2005 Scion TC

No clear pattern

20.7% of complaints about the 2005 Scion TC arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2005 vehicle, but with only 193 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is visibility (44 complaints), typically at 2.0 yr or about 33,000 miles.

Complaints: 193
Median age at failure: 3.9 yr
Median mileage: 43,561 n=148
Crash / fire / tow: 23.8% of reports
Safety recalls: 4

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

10V035000 2010-02-03

Equipment:other:labels

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.

THIS DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARD REQUIREMENTS.

06V408000 2006-10-26

Air bags:side/window

ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THE SIDE IMPACT SEAT-BOLSTER AND CURTAIN SIDE AIRBAGS MAY INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY. THIS CONDITION CAN OCCUR IF THE DOOR FOR THAT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE IS CLOSED WITH A HIGH RATE OF FORCE WHILE THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION IS IN THE "ON" POSITION OR WITHIN 90 SECONDS OF TURNING THE IGNITION KEY FROM THE "ON" POSITION TO THE "OFF" POSITION.

IF THE SIDE IMPACT SEAT-BOLSTER AND CURTAIN SIDE AIRBAGS INADVERTENTLY DEPLOY, THEY COULD CAUSE PERSONAL INJURY IF AN OCCUPANT IS SEATED ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AS THE DOOR THAT IS CLOSED WITH A HIGH RATE OF FORCE. UNTIL THE REPAIR HAS BEEN PERFORMED, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT A MINIMAL FORCE/SPEED BE USED TO CLOSE THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOORS OR CLOSING THE DOORS AFTER 90 SECONDS HAVE ELA

06V096000 2006-04-03

Air bags

ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, DUE TO IMPROPER ASSEMBLY OF THE AIR BAG INFLATOR, WHICH IS USED IN THE SIDE AIR BAG, THE CURTAIN SHIELD AIR BAG, AND THE KNEE AIR BAG ASSEMBLY, SOME INFLATORS WERE PRODUCED WITH AN INSUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF THE HEATING AGENTS NECESSARY FOR PROPER AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. IN THIS CONDITION, THE EXPANSION FORCE OF THE GAS MAY BE INSUFFICIENT TO PROPERLY INFLATE THE AIR BAG WHEN THE SRS SYSTEM IS ACTIVATED DURING A CRASH.

THIS MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT IN THE INVOLVED SEATING POSITION IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.

05V483000 2005-10-18

Visibility:sun/moon roof assembly

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A GLASS WIND DEFLECTOR, THE DEFLECTOR, IF IMPACTED BY A PROJECTILE, SUCH AS ROAD DEBRIS, WHILE DRIVING WITH THE WIND DEFLECTOR IN THE UPWARD-TILTED POSITION AT HIGHWAYS SPEEDS, MAY SHATTER AND SEPARATE FROM THE FRAME.

PIECES OF THE WIND DEFLECTOR GLASS MAY SEPARATE FROM THE FRAME AND FALL UPON THE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS CAUSING DRIVER DISTRACTION AND/OR INJURY.

In owners’ own words

Visibility mileage not reported 0 mo in service

THE REAR WINDOW DOES NOT HAVE A WIPER. WHEN IT RAINS IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE OUT THE REAR WINDOW. I HAVE HAD TO PULL OVER DURING HARD DOWNPOURS BECAUSE VISION BEHIND ME WAS AT 0.*AK

Visibility 3,960 mi 6 mo in service crash / fire / tow

WHILE DRIVING WITH THE SUN ROOF OPEN THE GLASS DEFLECTOR BROKE COVERING THE CONSUMER IN GLASS. THE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT 55 MPH. *JB THE GLASS DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE SAFETY GLASS BECAUSE IT BROKE INTO LARGE SHARP PIECES. THE CONSUMER'S EYE WAS SCRATCHED BY A PIECE OF GLASS. CONSUMER WANT THE MANUFACTURER TO INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM AND CHANGE THE WAY THIS REFLECTOR IS CONSTRUCTED FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL OWNERS. *BF *NM

Visibility 2,021 mi 7 mo in service

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH A SMALL PEBBLE HIT THE WINDSHIELD AND CAUSED IT TO SHATTER. *NM

Structure 1 mi 4 mo in service

I PURCHASED MY CAR AT THE END OF NOV IN 04, ABOUT A WEEK AFTER I NOTICED A TON OF SCRATCHES ON MY VEHICLE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND HAD THE GM LOOK AT IT, NO HELP. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT. STILL HAS NOT BEEN LOOKED AT AND IT IS NOW JAN OF 05. MY CAR HAS OVER 500 SMALL SCRATCHES AND THE CLEAR COAT IS BUBBLING OFF THE PAINT. I HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH AND FOUND THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM WITH THE 2005 SCION TC. I WAS TREATED LIKE A COMPLETE MORON AND NO ONE WANTED TO HELP ME AND I WAS DISMISSED OUT THE DOOR.*AK

Other TC model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2005 Scion TC

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other TC model years

How to read this