SCION IM · model year

2016 SCION IM

17 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2016SCIONIM carries 17 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2016 IM is power train with 5 filings, followed by structure:body (2) and unknown or other (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 2016 IM. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

17
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

17 filings

Crashes Reported

2 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN5
STRUCTURE:BODY2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2
SEATS1
VISIBILITY/WIPER1
ENGINE1
SERVICE BRAKES1
STEERING1
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS1

Recalls (1)

16V23600022/04/2016

TIRES

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

Recent Complaints

20240708POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2016 Scion IM. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the transmission was skipping the 6th and 7th gears. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that while attempting to drive from a complete stop at an intersection, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact disconnected the battery for 15 minutes and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact was able to push the vehicle to the side of the road with assistance. The vehicle was then towed to the parent's residence. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was advised to tow the vehicle to the dealer location. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000. The VIN was not available.

Mileage: 85,000

20230619POWER TRAIN

Traction control turns off by itself Was not accelerate But I turned it off And restarted it it started to accelerate. But traction control is still turned off

20230619ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Traction control turns off by itself Was not accelerate But I turned it off And restarted it it started to accelerate. But traction control is still turned off

20220627UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The vehicles car horn no longer works, this is safety manufacturer defect that should be reported and fixed by the manufacturer. I was driving the vehicle and could not honk to other vehicles thus creating a safety hazard.

20220627STEERING

The vehicles car horn no longer works, this is safety manufacturer defect that should be reported and fixed by the manufacturer. I was driving the vehicle and could not honk to other vehicles thus creating a safety hazard.

20220627BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS

The vehicles car horn no longer works, this is safety manufacturer defect that should be reported and fixed by the manufacturer. I was driving the vehicle and could not honk to other vehicles thus creating a safety hazard.

20210902ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The horn on the vehicle began to operate intermittently and now it does not work at all. This is a major safety issue as I have several near misses with other drivers turning into my travel lane without signaling and nearly causing an accident. I have no way of preventing an incursion without the horn being operational. Toyota dealership informed me it was a spiral cable and the cost would be nearly $900.00 to replace. I feel this device should not be prone to failure and be replaced at no cost to me. I have seen where Toyota has had this issue before and recalled to have said spiral cable replaced. I tried Toyota customer care and they told me it was my issue. This is a safety issue and wish Toyota to stand behind their product.

20210117SERVICE BRAKES

THE BRAKE LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME ON FOR A SECOND WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. THE PROBLEM HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE. THE LIGHT NOW COMES ON AND STAYS ON THE WHOLE TIME YOU ACCELERATE BUT AS SOON AS YOU LET OFF THE GAS PEDAL THE LIGHT GOES OUT. THIS NOW HAPPENS EVERY TIME YOU ACCELERATE FROM A STOP AND THE LIGHT STAYS ON UNTIL YOU LET OFF THE GAS.

Mileage: 67,000

20210117POWER TRAIN

TRANSMISSION DOES QUIRKY THINGS. SOMETIMES IT GETS STUCK IN HIGH RPM'S AND DOESN'T WANT TO UPSHIFT. SOMETIMES IT WON'T ACCELERATE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GET THE RPM'S UP HIGH ENOUGH. THIS IS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. SOMETIMES IT SLIPS

Mileage: 67,000

20181104ENGINE

PURCHASED MY 2016 SCION IM AND WAS GREAT FOR THE FIRST YEAR. IN 2018, THE CAR DEVELOPED A ROUGH IDLE, USUALLY AT A STOP LIGHT AND AFTER THE CAR WAS WARM. I REPORTED IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND NOTHING WAS FOUND AS IT WAS NOT REPLICATED DURING THEIR TEST DRIVE. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ROUGH IDLE UNTIL THE NEXT ISSUE HAPPENED. THE NEXT ISSUE I HAVE BEEN HAVING IS THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HESITATE AT STOP LIGHTS. IT ALSO DECELERATED ON ITS OWN WHILE TRAVELING AT 70 MPH DOWN TO A SLOW CRAWL!. TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AFTER A SCARY SITUATION ON THE FREEWAY. THE SERVICE REP TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS AN UPDATE TO THE TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE THAT HAD TO BE DONE. AFTER ABOUT 3 HOURS, I WAS TOLD THAT AFTER THE SOFTWARE UPDATE, MY CAR'S TRANSMISSION WAS DESTROYED! I WAS A BIT CONFUSED AS TO WHAT HAPPENED ON A SIMPLE SOFTWARE UPDATE. MY CAR ONLY HAS 32K MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT GAVE ME A RENTAL CAR TO GET AROUND IN WHILE MY CAR AWAITS A TRANSMISSION FROM TOYOTA. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE

Mileage: 32,000

20181104POWER TRAIN

PURCHASED MY 2016 SCION IM AND WAS GREAT FOR THE FIRST YEAR. IN 2018, THE CAR DEVELOPED A ROUGH IDLE, USUALLY AT A STOP LIGHT AND AFTER THE CAR WAS WARM. I REPORTED IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND NOTHING WAS FOUND AS IT WAS NOT REPLICATED DURING THEIR TEST DRIVE. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ROUGH IDLE UNTIL THE NEXT ISSUE HAPPENED. THE NEXT ISSUE I HAVE BEEN HAVING IS THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HESITATE AT STOP LIGHTS. IT ALSO DECELERATED ON ITS OWN WHILE TRAVELING AT 70 MPH DOWN TO A SLOW CRAWL!. TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AFTER A SCARY SITUATION ON THE FREEWAY. THE SERVICE REP TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS AN UPDATE TO THE TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE THAT HAD TO BE DONE. AFTER ABOUT 3 HOURS, I WAS TOLD THAT AFTER THE SOFTWARE UPDATE, MY CAR'S TRANSMISSION WAS DESTROYED! I WAS A BIT CONFUSED AS TO WHAT HAPPENED ON A SIMPLE SOFTWARE UPDATE. MY CAR ONLY HAS 32K MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT GAVE ME A RENTAL CAR TO GET AROUND IN WHILE MY CAR AWAITS A TRANSMISSION FROM TOYOTA. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE

Mileage: 32,000

20180312CrashSEATS

THIS CAR HAS THE WORST BACKSEAT HEADREST. THEY'RE TOO HIGH AND TALK AND OBSTRUCT THE REAR WINDOW WHEN DRIVING. CREATES A TERRIBLE BLINDSPOT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BACK WINDOW. ACTUALLY GOT INTO A CAR ACCIDENT IN A PARKING LOT PULLING OUT OF MY SPOT. SINCE I DID NOT HAVE THE CLEAR VISIBILITY THE DRIVER BEHIND ME PULLED OUT AND I COULDN'T REACT IN TIME.

Mileage: 21,000

20180312CrashVISIBILITY/WIPER

THIS CAR HAS THE WORST BACKSEAT HEADREST. THEY'RE TOO HIGH AND TALK AND OBSTRUCT THE REAR WINDOW WHEN DRIVING. CREATES A TERRIBLE BLINDSPOT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BACK WINDOW. ACTUALLY GOT INTO A CAR ACCIDENT IN A PARKING LOT PULLING OUT OF MY SPOT. SINCE I DID NOT HAVE THE CLEAR VISIBILITY THE DRIVER BEHIND ME PULLED OUT AND I COULDN'T REACT IN TIME.

Mileage: 21,000

20180225STRUCTURE:BODY

DRIVERS SIDE FRONT WINDOW MAKES A NOISE AS IT RUBS AGAINST SOMETHING INSIDE OF DOOR WHEN LOWERING OR RAISING WINDOW.

Mileage: 10

20180120UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I BOUGHT A NEW TOYOTA IM BUT IT WAS A BROKEN EVAPORATOR CORE. I WANT TOYOTA CHECK THE PLACE. I AM CLAIMING TO THE LEMON LAW ARBITRATION. THE MECHANIC WHO CHECKED SAID LOOKED LIKE IT WAS CRUSHED WHEN THE CAR WAS MAKING. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO CHECK FURTHER INVESTIGATION SINCE IT WAS SOLD AS A BRAND NEW CAR AND TOYOTA TRY TO GET AWAY WITH NOTHING HAPPENED. ALSO CLEARWATER POLICE FOUND THAT THEIR TINTED WINDOWS WERE ILLEGAL LEVEL. THEY SOLD ME AN ILLEGAL CAR!!

Mileage: 20

20170731POWER TRAIN

TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY LESS THAN 25 MILES AFTER SERVICE AT TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THE CLUTCH THEN DEGRADED OVER LESS THAN 500 MILES TO THE POINT WHERE VEHICLE WAS BARELY DRIVABLE AND DID NOT TRANSMIT ENOUGH POWER TO GO UP HILLS AT ALL. TOYOTA SERVICE TECH TEST DROVE VEHICLE AND VERIFIED CLUTCH IS SLIPPING AND JUST BARELY ENGAGING AT THE TOP OF THE PEDAL TRAVEL. RECOMMENDED REPLACING CLUTCH DISC, PRESSURE PLATE, THROWOUT BEARING, AND RESURFACING FLYWHEEL. TOTAL REPAIR COST WAS QUOTED AT $2,527.36. VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 43500 MILES ON IT WHEN TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING. THIS IS EXTREMELY LOW MILEAGE FOR A NEW VEHICLE, ABOUT A YEAR OLD. I'VE SPOKEN WITH THREE OTHER DRIVERS OF THE SAME MODEL, AND THEY REPORTED THEIR CLUTCHES REQUIRED REPLACING BETWEEN 30000 AND 40000 MILES. THEY ALSO AGREED WITH MY OPINION THAT THE CLUTCHES WERE POORLY DESIGNED, CONTRIBUTING TO ACCELERATED WEAR AND TEAR (THE CLUTCH IS EXTREMELY LONG AND HAS A VERY VAGUE BITE POINT). I HAVE

Mileage: 43,500

20161116STRUCTURE:BODY

TAKATA RECALL- PURCHASE 2016 SCION IM BRAND NEW A FEW MONTHS AGO. I NOTICED A PAINT DETAIL ON THE TOP OF THE HATCHBACK DOOR INSIDE WAS DONE POORLY.

Mileage: 200

Compare 2016SCIONIM to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2016 SCION IM have?
The 2016 SCION IM has 17 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2016 SCION IM?
Yes, the 2016 SCION IM has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is TIRES. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 SCION IM?
The most-complained component for the 2016 SCION IM is POWER TRAIN with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STRUCTURE:BODY and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 2016 SCION IM safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.