Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Scion tC, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Unknown or other3
- Service brakes1
- Structure1
- Seat belts1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 4 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 9.0 L/100 km (about 26 mpg US), CO₂ 210–211 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| tC · Compact · Regular gasoline | 10.2 | 7.6 | 9.0 |
| tC · Compact · Regular gasoline | 10.2 | 7.7 | 9.0 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 2016 Scion tC.
| 2021723 24 Nov 2021 | Electrical Issue: This recall is for certain block heater kits installed on certain vehicles or sold as accessories at Toyota or Lexus dealerships. On certain vehicl… |
| 2017363 20 Jul 2017 | Electrical On certain vehicles, the electrical power cords of some dealer installed block heaters may have been improperly manufactured, causing the wires to contact each … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
16V420000 · Equipment9 Jun 2016 · 4,253 vehicles
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Camry and Highlander, 2015-2016 Toyota Tundra, Scion FR-S, and tC vehicles. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
16V236000 · Equipment22 Apr 2016 · 94 vehicles
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Yaris, Rav4, Land Cruiser and 4Runner vehicles, and Scion FR-S, iM, and TC vehicles manufactured January 28, 2016, to March 14, 2016. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Scion told its dealers about the 2016 Scion tC: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10200378 | Pre-Delivery Service(PDS) |
| 10200372 | Floor Mat Installation During PDS |
| 10185779 | TT: HVAC drain tube is found to be blocked/clogged. |
| 10178780 | DL: Toyota plans to send Safety Recall Follow-Up Notices for the above referenced campaigns to remind owners whose vehicles have not yet had campaign repairs completed. |
| 10153260 | TT: In certain cases of leaking air conditioning systems, the root cause of the leak is inadvertently overlooked, causing a repeat repair. To improve customer satisfaction and repair A/C system leaks in one dealer visit, Toyota has developed a set of guidelines for evaluating A/C system components. |
| 10152156 | TSB: REVISION NOTICE August 23, 2017 Rev1: ? Applicability has been updated to include 2015 model year xB vehicles, 2015 ? 2016 model year tC vehicles, and 2016 model year iM vehicles. ? The Parts Information section has been updated. Any previous printed versions of this bulletin should be discarded. Introduction. Some vehicles in particular geographic areas may exhibit a condition where the HVAC Evaporator Drain Hose has become obstructed with an insect nest. An insect repellent drain hose tip (ARINIX Tip) is now available to help minimize future occurrences of this environmental condition. |
| 10142507 | TT: During previous air conditioning service, leakage prevention agent (A/C stop leak) may have been added to the A/C system. Adding stop leak products to the A/C system is not a recommended or approved Scion repair process. During A/C service, moisture enters the A/C system, and can react with the previously added A/C stop leak, forming a gelatinous substance. The gel substance that forms can cause the A/C compressor to bind and or seize. |
| 10140587 | TSB: Pre-Delivery Service (PDS) is a critical step in satisfying your dealership?s new car customers. Customer feedback indicates the following areas deserve special attention when performing PDS: Careful inspection for paint chips/scratches and body dents/dings; Proper operation of electrical accessories (including interior light, clock, and radio reset); Interior cleanliness; Proper function of mechanical systems. Customer retention and proper maintenance of vehicles has been a major focus for Toyota and Scion. To help remind customers that regular oil changes are essential to the proper |
| 10140586 | TSB: 2016 Pre-Delivery Service Check Sheet |
| 10140581 | TSB: The 2016 model year tC has a new accessory package known as Release Series 10.0 that includes an aero kit. To minimize damage to the aero kit?s front bumper spoiler during transportation, 2 spacers have been installed on each of the front shock absorber piston shafts to hold the front of the vehicle up approximately 2 inches over normal ride height. These 4 spacers must be removed from the front of the vehicle during Pre-Delivery Service (PDS). |
| 10134472 | SB: Flash reprogramming allows the ECU software to be updated without replacing the ECU. Flash calibration updates for specific vehicle models/ECUs are released as field-fix procedures described in individual Service Bulletins. This bulletin details the Techstream ECU flash reprogramming process and outlines use of the Technical Information System (TIS) and the Calibration Update Wizard (CUW). Flash calibration updates can only be applied to the vehicle/ECU combination for which they are intended. ECUs have internal security that will not allow them to be programmed with another ECU?s informat |
| 10134310 | SSB: Pre-Delivery Service (PDS) is a critical step in satisfying your dealership?s new car customers. Customer feedback indicates the following areas deserve special attention when performing PDS: ? Careful inspection of the paint for paint chips/scratches and body dents/dings. ? Proper operation of electrical accessories (including interior light, clock, and radio reset). Interior cleanliness. ? Proper function of mechanical systems. |
| 10134272 | SSB: 2016 model year vehicles are equipped with driver's side floor mat retaining clips to secure the floor mat in the correct position. In addition, some models may utilize retaining clips for passenger side floor mats as well. Follow the appropriate installation procedure to attach the driver's side and passenger's side (if applicable) floor mat to the vehicle carpet using the floor mat retaining clips during Pre-Delivery Service (PDS). |
| 10132900 | TSB: REVISION NOTICE November 10, 2016 Rev1: ? Applicability has been updated to include 2015 model year xB vehicles, 2016 model year iM vehicles, and 2015 ? 2016 tC vehicles. ? The Parts Information section has been updated. Any previous printed versions of this bulletin should be discarded. Some 2008 ? 2016 model year Scion vehicles may exhibit odors naturally occurring from the HVAC system and/or related environmental factors. Although there is no way to eliminate these odors, follow the General Procedure in this bulletin to minimize the odors experienced. |
| 10132574 | SB: Flash reprogramming allows the ECU software to be updated without replacing the ECU. Flash calibration updates for specific vehicle models/ECUs are released as field-fix procedures described in individual Service Bulletins. This bulletin details the Techstream ECU flash reprogramming process and outlines use of the Technical Information System (TIS) and the Calibration Update Wizard (CUW). Flash calibration updates can only be applied to the vehicle/ECU combination for which they are intended. ECUs have internal security that will not allow them to be programmed with another ECU?s informat |
| 10129992 | TSB: Some vehicles may display a 22-digit request code when attempting to perform a navigation map update. |
| 10111573 | SSB: Some 2016 model year vehicles are equipped with a Smart Key system, which allows the customer to enter and start the vehicle without using a mechanical key. To ensure the system is operating properly, the Smart Key functions (Smart Entry and Smart Start) should be inspected using the following procedure during Pre-Delivery Service (PDS). NOTE-Check ALL of the Smart Keys using this procedure. |
| 10111572 | SSB: 2016 model year vehicles are equipped with driver's side floor mat retaining clips to secure the floor mat in the correct position. In addition, some models may utilize retaining clips for passenger side floor mats as well. Follow the appropriate installation procedure to attach the driver's side and passenger's side (if applicable) floor mat to the vehicle carpet using the floor mat retaining clips during Pre-Delivery Service (PDS). CAUTION ? ALWAYS verify the floor mat to ensure it is designed specific |
| 10111571 | SSB: Long-term or off-site storage requires special care to keep vehicles factory fresh and ready for delivery. The following guidelines should be performed to minimize vehicle component/part degradation due to extended vehicle storage conditions. Long-term storage can affect a vehicle's systems and components. Any problems that are found should be corrected immediately. |
| 10111570 | SSB: The procedure in this bulletin is a general guideline on how to properly diagnose the air conditioning system after a component failure. Refer to the applicable Repair Manual for vehicle specific repair procedures and parts. |
| 10111422 | SSB: Pre-Delivery Service (PDS) is a critical step in satisfying your dealership's new car customers. Customer feedback indicates the following areas deserve special attention when performing PDS: * Careful inspection for paint chips/scratches and body dents/dings.? Proper operation of electrical accessories (including interior light, clock, and radio reset). * Interior cleanliness. * Proper function of mechanical systems. Customer retention and proper maintenance of vehicles has been a major focus for Toyota and Scion. To help remind customers that regular oil changes are essential to the |
| 10111421 | SSB: Pre-Delivery Service (PDS) is a critical step in satisfying your dealership's new car customers. Customer feedback indicates the following areas deserve special attention when performing PDS: * Careful inspection for paint chips/scratches and body dents/dings. * Proper operation of electrical accessories (including interior light, clock, and radio reset). * Interior cleanliness. * Proper function of mechanical systems. Customer retention and proper maintenance of vehicles has been a major focus for Toyota and Scion. To help remind customers that regular oil changes are essential to |
| 10111307 | TT: iPhone text messages do not appear on multi media display. |
| 10111295 | SSB: While a vehicle is in inventory, the battery is subject to conditions that can reduce its performance and life. Batteries can become discharged due to an extended storage period, temperature, parasitic drain, or while demonstrating vehicle features and benefits in the sales process. Battery inspection and maintenance are required in order to ensure proper operation and optimal battery life. As described in this bulletin, operating the engine for 30 minutes after 60 days in storage and every 30 days thereafter will help to maintain battery State of Charge (SOC). This process supplements o |
| 10111190 | SSB: Some 2016 model year vehicles are equipped with a Smart Key system, which allows the customer to enter and start the vehicle without using a mechanical key. To ensure the system is operating properly, the Smart Key functions (Smart Entry and Smart Start) should be inspected using the following procedure during Pre-Delivery Service (PDS). NOTE-Check ALL of the Smart Keys using this procedure. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)