The Scion tC car is a two-door compact, sporty sedan. This automobile line has appeared on various vehicle forums triggering hot topics about its value and reliability.
Among these subjects, “Scion tC years to avoid” has been made the papers by many experts and drivers.
If you’re one of those who are also curious about problems with Scion tC, accompanying us in the blog will be a wise option. Let’s get started now!
Overview Of Scion tC
The existing name tC is the abbreviation for “touring coupe”. The Scion tC is the sedan line launched by Toyota in 2004.
The tC brand has been built with two generations, in particular: AGT20 (2010–2016) and ANT10 (2004–2010). Both these generations debuted in Japan.
The tC was known as the best-selling version of the brand, accounting for 40 percent of the total amount of Scion sales.
The tC created the name of itself thanks to Toyota’s support and effort aimed at youthful drivers, targeting a trendy and attractive line of fetching-yet-affordable sedans.
Until 2016, tC was reincorporated into the Toyota holding company.
Although appearing on the market only over ten years, this brand name was famous for its youthful vigor appearance and sporty design, which got a positive rating of 7/10 from Car & Driver.
Are Scions Reliable?
The brief answer is yes; both the 1st and 2nd gen of the tC are pretty reliable.
When it comes to the reliability of an automobile, we need to consider how reasonable it is and how often it has trouble.
Normally, you need to seek infrequent recalls, affordable repair costs, and solid warranties. These are typically the remarkable signs of a trustable brand name.
Now tC cars might not appear in many car showrooms anymore.
Yet, used automobiles of the brand are usually deemed as outstanding purchases thanks to their overall value, such as safety, affordability, and reliability.
In addition, if they applied the same transmissions and engines as their Toyota peers, they should have relatively achieved a uniform distribution of reliability.
Thus, it would not let you down when talking about its reliability!
How Long Do Scions Last?
In short, the longevity of Scions depends on various factors.
In particular, type of car generation, environmental elements (weather, corrosion, etc.), driving styles, maintenance, and different drivers or owners’ styles all have a say in their life span.
Generally, if a model from the brand stays in optimal conditions, its average miles can range from 150,000 to 250,000 miles. However, there may be several exceptions.
Some tC models might last 500,000 miles with great upkeep. In order to reach the wonderful limit, some drivers have reported that maintenance charges would go beyond the cost of operation.
What Are Common Toyota Scion Problems?
Clutch Failure
Many drivers have observed that the clutch of their Scion tC was disengaged while the gear level was kicked out of its order due to hydraulic trouble.
Their clutch pedal was trapped in the midway slot, and, on the upshot, the clutch blew.
Later, they discovered the main cylinder of the transmission triggered it. They changed the car’s worn-out master cylinder and broken clutch to fix the problem.
Defective Water Pump Seal
Some owners have shared that their water pump supposed to cool the motor is out of order, resulting in their vehicle overheating and not starting.
Once the component had a problem with overheating, the motor’s head gasket tended to blow up.
This consequence is rather dangerous for drivers. In addition, the cost of repairing it or changing it isn’t affordable.
Extravagant Oil Consumption
The 2004 version to the 2010 version of the Scion were notorious for their excessive fuel use. Drivers have shared finding out the low oil tiers between lubricant changes.
Sometimes, the level would be extremely low, so its engine oil’s alarm sign would activate in the car’s gauge cluster.
This problem is supposedly related to engine sludge or worn-out piston rings triggered by non-routine oil changes.
According to many surveys from experienced drivers in RepairPal, the problem belongs to one of the most common ones with Scion tC.
These owners have emphasized that their cars would need to add more than one quart of lubricant after every 1,200 miles to 1,500 miles to maintain their proper vehicle operation.
Bad Head Gasket
It might stem from a certain producer defect; the cylinder block could let the pressure leak into a poor head gasket.
This will result in your tC suffering from overheating, then smoke escaping from the exhaust, and it couldn’t make the engine start.
Furthermore, some milky points on the dipstick could appear because of the unexpected mixture of the engine coolant and the oil.
Broken Trunk
There was a design flaw on the trunk door handle from the manufacturer, making it pretty brittle. The consequence came from having plastic clips connecting the handle with the body.
Thus, many drivers prevented the implicit threat by using their fingers to put under the lid to replace the handle.
Nevertheless, there was a great thing about the potential issue that some tC dealers would grant you free of charge for changing a defective trunk door handle.
Rattling Noises
Some drivers have stated that poor surfaces could trigger some plastic in the car’s cabin to rattle or creak. The result originates from Scion’s interior produced from mid-range plastic materials.
The component does not adversely affect any part of your vehicle. However, if you are the one who is easily distracted by noise while driving, then the issue might certainly be a big pet peeve for you.
What Are Scion tC Years To Avoid?
Some models of the tC below you need to consider carefully before having a purchase: 2011 Scion tC, 2010 Scion tC, 2008 Scion tC, 2007 Scion tC, 2006 Scion tC. Most problems are related to engine oil.
2011 Scion TC Problems
The car’s clutch pedal was sometimes locked in the halfway position, leading to being tumbled off gear, then a blown clutch.
Additionally, some drivers shared that when driving, it wasn’t hard to find out that the shifting delay when accelerating is one of the most common transmission difficulties.
2010 Scion TC Problems
Owning a tC 2010, you could notice creak or rattle sounds from the cabin when traveling on terrible roads.
In addition, the shaking of a car roof is a big concern in this version. Furthermore, many customers have complained that their vehicle’s air conditioner didn’t work properly.
2008 Scion TC Problems
The model has a reputation for consuming excessive oil. In addition, overheating problems have been recorded.
The situation made some unlucky drivers experience the rupture of their motor’s head gasket; they had to pay much money for the trouble.
The version also met the inevitable issue with the water pump that many users rated bad viewers.
2007 Scion TC Problems
The model has received the most prevalent complaints related to the level of excessive oil consumption.
On carcomplaint.com, it got approximately 45 negative reviews about the engine problems.
Furthermore, when it comes to its interior accessories, there are still issues with the side mirrors (paint peeling), truck, or poor paint adhesion.
Also, some clutch troubles are quite common, and drivers might encounter the situation of rough shifting.
2006 Scion TC Problems
Owners of the 2006 tC might be worried when the car has used too much oil.
Facing some issues associated with the water pump, check-engine light system, and accommodated sludge was not unfamiliar.
Also, some troubles related to back hatch rattles, back hatch breaking, and hatch-handle breaking off are reported.
Which Model Of Scion tC is Worth Buying?
Don’t be shaky by the above list of the tC versions to avoid; there are still other models from the brand worth a fortune
- 2016 Scion TC
- 2015 Scion TC
- 2014 Scion TC
The 2015 – 2016 Scion tCs are the latest version in the new generation. This means that there will be some remarkable modifications coming to fix some issues in the previous versions.
The tC 2014 was equipped with a touchscreen, gearbox tuning, a suspension, and a facelift. Its paddle shifters have become typical on auto transmissions for its upcoming model – 2015.
Later on, The 2016 tC version was furnished with a push-button start and a new 7-inch touch screen.
These models got great trustworthiness ratings on RepairPal, accounting for 4/5, and scored well above average.
Thus, you can be assured when you intend to choose one of these versions from the brand.
The Wrap-Up
Until these last words, we believe you have reached which Scion tC years to avoid and key reasons to steer clear from these models.
This doesn’t mean that all products from the tC line were completely faulty. Scion tCs are still reliable and worth their weight in gold, no matter what.
We hope, after this content, you took a general look at the quality of this line from Toyota.
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