SciontC2013Overview/scion/tc/2013/base/

2013 Scion tC

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2013 tC.

Transmission Automatic (S6)

The 2013 Scion tC continues the sport-compact lineage with a 6-speed automatic transmission and EPA fuel economy of 22/30/25 mpg, backed by an engine requiring 4.7 quarts of 5W-20 or 0W-20 API oil at service. Owner feedback for this model year is comparatively quiet, with just 9 total complaints — concentrated in the Power Train category — alongside a single recall. Across the tC's full 2005–2016 complaint history, which peaked at 161 complaints in 2006 and fell to a low of 6 in 2016, the 2013 model sits firmly in the later, lower-complaint tier, suggesting the platform had moved past its most problematic years by this point.

Model year201620152014201320122011201020092008

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity4.7 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-20 / 0W-20 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque76 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy22/30/25 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 9030179006. 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-J inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter9030179006 alt 9672335028
Engine air filter17801YZZ06
Spark plug9091901233
Battery2880054020
Front wiper blades8521274010 alt 8522233241
Serpentine belt90916A2021 alt 9091602668
Thermostat90916A3003 alt 163250T030
Cabin air filter8713902090 alt 8713950100

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 weight2116 lb
Track (front / rear)58.3 / 57.5 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)61/39

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined22 / 30 / 25 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
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
2016Hatchback 2.5L I-47.60 sec15.90 sec179 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 4.7 qt of 5W-20 / 0W-20 API engine oil. Torque lug nuts to 76 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 30.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity2.9
Engine Oil5W-20 · 0W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity4.7 qt
Manual Transmission FluidToyota LV MTF
Manual Transmission Fluid Capacity4.8

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs11.7 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts96 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts15 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts26 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug30.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs9 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts76 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Ignition Timing8-12, Not adjustable degrees
Ignition Timing Reference RPMIdle rpm

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity0.90-1.05 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity6.10-7.10 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
Injector Primary Resistance11.6-12.4 @ 68 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression142

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket25 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle79 ft-lbs / 42 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.039; Rear: 0.039 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in / 0.006 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.102 in / 0.394 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.102 in / 0.394 in
Rotor Discard at or Under0.984 in / 0.335 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
130 ft. lbs., Step 2: 9030 ft. lbs
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)
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 System (inspect) · Differential (inspect fluid level) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (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 demonstrates a distinct downward trend in federal complaints across its generation, dropping sharply from 155-161 complaints in the 2005-2006 years to a low of 8-9 by 2012-2013, before seeing a minor uptick to 20-22 complaints in 2014-2015. The 2013 model year sits at the very bottom of this arc with just 9 complaints and 1 recall, performing nearly identically to the 2012 model (8 complaints, 2 recalls) and boasting less than half the complaints of the subsequent 2014 model (20 complaints). For 2013, the sparse complaints center on Power Train (3) and Service Brakes (2), with single complaints for Air Bags and Visibility, though the data does not specify the root causes for these issues. Furthermore, the 2013 tC recorded only 2 crash-related complaints and zero fire complaints in the federal record. Positioned at the nadir of the generation's complaint curve, this implies the model reached peak stability by 2013, making it a highly favorable, low-risk year to purchase used.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
99
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
9
Owner complaints
2 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 9 complaints on record, top 6 components.

Power Train3
Service Brakes2
Air Bags1
Visibility1
Air Bags,Service Brakes1
Structure,Unknown Or Other,Visibility/Wiper1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 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…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 99 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-SB-0012-14-Rev2017-08-29EquipmentTSB: REVISION NOTICE August 23, 2017 Rev1: ? Applicability has been updated to include…
S-SB-0035-13 Rev2016-11-10EquipmentTSB: REVISION NOTICE November 10, 2016 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 2013 tC take?

4.7 qt of 5W-20 OR 0W-20 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2013 tC have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the tC get?

EPA figures are 22 city / 30 highway / 25 combined mpg.