Crash Test Rating
Source   NHTSA
MPG (up to)
23 City / 31 HWY
Horsepower
180
Seats
5
Front passenger 3/4 w/ wheels turned.

Positive Owner Reviews

accountCircle Jenna R
Scion tc: big bang for your bucks.
No problems to date. The car is very well built, I haven't had any issues with mechanical, electrical, cosmetic, or otherwise. It gets good gas mileage in town and excellent gas mileage when on the highway. One thing (among many) is that this model is deceptively spacious and the rear passengers get more space and even partially reclining seats. So many good features.
accountCircle Sebastian M
Perfect budget car for a single individual.
Great car. Always reliable. Great gas mileage. Rides smooth. The seats are comfortable. Back seat is a little bit small but still enough room if you do not have kids. And back seats fold down for more room in the trunk. The sunroof and the moon roof are really nice as well.
accountCircle Leo R
I like my compact, yet spacious vehicle. It's a sports car that does not use up too much gas. I like the design of the vehicle very modern. Only complaint is it's a two door so it may be annoying to my passengers when getting into the back seats
The most important thing others should know is that I drive a Sports car
accountCircle Autumn M
Futuristic but yet useable.
The base model comes with Bluetooth. I really enjoy this car it is the first car I have bought. Gas mileage is good and it is still somewhat sporty. Also, easy to modify if that is something you are interested in. Being a hatchback, there is a lot of room in the trunk. I would not recommend this car to a family if you have young kids because being a coupe it is hard to get people in the back. However, the back seats are very spacious. I love that there is a moon and sun roof. So, basically the whole roof of the car is glass.
accountCircle Caitlin M
Why I love my scion and why you would enjoy owning one!
The only downside to the tc is the gas mileage in my opinion, but overall it is my favorite car. The interior and exterior is sleek and makes you feel like you are sitting in luxury. I love the fact that I have a panoramic sunroof. The sound system is wonderful and I absolutely love that I have Bluetooth capabilities. This car makes me want to make sure it is constantly washed, detailed and taken care of to the utmost possibility. Even though this is just my car that I use for everyday purposes like work, I honestly never get tired of driving it. The seats are comfortable and despite it being a 2 door coupe, it is very spacious. Everything is easily accessible at my fingertips. I do not have to struggle to reach anything, it is all on my steering wheel. I cannot tell you how much I enjoy connecting Spotify through the stereo and listening to my favorite playlists while having a smooth, enjoyable experience.
accountCircle Julia G
Reliability, would recommend to all friends. Love cars owned/made by Toyota.
My car has been really reliable for the 8 years I have had it. I recently had to get the transmission repaired and breaks. But overall it is been extremely reliable and has not caused any severe problems. All problems that come up are normal wearing of the car. Highly recommend it to someone.
accountCircle Leah C
They should know that the car has very large blind spots.
It is very reliable. I like that it is compact and gets great gas mileage. I dislike how bad the blind spots are.
accountCircle Haley G
An amazing vehicle wouldn't want another car.
I haven't had a problem with my car as long as I stay up to date with oil changes and things that it needs. I love that the car has AUX cord ability and the sound system in the car is amazing. The car gets up to speed very quickly. It is very comfortable to drive long distances it is overall an amazing vehicle.

Negative Owner Reviews

accountCircle Mel D
The dopest inexpensive sporty looking car
Car is stylish... But the performance isn't too great. Speed and horsepower is fairly low. AC is cold and good. Car itself is reliable and just very basic. Customization has reasonable pricing and it gives you the opportunity to stand out tremendously.
accountCircle Logan S
Scion tc, decent first car.
Good first car. Never any problems with it. Not a car I’d recommend if you have a dog, or a family. Gas mileage is pretty good never any problem while driving. Dirt can get everywhere in this car though. The gas tank cover gets absolutely filthy and can be very difficult to clean. Around the edges of the hatchback liner, where the trunks meets the car, can get filthy as well. Overall I would give this car a 3/5. It is a good first car for a younger audience, but I have definitely outgrown this car.
accountCircle Catherine T
I would not recommend it they stopped making it for a reason.
The air conditioning only works when it feels like it, the sunroof shattered for no reason and it guzzles gas
accountCircle Rachel S
Scion tc - sporty and cool, but has some comfort issues.
It is really low to the ground - cannot see the stop light, have to pull myself up to get out, seat belt rubs on my chest. Only 2-door. The doors open way too far - into the next parking spot. I like the sun roof, the gas mileage, the sporty look, big trunk.
accountCircle Leo R
What I like about my scion tc 2012.
2 door sports car. Sleek and modern designed. Great horsepower at the same time very economical. Easy to maintain and easily parks in urban neighborhoods. Only issue I have had is in general, two door vehicles are a bit of an annoyance when fitting more than two people.
accountCircle Aly L
Easy to drive, really smooth.
Runs well, decent gas mileage. 2 door annoying for kids and dog getting in and out. Kind of small for our family of 5.
accountCircle Jairo R
I love the color it is gray. It has nice wheels.
My vehicle is very reliable. It gets great gas mileage and overall it is a easy car to maintain. Although I must say it does not have much luxury. Some of the things I wished it had was leather but the car is mostly made up of cheap materials like plastic and cloth.
accountCircle Elizabeth H
The vehicle is average space, many blind spots, and carpet cleaning.
The vehicle is not very comfortable at all. For example the doors actually very heavy. When I first bought the vehicle I did not really feel it. Later they started to feel very heavy. There is also more blind spots than what I expected there to be. The Spacing in the vehicle is an okay average. The Carpet in the vehicle you will have to clean very often and seats are very easy to get damaged if you spill anything you get stains very easily even if you drop water on them. I would get thicker tires than the ones they come with. You also have to keep up with everything in your vehicle running good and do not fall behind on any oil changes. Other than that I think I like the vehicle just would probably get more of a gas saver and not much of a sports.

Scion tC Models

Models also known as Trim Levels, are used to identify a vehicle's level of equipment or special features.

car
Base
180 HP 26 MPG 5 Seats
car
Release Series 7.0
180 HP 26 MPG 5 Seats
Photos may not match model

2012 Scion tC Owner Reviews

4.39
67 Reviews
close Write Review
5 stars 54%
4 stars 33%
3 stars 12%
2 stars 1%
1 star 0%
accountCircle Autumn M on June 4, 2021
Futuristic but yet useable.
The base model comes with Bluetooth. I really enjoy this car it is the first car I have bought. Gas mileage is good and it is still somewhat sporty. Also, easy to modify if that is something you are interested in. Being a hatchback, there is a lot of room in the trunk. I would not recommend this car to a family if you have young kids because being a coupe it is hard to get people in the back. However, the back seats are very spacious. I love that there is a moon and sun roof. So, basically the whole roof of the car is glass.
accountCircle Delilah G on April 25, 2021
My vehicle is overall a good car and performs great, its reliable.
My vehicle is very good on gas. Has some trouble with the lights and the ac but I think it is just because it is old. Overall great performance and is a reliable car as well as it is good to drive long distances. Paint has chipped over time. Tires are great.

Pros from Owners

likeFilled Daley B.

The Scion tC is a very reliable car, as the company it comes from, Toyota, is known for. Handling is the biggest pro. It takes turns easily and it has great acceleration from any point of speed. The seats are comfortable and you dip down in them and become very relaxed. Smaller windows are great for keeping our sunlight but viewable enough to be safe.

likeFilled Jamie J.

The radio/ sound system, gas mileage I get around 29 mph, the sun/ moon roofs, the hatchback, the way the car handles. The size of the car is good for being a 2 door, I fit 2 dogs and my son in the car.

Cons from Owners

dislikeFilled Daley B.

Getting in and out of the bucket seats in the back poses some difficulty. Brake pads tend to go out quicker than other vehicles I have driven. This vehicle would be better if it had a little more horsepower to go with the great acceleration.

dislikeFilled Jamie J.

The transmission went out after 120000 miles. The seats are not comfortable on long car rides. I do not like that the car cannot have chains put on the tires so in areas that snow it is not a good car for that.

Ranks #10 Small Cars by Owners

The 2012 Scion tC has an average owner rating of 4.41 out of 5 which ranks it #10 of 36 other Small Cars.

1
car
4.8
2
car
4.76
10
car
4.39

Ranks #11 Small Cars by Fuel Economy

The 2012 Scion tC has a combined MPG of 37 which ranks it #11 of 36 other Small Cars.

1
Tie
car
42 MPG
1
Tie
car
42 MPG
11
Tie
car
31 MPG

Is The 2012 Scion tC A Good Car?

Yes.. Very good on gas and very reliable car. Great for long trips or just a daily commuter. Have never had any issues since I had it as long as you keep up with it, change oil when called for, stay... Read More
Matthew S.

How Reliable Is The 2012 Scion tC?

No very reliable I would trust it to get me anywhere. I've never had any worries about it not starting or leaving me stranded. It has not had any problems. Only thing is that it is a small car. Not... Read More
Matthew S.

Is The 2012 Scion tC A Good Value?

Well we purchased it used for 8,000 and I thought it was a really good deal. It didn't have many miles and only had one owner so like I said we definitely got our money worth out of it.
Matthew S.

Related Articles for 2012 Scion tC

From the Vehicle History blog

car
2008 Scion tC Review: A Comfortable, Practical, Fuel-Efficient Coupe
car
2007 Scion tC Review: A Surprisingly Capable Budget Compact

Safety & Reliability

NHTSA Logo
NHTSA Crash Test

Overall

Front

Rollover

Side

*National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
IIHS Logo
IIHS Crash Test

Moderate Overlap Front

Side

Roof Strength

Driver-side Overlap Front

Not Rated
*Insurance Institute for Highway Safety