What breaks most · 2005 to 2016 model years
Scion tC problems by year
Owners have filed 630 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Scion tC across model years 2005 to 2016. Three years stand out: 2006 for visibility complaints, 2005 for visibility complaints and 2007 for engine complaints. The quietest years are 2012, 2013 and 2014.
- Years to check closely: 2006, 2005, 2007
- Fewest complaints: 2012, 2013, 2014
- Complaints on file
- 6302005 to 2016, all trims
- Worst year
- 2006157 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 11616 fires · 124 injuries · 18 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 53kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 30Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 147 | 22 | 4 | Visibility (47) | |
| 157 | 33 | 5 | Visibility (38) | |
| 113 | 20 | 2 | Engine (29) | |
| 83 | 15 | 3 | Body and structure (22) | |
| 52 | 13 | 3 | Engine (10) | |
| 16 | 2 | 2 | Engine (3) | |
| 24 | 1 | 1 | Exterior lighting (5) | |
| 5 | 1 | 2 | Wipers and visibility (2) | |
| 7 | 2 | 1 | Air bags (2) | |
| 12 | 3 | 1 | Unknown or other (5) | |
| 11 | 3 | 3 | Air bags (3) | |
| 3 | 1 | 3 | Unknown or other (2) |
What fails on the 2006 Scion tC
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 24% |
38 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 2006 Scion tC |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 17% |
27 | 4 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2006 Scion tC |
| Air bags | 15% |
24 | 19 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 11% |
17 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2006 Scion tC |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 8% |
12 | 6 | Shop steering parts for the 2006 Scion tC |
| Unknown or other | 6% |
9 | 0 | — |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 6% |
9 | 5 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 5% |
8 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2006 Scion tC |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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I was driving on the freeway and heard a loud crack. My ac was on and it was about 92 degrees outside. My front sunroof wind deflector completely shattered....updated 08/27/15 *bf
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I was driving along government st, the streets downtown needs major repairs. But i didn't hit a bump in the road or nothing to cause my glass to break. I didn't even hear anything hit my glass i had the sunroof open with my little brother and dog in the car when glass begin to fall on us.
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Vehicle burning oil at increasingly fast rate, large oil consumption. No oil light or dashboard warning. As i was driving down the highway my car shut down... I pulled over to the shoulder got out...my car was smoking... Within minutes my car was in flames.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Scion tC years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2006, 2005, 2007 carry the most filings on the Scion tC. The 2006 alone has 157 complaints, led by visibility.
What is the most common Scion tC problem?
On the 2006 model year, the most-reported component is visibility with 38 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Scion tC problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Scion tC complaints that include mileage is about 53,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.