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Scion TCModel year report

2005 Scion TC Problems

Complaints
155filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
41,465miles, 113 complaints with mileage
Recalls
4campaigns on record
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
23 mpgcombined, 2.4L 4-cyl FWD · 20 city / 27 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2005 Scion TC (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2005 Scion tC most often report the glass moonroof deflector or the sunroof panel shattering with a loud pop, usually with no impact from a road object, and many describe it happening at highway speed or while the car sat parked. Interior and body trim also comes up frequently: the rear hatch garnish loosens or breaks, and paint and window seals show early wear. A smaller group of complaints involves airbags, engine oil consumption and throttle or clutch behavior, mostly at higher mileage.

  1. Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

    Sunroof and wind deflector glass shattering

    • 41 complaints (26%)
    • median 39,182 mi at 2.2 yrs old (32 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2004–2017

    Complaints describe a loud bang or gunshot-like pop, then glass falling into the cabin or onto the roof. Many owners state that no object hit the car, that the sunroof was closed or the setting was untouched, and that they were at highway speed when it happened. Some report a replacement deflector cracking a second time, and others say the dealer replaced the deflector without charge or quoted a repair cost. Frequently reported under 40,000 miles, and in several cases within the first few thousand miles; a few reports involve cars parked for hours.

    Recall 05V483000

    What to check: Inspect the wind deflector and the sunroof panel closely for cracks around the edges, and ask the seller whether either glass piece has been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I have a 2005 Scion TC, last monday I arrived home and after five minutes while I was by the car I heard a crack and when I look at the car I saw that the back moonroof cracked without any reason.the way it cracked it is very weird because it cracked all the way around and after that over the night it start courving upward and it start feling in to pieces.”

    NHTSA complaint #10129398, filed 2005-07, 10,908 miles

    “I was driving on the highway at about 45mph when I heard a loud explosion. I immediately pulled over thinking a tire had blown and found that the moonroof glass had shattered. The glass was bowed upward in the center indicating it had broken due to stress. The windshield and the wind deflector did not break at all nor receive any damage. The glass was not impacted by any foreign object.”

    NHTSA complaint #10251228, filed 2008-12, 82,000 miles
  2. Air bags

    Airbags not deploying in crashes

    • 17 complaints (11%)
    • median 79,648 mi at 7.8 yrs old (14 state mileage)
    • 15 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2005–2021

    Several complaints describe front or side airbags that did not deploy in a collision, including side impacts and a rear-end crash. Other owners report the airbag warning light staying on, sometimes along with the horn or cruise control not working, and say a shop traced it to a wiring or module fault. Recalls covering side airbag inflators and unintended side airbag deployment exist for this model year. Mostly reported between about 75,000 and 190,000 miles, in collisions at a range of speeds.

    Recall 06V408000Recall 06V0960004 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the airbag recalls were completed, and confirm that the airbag warning light goes out after the bulb check when the car is started.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Takota recall. I was recently in a potentially fatal accident and my airbags didn't deploy and I hit my head on the steering wheel pretty hard. I was on the highway and a deer bolted out in front of my car and my initial reaction was to avoid it and ran into a traffic sign and smacked the guard rail going around 50 MPH.”

    NHTSA complaint #11012997, filed 2017-08, 189,000 miles

    “05 Scion TC collided with another vehicle on the highway. After impact Scion spun out of control and hit guard rail. Air bag in 05 Scion did not deploy, driver of Scion had an injured neck, bruise on left thigh and lump on forehead from hitting it in on steering wheel. Driver of Scion was taken to the hospital, and has to undergo physical therapy due to neck injury.”

    NHTSA complaint #10556660, filed 2013-12, 140,000 miles
  3. Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

    Paint peeling, scratches and dried window seals

    • 18 complaints (12%)
    • median 9,950 mi at 0.9 yrs old (12 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2004–2018

    Owners describe paint that scratches easily, bubbles, chips or peels, often soon after purchase, with some saying the clear coat lifts and a single thin coat sits over the primer. Separately, complaints mention the rubber weatherstrip around the windshield and side and rear glass drying out, discoloring or crumbling. Dealers are reported as calling this normal wear or not resolving it. Reported from delivery onward, often within the first few thousand miles; seal complaints appear on older cars after several years.

    What to check: Look over panel edges and the roof for bubbling or peeling clear coat, and run a finger along the window weatherstrip to check for hardening or cracking.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I have had numerous problems with my 2005 Scion TC since purchase on 7/16/2004. The day after purchase the front tire was sitting on the rim. Terrible problems with scratches it seems as though you look at it and it scratches and the paint is peeling and bubbling all over, the power lock button fell inside the door within the 1st week I had the car. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10134924, filed 2005-08, 45 miles

    “I just bought a Scion TC a month ago and was surprised by the paint dings caused by rocks. This in itself is not a surprise, but there is only one layer of paint between the top of the car and the primer. I have called Scion support and have filed a complaint with them too. The dealership was of no help saying the rock dings are normal (I know that) and didn't mention anything of the quality of the paint, defect in the paint, or defect in the painting process. Any type of help would be appreciated to actually see if this is a problem.”

    NHTSA complaint #10126730, filed 2005-06, 2,480 miles
  4. Body and structure

    Loosening or breaking rear hatch garnish

    • 10 complaints (6%)
    • median 50,350 mi at 6.0 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2009–2013

    Complaints describe the rear hatch garnish or handle panel coming loose or breaking off, sometimes leaving the latch release and its wiring dangling. Owners say the handle design puts stress on plastic clips each time the hatch is opened and often mention that the hatch does not spring up on its own. Some report that a dealer replaced the part, and others say the repair was not covered or not done. Mostly reported between about 50,000 and 110,000 miles; a few owners noticed it within the first couple of thousand miles.

    6 related service bulletins

    What to check: Open and close the rear hatch several times and check the garnish and handle for looseness, cracks or missing clips; ask whether the warranty enhancement for this part was applied.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Back hatch door handle garnish just came off the vehicles rear hatch handle has a design flaw which makes the part fail. The rear hatch handle is fastened to the trunk/hatch with plastic clips. When the release button for the hatch is pressed, it only unlocks the hatch door. It does not spring upward like other vehicles. In the manual it shows to hold the release button and lift with the hatch handle. Because there are no springs to help lift it applies lots of pressure to the clips which weaken them. Eventually, they just snap. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10462162, filed 2012-06, 100,000 miles

    “The contact owns a 2005 toyota Scion TC. The contact stated that he attempted to open the rear hatch and the handle mechanism fractured and became detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The failure and current mileage was 54,000.”

    NHTSA complaint #10538592, filed 2013-09, 54,000 miles

Buying note. On a car this old, look closely at the moonroof glass and the rear hatch garnish first, since those are the most common complaints and are inexpensive to check. Confirm that any open airbag recalls were performed and that the engine holds oil, and expect interior and trim items to show wear.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 155 consumer complaints for the 2005 Scion TC. 113 of the complaints include a mileage, and 54% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 41,465 miles. Of all complaints, 25 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 35 an injury, 2 a death, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 59 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Engine cooling (5), Fuel system (5), Latches, locks and linkages (5), Seat belts (5), Electrical system (3), Exterior lighting (3), Wheels (3), Seats (2), Suspension (2), Steering (1).

Example complaints

Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors): “I was driving along government st, the streets downtown needs major repairs. But I didn't hit a bump in the road or nothing to cause my glass to break. I didn't even hear anything hit my glass I had the sunroof open with my little brother and dog in the car when glass begin to fall on us.”

NHTSA complaint #10619150, filed 2014-08, 145,600 miles

Body and structure: “The frame and every metal component on the underneath of the car including the frame rusts terribly. The rest is completely corroding away and breaking off. Even th metal strap holding my gas tank on is completely rusted and if I put n pressure it chips away. I didn't notice this until I went to have my exhaust done and was able to look under the car.”

NHTSA complaint #11090499, filed 2018-04, 90,000 miles

Air bags: “Our daughters 2005 Scion TC was in an accident that was a head on collision she lost control on black ice and hit a pole. Her car has been deemed totaled by the insurance and body shop due to the severe damage to the car. She has numerous injuries from this accident and the air bags not deploying. It is very strange when I called toyota they claim there are no recalls for airbags which I see in fact there is by this website. …”

NHTSA complaint #10381201, filed 2011-02, 84,000 miles

Other or unknown: “All windows seals ( rubber ) are discolored ... I had my car 7 years and every year the rubber around the front windshield side and back windows are all rotten.. Trying to see if toyota can replace all frames.. Thanks”

NHTSA complaint #10400842, filed 2011-05, 65,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

54% of the 113 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 9,200 and 94,000 miles.

26%0–1012%10–2517%25–5012%50–7514%75–10013%100–1507%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (113 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 41,465 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

’0434’07’10’13’16’19’25
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2005 Scion TC version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
tC FWD2.4L 4-cyl4-speed automatic202723$2,900
tC FWD2.4L 4-cyl5-speed manual192722$3,050

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2005 Scion TC → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 59 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 59 bulletins →

Other model years of the Scion TC

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2016638,5002—26—Not enough data
20152233,9992—26—Falling
20142053,0000—26—Falling
2013960,0000—25—Not enough data
2012844,9431—25—Not enough data
20112929,0000—250 · FewerFalling
20102032,7432—24—Falling
20096045,7403—2458 · TypicalFalling
20088665,0003—2450 · TypicalRising
200711763,9152—24Not compared (before 2008)Rising
200616162,7505—23Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200515541,4654—23Not compared (before 2008)Rising

All Scion TC model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2005 Scion TC?

Owners of the 2005 Scion tC most often report the glass moonroof deflector or the sunroof panel shattering with a loud pop, usually with no impact from a road object, and many describe it happening at highway speed or while the car sat parked. The issues reported most often: Sunroof and wind deflector glass shattering; Airbags not deploying in crashes; Paint peeling, scratches and dried window seals.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2005 Scion TC have?

NHTSA recorded 155 consumer complaints for the 2005 Scion TC as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2005 Scion TC is reported most often?

Visibility is named most often, in 50 complaints (32% of the total), followed by body and structure with 31.

Has the 2005 Scion TC been recalled?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2005 Scion TC get?

The EPA rates the 2005 Scion TC (tC, 2.4L 4-cyl) at 23 mpg combined, 20 city and 27 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,900 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2005 Scion TC reported?

Among the 113 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 41,465 miles and the middle half falls between 9,200 and 94,000 miles; 54% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.