2006 Scion Xb

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA SCION XB. THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR LIFTEGATE WOULD NOT RELEASE AND OPEN MANUALLY OR AUTOMATICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE REAR LIFTGATE PLASTIC HANDLE GARNISH DETACHED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

I HAVE A TOYOTA 2006 SCION XB THAT I PURCHASED NEW AND AM EXTREMELY FOND OF IT. IN MARCH OF 2014, THE IGNITION SWITCH STARTED SUSPICIOUSLY LOOSENING UP, MOVING AROUND WHEN THE KEY WAS INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION AND PROGRESSED IN LOOSENING UP TO THE POINT WHERE THE IGNITION KEY WAS ABLE TO BE COMPLETELY PULLED OUT/REMOVED AFTER INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION TO TURN THE CAR ON AND RUN THE ENGINE. THE SHOCKINGLY DANGEROUS THING WAS THAT THE ENGINE COULD CONTINUE TO RUN AND COULD BE DRIVEN. IT WAS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO ENGINE BEING AT RISK OF SHUTTING OFF, LOSING THE ABILITY TO STEER OR ENGAGE THE BRAKES AND BEING OUT OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE ONE IS DRIVING. I CONTACTED THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND HAD MY SCION XB ASSESSED AND REPAIRED TO THE TUNE OF $463.00 AT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP REPORTED NO RECALLS WERE ISSUED FOR THIS MALFUNCTION. I KNOW THAT GM HAD A BIG, INTENTIONALLY DELAYED RECALL, RELATED TO THIS IGNITION/IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNCTION OF SOME OF THEIR VEHICLES WHICH LED TO A NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS WITH SOME DEATHS RESULTING. THIS WAS REPORTEDLY DUE TO ACCIDENTS WHERE THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN, THE IGNITION/IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONS AND THE ENGINE STOPS RUNNING. I WOULD LIKE TOYOTA AND OTHER SCION OWNERS TO KNOW THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED AND COULD BE POTENTIALLY LETHAL. *TR

THE HANDLE TO MY BACK TRUNK DOOR IS MADE OF SOME SORT OF PLASTIC AND LIVING IN THE SOUTH HAS POSSIBLY CAUSED IT TO START MELTING. IT HAS SLOWLY MELTED, DRIPPING TAR LIKE MATERIAL ONTO MY REAR BUMPER OF MY SCION XB. EVERY TIME I OPEN MY TRUNK, THE BLACK TAR MATERIAL WILL END UP ON MY HANDS AND I AM UNSURE OF HOW SAFE THIS PRODUCT IS TO MY HEALTH. *TR

I NOTICED A FEW WEEKS AGO THAT WHEN I TRIED TO OPEN THE LIFT GATE, THAT MY FINGERS WERE COVERED IN A BLACK MUSHY SUBSTANCE. THE SWITCH TO OPEN THE DOOR WAS COMPLETELY MELTED AND WOULD BARELY OPEN. MY WIFE AND I DON'T USUALLY USE THE HATCH DOOR, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG ITS BEEN IN THIS CONDITION . WE HAVE BEEN VERY HAPPY WITH THE SCION UP TO THIS POINT.I FOUND OUT THAT MANY OTHERS ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM AND FEEL TOTALLY DISAPPOINTED IN TOYOTA'S PRODUCT. I'M SERIOUSLY PLANNING ON TAKING THIS FLAW TO THE MEDIA SINCE THE DOOR MAY NOT EVEN OPEN IN AN EMERGENCY. THE OTHERS HAVE TOLD ME THAT IT IS NO LONGER COVERED BY WARRANTY, AND TOYOTA REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP WANTS OVER $200.00 TO FIX IT. I FEEL IT IS A FLAW THAT TOYOTA SHOULD REPAIR AND NOT ME. THE PART WAS PROBABLY MADE IN CHINA AND IS JUNK.THE CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN KEPT IN THE CARPORT AND NEVER ABUSED. *TR

MANUAL TRANSMISSION CLUTCH PIVOT BOLT FAILED WHILE VEHICLE WAS AT SPEED. CLUTCH PEDAL STOPPED WORKING, TRANSMISSION STUCK IN GEAR AND COULD NOT BE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. REQUIRED EVASIVE ACTIONS TO AVOID COLLISION. MECHANIC DISASSEMBLED TRANSMISSION AND LOCATED SHEARED OFF PIVOT BOLT LYING LOOSE INSIDE TRANSMISSION CASING. MECHANIC STATED THAT IN THEIR EXPERIENCE, INCIDENT WAS VERY UNUSUAL AND NOT A COMMON OCCURRENCE: IN THEIR OPINION, CAUSE WAS LIKELY A MANUFACTURING FAULT IN BOLT. MECHANIC CONFIRMED THAT REST OF TRANSMISSION AND CLUTCH SHOWED NO SIGNS OF PREMATURE WEAR OR DRIVER ABUSE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA SCION XB. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DECELERATE AFTER FORCE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ACCELERATION FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA SCION XB. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME DETACHED FROM ITS ASSEMBLY. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT ERRONEOUSLY ENGAGED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL INSTEAD OF THE BRAKE PEDAL AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE HOWEVER, PROCEEDED TO REINSTALL THE PEDAL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND SENT AN ENGINEER TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINEER ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PERFORMING UP TO STANDARDS AND DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,791 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 145,000.

THE VEHICLES REAR HATCH HANDLE HAS A DESIGN FLAW WHICH MAKES THE PART FAIL. THE REAR HATCH HANDLE IS FASTENED TO THE TRUNK/HATCH WITH PLASTIC CLIPS. WHEN THE RELEASE BUTTON FOR THE HATCH IS PRESSED, IT ONLY UNLOCKS THE HATCH DOOR. IT DOES NOT SPRING UPWARD LIKE OTHER VEHICLES. IN THE MANUAL IT SHOWS TO HOLD THE RELEASE BUTTON AND LIFT WITH THE HATCH HANDLE. BECAUSE THERE ARE NO SPRINGS TO HELP LIFT IT APPLIES LOTS OF PRESSURE TO THE CLIPS WHICH WEAKEN THEM. EVENTUALLY, THEY JUST SNAP. THEY ARE ALSO KNOWN FOR SNAPPING WHEN THE HATCH IS LOCKED, IN COLD WEATHER, AND THERE ARE EVEN REPORTS OF THE RELEASE BUTTON MELTING. ANOTHER PROBLEM DEVELOPS WHEN THE HATCH HANDLE IS COMPLETELY REMOVED AFTER FAILING. THERE ARE HOLES FOR THE CLIPS WHICH ARE LEFT OPEN IF THIS PIECE IS NOT ATTACHED. THESE HOLES CAN ALLOW EXHAUST AND OTHER EMISSIONS INTO THE VEHICLE. LASTLY, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF BECOMING TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE. IF THERE WERE AN ACCIDENT THAT LEFT THE SIDE DOORS INOPERABLE AND THE PERSON(S) IN THE VEHICLE WERE ABLE TO EXIT SAFELY THROUGH THE HATCH, THEY ARE UNABLE TO DO SO. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH ANY TYPE OF MANUAL RELEASE (WHICH IS NOT REQUIRED BY LAW). HOWEVER, RESCUERS CANNOT OPEN THE HATCH FROM THE OUTSIDE EITHER. THIS IS BECAUSE WHEN THIS DEFECTIVE PART BREAKS OFF, IT LEAVES THE DANGLING RELEASE BUTTON. CONSUMERS ARE CAPPING THE WIRES SO IT DOESN'T RIP OFF WHILE DRIVING. THERE IS NOW NO WAY TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. *TR