The 2008 Scion tC has no open NHTSA recalls. Owners report 5 recurring issue clusters, led by “Excessive oil consumption and engine failure.” Every Scion is another company's car in a hoodie, and the maintenance follows the donor. Most models (xA, xB, tC, xD, iQ, iM) are pure Toyota: 5,000-mile or 6-month service visits, oil every 10,000 miles on the 0W-20 cars (5,000 on early models), iridium plugs at 120,000, and famously little else. The FR-S is a Subaru boxer underneath and marches to Subaru's beat, with plugs at 60,000 and its own coolant schedule. The iA is a Mazda2 with Skyactiv service intervals. Parts and service remain easy through Toyota dealers, which is most of why used Scions make sense.
No open recalls on file. NHTSA lists no unrepaired safety recalls for this year, make and model. A recall can be issued at any time, and a specific car can still have one open — check yours by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What drivers and federal regulators have officially reported about the 2008 Scion tC.
ENGINE
24 NHTSA complaints · 2010-04 → 2025-02
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SCION TC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS CONSUMING AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF OIL, EVEN BETWEEN OIL CHANGES”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SCION TC. EACH TIME THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN, THE ENGINE WOULD CONSUME OIL AND OVERHEAT. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES”
“RAPID OIL CONSUMPTION. OVER 4 QUARTS IN <2,000 MILES. PROBLEM STARTED AROUND 147,000 ODO”
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
22 NHTSA complaints · 2010-07 → 2015-11
“TRUNK BROKE OFF WHILE OPENING VEHICLE. I AM A 115LB FEMALE, SERIOUSLY LACKING THE STRENGTH TO BREAK A WELL MADE CAR. DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO FIX DEFECT WITHOUT CHARGE”
“DURING THE NORMAL COURSE OF OPENING THE REAR HATCH, THE ENTIRE PANEL SNAPPED OFF DUE TO PLASTIC CLIPS THAT HAVE BECOME BRITTLE”
“THE TRUNK LATCH BROKE OFF! A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH ON THE WEB AND LOW AND BEHOLD, THIS PROBLEM IS EVERYWHERE!”
VISIBILITY
9 NHTSA complaints · 2008-06 → 2019-07
“ON FEBRUARY 19 2009, THE SUNROOF ON MY 2008 SCION TC SHATTERED WITHOUT WARNING. AS I WAS DRIVING AT 40 MPH ON A PAVED ROAD, WITH THE WINDOWS UP AND THE SUNROOF CLOSED, A LOUD BANG (SIMILAR TO A GUNSHOT) OCCURRED”
“SUNROOF / MOONROOF EXPLOSION. DRIVING 50 MPH ON FREEWAY AND WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUN SHOT WAS MY MOONROOF EXPLODING. NOTHING HIT THE VEHICLE, IT JUST EXPLODED ON ITS OWN”
“WHILE DRIVING ON THE BELTWAY (495 NORTH), MY SCION TC MOONROOF SHATTERED AND THE GLASS FELL ON ME AND ON THE INSIDE OF THE CAR”
STEERING, SUSPENSION, SERVICE BRAKES
6 NHTSA complaints · 2010-08 → 2016-05
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SCION TC. WHENEVER HE TRIED TO STOP HIS VEHICLE AND DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL IT MADE A CLICKING NOISE AND SNAPPED BACK”
“THERE HAD BEEN A BIG SNOWSTORM THE DAY PRIOR. I WAS DRIVING IN THE MORNING IN VERY COLD TEMPERATURES. THE ROADS HAD BEEN PLOWED BUT THERE WAS STILL SLUSH ON THE HIGHWAYS”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SCION TC. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS INDEPENDENTLY. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE JERKED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED”
AIR BAGS
8 NHTSA complaints · 2008-03 → 2018-02
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 SCION TC. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE”
“MOTOR VEHICLE HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD AND ROLLED OVER AND HIT A LIGHT POLE. AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY TO PROTECT OCCUPANT”
“AFTER BEING INVOLVED IN A COLLISION WHERE THE ENTIRE PASSENGER SIDE OF MY 08 SCION TC WAS DAMAGED NONE OF MY AIR BAGS DEPLOYED”
Issues on other model years
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Complaint data refreshed Sep 20, 2026. Investigation data refreshed Sep 20, 2026.
We display NHTSA's record with attribution; we don't editorialize on what these complaints mean for any specific vehicle.
Critical for safety and preventing major damage
0W-20 models (2011+ tC, iQ, iM): every 10,000 miles or 12 months with 5,000-mile checkup visits between. Earlier models: every 5,000 miles or 6 months. FR-S and iA: every 7,500 miles. Severe use halves all of these.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$120–$160
Shop
~$85–$115
DIY
~$25–$55
Full synthetic costs more than conventional. 5-quart 0W-20 + filter is the typical bill.
Every 5,000 miles or 6 months per the Toyota-pattern schedule; 7,500 on FR-S and iA.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$85
Shop
~$60
DIY
Free
Often free at the shop where you bought the tires — worth asking before paying.
Checked at every service visit.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$85
Shop
~$60
DIY
Free
Most shops do this free as a courtesy with any service. Don't pay separately if you can avoid it.
Toyota's US guides list inspection only, no replacement interval; the FR-S schedule does replace it, around every 30,000 miles. Every 2 to 3 years is sound practice on any of them since fluid absorbs moisture with age.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$180–$200
Shop
~$125–$140
DIY
~$10–$25
DOT 3 or 4 — match the cap. Vacuum bleeders make this a one-person DIY.
Keeps your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently
Every 30,000 miles or 36 months across the lineup.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$60–$95
Shop
~$45–$70
DIY
~$15–$40
5-minute job on most cars; the airbox lid usually has clips, no tools needed.
Iridium plugs at 120,000 miles on the Toyota-engine cars. FR-S: 60,000 miles, the big schedule difference on the Subaru boxer. iA: roughly 75,000 per Mazda practice. Note that 2005-2010 tC engines with oil-consumption habits can foul plugs early.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$285–$390
Shop
~$200–$275
DIY
~$25–$100
Iridium plugs cost more but last 100k+ miles. V6/V8 access varies wildly — some are tough.
Extends the life of your vehicle and improves comfort
Every 30,000 miles or 36 months on the Toyota schedule; sooner in dusty conditions.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$60–$95
Shop
~$45–$70
DIY
~$15–$40
Usually behind the glovebox. Shops charge labor for a 10-minute job — easy DIY win.
Toyota Super Long Life: first change at 100,000 miles or 120 months, then every 50,000. FR-S uses Subaru coolant: first at 135,000 or 11 years, then every 75,000.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$285–$330
Shop
~$200–$235
DIY
~$25–$60
Use the manufacturer-specified coolant — wrong color/chemistry can damage the cooling system.
Toyota WS fluid has no normal-schedule change; the factory book calls for it at 60,000 and 120,000 only under towing or heavy loads. FR-S automatics: every 60,000 miles or 5 years. A drain and fill around 60,000 is cheap insurance on any of them.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$330–$500
Shop
~$235–$355
DIY
~$60–$180
Some sealed transmissions have no dipstick — fill is precise and best left to a shop. Many drivers can still DIY drain-and-fill.
First inspection at 60,000 miles or 72 months, then every 15,000. All Scion engines are chain-driven; there is no timing-belt service on any model.
Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges
Dealer
~$195–$235
Shop
~$135–$165
DIY
~$20–$50
DIY-friendly if you can reach the tensioner. Inspect for cracks rather than swap on a strict mileage interval.
Occupant deaths in fatal crashes (FARS)
154 crashes 1990–2024
How the 154 occupant deaths break down
117
driver deaths
37
passenger deaths
154
occupant deaths
Crash years covered: 1990–2024 This model year first appears in 2007 crashes. Older models have had more years on the road to appear in these crashes, so a higher count here does not by itself mean a vehicle is less safe.
FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road. How to read this number
FARS 2024 data is an annual report file. NHTSA revises these records when the final file is published, so this count can change.
Every vehicle has exactly one driver seat, so driver deaths line up fairly when you compare one model to another. Occupant deaths include passengers, so a three row SUV can show a higher number than a two seat car simply because it carries more people.
Both figures are plain counts, not rates. A rate would need to know how many of each vehicle are on the road, and that registration data is not public, so we do not publish rates or scores of any kind.
IIHS publishes driver death rates using this same driver only idea, paired with a registered vehicle years denominator we do not have. Their rates and these counts answer different questions, so do not read either number here as a safety rating.
Owner-reported problem signals
Separate from the federal fatality data above: complaints owners filed with NHTSA about this year and model. These are reports of problems, unverified, and are counted here only as signals.
15
complaints mentioning a crash
2
complaints mentioning a fire
Typical U.S. ranges. Actual quotes vary by shop, parts choice, and vehicle condition.
How we estimate: Dealer = OEM parts × 1.4 + labor × $165/hr. Shop = parts + labor × $115/hr. DIY = parts only.
This maintenance schedule for the 2008 Scion tC reflects Scion's published service intervals. Your actual service needs may vary based on driving conditions, climate, and vehicle usage. Always consult your owner's manual for model-specific recommendations.