I was looking into purchasing a new car for about a year, researching different makes/models of cars until I came upon the scion XB. At first, I wanted a used car, something affordable and dependable, until I saw the sticker on a brand new XB. A little outta my price range, but do-able. So I thought about it for a while, and decided that if I went a bit out of my price range for a brand NEW car, not having to pay for immediate repairs and expenses would make up for it, not to mention a warranty.

After research I decided to buy a TCM scion xb. Drove it home, drove it for about 400 miles. I was excited....a new car.....a different car. Then, I walk out of a gas station and see a piece of my bottom grille was missing, just missing. Now, 4000 miles later, my back bumper decided to fall off and drag. I don't drive this car like a rally car, I go to and from work, and run errands. ON the day my bumper fell off, it was a rainy, stormy day. The only thing that I can think of that would damage my xb, was going through puddles. I remember going through a few of them and some resistance forcing my vehicle to slow down. As everyone knows with this car, when you hit dirt, or water everything whooshes to the back of the car....I'm thinking this may have loosened the bumper. Well, about 5 miles later, I heard a dragging noise. I jumped out of my XB, and saw both lower bumper pieces touching the ground, hanging off and dragging. I looked at it, pushed it back into place somewhat and brought her home. I woke up in the morning, called the dealership and drove the car up there.

Upon reaching the dealership, I waited about an hour while they looked at it, and they called me back to the mechanic area. My car was lifted, and they proceeded to tell me that I hit something. I've never even bumped or scratched my xb once while I've owned it. Heres the conversation with the mechanic dude....

Mechanic dude "you must have hit something"
Me "no, i didnt."
Mechanic dude "well look at these scratches on your bumper"
Me "The scratches are from the bumper falling off, and draggin on the damn street"
Mechanic dude " well scion won't cover this, because the scratches make it look like you hit something"


So I left, irritated and frustrated as hell.

I emailed scion the minute I got home, and explained the entire situation. A scion rep called me 2 days later, telling me that he'd talk to the dealership about it and get back to me. The dealership took about a week to contact him back, and they told the rep the same thing "it looks like he hit something" So today I get a call from the rep, who says "based on what the dealership said, that you might have hit something, we cannot cover your vehicle" So I said to him "Scion won't cover a piece of my car that can't stand up to a puddle?" So the rep gave me the same runaround that the dealer gave.......so I just hung up on the guy.

At this point I don't know where to go.....I just want someone to smash into me, total my car and use my GAP insurance to buy something else, It's really fcking irritating to be told that I crashed into something, when I've only driven my car calmly and carefully. Now I drive a new car, with a bumper hanging off and a missing grille piece....it looks like crap......

Where to go from here? If I was rich, I'd permanantly park my car at the dealership, with signs pointing to the places where pieces have fallen of, and write a big sign on it "these are the pieces that FELL off my car that the dealership NOR scion will cover"

 

Sorry about that man. I have seen xB's around here with the same piece missing.
My wife took my xB boating once and 2 of the plastic arm brackets were hanging down. The were fastened to the body with plastic screws (or something like that). Luckily the bumper did not drag at all. I just got under there with some industrial tie wraps and put it back into place.

These cars are very VERY frigile though. Kinda s ucks.

 

yea, it sucks.

 

I just really don't see how a vehicle could be mass manufactured if they can't stand up to a puddle, and the company/dealership can't back their product.

 

yeah i'm missing the grille piece you're talking about. it's a common fault in the xB's that almost everyone experiences. however, that bumper thing might be an anomaly. maybe you got a lemon ? try lemon laws or whatever you do for those situations. good luck man.

 

My problem is that I'm not an _______/hellraiser...at this point I wish I was..... The _______s who complain and yell are the ones who get things done, while I go at it from a polite, help me standpoint...I get ____ed. I feel like I'm not being treated justly......but what am I gonna do?

 

If your that unhappy with the xB, just purchase a new bumper and sell it. no?

 

Man i hear ya bro, my back bumper lip is gettng loose as well. it seems like the clips are not withholding the force or something.

 

I don't have lots of money, selling the car would be for a loss, and I don't have an extra car to hold me over until I paid off the rest of the loan

 

the plastic which holds on the rear lower lip is very soft.

Those pieces have broken off on me twice. Once from a ____in SUV kicking a tire into my lane, and me having to drive over it, and second time when on the highway going through 6" puddles.

I just got some sheetmetal screws, and screwed them into the metal bracket. Worked for me.

 

I think i may do this as preventive maintanence. Sorry to hear about your experience krazybone, but hopefully this will warn others from going through the same thing.

 

The grill part falling out was covered under warranty. The rear bumper part IS part your fault for driving through puddles then dragging the bumper. As soon as you heard it you should have stopped and put the pieces back together or removed them so they wouldn't get more damaged.

 

What's the front grill piece that falls off? I'd like to see if there's a modification that I can do before mine falls off!

 

It's the bottom corner pieces. They had some issues with the 04 and 05's I think they worked out on the 06's. They would pop out and be lost. They now added a tether to catch it if it happens to fall out now. I had one go by by and my dealer sent me a replacement one for free. That's customer service my friend. I Love Scion Corp. Customer for Life.

 

I maybe hearing wrong from people conversation, but the reason why scion is so cheap, is that their bumpers and other parts are made from recycle products of used cars.