- The problem
- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Scion IQ vehicles manufactured July 31, 2011, through October 12, 2012. The cable for the Occupant Classification System (OCS) may become damaged when sliding the passenger seat forward or backward.
- The risk
- If the cable for the OCS becomes damaged, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
- The fix
- Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover on the OCS weight sensor cable. The recall began on December 20, 2013. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Vehicle safety record
2012 Scion IQ Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 17 complaints about the 2012 Scion IQ with NHTSA, most often about the body, doors & structure (6) and the airbags (4). Those complaints describe 4 crashes and 3 injuries. It is covered by 1 recall, the latest in November 2012 for the air bags. For comparison, the 2013 has 5.
NHTSA data checked
FFar more problems than a typical IQ year, for its age
#178 most complained-about 2012 vehicle
- Complaints
- 17
- Recalls
- 1
- Crashes
- 4
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 3
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2012 Scion IQ problems
Share of all 17 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2012 Scion IQ recalls 1
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
What owners say
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17 complaints about the 2012 Scion IQ
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.
have a 2013 Scion IQ (auto/cvt). I had the 'check engine' and 'trac control' lights come on a few years ago.. I was driving on city streets. All I noticed was that the car didn't respond as it should when I gave it gas. ( nothing drastic ) I ran the codes. It said the gas pedal was the problem. I removed the pedal assembly. (it's easier to unplug it that way. I unplugged it and looked at the inside of the plug. All looked fine. Plugged the pedal back in and all was good then. (I'm sure I avoided a $500 bill...
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) Same problem just occurred a few years later. I didn't bother running the codes. I just unplugged/re-plugged the pedal. Saved another $500. Here's a scary one. I was driving the car the first light snow of the year. On a city street, going slow on level road. Just maintaining speed..... not slowing ..... not speeding up...... not turning. All of a sudden
The contact owns a 2012 Scion iQ. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, another vehicle made a left turn, causing the contact to crash into the other vehicle; however, no air bags deployed. The contact was injured on her back and received medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the tow yard. The vehicle was deemed totaled by the insurance company. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,189.
The paint of the body is defective
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 scion iq. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an oil change. The contact was informed that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil, causing the engine to fail. The mechanic advised the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer. The contact also mentioned that black smoke was coming out of the vehicle. The vehicle was later taken to rudy luther toyota (8805 wayzata blvd, golden valley, mn 55426) and was informed that the vin was not...
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under recall. The vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired due to the repair cost. The contact also stated that the headlights were dim. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000. The vin was not available.
Paint began peeling about 13 months ago and now has begun to rust in the open metal areas.
I got into 2 accidents in 3 days while parking into or out of a parking space. The first accident 07/04/2020, my car was parked in a parking lot. I placed the car in reverse and suddenly it accelerated and the brakes failed to work. My vehicle only stopped after crashing into the car behind me. The second accident happen 7/7/2020 while pulling forward into a parking space, the car suddenly accelerated and brakes failed to work again. I crashed into a cement pole which stopped my vehicle. I couldn't figure out...
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why these 2 dangerous accidents occurred? My vehicle was just repaired over a week bc the check engine light and traction control light came on. The mechanic said the problem was from a catalytic converter that was clogged, so he replaced it with a new oem part. The air conditioner was blowing hot also, so the mechanic replaced the air compressor in car at the same time. I wish to file a report based on the "sudden unintended acceleration" danger.
Paint is coming off of car in different places & to much oil consumption even after changing egr value have to add oil to often.
Piston are burning a qt of oil per 200 miles or less and paint flaking on car
The paint is peeling off the entire car. The body shop said it is a factory defect. A quick internet search shows that this is a wide spread issue for this year, make, model & color. Why won't toyota do anything about it?
Starting back in october took car in for oil change, I was told car had no oil. I bring my car in for regular oil changes, so was not sure what was going on, so I dismissed it... Brought car back today 01/10/18 had them check the oil levels and the car needed 2 1/2 litter of oil... I was told it might be the pistons... Please recall
In manhattan waseem naseem ahmed and yes it mahmood did heroine,marijuana and robbery crime on this scion2012 vehicle in the absent of owner car owner in june 2015 and that case still not close they need both of them information I am ready to give there information bcuz I want to remove flag from my car please.I have no other cars I need to drive it.They detective of manhattan's said until you didnot tell your brother name or info I didnot remove flag on your car.And alot of time I drove my vehicle but I am still scared if someone know this car has flag on it then what happens and now I want to change its some parts with same models junk car and then I will drive it.
Drivers side floor mat attachment has broken off. The plastic arms have snapped at the end of the drivers seat. The floor mats now move around and present a possible safety risk if the floor mat becomes lodged under the gas peddle.
When cold the cv transmission in the iq will not allow the vehicle to pull away up a steep hill. This has happened several times and represents a serious safety concern. The issue only happens when the car is cold, it will pull the same hill with no problem when warm. The iq has a cv transmission and it fails to adjust to a high enough rpm to pull away up a steep (10%) grade. The problem manifests as either no or very slow forward progress (less than walking speed) even with the accelerator hard down. The dealership service rep seemed unconcerned about the issue. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 scion iq. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph over a road bump, the contact temporarily lost control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the steering system was not stable. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing and the dealer performed a front end alignment. The failure was not corrected. The contact continued to lose control of the vehicle after driving over a road bump. The contact called the manufacturer. The manufacturer sent a representative...
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to further examine the vehicle. The failure mileage was 1,500. Updated 3/28/13 *cn the consumer stated the steering had a quick over steer, creating a dangerous condition, when having to quickly change direction while traveling.
The vehicle was in an accident that ended in a total loss. The iq was hit by an f150 truck and none of the iq airbags deployed. The iq was at joemyers toyota one week prior to the accident to fix the safety recall of the airbags not deploying. We have paperwork from joemyers toyota in houston, tx stating that they car's safety recall concerns were repaired. The iq was sold to us as being safe based on the amount and placement of the airbags. The driver was seriously injured, taken by ambulance and still recovering...
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from a brain injury. The rescue workers, doctors,attorneys etc said if the airbags had deployed the injury to the driver's brain would not of been so severe. We want to ensure that no one else has this problem, the driver could have died based on the iq not being safe and none of the airbags deploying. *Tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 scion iq. The contact stated that while driving at a unknown speed, she crashed into a brick wall. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact suffered injuries to the chest and ribs due to striking the steering wheel. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign i.D. Number 12v528000 (air bags) and called the manufacturer regarding the recall. The manufacturer advised the contact that all of the vehicles under the recall had already been repaired. The contact took the vehicle to a body shop for...
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repairs. The body repair technician advised that the air bag sensors were too low to activate air bag deployment during the crash. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 562.
Cleaning front of car with a wet terry cloth...Rubbed paint right off the front near hood emblem. Thanks epa for crap paint. *Tr
Scion IQ: every year compared
All IQ years2012 Scion IQ vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Scion IQ | 17 | 1 | F | |
| 2012 Scion XB | 46 | 4 | F | Compare |
| 2012 Scion TC | 8 | 2 | A | Compare |
| 2012 Scion XD | 5 | 0 | F | Compare |
| 2012 Scion Scion | 3 | 0 | - | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2012 Scion IQ
Does the 2012 Scion IQ have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2012 Scion IQ: air bags (November 2012). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Scion IQ?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the body, doors & structure (6), airbags (4), engine & cooling (4).
How many complaints has the 2012 Scion IQ had?
17 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on October 13, 2012 and the latest on October 14, 2023. Of these, 4 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 3 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2012 Scion IQ a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 9 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Scion IQ year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Scion IQ years have the most complaints?
2012 (17), 2013 (5), 2014 (1). See every Scion IQ year compared.
What should I do if my 2012 Scion IQ has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data