SciontC2015Overview/scion/tc/2015/base/

2015 Scion tC

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2015 tC.

Transmission Automatic (S6)

The 2015 Scion tC is documented in its overview as a model that uses 4.6 qt of 0W‑20 or 5W‑20 API oil and pairs a Automatic (S6) transmission with EPA‑rated 23/30/26 mpg; its reliability record shows 22 total owner complaints, the most frequent issue involving air bags and three recalls, while the broader complaint history reflects a downward trend from a peak of 161 complaints in 2006 to just six in the 2016 model year, indicating that the 2015 version sits near the lower end of reported problems.

Model year201620152014201320122011201020092008

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.6 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type0W-20 / 5W-20 APIOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy23/30/26 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 24F · 575 CCA battery, OE oil filter 9672335028. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 24F · 575 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnLOEM · verified
Tire sizeP225/45R18OEM · verified
Wheel / rim7.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter9672335028 alt 9030179006
Engine air filter17801YZZ06
Spark plug9091901233
Battery2880054020
Front wiper blades8522221030 alt 8521233260
Serpentine belt90916A2021 alt 9091602668
Thermostat90916A3003 alt 163250T030
Cabin air filter8713950100 alt 8713907020

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S6)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length120.1 in
Overall width66.1 in
Overall height59.1 in
Wheelbase78.7 in
Curb weight2127 lb
Track (front / rear)58.3 / 57.5 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)61/39

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined23 / 30 / 26 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the tC of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

6.9–7.6 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.90 sec — 2011 Hatchback
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2014Hatchback 2.5L I-47.40 sec15.60 sec179 hpFWD
2016Hatchback 2.5L I-47.60 sec15.90 sec179 hpFWD
2011Hatchback 2.5L I-46.90 sec15.40 sec180 hpFWD
2011Hatchback 2.5L I-46.90 sec15.40 sec180 hpFWD
2011Hatchback 2.5L I-47.40 sec15.80 sec180 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.6 qt of 0W-20 / 5W-20 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque the oil drain plug to 30.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine Oil0W-20 · API · 5W-20
Engine Oil Capacity4.6 qt
Fuel Tank Capacity14.5 gallons
Power Steering FluidEPS

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs11.7 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts192 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts96 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug30.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs9 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Steering Track (Rod End) Bolts43.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)680-780 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)600-700 rpm
Spark Plug ManufacturerScion
Spark Plug Gap.039 - .043 in
Spark Plug Torque18 ft-lbs
Ignition Timing10 degrees
Ignition Timing Acceptable Variance2 degrees

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity14.40-16.64 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity7.0 oz
Standard BCI Group Number24F
Standard BCI Cranking Performance575 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test17 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief14-18 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature176-183 °F
RPM44-50 at idle or fuel pump running rpm
Residual Pressure21 min after 5 min , fuel pump off psi
Engine Compressionpsi 142-210 max variation 29 psi

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier TorqueFront: 25; Rear: 25 /
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt TorqueFront: 79; Rear: 42 /; Front: 79; Rear: 42
ABS Sensor Torque8.5 / NS
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.039; Rear: 0.039 in
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: .984; Rear: .335
Maximum Rotor RunoutFront: .002; Rear: .006

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
130 ft. lbs., Step 2: 9030 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 4 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Coat new bolts with the specified engine oil.

127.0 ft. lbs.27 ft. lbs
227.0 ft. lbs.27 ft. lbs
390 degrees90 degrees
490 degrees90 degrees
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
115 ft. lbs., Step 2: 30 ft. lbs., Step 3: 9015 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 10,000 mi; spark plugs at 120,000 mi; coolant every 50,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 50,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 5,000 miFloor Mat (inspect) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate) · Universal Vehicle Operation (inspect all fluid levels) · Windshield Wiper Blade (inspect)
Every 10,000 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 15,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Air Conditioning Condenser (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (inspect fluid level) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect)
Every 30,000 miBrake Drum Assembly (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · Differential (inspect fluid level) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect)
Every 50,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
At 100,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 120,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The Scion tC generation shows a clear downward trend in owner complaints from a peak of 161 in 2006 to single digits by 20122013, though 2015 represents a late-model uptick with 22 complaints—higher than 2014’s 20 and 2016’s 6, but still well below the early-generation highs. Federal records indicate 2015 sits at the tail end of this arc with 3 recalls, up from just 1 in 2014 but matching 2016’s count, alongside a notable decrease to 48 TSBs versus 87 or more in the preceding four years. The data identifies Air Bags and Power Train as the top complaint categories with 5 reports each, though the federal record does not specify root causes for these issues; notably, the year logged 4 crash-related complaints and zero fire complaints. With complaint volume remaining relatively low compared to the 2005–2009 peak years and technical service bulletins declining significantly, 2015 appears to be a reasonable year to buy, provided buyers verify that the 3 recall campaigns have been completed.

3
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
48
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
22
Owner complaints
4 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 22 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags5
Power Train5
Visibility2
Service Brakes2
Visibility/Wiper2
Electrical System,Exterior Lighting,Visibility/Wiper1
Suspension1
Power Train,Electrical System,Vehicle Speed Control1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

18E091000Service Brakes, HydraulicReported 20/09/2018

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain Toyota Racing Development (TRD) brake kits, part numbers PTR09-21111 and PTR09-52080, sold by Toyota as an optional accessory for model year… Remedy: Toyota will notify all known owners of the Scion xB and Scion tC vehicles upon which an involved optional TRD Brake Kit could have been installed. If the vehicle is equipped with…

16V420000Equipment:Other:LabelsReported 09/06/2016

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Camry and Highlander, 2015-2016 Toyota Tundra, Scion FR-S, and tC vehicles. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not… Remedy: SET will notify owners, and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 48 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
S-TT-0117-202020-12-11VisibilityTT: HVAC drain tube is found to be blocked/clogged.
20R001 Toyota Cu2020-07-15EquipmentDL: Toyota plans to send Safety Recall Follow-Up Notices for the above referenced…
S-S-0003-14_Obso2019-12-20EquipmentTSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE December 20, 2019: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now…
S-TT-0116-192018-01-03EquipmentTT: In certain cases of leaking air conditioning systems, the root cause of the leak is…
S-SB-0012-14-Rev2017-08-29EquipmentTSB: REVISION NOTICE August 23, 2017 Rev1: ? Applicability has been updated to include…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific tC. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2015 tC take?

4.6 qt of 0W-20 API certified is preferred. 5W-20 API certified can also be used., per the factory manual.

Does the 2015 tC have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the tC get?

EPA figures are 23 city / 30 highway / 26 combined mpg.