The Lemon IndexScion tC reliability.
Is it reliable? About average. About as many complaints as the average car.
About average · 2005–2011
20112nd generation
What owners say on YouTube
2005–2010 tC · 190 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Fixes owners look up most
- Windows, doors & mirrors294K views
- Infotainment, battery & electrical238K views
- Heat, A/C & blend door211K views
Before you buy, watch
2011–2016 tC · 192 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Nothing stands out.
Fixes owners look up most
Before you buy, watch
Praise and complaints: the share of each generation's most-watched videos that mention a topic with a praise or trouble word next to it, in the title or what's said. YouTube rank: how positive owners and reviewers sound, compared with every car of the same model year. It measures tone, not failure rates. Videos belong to their creators; we link to them.
Looking at a 2012 or newer? Those are too new for a full complaint score (any score shown is partial, in gray), but YouTube owners like the 2014 best.
Years to avoid
None.
No Scion tC year drew much more than the average car's complaints.
Every year. Lower is better. Tap a year for its full report.
Newest year first. Red = worse than average, gray = about average or too few complaints to score. #1, #2… = that year's YouTube rank among the 6 Scion tC years with enough videos (#1 = the year owners and reviewers talk about most positively). It is not a reliability rank.
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<iframe src="https://lemonindex.com/embed/cars/scion-tc/" title="Scion tC reliability by model year (The Lemon Index)" width="100%" height="330" style="border:0;max-width:720px" loading="lazy"></iframe><p style="font-size:13px;margin:4px 0 0">Data: <a href="https://lemonindex.com/cars/scion-tc/">Lemon Index</a> (Scion tC reliability by year)</p>Scores before 2010 are rough: fewer owners filed complaints back then.
YouTube rank: we read 396 YouTube videos about the Scion tC, 2005 to 2016, and ranked every year by how much they praise it vs. how much they talk about problems. YouTube's favorite: 2011. Old cars rank lower partly because most of their videos are repair and restoration videos. A gray dot means not enough data yet: under 10 videos, or a new year with no owner complaints to compare.
Compare the Scion tC.
Opens the compare tool with both cars, every year side by side. Compare with any car →
Quick answers.
Is the Scion tC reliable?
About average. It draws about as many complaints as the average car, and YouTube owners rate it about average for its age. Fewest complaints: 2011.
Is the Scion tC a good car?
It is about average, by owner complaints to the government per car sold (2005-2011: Lemon Index 94; 100 is average). Some years are much better than others: 2011 drew the fewest complaints since 2010.
What are the best Scion tC years to buy?
By owner complaints per car sold since 2010: 2011. 2011 drew the fewest.
What Scion tC years should you stay away from?
No Scion tC year drew much more than an average car's complaints.
How many recalls does the Scion tC have?
28 safety recalls across the 11 model years we track. Most: 2006 (5), 2005 (4), 2008 (3). Each year's page lists them, and every Scion tC recall is in one list here.
What are the most common Scion tC problems?
Across every year, owners' complaints to the government name visibility, body structure and airbags most. Some years are much worse than others: see the chart above.
Every year in one table
| Year | Index | Compared with average | Complaints | Top complaint | Recalls | Crash test | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 113 | a bit more than the average car's complaints | 80 | visibility (49%) | 4 | — | 22–23 |
| 2006 | 112 | a bit more than the average car's complaints | 56 | visibility (48%) | 5 | — | 22–23 |
| 2007 | 90 | about average | 51 | visibility (22%) | 2 | — | 23–24 |
| 2008 | 69 | about two-thirds as many complaints as the average car | 28 | airbags (36%) | 3 | — | 23–24 |
| 2009 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 30 | speed control (23%) | 3 | — | 23–24 |
| 2010 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 5 | tires (40%) | 2 | — | 23–24 |
| 2011 | 57 | a bit over half as many complaints as the average car | 15 | lights (27%) | 1 | — | 25 |
| 2013 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 3 | transmission & drivetrain (33%) | 1 | — | 25 |
| 2014 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 7 | body structure (14%) | 1 | — | 26 |
| 2015 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 8 | airbags (38%) | 3 | — | 26 |
| 2016 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 3 | body structure (33%) | 3 | — | 26 |
The Lemon Index counts owner complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model years (100 = average, lower is better). It measures complaints, not crash safety. U.S. sales source: en.wikipedia.org. How it works
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Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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