Scion Tc Reliability by Year
Based on 2M+ real complaints filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
873 NHTSA complaints (2005–2016).Complaint rate: 222.8 per 1,000 vehicles.
Should I buy a Scion Tc?
Quick answer from 873 NHTSA complaints · 2005–2016
Scion Tc shows elevated crash or fire rates — buy with caution. 19.9% of reported complaints involved a crash — above the ~4% mainstream average. Most complaints relate to engine problems. Inspect carefully or consider a different model in the same class.
- 2016 Scion Tc· 6 complaints
- 2012 Scion Tc· 12 complaints
- 2013 Scion Tc· 12 complaints
- 2005 Scion Tc· 203 complaints
- 2006 Scion Tc· 196 complaints
Keep scrolling for year-by-year complaint trends, recall campaigns, and component breakdowns — or click any year above for a full report.
Why these years are worse
The most common issues driving the complaint spikes:
- engine problems — 105 complaints (0.0% involved a crash)
- sunroof/moonroof — 83 complaints (0.0% involved a crash)
- airbags — 70 complaints (71.4% involved a crash)
- body structure — 61 complaints (6.6% involved a crash)
- unintended acceleration — 40 complaints (55.0% involved a crash)
What Happened to 3,918 Scion Tcs On the Road
Complaints record what owners reported. These are the outcomes actually recorded against 3,918 Scion Tc VINs built 2005–2016 — accidents, title brands and odometer flags from our vehicle-history database, not from the NHTSA complaint file.
Do the complaint spikes show up in real accident history?
The Scion Tc averages 43.9% accident history across all model years. Here is how the years flagged above compare on real records:
- 2006 — 31.4% of 239 VINs on record show accident history, in line with the 43.9% model average. Owners complained more, but these cars are not crashing more.
Typical Scion Tc on record: 2.5 owners on average, 109,564 average miles.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Rankings based on raw NHTSA complaint counts. Sales volume data not yet available for this model.
Bottom line: Avoid the 2005–2009 Scion Tc (149 crash-related complaints). The 2016 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: Engine.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $8.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Scion Tc Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA. Bar length = volume; color = crash-involvement rate.
Show full table
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| Engine Problems | 105 | 0.0% |
| Sunroof/Moonroof | 83 | 0.0% |
| Airbags | 70 | 71.4% |
| Body Structure | 61 | 6.6% |
| Unintended Acceleration | 40 | 55.0% |
| Visibility | 37 | 0.0% |
| Brakes | 29 | 37.9% |
| Structural Problems | 25 | 8.0% |
| Electrical Faults | 23 | 8.7% |
| Tire Defects | 22 | 27.3% |
When Each Problem Spiked
Year × component heatmap. Darker cells = more complaints that year. Reveals which model years a specific defect concentrated in — useful for spotting redesign-cycle quality dips.
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
Year-by-Year Breakdown
Tap any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
Data Sources & Methodology
Complaints: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database (873 records for this model). Public domain data, updated monthly.
Sales data: Not yet available for this model. Complaint counts are shown as raw numbers.
On-road outcomes: Accident, title-brand, theft and odometer records for 3,918 Scion Tc VINs in our vehicle-history database. Independent of the NHTSA complaint file — a complaint is what an owner reported, these are what was recorded against the vehicle. Year-level figures are shown only for model years with at least 200 VINs on record.
Rate calculation: Complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold = (complaint count / US annual sales) x 10,000. This normalizes for sales volume so high-volume models like Civic or Camry aren't unfairly penalized.
Year classifications: AVOID = 1.5x+ the model's median complaint count. GOOD = 0.6x or below. Years less than 3 years old are marked TOO NEW (insufficient data).
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