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Model file · ScionUpdated · 10 sources

Selling an old Scion xA for parts

In November 2018, twelve years after the last Scion xA was built, Toyota recalled 2004-2006 xAs because the air bag control module can short internally. For the xA, air bags also come first: 32 of 125 NHTSA complaints in our October 10, 2026 count.

A white 2006 Scion xA five-door hatchback parked in a parking lot between two SUVs
Photo: Cutlass · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Model years (EPA data)
2004-2006
Complaints to NHTSA
125
Year with the most complaints
2006 (71)
Component named most
Air bags (32)
Recall campaigns
5
Engine
1.5 L 1NZ-FE four, 108 hp (103 hp for 2006)

The newest xA is now 20 years old. When one stops being worth fixing, we buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

The only generation: 2004-2006

The xA and the xB were the two cars Scion launched with. From 2003 to 2006, Kanto Auto Works made the xA at Kanegasaki, Iwate, Japan. This subcompact rides on Toyota's NBC platform, kin to the first xB and the Echo, on a 93.3-inch wheelbase.

Every xA has the 1.5 L 1NZ-FE four, rated at 108 hp until 2006, when it was revised to 103 hp. Scion xA buyers chose between a manual gearbox with 5 speeds and an automatic with 4 speeds. Scion later swapped it out for the xD.

What owners reported, year by year

2004: 14 complaints. Engine and engine cooling leads with just 3, and one complaint reports a death.

2005: 40 complaints, with air bags first at 13. These complaints report 13 crashes and 12 injuries, the most injuries of any xA year.

2006: 71 complaints, more than the other two years combined. Air bags lead again (17), then the gasoline fuel system (10) and vehicle speed control (6).

The five recalls

  • 18V776, air bag control module (2004-2006). The campaign names only the xA and counts 16,992 vehicles. Dealers inspect the module and replace it if needed.
  • 07V030 and 07V048, cruise control (2006). These covered Rostra Precision Controls cruise modules that Gulf States Toyota and Southeast Toyota dealers installed. Their totals, 1,372 and 716, cover each whole campaign, which may reach beyond the xA.
  • 09V223 and 10V036, labels. Owners get a corrected load or tire label. Both campaigns cover certain passenger cars across several model years, so they may include other models.

xA complaints by model year

xA figures from NHTSA's complaint download, current to October 10, 2026. Each recall is counted in every year it lists.

Model yearComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuriesDeathsRecallsMost-named components
20041421111Engine and cooling 3; electrical 2; unknown 2
2005401301202Air bags 13; visibility 4; speed control 4
200671133805Air bags 17; fuel system 10; speed control 6

In seven of those 125 xA complaints, the owner needed a tow.

Worth fixing at 20 years old?

Check recalls first. Run the xA VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup, then ask a Toyota dealer if 18V776 got done. Open recall covers what to do if it wasn't.

After that, it's simple math: the shop's written estimate against the price a running xA with similar miles fetches. On a car this age, a failed engine, a rusted-out floor or a big electrical problem can easily cost more than the car. Old or high mileage walks through the choice.

Selling your xA whole

  1. Collect the VIN, mileage and a line or two on what's wrong.
  2. Ask for an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
  3. Let us know where the xA is parked, if it rolls and if its tires stay up, so the right truck comes. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
  4. Leave the parts on, the catalytic converter and wheels included. Mention anything that's already gone.
  5. The title and your ID go to the driver. No title? See selling with no title. Then check after you sell for plates and insurance.

More Scions: xB, xD, tC, or all Scion models.

Questions people ask

Is my Scion xA in the air bag control module recall?
Recall 18V776, filed in November 2018, covers certain 2004-2006 xAs. The air bag control module can short inside, so dealers check it and swap it when needed. Put your xA VIN into nhtsa.gov/recalls and look for an open campaign.
Which xA year has the most complaints?
The 2006 xA tops the list with 71 of the 125 NHTSA complaints in our October 10, 2026 count. The 2005 follows with 40, then the 2004 with 14.
Will you buy an xA that has sat for years?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. A flat or dead battery on the xA is no problem. Just say where it's parked.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), Scion xA, downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  2. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  3. NHTSA recall 07V030: Rostra cruise control module (Gulf States Toyota) nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 07V048: Rostra cruise control module (Southeast Toyota) nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 09V223: load capacity label nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 10V036: tire label (Southeast Toyota) nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 18V776: air bag control module, 2004-2006 xA nhtsa.gov
  8. EPA fuel economy data (model years and classes) fueleconomy.gov
  9. Wikipedia: Scion xA (engine, plant, platform, successor) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia: Scion xB (xA and xB as Scion's launch models) en.wikipedia.org