Are there any common issues with the Scion Xb's such as, cabin noise, sqeeky suspension, engine, transmission, electrical issues. I ask only because I own a POS chevy cobalt that has alot of the above and I am interested in the scion xb. Just want to make the right choice!

 

i haven't had any problems with mine but i also only 8k on it, only noises are from what the subs have created

 

If I had to put my finger on one fault of the Xb......and actually it is the only fault I found even worth a second glance...it is the factory ride. The vans handle very well, not van like at all. They handle more like a sports car, but the ride is a bit rough. It isnt hard rough but rather a bit jittery, like the springs are just a touch tight when lightly loaded. The tires seem to bounce along over slight pavement imperfections. The suspension when load harder like in a hard turn or over larger bumps feels fine. This bumpiness is worse with large diameter smaller side wall tires as expected. This is not a major flaw and could be lived with easily but it has been noted by road tests by more than one magazine including a recent review by Consumer Reports (who liked the Xb overall and reccommend it for purchase BTW) . I lowered mine 2" with Goldline springs (which are progressive in design) and the uneven pavement harshness completely dissappeared. With the Goldlines the handling seems about the same, maybe even a little better when pushing the suspension.

 

well... the only problem you could run in would be rock chips in the glass... which can be rather annoying issue. otherwise your looking at a solid car with great milage, comfortable seats, good stereo and a cheap price!

I<3 xB

 

The only thing I notice in my box are the plastic pillar covers, actually just the one on the drivers side. If you are sitting in the seat, the piece of plastic between the windshield and the drivers window, above the dash. It rattles a little bit sometimes, but I can fix that when I install the soudn deadener. It just needs to be secured tighter somehow.

But I love my box as well.

 

yes there's some cabin noise. several people have had annoying rattles, mostly from the door or the dash near the door. just a minir annoyance and there's some things you can do to fix it.
not much power, particularly if you have auto tranny.
and like somebody mentioned, windshield chip and/or break too easily. don't follow any evil dump trucks.

 

Rattles. I have one in my driver's side door that goes away when I put pressure on the door from the inside. The panel must not be clipped tight enough. I'll fix it some day... I'll put up with it though to have a unique car with Japanese quality.

 

Only thing I've found wrong with the Xb, is a small rattle way in the back somewhere. It sounds like my tag is rattling a little when I go over bumps and no music is on in my car. I also hate the fact that if your front window is up (because the passenger, or yourself doesn't want the wind blowing in your face) and your back window is down, your back seatbelt rattles like crazy. I always end up having to jack the back windows up half way when my girl doesn't want wind in her hair up front.

Typical box shape I guess...

 

i kept hearing rattles too turned out to be the speaker grilles on the dashboard they're kind of loose. if you tap on it you can hear a bit of rattle, fixed mine under warranty.

also notice the rear windshield wiper rattles like a ****.

the ride transmits bumps easily into the cabin, lean on power and lack of interior cabin lighting.

considering that those are easily remedied with upgrades its an excellent car.

 

Rattles. The rear wiper does indeed rattle, especially if you have big subs in the back The tag also rattles like hell with speakers and a little without. The tag is an easy fix tho. go to the hardware store (a good hardware) and get some rubber bumpers that are about 1/4 inch thick. These will have a little **** on the back of a round bumper (similar to common door and hood bumpers for older cars ,and some newer). Install these bumpers thru the lower tag holes from the inside of the tag so that the bumper sits on the tailgate and the tag is held slightly out at the bottom. No more tag rattle even with subs pounding. Hmmm now to find som nifty soultion for the noisy rear wiper arm ( I was thinking about some small dots of clear silicon at the blade attachment points, havent tried it yet tho).

 

the only complaint I have (besides the arm-rest, which if you are getting an xB, GET ONE! I cannot stress it enough) is that @ high speeds (over 75) there's a good deal of road noise, but it only becomes a problem if you have to speak to someone in the back. But I have not had any problems with the rattling, and anything I have is really trivial, overall a good investment, and a step up from your cobalt, although the cobalt does have slightly more oomph (drove my brothers)

 

i forgot about all the rock chips, as far as noises it can vary depending on the roads you drive, but they do have a stiff ride from factory

 

At 4,000 miles my complaints are minor.

The xB OEM option armrest is cheap cheap cheap looking and feeling. I would hope some or the others are better.

The interior lighting is weak, but I fixed that with a Sylvania 'Dot' light for $8 so I okay there.

I hate it when I want to listen to ZZ Topp or some other late in the alphabet artist on my iPod. Is there a way to scroll thru the list on the iPod more quickly with the iPod dock OEM option radio?

But all in all I love the car. I had a Porsche 911 in the 90s and I like driving the xB better. For me it is more fun (maybe I'm nuts...)

 

My only real complaint is road noise on some surfaces, and I'm not real sure about the front window mechanism, given the way it rattles when closing the door with the window not rolled all the way up...

The suspension is stiff, not horribly so, and power is merely adequate with the 5 spd, apparently worse with the Automatic...

Ergonomics aren't the best for tall drivers- by the time you get the seat back far enough for your legs, the steering wheel is a reach and the door side armrest is too low to be any help...

I still like it, anyway, and have no intention of driving anything else for the next several years...

 

Put it this way. The pluses far outweigh the negatives. Get a toaster while you still can. Then eliminate the stuff that bugs you about it and you will be VERY HAPPY. Production should end any day now so hurry. "Supplies are limited"

 

If all goes well I should have my xb tonight and I can say a well deserved GOODBYE to my GM POS! Thanks for the info Everyone!

 

Great to hear that and congrats on a wise decision!!!! Enjoy it Bro!

 

Thanks but, Ive still got to get approved for a loan and all. So I hope it works out!

 

I own a '05 XB and I also have a '05 Cobalt that is my company car.
20,00 on the XB and 50,000 on the Cobalt.

Good things about the XB. Quality, unique, fun to drive, mods, practical.

Good things about the Cobalt. It's fast...and.....uh....I'll get back to you if I think of something else.

 

There are like 4 different types of arm rests out there.....which one did you get