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NHTSA recalls & complaints · 2005–2016

Scion tC recalls, complaints and VIN decoding

NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns and 693 owner complaints for the Scion tC, covering model years 2005 to 2016. The 2006 model year drew the most complaints (161), and Visibility is the component owners name most often.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint flat files, updated September 25, 2026.

Decode your Scion tC VIN

See the model year, plant and build details of one vehicle, then the recalls for its exact year.

  • 10 recall campaigns on file
  • 693 owner complaints (unverified reports to NHTSA)
  • 12 model years with data (2005–2016)
  • most complaints: 2006 (161 for that model year)
  • top component: Visibility (132 complaints)
  • latest recall 16V420000 (reported Jun 9, 2016)
  • 126 complaints reporting a crash (18.2%)
  • 17 complaints reporting a fire (2.5%)
  • 98 complaints reporting an injury (14.1%)
  • 13 complaints reporting a death (1.9%)

Scion tC complaints by model year

12 model years · NHTSA complaints

The 2006 model year has the most complaints: 161 of 693, or 23.2%. Next come 2005 (155) and 2007 (117). The fewest are for 2016, with 6 complaints.

Owner complaints per model yearHighest yearOther years
Scion tC owner complaints to NHTSA by model year, 2005–2016Column chart of 693 complaints across 12 model years. The highest is 2006 with 161. The full figures are in the table below the chart.2005: 155 complaints15520052006: 161 complaints16120062007: 117 complaints11720072008: 86 complaints8620082009: 60 complaints6020092010: 20 complaints2020102011: 29 complaints2920112012: 8 complaints820122013: 9 complaints920132014: 20 complaints2020142015: 22 complaints2220152016: 6 complaints62016
Scion tC complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death
Scion tC complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death
Model yearComplaintsReporting a crashReporting a fireReporting an injuryReporting a death
2005155253242
2006161333283
2007117216196
20088615291
20096015151
2010202010
2011291120
201281010
201392010
2014206130
2015224030
201661020
All model years693126179813

Crash, fire, injury and death columns count complaints that report at least one of them, not people.

Most-reported Scion tC components

top 15 · NHTSA categories

Visibility is the component named most often, in 132 complaints (19.0% of all 693), followed by Structure (114) and Engine (105).

Components named most often in Scion tC complaints (top 15)
Components named most often in Scion tC complaints (top 15)
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints
Visibility13219.0%
Structure11416.5%
Engine10515.2%
Air Bags8512.3%
Unknown or Other588.4%
Vehicle Speed Control436.2%
Power Train314.5%
Service Brakes294.2%
Electrical System284.0%
Tires263.8%
Latches/Locks/Linkages233.3%
Steering233.3%
Service Brakes, Hydraulic213.0%
Visibility/Wiper182.6%
Engine and Engine Cooling172.5%

One complaint can name several components, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Component names are NHTSA’s top-level categories.

What NHTSA owner complaints mean

These figures count complaints that vehicle owners and other members of the public have submitted to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA uses complaints, together with other data, to spot safety issues that may warrant an investigation and to check whether existing recalls go far enough.

  • They are reports, not findings. Each complaint is the submitter's own account. Its presence in the database does not mean NHTSA has confirmed a defect.
  • Counts are not defect rates. The data doesn't say how many vehicles were sold, so a raw count can't tell you what share of vehicles had a problem.
  • Popular models collect more complaints. A model sold in large numbers will usually gather more complaints than a rare one, simply because more people own it.
  • One complaint can name several components. Totals by component can therefore add up to more than the number of complaints.
  • Coverage starts in 1995. NHTSA's complaint file contains complaints received since January 1, 1995.

Use complaint patterns as a prompt for questions: whether a recall covers the issue, whether the vehicle you are considering has had the fix, and what a mechanic finds on inspection. For confirmed safety defects, see the recall list for this model.

Scion tC recalls

10 campaigns · newest first

Every vehicle recall campaign NHTSA lists under the model name tC, newest first. The 10 campaigns cover model years 2005 to 2016. The 2006 model year appears in the most campaigns (5).

  • 10 recall campaigns
Scion tC recall campaigns covering each model year
DecadeYears ending in 0Years ending in 1Years ending in 2Years ending in 3Years ending in 4Years ending in 5Years ending in 6Years ending in 7Years ending in 8Years ending in 9
2005: 4 campaigns2006: 5 campaigns2007: 2 campaigns2008: 3 campaigns2009: 3 campaigns
2010: 2 campaigns2011: no campaigns2012: 1 campaign2013: no campaigns2014: no campaigns2015: 2 campaigns2016: 2 campaigns
Highlighted: the model year with the most campaigns.

  1. NHTSA campaign 16V420000

    Reported

    Equipment › Other › Labels

    Model years 2015–2016

    Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Camry and Highlander, 2015-2016 Toyota Tundra, Scion FR-S, and tC vehicles. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."

    Consequence:
    An incorrect label may lead an owner to overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    SET will notify owners, and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.

    Filed by Toyota Motor Corporation

  2. NHTSA campaign 16V236000

    Reported

    Equipment › Other › Labels; Tires

    Model year 2016

    Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Yaris, Rav4, Land Cruiser and 4Runner vehicles, and Scion FR-S, iM, and TC vehicles manufactured January 28, 2016, to March 14, 2016. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."

    Consequence:
    An incorrect label may result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    SET will notify owners, and provide them a corrected label to be installed over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on June 3, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16A.

    Filed by Toyota Motor Corporation

  3. NHTSA campaign 15V228000

    Reported

    Suspension › Rear

    Model year 2015

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2015 Toyota Scion tC vehicles manufactured December 3, 2014, to January 30, 2015 and equipped with accessory coil springs as part of an optional Release Series 9 trim package. During installation of these coil springs, the rear suspension components may not have been properly tightened.

    Consequence:
    If the rear suspension components were not properly tightened, the rear suspension arms may detach, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the bolts, nuts, rear suspension arms, and rear suspension member sub assembly, free of charge. The recall began on June 12, 2015. Owners may contact Scion customer service at 1-866-707-2466.

    Filed by Toyota Motor Corporation

  4. NHTSA campaign 13V123000

    Reported

    Equipment › Other › Labels

    Model year 2012

    Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles. These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

    Consequence:
    An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
    Remedy:
    Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

    Filed by Toyota Motor Corporation

  5. NHTSA campaign 10V036000

    Reported

    Equipment › Other › Labels

    Model years 2006–2010

    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.

    Consequence:
    A driver may overload a vehicle which may increase the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    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.

    Filed by Toyota Motor Corporation

  6. NHTSA campaign 10V035000

    Reported

    Equipment › Other › Labels

    Model years 2005–2010

    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.

    Consequence:
    This does not meet the standard requirements.
    Remedy:
    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.

    Filed by Toyota Motor Corporation

  7. NHTSA campaign 09V223000

    Reported

    Equipment › Other › Labels

    Model years 2008–2009

    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."

    Consequence:
    Incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels could result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    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.

    Filed by Toyota Motor Corporation

  8. NHTSA campaign 06V408000

    Reported

    Air Bags › Side/Window

    Model years 2005–2006

    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.

    Consequence:
    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 elapsed from turning the ignition key from the "on" to the "off" position.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the two side impact airbag sensors and install a urethane pad in the front doors, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on November 6, 2006. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-866-548-1851.

    Filed by Toyota Motor Corporation

  9. NHTSA campaign 06V096000

    Reported

    Air Bags

    Model years 2005–2006

    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.

    Consequence:
    This may increase the risk of injury to the occupant in the involved seating position in the event of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the specific SRS air bag. The recall began on April 6, 2006. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-888-270-9371, Scion at 1-866-548-1851, or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.

    Filed by Toyota Motor Corporation

  10. NHTSA campaign 05V483000

    Reported

    Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly

    Model years 2005–2006

    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.

    Consequence:
    Pieces of the wind deflector glass may separate from the frame and fall upon the vehicle occupants causing driver distraction and/or injury.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will install a protective laminate to the wind deflector to prevent pieces of glass from separating from the wind deflector frame. The recall began October 27, 2005. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-866-707-2466.

    Filed by Toyota Motor Corporation

Recall text is shown as NHTSA publishes it; older campaigns, which NHTSA stores in capital letters, are shown in sentence case. NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline, 1-888-327-4236, also answers recall questions.

How to read this recall list

This list shows every safety recall campaign NHTSA has on file for this make, model and model year. It is not specific to one vehicle: a recall often covers only vehicles built in a certain date range or with a certain part, and many of the vehicles it covers will already have been repaired.

What each recall field means
What each recall field means
FieldWhat it tells you
Campaign numberNHTSA's unique ID for the recall, such as 20V771000. Quote it to a dealer or when searching NHTSA's site.
ComponentThe system or part involved, for example air bags, brakes or electrical software.
SummaryWhat the defect or non-compliance is and which vehicles are covered.
ConsequenceThe safety risk if the problem isn't fixed.
RemedyWhat the manufacturer will do, such as a repair, replacement or software update, and whether it is free.
  • Some recalls carry an NHTSA consumer advisory, “Do Not Drive” or “Park Outside”. Follow it until the repair is done.
  • A single campaign often covers several models or model years, so the same campaign number can appear in more than one list.
  • Recalls are shown as NHTSA publishes them. Very recent campaigns may take time to appear.

Does your vehicle have an open recall? Only a VIN check can tell you. Enter the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or on the manufacturer's website. Our VIN recall check guide explains what each option covers.

Scion tC questions

5 questions

How many recalls does the Scion tC have?

NHTSA lists 10 vehicle recall campaigns for the Scion tC, covering model years 2005 to 2016. The most recent, 16V420000, was reported on June 9, 2016 and is filed under “Equipment”. The 2006 model year is covered by the most campaigns (5).

Which Scion tC model year has the most complaints?

The 2006 model year, with 161 of the 693 complaints in NHTSA’s file (23.2%). The next are 2005 (155) and 2007 (117). Complaint counts also reflect how many vehicles of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road, so they are not a reliability ranking.

What is the most common Scion tC complaint?

Visibility is the component named most often: 132 complaints, or 19.0% of all 693. Structure (114) and Engine (105) follow. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not confirmed defects, and one complaint can name several components.

Does every recall on this page apply to my Scion tC?

Not necessarily. Each campaign lists specific model years, and many cover only vehicles built in a certain period or fitted with a certain part; repairs already carried out aren’t shown. To see whether a recall is open on your vehicle, enter its VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or ask a Scion dealer.

How many Scion tC complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death?

Of the 693 complaints, 126 report a crash, 17 a fire, 98 at least one injury and 13 at least one death. These figures count complaints, not people, and each complaint is the submitter’s own unverified account.

Other Scion models

6 models · most complaints first

The Scion models with the most NHTSA complaints, and the Scion VIN decoder with every Scion model page, WMI code and VIN note.

  • Scion xB 2003–2015 · 15 recalls · 1,047 complaints
  • Scion FR-S 2013–2016 · 7 recalls · 201 complaints
  • Scion xA 2004–2007 · 5 recalls · 125 complaints
  • Scion xD 2006–2014 · 7 recalls · 117 complaints
  • Scion iQ 2012–2015 · 1 recall · 24 complaints
  • Scion iM 2016 · 1 recall · 12 complaints

All Scion models and WMI codesLook up recalls by year

Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files, updated September 25, 2026. Recall campaigns are vehicle (V) campaigns listed for this model name; complaints are counted once per NHTSA ODI number and model year.