2009 Scion TC problems
NHTSA has received 77 complaints about the 2009 Scion TC, and 19% of them involve engine. After that come air bags (12%) and body & structure (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 77 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 20% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 18 and 1
- Injuries and deaths
- 13 and 1
- Typical mileage
- 44,000 miles 48 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 16 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 6 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 9 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 6 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 2 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 3 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 3 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 2 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Among the 48 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 44,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 18 complaints mention a crash; 1 complaint mentions a fire; 13 injuries reported; 1 death reported. Its complaints are more severe on average than those of 93% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2009 ranks 5th most-complained-about out of 8 model years of the Scion TC with enough data (45 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Headed from california to nevada on highway 15 just 5 miles from las vegas around 8 pm driving under safe and normal conditions, no speeding, no drugs or alcohol to impair the driver. The car in highway speed(obviously)steered to the right, with out the control of driver, not hitting any other car and having the car 2009 scion tc rollover 5 times!!! My friend that was in the back seat was ejected out because wasn't wearing her seatbelt, ironically the last picture that was shot she was wearing her seatbelt.
My daughter and son were in an accident as a passenger in a scion tc 2009 and the car rolled multiple times and both the front and back passenger seat belts unlatched and the passenger curtain airbag did not deploy or inflate. With these defects, my daughters legs were trapped under the car and sustained traumatic bone damage in which her prognosis at this time is unknown. Her left ankle, the talus, fibula, and tibia were crushed.
I have a 2009 toyota scion tc which I am very afraid to drive but it is not on the recall list but I am having major problems with the brakes(ABS tracking system). I have had 3 very close calls as a result of my brakes locking up(going slow) and unable to stop, even after I take my foot off the brake they remain locked. One incident I almost went right into a busy 4 lane highway. It has happened on dry roads and wet roads are a lot worse, I have to start stopping a lot sooner than one should.
The plastic housing for the trunk release latch broke completly off when trying to open the hatch.the problem is that the latch is attached to the plastic housing and not the metal trunk. The service pers stated that the proper way to open the hatch is to grasp from the bottom lip and not the latch. This info isn't stated in the owners manual. The proper fix should be to modify the latch and attach directly to the metal part of the hatch.