SCION TC · model year

2009 SCION TC

72 NHTSA complaints, 18 crash reports, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2009SCIONTC carries 72 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 18 crashes, 1 fire, 13 injuries, and 1 fatality. 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 2009 TC is engine with 13 filings, followed by air bags (8) and vehicle speed control (8). 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 3 active recall campaigns, 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 2009 TC. 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.

72
Complaints
18
Crashes
1
Fires
13
Injuries
1
Deaths

Total Complaints

72 filings

Crashes Reported

18 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE13
AIR BAGS8
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL8
STRUCTURE4
STRUCTURE:BODY3
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES3
VISIBILITY3
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY3
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC3
TIRES3
UNKNOWN OR OTHER3
STEERING2
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)2
POWER TRAIN2
SEAT BELTS2

Recalls (3)

09V22300015/06/2009

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

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 S

10V03500003/02/2010

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 CAPA

10V03600003/02/2010

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

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.

Recent Complaints

20240522ENGINE

My scion TC is using an extreme amount of oil to where I am putting 2-3 quarts in the motor per week. The extreme usage of oil can cause the engine to blow up due to lack of oil staying in the engine. My oil light will flash after couple days indicating low oil. A dangerous situation that can happen is the engine stop working while I'm driving on an interstate and possibly cause a serious accident or even an engine fire. There was a Toyota bulletin on this issue back in 2015. My car was bought in 2013. According to Toyota, they claimed they had sent notice to the address listed under this VIN. We received no such notice and even requested Toyota prove they sent it, but they would not. When I asked them about this case in regard to this issue, they have mentioned Toyota would no longer deal with this because it was past the deadline. How can I be denied for a service bulletin if I never received the notice.

20220613POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2009 Scion TC. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, he slowed for a traffic light and the vehicle failed to shift out of third gear. The accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle revved without moving. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle occasionally slipped out of gear and failed to exceed 15 MPH while driving. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was locked in overdrive and that the transmission needed to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

Mileage: 150,000

20220309CrashTIRES

Just entered the interstate and was 2 miles from home when the car started shaking cause the car to make a sudden hard right across multiple lanes of traffic going down an embankment and hitting trees. Witness who saw the accident while traveling behind the car saw smoke coming from driver rear tire, then car began to shake and car abruptly went to the right and off the road. Highway patrol stated based on witness and driver accounts, the driver rear tire failed. The collision center states the interior portion of the driver read tire separated and failed. The entire tire separated clean.

20210915ENGINE

2009 Scion tC consumes to much engine oil due to bad pistons installed by manufacture and needs to be repaired before major engine problems occur. I also found out I’m not the only one having this issue. I’ve just purchased the vehicle.8

20210407ENGINE

THE BOLTS I. THE MOTOR MOUNT WORK THERE WAY OUT AND CAUSES COMPLETE TOTAL OF THE VEHICLE

20190613CrashAIR BAGS

I HAD A BAD MVA ACCIDENT ON 6/12/2019 @ 0815AM IN THE MORNING, A LADY T BONE ME WITH FAST IMPACTION, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY NOR THE SIDE AIR BAG CURTAINS DEPLOYED DURING THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRBAGS DID MALFUNCTION IN MY OPINON AND CAUSED ME TO HIT MY HEAD AND CHEST HARD ON THE STEERING WHEEL. I WAS WEARING MY SEATBELT THE ENTIRE TIME AS WELL. THE CAR WAS IN MOTION WHEN THE DRIVER HIT ME ON THE HIGHWAY. WAS A HARD IMPACT TO THE CAR. THE SENSORS APPEAR NOT TO BE WORKING CORRECTLY SINCE THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY DURING THIS HARD IMPACTION.

Mileage: 255,000

20190430ENGINE

MY 2009 SCION TC HAS BEEN BURNING THROUGH OIL AT A FAST RATE CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO FILL IT UP WITH OIL EVERY WEEK. I STAY PRETTY LOCAL AND RARELY GO OUT OF TOWN WITH MY VEHICLE. IT IS CAUSING A VERY ROUGH IDLE IN MY CAR. I SAW THERE WAS A RECALL BUT IT HAS NOT GONE THROUGH WITH IT. BY THE LOOKS OF MANY COMPLAINTS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AS MINE NEEDS TO BE FIXED. WITH NO OIL BEING IN A CAR IT CAN CAUSE THE ENGINE TO BLOW UP AND MY CAR IS CONSTANTLY GOING THROUGH OIL BEFORE EVERY 1000 MILES.

Mileage: 73,000

20181030TIRES

I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR AIR PRESSURE CHECK.THEY TIRE SHOP SAID TIRES WERE EXTREMELY UNSAFE. BOTH FRONT TIRES HAD SIGNS OF DAMAGE. THEY WERE PURCHASED AT THE SAME TIME AND ARE 1 YEAR OLD NOT WORN DOWN. WERE THE TREAD AND SIDEWALL MEET, THE TREAD LOOKS LIKE ITS GOING TO PEEL OFF TOOK TIRE TO ANOTHER DEALER AND AND THEY SAID I HAVE NEVER SEEN A TIRE FAIL LIKE THIS. NO SIGN OF HEAT DAMAGE. I KEPT THE TIRES FOR FUTURE INSPECTION

Mileage: 73,000

20181022ENGINE

HELLO, BACK IN 2016 I GOT A LETTER IN THE MAIL THAT SAID THAT TOYOTA WAS HAVING THIS OIL PROBLEM WITH ITS VEHICLES BURNING TO MUCH OIL. THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO RUN A CERTAIN TEST ON YOUR VEHICLE AND MAKE YOU DRIVE IT 1200 MILES AND IF YOUR VEHICLE FAILED THEY WOULD COVER FIXING THE PISTON ISSUES THAT WERE A MANUFACTURED PROBLEM ON THERE PART. I WENT AND AT THE TIME MY VEHICLE WAS 131,049 MILES ON IT. THEY TOOK IT IN BUT CAME OUT SHORTLY AFTER SAYING MY ENGINE WAS NOT THE ENGINE OF MY VEHICLE MEANING IT HAD BEEN REPLACED. I BOUGHT MY VEHICLE WITH A CLEAN TITLE CHECKED THE CAR FAX AND THERE WAS NOTHING ON THIS VEHICLE STATING THAT THE ENGINE HAD ANY WORK ASIDE OF SMALL WORK LIKE OIL CHANGES. MY VEHICLE RAN FINE AND DID NOT BURN OIL AT THAT TIME, NOW IT'S AT ABOUT 160,000 AND IT'S BURNING A FULL QUART AT 300 MILES. I WENT TO INVESTIGATE AND LOOKED ONLINE TO CHECK MY SERVICES PERFORMED AND WHEN I LOOKED AT MY SERVICES IT SAID THAT TOYOTA JUST CHANGED THE FLOOR MATS IT DIDN'T SAY THAT I WE

Mileage: 131,049

20180907CrashFireSEAT BELTS

AFTER A FRONT END COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE, THE DRIVERS STEERING WHEEL AND KNEE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED PROPERLY. THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT TENSIONED THE DRIVERS SEATBELT BUT IGNITED A FIRE IN DRIVERS SIDE TRIM BEHIND THE DOOR PILLAR. THE FIRE MELTED THE INTERIOR TRIM PANELS AND SURROUNDING PLASTIC PARTS.

Mileage: 72,000

20180808ENGINE

HELLO- I RECEIVED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY LETTER AND WAS ADVISED IN THAT LETTER THAT I NEEDED TO TAKE MY VEHICLE IN FOR AN EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. I TOOK MY CAR AND THE LETTER FOR TOYOTA TO CHECK MY CAR. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT MY VEHICLE WAS CHECKED UNTIL LAST WEEK THAT MY CAR HAD NO ENGINE OIL. AT THAT TIME MY CAR WAS 2K MILES AWAY FROM A NEW OIL CHANGE. I THEN CALLED TOYOTA AND WAS ADVISED THAT TOYOTA SERVICE TECHNICIANS NEVER TESTED OR CHECKED MY VEHICLE BECAUSE MY CAR IS SALVAGED.

20171218CrashAIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2009 SCION TC. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED CHEST, NECK, AND SHOULDER INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOWING LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000.

Mileage: 145,000

20171003CrashAIR BAGS

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. CURRENTLY SHE HAD AN EX FIX ON HER LEFT LEG AND TWO PLATES AND PINS PLACED ON HER FIBULA, THE PHYSICIANS SAY SHE WILL NEVER WALK THE SAME AND SHE CURRENTLY IS UNABLE TO BEAR ANY WEIGHT ON EITHER FOOT DUE TO THE FRACUTES SUSTAINED FROM HER BEING EJECTED FROM THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE SEATBELT RELEASE AND THE FAILURE OF DEPLOYMENT OF THE SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAG.

Mileage: 102,000

20171003CrashSEAT BELTS

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. CURRENTLY SHE HAD AN EX FIX ON HER LEFT LEG AND TWO PLATES AND PINS PLACED ON HER FIBULA, THE PHYSICIANS SAY SHE WILL NEVER WALK THE SAME AND SHE CURRENTLY IS UNABLE TO BEAR ANY WEIGHT ON EITHER FOOT DUE TO THE FRACUTES SUSTAINED FROM HER BEING EJECTED FROM THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE SEATBELT RELEASE AND THE FAILURE OF DEPLOYMENT OF THE SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAG.

Mileage: 102,000

20170823AIR BAGS

NO ACCIDENT BUT RECEIVED POTENIAL RECALL AND NOTICE OF A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST TAKATA AIRBAGS IN SCION CARS.

20170814ENGINE

THE CAR IS USING 8-10 QUARTS OF OIL A YEAR. THERE WAS A TOYOTA RECALL FOR EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION, BUT THE TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAYS THIS AMOUNT OF OIL CONSUMPTION IS NORMAL AND WITHIN SPECIFCIATIONS.

Mileage: 89,418

20170427ENGINE

ENGINE BURNS EXCESSIVE OIL. USE A QUART EVERY 500 MILES.

Mileage: 115,000

20170221UNKNOWN OR OTHER

MY SUN ROOF SHATTERED WHILE I WAS DRIVING HOME ON CITY STREETS

Mileage: 98,000

20170202STRUCTURE

THE MOONROOF ON MY SCION TC SHATTERED AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS AROUND ME AND I DID NOT SEE ANY LARGE OBJECTS HIT MY CAR. *TR

Mileage: 135,000

20170202VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

THE MOONROOF ON MY SCION TC SHATTERED AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS AROUND ME AND I DID NOT SEE ANY LARGE OBJECTS HIT MY CAR. *TR

Mileage: 135,000

Compare 2009SCIONTC to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2009 SCION TC have?
The 2009 SCION TC has 72 NHTSA complaints, 18 crashes, 1 fires, 13 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2009 SCION TC?
Yes, the 2009 SCION TC has 3 recall(s). The most common affected component is EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 SCION TC?
The most-complained component for the 2009 SCION TC is ENGINE with 13 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 2009 SCION TC 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.