There are 3 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2009 Scion tCin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2009 Scion TC. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, he slowed for a traffic light and the vehicle failed to shift out of third gear. The accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle revved without moving. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle occasionally slipped out of gear and failed to exceed 15 MPH while driving. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was locked in overdrive and that the transmission needed to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
TAKATA RECALL GPS NAVIGATION LOCATOR FOR ONSTAR OR ANYTHING TO LOCATE MY STOLEN CAR
HELLO, DURING YOUR INVESTIGATION OF TOYOTA, HAS THERE BEEN ANY MENTION OF DEFECTIVE CLUTCH MECHANISMS IN THE SCION TC? THE CLUTCH ON MY 2009 SCION TC BURNED OUT WITHIN ONE YEAR OF OWNERSHIP AT 7,500 MILES AND TOYOTA REFUSED TO COVER THE CLUTCH ON THE WARRANTY. I WAS FORCED TO PAY OVER $1,300 TO REPAIR THE AUTOMOBILE. AFTER OPENING A CASE WITH SCION CUSTOMER CARE AND BEING VERY FRUSTRATED, I FINALLY ASKED FOR THE MATTER TO GO TO ARBITRATION. AFTER REVIEW BY THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR DISPUTE SETTLEMENT (NCDS), I WAS AWARDED A REFUND OF THE FULL REPAIR COST. DURING THIS EPISODE, I DID ONLINE RESEARCH AND FOUND MANY OTHERS WHO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM: NAMELY A CLUTCH BURNING OUT AT LOW MILEAGE (IN ONE CASE AT 2,500 MILES!) AND TOYOTA/SCION REFUSING TO COVER REPAIRS AS PART OF THE WARRANTY. IT SEEMS THAT TOYOTA TRIED TO BLAME A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THEIR PARTS ON CUSTOMER'S DRIVING HABITS, WHICH I, AND OTHERS WHO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, HIGHLY DISPUTE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN THIS MATTER. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026