2008 SCION XD — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

This complaint is about other cars affecting me while I’m driving at night. Around 50% of oncoming traffic is using dangerously bright headlights. It is so bright that it’s physically painful to my eyes and leaves a blind spot in my field of vision that lasts for several minutes after each encounter. The head lights are so bright that when highbeams are switched off manually, there is barely a difference. They are so bright when they are NOT on high beams that the turn signals are very difficult or literally impossible to see. Some amount of vehicles are using automatic highbeams that do not adapt properly. They are sometimes on full high beam brightness during daylight hours (and are just as painful to look at in daylight). They do not register my vehicle’s headlights or approaching traffic so instead of automatically dimming, I am being blinded by full high beams. Sometimes flashing my highbeams will trigger them to dim, but their vehicle has to be pretty close to mine for it to work. Their automatic highbeams do not dim when they are behind my car, causing my rear view and side mirrors to be completely unusable. Flipping the rear view mirror does not help. While sitting at a stoplight at an intersection, vehicles opposite to mine often maintain their highbeams and are too far from mine for flashing my highbeams at them to do anything. Some of the bright headlights (not on high beams) I believe are LED retrofit and this is probably why turn signals are barely or not at all visible with some vehicles. Some of these suspected LED retrofits are as bright as the ones on a fire truck or ambulance. I saw them side by side tonight, prompting me to finally write this complaint. This problem needs to be regulated for the safety of everyone, especially night drivers and cars that sit lower to the ground than SUV/trucks. My windshield and my eye level is at the same height as an SUV’s headlights. Maybe a lumens test as part of the yearly inspection would help.

The rear axel beam on the vehicle cracked on the drivers side. It separated at a weld and caused the entire wheel assemble to lean inward (extreme negative camber) and rub against the wheel well. Fortunately I was off the highway when the incident occurred and barely made it safely to my work place. If this had happened at a greater speed I fear for what may have happened to myself and others. It is UNKNOWN if this problem has been reproduced in other circumstances. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer or police. It was inspected by an independent service provider (mechanic). It is available for additional inspection if needed. There was no warning, message or any other symptoms prior to the issue occurring.

MY WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH ARE COMING ON AND CAUSING THE CAR TO LOCK UP, JERK, AND STALL WHILE IN MOTION IN SLOWER SPEEDS USUALLY WHEN AT A STREET SIGN AND GOING INTO A TURN, A STOP LIGHT ALSO GOING INTO A TURN ON MAIN HWYS AND WORSE OF ALL IN NEIGHBORHOODS PRIOR TO MY GETTING TO THE HOSPITAL. I'M NOT IN GOOD HEALTH AND GO FOR TESTING AND TREATMENT REGULARLY. PLEZ HELP I KNOW Y'ALL ARE AWARE OF THIS THING BUT IT'S NOT A RECALL YET. PLEZ FIX MY CAR. I'M ON DISABILITY DUE TO CANCER.

MY WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH ARE COMING ON AND CAUSING THE CAR TO LOCK UP, JERK, AND STALL WHILE IN MOTION IN SLOWER SPEEDS USUALLY WHEN AT A STREET SIGN AND GOING INTO A TURN, A STOP LIGHT ALSO GOING INTO A TURN ON MAIN HWYS AND WORSE OF ALL IN NEIGHBORHOODS PRIOR TO MY GETTING TO THE HOSPITAL. I'M NOT IN GOOD HEALTH AND GO FOR TESTING AND TREATMENT REGULARLY. PLEZ HELP I KNOW Y'ALL ARE AWARE OF THIS THING BUT IT'S NOT A RECALL YET. PLEZ FIX MY CAR. I'M ON DISABILITY DUE TO CANCER.

NOTICED RIGHT REAR TIRE WAS LEANING INWARD. FOUND THE REAR AXLE ASSEMBLY CRACKED. WE THEN HAD IT WELDED AND CHECKED THE OTHER SIDE. NOTHING WAS VISIBLE, BUT WAS INFORMED THAT ASSEMBLY COULD BE RUSTING FROM INSIDE OUT. SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, WHILE TRAVELING THE HIGHWAY, CAR STARTED MAKING NOISE AND HAD A HOT TIRE SMELL. PULLED OVER AND LEFT REAR TIRE HAD LEANED IN AND CUT THE TIRE ALL THE WAY AROUND. LEFT SIDE HAD ALSO CRACKED. WE FEEL TOYOTA SHOULD REPLACE THE ENTIRE REAR OF OUR CAR.