2012 Scion XB recalls and problems

The 2012 Scion XB has 3 safety recalls and 46 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Scion dealer.

Recalls
3
Complaints
46
Crashes / fires
5 / 3
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0

Recalls may cover only some 2012 Scion XB vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2012 Scion XB recalls

Recall 19V-741: Air Bags

Reported Oct 17, 2019 · 928,220 vehicles affected · Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0A, J0B, and J0C. Lexus' numbers for this recall are JLI, JLJ, and JLK.

Recall 19V-005: Air Bags

Reported Jan 9, 2019 · 1,299,448 vehicles affected · Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Toyota 4Runner, 2014-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F, and 2014-2017 Lexus GX460 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Toyota is also recalling certain 2011-2013 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Lexus IS250, IS350, 2011-2016 4Runner, 2011-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2011-2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F, 2011-2017 Lexus GX460, and 2011-2012 Lexus ES350 vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Toyota is also recalling certain 2010-2013 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Lexus IS350, 2010-2016 4Runner, 2010-2013 Lexus IS250, 2010-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2010-2014 Lexus IS-F, and 2010-2012 Lexus ES350 vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began February 15, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are "Zone A" Toyota: G0P, Lexus: GLG; "Zone B" Toyota: G0R, Lexus GLH; "Zone C" Toyota: H0A, and Lexus: HLA.

Recall 17V-006: Air Bags

Reported Jan 9, 2017 · 577,875 vehicles affected · Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2012 Toyota 4Runner, Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sienna, Yaris, Scion xB, Lexus ES350, GX460, IS-F, IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, and Lexus LFA vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Toyota is recalling certain 2009 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Yaris, Yaris HB, Scion xB, Pontiac Vibe, Lexus, ES350, IS250, IS350, and IS-F vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Toyota is recalling certain 2006-2008 Lexus IS250 and IS350, 2007-2008 Lexus ES350, Toyota Yaris, Yaris HB, and 2008 Lexus IS-F and Scion xB vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 1, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331, or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. Toyota's numbers for final remedy for this campaign are G0P (Toyota Zone A), G0R (Toyota Zone B), H0A (Toyota Zone C), GLG (Lexus Zone A), GLH (Lexus Zone B) and HLA (Lexus Zone C).

2012 Scion XB problems reported by owners

Problem areaReports
Air Bags27
Engine8
Structure8
Service Brakes5
Electrical System3
Unknown or Other3
Suspension2
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1
Wheels1
Engine and Engine Cooling1
Latches/Locks/Linkages1

Most reported parts

  • Structure › Body — 7
  • Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Oil/Lubrication › Oil Cooler — 1
  • Structure › Body › Hood — 1
  • Latches/Locks/Linkages › Hood › Latch — 1

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 90,000 miles (median of owner reports).

Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.

Recent 2012 Scion XB complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Structure · reported Nov 2, 2026
My wife and I were driving down the road and all of a sudden we heard a very loud bang and attempted to maintain control of the vehicle. The pavement was smooth free of any imperfections. I was able to pull the vehicle off the road. Upon reviewing the vehicle I noticed the passenger side rear wheel completely lodged into the wheel well. I had no indication that this was going to occur. We are fortunate this didn't happen on the highway as the outcome would have been alot different.
Structure · reported May 21, 2026
Driver was traveling at 75 mph when the hood suddenly released. Both latches failed and the hood flew up against the windshield with enough force to crease the hood and dent the roof. Inside the vehicle, the done light and the rear view mirror were knocked loose. Incident occurred at night with no other traffic on the road and Driver was able to pull over without further incident. If there had been other vehicles, the sudden lack of visibility would likely have resulted in a crash.
Engine and Engine Cooling · at 130,000 miles · reported May 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Scion XB. The contact stated that the vehicle was exhibiting excessive engine oil consumption. The contact stated that the oil pressure warning light would illuminate approximately 1,000 miles prior to the next scheduled oil change. The contact stated that the oil pressure warning light recently illuminated less than a month after the previous oil change; 2,500 miles prior to the next oil change. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of oil. The contact stated that 4 quarts of oil was…
Engine · at 110,131 miles · reported Aug 2, 2020
Noticed the oil pressure light came on when I turned a corner. Immediately took it to dealer, where I have all scheduled maintenance done (Except once). Car was found to have no oil in it before scheduled maintenance. This happened 6 months previously and was thought to be a pvc plug issue. Was told it was due to a known issue with excessive oil consumption due to worn piston rings, ultimately the fault of the requirement of ethanol in gasoline. Solution - keep checking the oil and add as needed. Not worth repairing the piston rings.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · at 160,000 miles · reported May 2, 2019
Recall id287614 NHTSA campaign #18e091000 my vehicle was involved in an accident on jan 10th, due to failure of brakes. My car ran a red light and hit another car. My car has been totaled in this accident. I have since contacted toyota about my accident and they have refused to help compensate for my loss. My car was towed to the insurance company and is no longer accessible for inspection. I would like for toyota to take some responsibility for this accident. I have not fully recovered from losing my vehicle financially and I do believe 100% that this recall was the cause of the accident.…

Other Scion XB years

Compare all Scion XB years · All Scion models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2012 Scion XB have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2012 Scion XB: 19V-741 (air bags), 19V-005 (air bags), 17V-006 (air bags). Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2012 Scion XB?

Owners report air bags problems most often (27 reports), followed by engine (8). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 90,000 miles.

Are Scion recall repairs free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized Scion dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.