2005 Scion XB problems & reliability
92 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2005 Scion XB, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
7 complaints report injuries (13 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 24 | 26% |
| Visibility | 16 | 17% |
| Air Bags | 15 | 16% |
| Electrical System | 11 | 12% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 11% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 9% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 7 | 8% |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 4% |
| Tires | 4 | 4% |
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 65,000 miles (middle 50% between 40,030 and 92,060 miles), based on 59 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I first reported the break, airbag, and acceleration failure on my brand new 2005 Scion XB on June 20, 2005. I only had the Daihatsu/ Toyota two week when a driver in front of me stopped short at a Yield sign forcing me to slam on my brakes. immediately heard the sound of metal snapping and the brake pedal went all…”
Air Bags · filed Feb 27, 2024
“I rolled the car three times and almost died on [XXX]. The airbags did not deploy. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”
Air Bags · filed Nov 15, 2023
“Rear sub frame where the rear axle mounting brackets are rust out. Also side rockers rot out due to poor drainage of plastic side skirts”
Structure · filed Oct 3, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
48 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2005 Scion XB. The 10 most recent:
This is to advise of various price adjustments that will affect Toyota Genuine Motor Oil and Long Life Coolant, effective March 1, 2024. These products are ordered through the Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC)…
T-PANT-2024-004- · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 4, 2024
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…
S-SB-0015-14 Rev · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 26, 2015
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…
S-SB-0015-14 Rev · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 26, 2015
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…
S-SB-0005-15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 13, 2015
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…
S-SB-0005-15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 13, 2015
SSB: When servicing interior electrical switches and components, please note the precautions in this bulletin to avoid damaging electrical components and switches. Many lubricants, cleaners, and automotive chemicals…
S-SB-0023-11 Rev · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 10, 2015
SSB: When servicing interior electrical switches and components, please note the precautions in this bulletin to avoid damaging electrical components and switches. Many lubricants, cleaners, and automotive chemicals…
S-SB-0023-11 Rev · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 10, 2015
Automatic/Continuously Variable Transmission Replacement Precautions
S SB 0024 14A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 16, 2014
TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE-October 16, 2014: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see S-SB-0024-14.
S-SB-0020-11 Rev · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 16, 2014
TSB: The purpose of this service bulletin is to provide precautions to follow when installing an automatic transmission/transaxle assembly to avoid MIL "ON," shifting issues, and/or transmission damage. Use the…
S-SB-0024-14 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 16, 2014
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 2005 Scion XB has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — 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 2005 Scion XB?
- · 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 65,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.