2007 Scion TC problems & reliability
117 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2007 Scion TC, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
19 complaints report injuries (27 injured, 9 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 32 | 27% |
| Visibility | 21 | 18% |
| Structure | 16 | 14% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 9% |
| Air Bags | 8 | 7% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 7 | 6% |
| Power Train | 6 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 4% |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 3% |
| Unknown OR Other | 4 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 65,286 miles (middle 50% between 34,375 and 96,414 miles), based on 88 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“When I bought this car, there was a couple recalls within 5 years of owning. One was fixed. The second was an oil consumption issue that my car passed by 100 miles and I was told it would not be covered. For the last few years the oil consumption has gotten worse. I have to put oil in the car when the light comes on…”
Engine · filed Mar 30, 2025
“Car drinking oil, piston ring finally dropped. I was driving and my car started a rough idle then started knocking so I pulled over. They're running tests now but I'm no dummy, this is a piston issue. I brought my car in during the manufacturer suggested window to get this looked at on multiple occasions and they told…”
Engine · filed Jun 12, 2019
“The engine in this car which is the 2az-fe has defective piston rings which causes the engine to burn an insanely amount of oil. I literally have to add at least a quart of oil a week and I been doing so two years already. I believe that's not normal at all. Contacted toyota to notify them about the issue, and claimed…”
Engine · filed May 22, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
119 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2007 Scion TC. The 10 most recent:
These SKUs are Exhaust Manifolds with Catalytic Converters. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory due to a loss of CARB certification. These SKUs can no longer be sold as they do not meet CARB…
DOR-M9J4S-07 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 3, 2020
These SKUs are Exhaust Manifolds with Catalytic Converters. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory due to a loss of CARB certification. These SKUs can no longer be sold as they do not meet CARB…
DOR-M3J3F-07 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 3, 2020
Warranty Policy Bulletin: Toyota has received some reports where vehicles may exhibit excessive engine oil consumption. Toyota is now announcing the part replacement phase of Warranty Enhancement Program ZE7 for…
ZE7 Phase 2 POL1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 12, 2017
Warranty Policy Bulletin (POL14-12): Added the Short Block Release Authorization Flow Chart. Toyota has received some reports where vehicles may exhibit excessive engine oil consumption. Toyota is now announcing the…
ZE7_Warranty Pol · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 4, 2016
Warranty policy bulletin (pol14-12): added the short block release authorization flow chart. Toyota has received some reports where vehicles may exhibit excessive engine oil consumption. Toyota is now announcing the…
ZE7 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 4, 2016
Warranty policy bulletin (pol14-12): toyota has received some reports where vehicles may exhibit excessive engine oil consumption. Toyota is now announcing the part replacement phase of warranty enhancement program ze7…
POL14-12 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 24, 2016
WPB: The engine is covered under the Toyota New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 5 years from the date of first use or 60,000 miles (whichever occurs first). However, Toyota is announcing a Warranty Enhancement Program to…
ZE7_Phase 2_Warr · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 18, 2015
"wpb: the engine is covered under the toyota new vehicle limited warranty for 5 years from the date of first use or 60,000 miles (whichever occurs first). However, toyota is announcing a warranty enhancement program to…
ZE7_PHASE2 11/18 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 18, 2015
WPB: The engine is covered under the Toyota New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 5 years from the date of first use or 60,000 miles (whichever occurs first). However, Toyota is announcing a Warranty Enhancement Program to…
ZE7_Phase 2_Warr · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 17, 2015
"wpb: the engine is covered under the toyota new vehicle limited warranty for 5 years from the date of first use or 60,000 miles (whichever occurs first). However, toyota is announcing a warranty enhancement program to…
ZE7_PHASE2 11/17 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 17, 2015
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2007 Scion TC has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2007 Scion TC?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 65,286 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.