Skip to content
Scion XBModel year report

2008 Scion XB Problems

Compared with other Scion XB years

More complaints than typical for this model

100/100 5.2× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2011

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
339filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
51,000miles, 200 complaints with mileage
Recalls
8campaigns 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
24 mpgcombined, 2.4L 4-cyl FWD · 22 city / 28 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2008 Scion XB (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2008 Scion xB most often write about the windshield cracking, the Takata airbag inflator recalls and airbags not deploying, engine oil consumption, and steering assist loss. Many reports come from cold weather, and mileage varies: windshield cracks show up early, steering complaints clustered around 60,000–90,000 miles, and oil consumption mostly after 50,000 miles.

  1. Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

    Windshield cracking without an impact

    • 40 complaints (12%)
    • median 12,750 mi at 0.9 yrs old (36 state mileage)
    • filed 2007–2015

    Owners describe cracks starting at the edges or the base of the windshield, sometimes while the car was parked, with no sign of a rock strike. Some mention a creaking noise in cold weather before the crack appears. Dealers often attribute the cracks to impact and charge for replacement, and a few owners report repeat replacements. Mostly reported under 20,000 miles, frequently in cold weather.

    What to check: Inspect the windshield edges and lower seal for cracks or repairs, and ask whether the glass is original. A stress crack often starts at the seal without a chip.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I have a large crack in the front windshield of my 2008 Scion XB. I bought the car in may so it is a little over 3 months old. I do not believe that it was caused by anything hitting the windshield. My Scion dealer says that it is not covered by my warranty. They want to charge me $1010 to replace the windshield and the molding.”

    NHTSA complaint #10240843, filed 2008-09, 7,500 miles

    “I have a 2008 Scion XB. It developed a crack in the windshield. This crack started in the seal, and formed a perfectly straight crack, which then curved, and cracked straight across the windshield. I was told by the Scion dealer that it was due to a rock hitting my windshield, but there is not impact crack visible. There is not spider webbing of any kind, just a line straight across the windshield.”

    NHTSA complaint #10269478, filed 2009-05, 22,000 miles
  2. Engine

    Excessive engine oil consumption (2AZ-FE)

    • 35 complaints (10%)
    • median 80,000 mi at 7.2 yrs old (25 state mileage)
    • filed 2010–2019

    Owners report the oil level dropping quickly between changes, sometimes a quart within about 1,500 miles, with no visible leak. Some describe smoke from the exhaust and louder engine noise, and dealers performed oil consumption tests. Complaints mention that the results were sometimes called normal or that the repair fell outside an extended warranty. Mostly reported from about 50,000 miles onward, several past 100,000 miles.

    13 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check the dipstick level and look for a fuel or burnt smell, ask for oil change records, and ask whether the oil consumption warranty enhancement or piston repair was ever performed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My 2008 Scion XB is burning through oil at a crazy rate. I drive 100 miles a day and every two days I have to put a whole quart of oil. I have read online about all the complaints but toyota will not publicly acknowledge the problem. My Scion is now at 175,000 miles and engine sound becomes worse and worse. Please issue a recall.”

    NHTSA complaint #10650910, filed 2014-10, 125,000 miles

    “Excessive oil consumption. I have to add two quarts of oil between every oil change and the vehicle is still a quart low when it's changed. I received a letter from toyota to have vehicle tested for excessive oil consumption. Test results show it uses .6 quarts in 1000 miles, toyota says that's normal.”

    NHTSA complaint #10924827, filed 2016-11, 200,000 miles
  3. Brakes

    Brake, ABS and VSC warning lights with sensor faults

    • 66 complaints (19%)
    • median 50,000 mi at 3.5 yrs old (59 state mileage)
    • 10 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 12 quotes)
    • filed 2007–2025

    Owners report the brake, ABS, VSC and traction-control lights illuminating together, sometimes after a brake shudder or grinding noise. Dealers commonly point to a wheel speed sensor, hub and bearing assembly, or wiring, and some owners describe inconsistent diagnoses and expensive repairs. Others report the brake pedal sinking while stopped or a rear caliper sticking in cold weather. Mostly reported between about 40,000 and 80,000 miles, often in cold or wet weather.

    What to check: Check that no ABS, VSC or brake lights stay on after startup, and ask whether any wheel speed sensor, hub or bearing has been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The anti-lock brake system (ABS), visibility stabile control (vsc) and traction control warning light, and brake indicators remain illuminated on the instrument panel. The repair center has advised me on different repairs that are inconsistent. One repair option is a faulty sensor in one of my rear wheels that needs replacing. The other repair was that the wheel bearing was bad on the left front wheel and that when fixed would re-set the sensor lights. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10449050, filed 2012-02, 70,000 miles

    “I was coming to a stop and my brakes stuttered and seemed as if they locked up. Immediately after my brake,ABS,vsc and traction control lights came on. Minutes later they turned off but since then keep coming on and going off. The roads were very dry no rain or snow conditions. It has happened multiple times in the past week. Now I am scared to drive my car for the time being before they can get me into look at it. $120 to diagnose it and who knows how much afterwards. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10509749, filed 2013-04, 41,240 miles
  4. Steering

    Loss of power steering assist

    • 36 complaints (11%)
    • median 83,000 mi at 6.9 yrs old (31 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2010–2017

    Owners describe the steering suddenly becoming very hard to turn, sometimes with warning lights, while parked, turning, or at speed; in some cases the car also stalled. Dealers diagnosed the electronic power steering control unit and quoted a costly replacement, and owners note the same complaint appears widely online. Mostly reported between roughly 55,000 and 85,000 miles, though a few at higher mileage.

    What to check: Start the car and turn the wheel from lock to lock, watching for warning lights or heavy effort. Ask whether the power steering control unit has been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My wife and I bought a Scion/toyota expecting better reliability. While my wife was in a parking lot the steering light came on and lost power assist. She was unable to drive the car in this condition. It is going to be a fairly costly repair. It is unfortunate toyota has not done something to help its customers. Due to the fact it is a known problem with a high failure rate.”

    NHTSA complaint #10567098, filed 2014-03, 101,000 miles

    “Lost power steering while making a u-turn. Was able to gain control by steering hard on the steering wheel! Almost crashing onto another car. Found out that they're are so many complaints in regards to this matter online. Scion would not recall, or investigate further. Cost of repair, tow, diagnostic is in the $1500+!”

    NHTSA complaint #10694720, filed 2015-03, 81,000 miles
  5. Air bags

    Airbags not deploying / Takata inflator recall

    Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

    Several owners involved in collisions report that the airbags did not deploy. Many others reference the Takata inflator recall, describing difficulty getting the recall remedy in some areas. Complaints include injuries reported after impacts. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 36,000 to over 200,000 miles.

    Recall 19V741000Recall 17V006000Recall 16V3400001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask whether the passenger-side inflator recall (19V741000, 17V006000, 16V340000) has been completed, and check the recall status by VIN.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My 2008 Scion XB was rear ended while I was sitting at a stop light. The vehicle that hit me was a larger chevy SUV traveling at a minimum speed of 35 MPH sending my Scion into the rear of the car in front of me at the stop light. My air bags never deployed... I was told to notify your agency.”

    NHTSA complaint #10311664, filed 2010-02, 40,000 miles

    “Takata recall we received a recall on our takata airbags the day of my accident. I came to a stop on the street and one car was going to make a left hand turn when I was rear ended by another car. Causing damage to me and my passenger. For some reason the airbags did not deploy. Creating a dangerous situation either way. We could've been both severely injured and the fact that they didn't deploy we was still injured. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11018779, filed 2017-08, 80,000 miles

Buying note. Have a mechanic check the windshield for stress cracks, verify the airbag inflator recalls were completed by VIN, and confirm the oil level and service history. Test the steering from lock to lock and watch for ABS, VSC or brake warning lights during the test drive.

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 339 consumer complaints for the 2008 Scion XB. 200 of the complaints include a mileage, and 48% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 51,000 miles. Of all complaints, 30 involved a crash, 7 a fire, 24 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns and 141 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 4 Scion XB model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 100 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (more complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

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: Wheels (9), Engine cooling (7), Transmission and drivetrain (7), Exterior lighting (5), Suspension (5), Fuel system (3), Latches, locks and linkages (2), Seat belts (2), Seats (2), Equipment (1).

Example complaints

Air bags: “Takata recall contacted toyota of tri cites to schedule an appointment to rectify air bag as per toyota's letter of recall received in january 2017. They said no parts available now or in the near future. Would not supply loaner car. Was told to not put passengers in front seat if I was concerned about the problem but probably no big deal due to low humidity in our area.”

NHTSA complaint #10956118, filed 2017-02, 24,000 miles

Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors): “Car was sitting still, had just started it. Heard a pop and my windshield was cracked. Scion XB 2008. I have been reading about numerous complaints with the l shaped crack going from the dash by the drivers wiper across to passenger side. No rock hit the windshield there.”

NHTSA complaint #10308002, filed 2010-02, 22,000 miles

Brakes: “Sudden forceful braking 2 times in a 15 mile commute . Driving 55 MPH with my foot firmly on the gas pedal, the car suddenly brake hard enough to tighten my seatbelt. 4 dash lights came on . Abs, brake, and traction control were all solid and vsc was flashing. Luckily the car behind me was alert enough not to rear-end me. The dash lights mentioned above come on and go off occasionally.”

NHTSA complaint #10505588, filed 2013-04, 50,000 miles

Steering: “I turned on my car and was slowly backing out of the driveway when the steering wheel icon lit up. The steering suddenly became very difficult to turn and I was barely able to park the car on the street. I'm unable to use the car for anything else as I can barely steer at all.”

NHTSA complaint #11046890, filed 2017-11, 139,353 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

48% of the 200 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 19,000 and 89,000 miles.

16%0–1018%10–2515%25–5016%50–7516%75–10015%100–1506%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (200 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 51,000 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.

’08’10’12’14’1693’18’24’26
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 2008 Scion XB 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
xB FWD2.4L 4-cyl5-speed manual222824$2,800
xB FWD2.4L 4-cyl4-speed automatic222824$2,800

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

See all 8 recalls for the 2008 Scion XB → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

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. 141 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 141 bulletins →

Other model years of the Scion XB

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2015623,4282—24—Not enough data
2014959,5002—24—Not enough data
20131441,5002—24—Not enough data
20124590,0003—240 · FewerStable
20115463,2485—2415 · FewerRising
20105548,0197—2450 · TypicalFalling
200914075,00010—2490 · MoreFalling
200833951,0008—24100 · MoreRising
200625328,5005—28Not compared (before 2008)Rising
20059259,0001—29Not compared (before 2008)Rising
20043765,4550—29Not compared (before 2008)Rising

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2008 Scion XB?

Owners of the 2008 Scion xB most often write about the windshield cracking, the Takata airbag inflator recalls and airbags not deploying, engine oil consumption, and steering assist loss. The issues reported most often: Windshield cracking without an impact; Excessive engine oil consumption (2AZ-FE); Brake, ABS and VSC warning lights with sensor faults.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2008 Scion XB have?

NHTSA recorded 339 consumer complaints for the 2008 Scion XB as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2008 Scion XB is reported most often?

Air bags is named most often, in 132 complaints (39% of the total), followed by visibility with 46.

Has the 2008 Scion XB been recalled?

NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2008 Scion XB get?

The EPA rates the 2008 Scion XB (xB, 2.4L 4-cyl) at 24 mpg combined, 22 city and 28 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,800 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2008 Scion XB reported?

Among the 200 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 51,000 miles and the middle half falls between 19,000 and 89,000 miles; 48% 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.