2006 Scion XB problems & reliability
253 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 Scion XB, alongside 5 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.
8 complaints report injuries (10 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 145 | 57% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 27 | 11% |
| Structure | 23 | 9% |
| Electrical System | 12 | 5% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 9 | 4% |
| Unknown OR Other | 9 | 4% |
| Air Bags | 7 | 3% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 7 | 3% |
| Steering | 7 | 3% |
| Power Train | 6 | 2% |
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 30,500 miles (middle 50% between 14,125 and 59,795 miles), based on 190 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“changed from outside lane to inside lane, when I tried to turn right to stay in the middle lane the steering wheel locked sending me into the left hand turn lane and then into a car that was in the next lane, hitting their left rear tire. I told the insurance adjuster about the issue, he told me they would have the…”
Steering · filed May 22, 2026
“Was changing lanes from the outside lane to middle lane, when I tried to turn the steering wheel to the right it locked and the car continued straight, crossing the left hand turn lane and it collided with another vehicle in the next lane. After the car came to a stop I again tried turning the steering wheel both Left…”
Steering · filed May 20, 2026
“The contact owns a 2006 Scion XB. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, another vehicle crashed into the rear, pushing it with the impact into an intersection due to the other vehicle still accelerating while rear-ending her vehicle. The contact stated that the other vehicle had lifted the rear end…”
Air Bags · filed Aug 6, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
50 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2006 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
Toyota 2007-2015 camry,solara, corolla, corolla matrix, rav4, scion tc, xb: revised 5/19/ 2015 bulletin information involving warranty enhancement program regarding certain model vehicles extension due to excessive…
POL14-12 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 15, 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
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
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 2006 Scion XB has 5 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 2006 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 30,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.