER THAT THE ABS SENSOR FAILED. THE FAILURE CAUSED EVERY OTHER WARNING LIGHT TO COME ON. THE DEALER DOES NOT HAVE THE PARTS AVAILABLE TO REPLACE THE SENSOR. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT EVEN THOUGH THE ABS SENSOR FAILED THEY INSIST THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 49,669.
WHEN THE REAR DRIVER-SIDE SEAT IS FOLDED DOWN, THE SEAT BELT RECEPTACLE FOR THE CENTER SEAT BELT IS DRAWN UNDER THE SEAT AND REQUIRES QUITE A BIT OF EFFORT TO FISH OUT. THIS HAPPENED EVEN WHEN MY WIFE WAS HOLDING THE SEAT BELT RECEPTACLE AND TRYING TO KEEP IT FROM BEING SUCKED UNDER THE SEAT. THIS RECEPTACLE EVENTUALLY SHATTERED AND JAMMED THE SEAT TO WHERE IT WOULD NOT MOVE BACK AND FORTH. TOYOTA REPAIRED IT IN DECEMBER 2010, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE TOYOTA SERVICE ADVISOR AND TECHNICIAN SAID THAT IT WAS REPAIRED CORRECTLY AND THERE WAS NOTHING FURTHER THAT COULD BE DONE. SAFETY-RELATED ITEM SUCH AS THE SEAT BELT RECEPTACLE SHOULD NOT BECOME UNUSABLE IN THE NORMAL COURSE OF OPERATING THE CAR SEAT AS DESCRIBED ON PP. 29-30 OF THE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR THE 2008 SCION XD. *LN
THE BRAKES , NOT SURE IF THEY ARE THE REGULAR BRAKES OR E-BRAKES , ON MY '08 SCION XD, GET STUCK , LOCKED, FROZEN WHEN TEMP'S DIP BELOW ABOUT 23 DEGREE FAHRENHEIT. I LIVE IN CHICAGO SO THIS IS A VERY ANNOYING AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM IN WINTER. BACK OF CAR , BRAKES GET STUCK AND WILL PULL THE REST OF CAR. MY CAR AFTER , SUCCESSFULLY FREEING THEM ONE COLD MORNING, GOING TO A SHOP TO GET THEM INSPECTED RESTUCK IN A BUSY INTERSECTION A MILE FROM MY HOME , MAKING MY CAR STALL OUT IN MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION MAKING FOR VERY NERVOUS MOMENT, ONCE RESTARTED, CAR BARELY WENT BACKWARD WHERE I COULD GO GET THEM UNSTUCK AGAIN. FOUND A WEB FORUM FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM TONIGHT, WHERE I FOUND I'M FAR FROM ALONE, IT'S A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. MY CAR WILL NOT EVEN GET OUT OF PARKED LOCATION TONIGHT. HERE IS THE LINK ...., HTTP://WWW.SCIONLIFE.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=196896 I BROUGHT MY CAR TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO GET RECALL WORK OF THE PCV AFFECTING BRAKES WORK DONE, AT TIME , DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THEY DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS OTHER PROBLEM AND COULDN'T RECREATE T , BUT WHEN I GOT LAUNDRY LIST OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE AFTER THAT SERVICE WORK, THEY DID MENTION NEW CABLING WOULD BE NEEDED TO FIX THE STUCK BRAKES IN COLD MORNING PROBLEM, SO TO ME, THAT SAYS THEY KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHAT WILL FIX IT! FINDING THE FORUM TONIGHT MAKES PERFECT SENSE WHY THEY KNOW OF THIS PROBLEM, AND MENTION IT TO ME AT END OF SERVICE. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALLED DEFECT, IT'S VERY SERIOUS, IT'S MANUFACTURE DEFECT, IT'S VERY DANGEROUS AND TOYOTA IS CHARGING AN ARM AND LEG FOR THE FIX , > 600 DOLLARS WAS THEIR QUOTE ...... PLEASE HELP, THIS IS ANOTHER TOYOTA BRAKE PROBLEM , IT JUST HASN'T BEEN SPECIFICALLY SINGLED OUT FOR SOME REASON AND THEY ARE PLAYING DUMB TO IT UP FRONT BUT QUIETLY KNOW OF IT AND THE FIX, PLEASE HELP US OUT , AGAIN, THANKS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA SCION XD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE WOULD ENGAGE INDEPENDENTLY WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE BRAKE LIGHTS WHEN THE CONTACT HAD ENGAGED THE BRAKES EVEN ON DRY PAVEMENT. THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT AND WOULD RECUR WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT A SENSOR WITHIN THE REAR WHEEL HUBS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. UPDATED 4/11/2011 *CN UPDATED 04/22/11
SUDDEN ACCELERATION AT A SLOW SPEED. *TR
APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH AGO, I HAD EXITED FROM THE FREEWAY AND CAME TO AN INTERSECTION. AS I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR TO DRIVE THROUGH THE INTERSECTION, THE CAR STALLED. I TURNED THE IGNITION TO THE "OFF" POSITION AND PUT THE CAR IN "PARK" INORDER TO ATTEMPT TO RE-START THE CAR. THE CAR CONTINUED TO CRANK EVEN WHEN I TOOK MY HAND OFF OF THE IGNITION. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO TOYOTA TO DIAGNOSE AND FIX THE PROBLEM. INVOICE INDICATED THAT BATTERY WAS CHANGED AND THAT TECH PERFORMED ECM CALIBRATION AND FUEL INJECTOR SERVICE. ONE MONTH LATER, I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 55 MILES AN HOUR AND MY ACCELERATOR WENT OUT AGAIN. THE CAR ROLLED DOWN THE FREEWAY UNABLE TO ACCELERATE UNTIL I MANAGED TO STEER THE CAR TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND PULLED OVER. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR. AGAIN, (LIKE IN THE FIRST INCIDENT) THE CAR CONTINUED TO CRANK WITHOUT STARTING. I AGAIN HAD THE CAR TOWED TO TOYOTA FOR CAR SERVICE. IT IS CURRENTLY IN THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE SERVICE TECH DID TELL ME TODAY THAT HE BELIEVES THE PROBLEM MAY BE WITH THE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR, BUT NOT SURE. THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED THOROUGHLY AS THIS CAR HAS STALLED (WITHOUT WARNING) ON ME TWICE WHILE ON THE ROAD, ONCE IN AN INTERSECTION AND ONCE ON THE FREEWAY, WHICH PUTS MYSELF, MY FAMILY, AND OTHERS AT HIGH RISK FOR A COLLISION. *TR
THE ABS LIGHT IN OUR 2008 SCION XD WAS COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, ANDERSON TOYOTA & SCION IN ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS. THEY TOLD US THAT IT WAS THE REAR HUB SPEED SENSOR ASSEMBLY: $605.00 TO REPLACE!!! WE HAD KURT'S AUTOMOTIVE IN ROCKFORD TAKE A SECOND LOOK AT IT, THEY COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING THAT SHOWED JUSTIFICATION OF THAT BEING THE PROBLEM. SO IT HAS NOT BEEN FIXED AND IT HAS NOT COME ON AGAIN FOR OVER A MONTH, WHEN IT DID COME ON OUR BRAKES WERE SPONGY AT TIMES TOO, LIKE THE OTHER COMPLAINT STATED & NOT AS RESPONSIVE. WE HAVE HAD THE RECALL (PCV TO BRAKE LINE CONDENSATION FIX) DONE BY ANDERSON AND THE ANTI-LOCK LIGHT WAS STILL COMING ON AFTER THAT TOO. BUT IT SEEMS WHEN IT STARTED GETTING WARMER OUT THE ANTI-LOCK LIGHT STOPPED AND BRAKES WERE FINE. JUST LAST WEEK, MAY 7 2010 WE TOOK IT IN TO ANDERSON'S FOR THE SERVICE BULLETIN SB-0032-09 INTERMITTENT HARD STARTING OR EXTENDED STARTING WHICH JUST STARTED TWO WEEKS AGO. THIS FIX(???) IS COVERED UNDER TOYOTA FEDERAL EMISSIONS WARR. 80K MILE OR 96MO., WHICH THE FIRST TIME I SOMEONE TOLD ME IT WOULD COST US $55 TO DIAGNOSE IT!!?? SECOND TIME I CALLED I TALKED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AT ANDERSON, HE SAID BRING IT IN, IT'S UNDER WARRANTY. ANDERSON UPDATED THE ECM/PCM MODULES, CLEANED CARBON BUILDUP OUT OF COMBUSTION CHAMBERS, ADDED FUEL CLEANER. AND THE VERY NEXT DAY AS MY WIFE LEFT FROM A TRIP 120 MILES AWAY TO HEAD BACK HOME IT STARTED DOING IT AGAIN!!!! HARD, EXTENDED STARTUP OF ENGINE! NO SERVICE ENGINE LIGHTS WHEN THIS HAPPENS & THERE HAVE BEEN NO ERROR CODES IN COMPUTER. ALTHOUGH THE SERVICE CENTER TOLD ME THEY CAN RESET THEMSELVES WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF. OF COURSE THIS CAR JUST WENT OUT OF WARRANTY 43,000 CURRENT MILES, ON A (3YRS/36K WARR.)!!! MY WIFE WORKS NEAR CHICAGO SO IT MAKES FOR AN EVEN TOUGHER COMMUTE WONDERING EVERYDAY IF IT WILL START, THEN WILL SHE GET STUCK AT WORK! TOYOTA, SEEMS YOUR QUALITY HAS GONE SQUAT!! *TR
THE ABS LIGHT IN MY CAR KEEPS COMING ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP (BAY RIDGE TOYOTA, BROOKLYN, NY) THREE TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE SECOND TIME I TOOK IT WITH A LETTER FOR A RECALL ON SOMETHING RELATED TO THE BRAKES. THE PROBLEM STILL HAPPENS AND THE BRAKES SOMETIMES FEEL SPONGY AND ARE NOT AS RESPONSIVE. I TOOK THE CAR AGAIN TODAY, AND EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS STILL UNDER THE NEW CAR WARRANTY, THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME $94 DOLLARS TO JUST LOOK AT IT. AGAIN, I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR 3 TIMES. AND I DO NOT FEEL SAFE. I WANT ALL THIS RECORDED IN CASE THE BRAKES STOP WORKING AND SOMETHING HAPPENS. I FEEL LIKE NO ONE IS LISTENING TO ME. THE CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY!!!! ALSO THE SEATBELT LIGHTS COME ON EVEN WHEN I HAVE THE SEATBELT ON. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SCION XD. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 35 MPH DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER WHEN THE TCS (TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT) ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, WHICH DETERMINED THAT THE REAR WHEEL TRACTION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS, BRAKE AND TCS LIGHT WERE ILLUMINATED DUE TO THE FAULTY TRACTION SENSOR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.
WHILE RETURNING HOME ON NOV.19, 2009 THERE WAS FRESH SNOW AND COLD TEMPERATURES. APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION, A GARBAGE TRUCK FAILED TO YIELD THE RIGHT OF WAY. I APPLIED THE BRAKES ON MY 2008 SCION XD AND THEY LOCKED, THE ABS FAILED TO ACTIVATE. THIS RESULTED IN AN INJURY ACCIDENT. AFTER THE CAR WAS IN THE BODY SHOP I CONTACTED TOYOTA SAFETY DEPARTMENT AND THE SENT A REP TO INSPECT THE CAR, HE REPORTED NO PROBLEM W/ THE BRAKES. TODAY I FOUND THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THE BRAKE SYSTEM OF THE 2008 SCION XD WHICH STATES THE BRAKES MAY FAIL IN EXTREMELY COLD AMBIENT TEMPERATURES. TOYOTA ONLY RELEASED THIS RECALL IN 19 STATES THAT IT DEEMED COLD ENOUGH. I HAD TAKEN THIS CAR TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT WITH CONCERNS ABOUT THE BRAKES. AND THEY REFUSED TO LOOK AT THE CAR AT THAT TIME, STATING THEY WERE TO BUSY AND TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, BY THE APPOINTMENT THE TEMP WOULD HAVE RISEN AND THE PROBLEM NON EXISTENT. YOUR SITE WON'T ALLOW ME TO CONTINUE UNLESS I SELECT MODEL XB WHEN I WAS DRIVING AN XD. UPDATED 03/04/10
I HAVE A 2008 TOYOTA SCION XD. PRIOR TO FINDING OUT ABOUT THE RECALL FOR THE ABS SYSTEM, MY ABS LIGHT INDICATOR ON THE DASH BOARD CAME AN ALONG WITH MY PARKING BRAKE LIGHT. WHILE DRIVING I WAS COMING TO A STOP SIGN, THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT SHUT OFF. WHEN I TRIED TO APPLY MY BRAKES THE ABS BRAKES KICKED IN AND WOULDN'T ALLOW ME TO STOP MY VEHICLE BEFORE I CAME TO THE INTERSECTION! I RELEASED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKES, THEN RE APPLIED THE BRAKES. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO STOP. I HAD THE RECALL REPAIR PERFORMED ON MY CAR JANUARY 2010, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. THE ABS INDICATOR LIGHT STILL REMAINS ON, AND WHEN IT SHUTS OFF THE ABS BRAKES ACTIVATE CAUSING MY CAR TO BE OUT OF MY CONTROL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA SCION XD. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V338000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
MY ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A RESIDENTIAL ROAD. WENT TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, WHERE THEY TOLD ME THAT MY ABS SENSOR WAS NO LONGER WORKING IN THE LEFT TIRE. THEY REPLACED THE SENSOR. 6 MONTHS HAD PASSED AND THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN FOR A FEW DAYS THEN WENT OFF. THIS SCENARIO PLAYED OUT FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, MORE SO IN COLDER MONTHS. THE REASON IT WAS NOT REPAIRED WAS BECAUSE THE COST WAS TOO HIGH TO FIX. STARTING IN OCTOBER 2013 THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON AND HAVE NOT COME OFF SINCE THEN. I RECENTLY BROUGHT THE CAR TO A MECHANIC (AUGUST 26, 2014) WHERE THEY TOOK A LOOK AT THE ISSUE. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT BOTH MY FRONT TIRE ABS SYSTEMS WERE NOT WORKING AND THE COST TO REPLACE BOTH SYSTEMS WAS $1,100. *TR
I OWN A 2008 SCION XD (AKA COROLLA HATCHBACK) THAT HAS STEERING PROBLEMS EVER SINCE I BOUGHT IT NEW IN 2008. THE VEHICLE HAS ELECTRICAL POWERED STEERING. IT IS DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE CAR IN THE LANE WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IT TENDS TO WANDER AROUND IN THE LANE AND REQUIRES CONSTANT MONITORING TO AVOID DRIFTING INTO OTHER LANES. I AM EXPECTING TO BE PULLED OVER FOR DRUNK DRIVING SOMEDAY. MY WIFE DROVE IT ONE TIME AND NOW REFUSES TO DRIVE IT. THE STEERING PROBLEM HAS BEEN EVIDENT SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT IT. NOTE====> VEHICLE IS SCION XD <============ (XD IS NOT AVAILABLE FROM THE DROP DOWN MENU ON THE NEXT PAGE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA SCION XD. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 34 MPH, THE VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY JERKED TO THE RIGHT. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE AND SOME BUSHES; HOWEVER, THE ONLY THING THAT STOPPED THE VEHICLE WAS THE MUD. THE ENGINE CONTINUED REVVING UNTIL THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF. DURING THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT COULD NOT CONTROL THE STEERING COLUMN NOR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM FAILED. IN THE EVENT THAT AT LEAST ONE WHEEL LOSES TRACTION, THE STABILITY SYSTEM PREVENTS THE DRIVER FROM STEERING THE VEHICLE. IT WILL ALIGN THE VEHICLE TO MOVE STRAIGHT FORWARD, THUS PREVENTING THE CONTACT FROM CONTROLLING THE VEHICLE IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY. THE CONTACT REQUESTED A COPY OF THE POLICE REPORT AND HAS PICTURES OF THE FAILURE. AS OF AUGUST 1, 2008, THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MODERATE DAMAGE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 9,750. UPDATED 09/10/08. *LJ UPDATED 09/16/08. *JB UPDATED 06/22/10.*JB UPDATED 5/28/10 *CN UPDATED 06/14/10.*JB
2008 SCION XD ROLLED OVER AND NONE OF THE SIDE IMPACT OR FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. I AM GLAD MY SON IS OK, SINCE HE WAS WEARING HIS SEAT BELT ASIDE FROM THE WHIPLASH HE EXPERIENCED DUE TO THE ROLLOVER. I THINK THE AIRBAGS IN THIS SCION WERE DEFECTIVE AND DIDN'T DEPLOY WHEN THEY SHOULD HAVE ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CAR IS ROLLING OVER ON BOTH OF ITS SIDES. *TR
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026