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Scion tC Problems and Solutions
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I have almost 7k miles on my tC and I haven't had any of the rattling or creaking that everyone keeps talking about. Other than the O2 sensor going out I have had no problems with my scion.
One question for you. Do the 18" wheels add more road noise than the 17" wheels? I assume that you bought the 18" wheels from the dealer.
My car
I am now going on 4,000 miles and have not had much problems with my car, nothing to be disappointed with. I have now scratched each of my 18" rims and next time I go to the dealer, I will ask the stupid question of whether that is covered by the warranty; it is bound to happen especially with these Miami roads. The popping sound everyone is saying that comes from the roof seems to happen to me when I come out of my parking lot at a down angle. When I pull out, the tires are at a very uneven level and I hear a slight popping sound which must be due to body flexing and should be what everyone is talking about. One biggie that just happened lately is that I hit this really nasty road hazard and I think it caused my engine cover to come loose! I noticed my car made a weird noise when starting up, looking under the car I could see and hear a big solid black piece and a tube just rattling badly. I thought it might have been the Borla Exhaust breaking in but I wanted to be sure. I found out at the dealer that the engine cover indeed came loose and the repair took 20 mins, covered under warranty. Still not sure if the road hazard caused that, they didn't mention any damage. Other than that, I will be upgrading the sound system in the next few weeks since I recently found out the $380 system upgrade not only includes the amp and sub, but ALSO, 4 JBL mids!!! That is plenty good clean sound for me. Unfortunately I did go ahead and buy a pricey amp and capacitor which I am now selling under-priced.
And, the tranny should not grind. That I would have looked at. I assue you are depressing the clutch all the way of course.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Houston we have a problem...
Is it logical to assume that Toyota "changed" the SSM and IIP colors for '06 in an attempt to address the rumored paint/clearcoat issue without admitting guilt? I was set to take delivery on my '05 SSM I waited 5 weeks for when info was released on the '06 in late May. I started to have second thoughts and my dealer graciously let me order an '06 instead, but in the new Classic Silver Metallic. My conservative nature is betting the issues will still exist on the new colors.
Seeking advice from all interested parties...
I am seriously considering having the 3M clear bra installed or visiting a body shop to apply "additional" clearcoat when I get my '06 in less than two weeks. Supposedly most dealers do not have touch-up paint which makes absolutely NO sense to me... why and how?!?!? Which of these two options would you choose and why? Any approximate figures as to how much either of these might cost?? FYI - I am looking to have the clear bra professionally installed... I'm not that perfect!! :P
It baffles me that I have to take such measures so early, I would not expect that from a Toyota product... their "overall" quality is what convinced me to go with a tC rather than a Mazda3. It's just disappointing I have to address a quality issue before I even have the car. My Civic's paint/clearcoat has been near perfect... only a few chips in eight years, and it has had its share of highway mileage! I just now bought touch-up paint from the dealership to take care of those few blemishes before I trade it in.
Any advice is appreciated, thank you in advance.
osu1298grad
So I would like to research whether or not buying a 3M clear bra makes enough sense to actually do it. How much is it? I just love that blue color on the RS 2.0 and would really be irritated if white chips started appearing on the bumper and hood in the front. That area is the one that takes the worst beating in everyday travels anyway Might be a very good idea to get a bra up there, or have a professional put some 3M protectant material on up in front.
What'd'y'all think about this idea?
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Is the 2006 model out yet for Scion? I have no Toyota history..was always a Nissan/Datsun gal but since Nissan has nothing in that class anymore, it's time for a change.
So far I've read problems with 3rd gear manual (I would want automatic), a "stupid" radio cover that sounds like they didn't "get" what would work for people and how stupid it looks open, a problem with the sun roof coming loose, rattling, creaking, cracking, etc. which is of concern (have a full pop up moon roof on the Nissan, never a hiss all these years) and the hatchback rattling/clicking sounds. Coming from a very quiet 13 year old car, I'm sure some of this would bug me so hoping to hear there are improvements in the new model. Thanks for any input.
OTOH-it would be nice to have the rock chip protection, eh?
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
I also don't like the way the so called "clear" bra looks. If 3M offered to PAY ME $600 I would still pass on it.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
The first time was to repair a fender scrape that must have occurred during shipping. The Toy dealer did it for free under warranty, including a free car rental for 3 days. They repainted the whole fender and It looked perfect when I got it back, except...
The second time was to repaint the front bumper - which they had damaged while putting my fender back on. They did a quick 1 day job, but it looked perfect. Free warranty repair again and great service from the dealership.
The third time was to repair two damages. Came back from vacation and found my parked car's hood dented AND my rear bumper hit - two separate accidents thank you.
To give you an idea of pricing - at a certified Toyota repair shop (and only certain Toy dealerships are Toyota certified): Repainting the rear fender, with minimal body work, was over $500. Repairing the small dent in the hood and repainting it was about $250. Adding another $100 for 3 days car rental made the whole affair expensive and inconvenient. This new shop did less than a perfect job too - leaving small bubbles in the hood and overspraying paint on my wheel.
Meanwhile, my front bumper is showing nicks - sooner than any other new car I've ever owned; the sunroof is still rattling - after 2 different dealership repair attempts; my rear hatch is rattling - which the dealership tried to diagnose as loose tools; the manual shifting remains unbelievably sloppy and vague; the long heavy doors pose a constant problem for getting in and out; the hatchback is far more heavy and less convenient than any trunk; the open stereo lid still annoys me; the stereo controls are inconvenient; the headrest won't move back away from my head enough; the high beam indicator light is too annoyingly bright; the remote key entry is too tempormental; the cruise control speeds up 4 mph going down interstate grades; and trying to keep all that roof glass clean is a chore.
The car reminds me of my 88 Jeep Wrangler that looked great and had awesome capability but was plagued with problems - giving me a love/hate relationship. The tC's a good looker, good performer, and great value - but the numerous little problems are detracting from my joy with the purchase. OK, so maybe I'm a bit critical, but I didn't have these problems or feelings with the Miata I sold. I've concluded that if my tc gets stolen or totaled, I won't be buying another one.
I'm kinda in the same boat. Generally the car has been fine, but just enough problems/annoyances to put a bad taste in my mouth. I agree that if it was totalled, I would get something different.
I toy with just getting something else anyway, but I do that no matter what I have! 4 doors would be easier since I reguarly cart around my 2 kids, but they can fit OK. Just a pain getting in/out sometimes.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I can't imagine what you would be like had you bought a $60K Jag with just as many little problems and a few major issues (as described in several car mag reviews) as well!
This is a $17k compact commuter. Other than a transient creak or rattle, I'm not experiencing any of the 'problems' you are and compared to the competion in this class of vehicle, I am very satisfied. I realize that doesn't help you at all but the preference issues are things that should be considered before the purchase, I think the quality issues are being overstated for a car in this class.
The radio door has been a source of much discussion. I do not find that it 'sticks out' too much, in fact the bit of a hood helps shade it in direct sun. the bottom ledge is nice for resting fingers when surfing. I have no problems with the operation, though it is open most all of the time. I do like the fact that you can change the look of the dash by opening or closing it. Then again I try to look at the bright side of things. Though not real happy with buttons vs. knobs, I knew that going in and decided that it was something I could live with.
Would I buy another one? probably not but only because I like to drive so many types of vehicles, I would wish to try something very different next time around. That being said, I would certainly recommend the car to someone else and while it is in the stable, I am enjoying it and can say I am completely satisfied.
I realize the car's got a lot of quality and plenty of features for the 17K price. That's why I agree with MT's 5 star value rating and why I bought it.
Some of the stupid design quirks - like the 1/3 lit brake light and stereo cover - are things I expected. The rattles and soft paint are quality issues I did not expect. Its the summation of little design quirks, quality problems, and coupe impracticalities that's making me wish I'd bought the Mazda 3 sedan. Still, without spending more for an RSX, I can't think of a better coupe in the sub 20K range. How's that for being fair?
Its been awhile with your roof fix. Tell us, is it still tight? I don't want to subject my car to the invasive work if the noise still isn't fixed.
I'll try a third time - if there's some hope. You know, it burns me that two different dealerships have claimed to fix my roof, while I hear the same rattles driving it right out of the shop. Apparently though, just tightening some screws with locktight is not enough.
I didn't realize it was going to be so invasive until it was too late, or I would have said no.
ANyway, after all that, it still creaks most of the time, as much or not more than before they tried. At this point, it is what it is, and if I don't want to listen to the noise, I probably have to get a different car.
At least they fixed the loose headliner that rattled over bumps (that they couldn't fix earlier), I assume that means they had to take it out to fix the sunroof.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
let me know if this works for the scion
Is the 2006 model markedly different than the 2005?
Also, I believe the TPMS on the tC is a "dumb" one. That is, it doesn't actually know what the pressure is, it just looks for a tire that is different than the rest. So, in theory, if they are all 25 or 40, it won't trigger.
Actually, I would have to look in the manual, it might only compare to the other side of the same end of the car. The factory specs are different f/r (something like 32/29), so either the difference is within tollerance, or the TPMS doesn't compare front to back.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/782419
I asked this elsewhere but will here too in case it's a problem....does anyone know what the paint cutout looking circles are on the front bumper just above where the fog lights go in below on the grille? They are VERY CLEAR on pics on scion.com page and you can see one on Kelly's pics posted in another thread here in picture 6. I thought those were pre-cutouts for fog lights but then saw on the pics above and on the site the fog lights are put down below on the grille sides? Seems weird to me...anyone know what those are? Are they "stamped" with something?
And finally...I am waiting to get a good dealer referral before I go do my testdrive. I am a bit concerned with all the noise comments from the two roofs, etc. I have a Nissan 240SX with a pop up moon roof and hatchback and it is the quietest car I have ever owned (and smoothest handling as well). That's why I still have it 13 years later..because I can't find anything comparable in price/look/feel/options..am hoping the Scion is "close"....
Thanks to everyone for posting here. I too am picky and prefer to know what to expect BEFORE getting in for the test drive....
I thought the interior was just big enough, but barely. I was a little close to the roof for comfort (but opening up the sunroof helps!
I didn't realize that the rear seat had any adjustments, else I would have tried to see if that would help. Any comments on the rear seat room? Help?!
I've drove the car the other day and it had more road noise than army tank. Is this normal, if not does anyone know how to reduce this noise
It also had a good deal of road noise. I wrote some of this off as being a Also, I believe the TPMS on the tC is a "dumb" one. That is, it doesn't actually know what the pressure is, it just looks for a tire that is different than the rest. So, in theory, if they are all 25 or 40, it won't trigger.
IMO, that's nice. It makes sense to try to keep them all pretty close, but some people might want it a bit more firm, etc.