2013 Subaru BRZ problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
64 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
52,400 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2013 model year. Data snapshot: . 53 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 47 of 64 complaints (73.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Engine operation | 18 | 28.1% |
| Braking behavior | 4 | 6.3% |
| Fuel system concerns | 4 | 6.3% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 3 | 4.7% |
| Steering behavior | 2 | 3.1% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine | 47 |
| Unknown Or Other | 7 |
| Electrical System | 3 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 3 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 3 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 |
| Equipment Adaptive/Mobility | 2 |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 |
Engine: 47; Unknown Or Other: 7; Electrical System: 3; Fuel/Propulsion System: 3; Visibility/Wiper: 3; Engine And Engine Cooling: 2; Equipment Adaptive/Mobility: 2; Exterior Lighting: 2
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 14 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 9 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 17 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 7 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 6 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 14; 25,000 to 49,999: 9; 50,000 to 74,999: 17; 75,000 to 99,999: 7; 100,000 to 149,999: 6; 150,000 and above: 0
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (17). 11 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 4 |
| 2014 | 6 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 28 |
| 2020 | 13 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2026 | 1 |
2012: 1; 2013: 4; 2014: 6; 2016: 1; 2017: 2; 2018: 1; 2019: 28; 2020: 13; 2021: 3; 2022: 2; 2024: 2; 2026: 1
Pattern summary
Engine leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 18 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 4 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns appears in 4 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10945176 · 2017-01-13 (January 13, 2017)
MY VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET. I ONLY HAVE 54000 MILES ON THE ENGINE AND THE CAR IS LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD. ENGINE SPONTANEOUSLY STARTED KNOCKING AND STALLED OUT. THE ISSUE IS SPUN ROD BEARING AND THE CAUSE IS OIL STARVATION. THERE WAS NO OIL ON THE DIPSTICK, AND NO PRIOR SIGNS OF OIL LEAK AT HOME OR AT WORK . OIL PRESSURE LIGHT NEVER LIT UP. ADDITIONALLY, I CHECK/CHANGE MY OIL EVERY 3000 MILES RATHER THAN THE MINIMUM FACTORY RECOMMENDATION OF EVERY 6000.
Owner-reported narrative. 54,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10945176 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11031867 · 2017-10-05 (October 5, 2017)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 SUBARU BRZ. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MOTOR FAILED FOUR TIMES AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE, DROVE ROUGHLY, AND CONSTANTLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND HAD TO BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER (WALLACE SUBARU OF JOHNSON CITY, 3101 E OAKLAND AVE, JOHNSON CITY, TN 37601, [phone removed]) AGAIN FOR FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A WARRANTY, BUT WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM IF THE DEALER WOULD SERVICE THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE A SOLUTION. THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED A…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11031867 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10465508 · 2012-07-13 (July 13, 2012)
THIS 2013 SUBARU BRZ WITH THE STANDARD RADIO AND ONLY RADIO OFFERED IS THIS AM/FM/HD/SAT/IPOD/IPHONE/TEXT/CD/NAV TOUCHSCREEN ONLY ACCESS TO CONTROLS RADIO. THIS RADIO IS SLOW TO RESPOND WHEN USING IPOD/IPHONE,SLOW TO RECOGNIZE TOUCH INPUTS, SOMETIMES IGNORES INPUT. BUTTONS ON TOUCHSCREEN TOO SMALL. THIS CAR DESPERATELY NEEDS STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS FOR THIS UNSAFE RADIO! I KNOW THEY WILL BE OFFERING THIS IN THE NEXT MODEL YEAR BUT THAT LEAVES ABOUT 100000 OF THESE UNSAFE BRZS ON THE ROAD WITH DISTRACTED DRIVING ISSUES. I ALREADY HAD TO LOCKUP T…
Owner-reported narrative. 400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10465508 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10875697 · 2016-06-21 (June 21, 2016)
REAR LIGHTS LEAK AND FILL WITH HALF INCH ATLEAST OF WATER, SUBARU'S IDEA OF A FIX IS LET IT EVAPORATE, IT TAKES WEEKS TO EVAPORATE AND IN THE MEAN TIME YOUR BRAKE LIGHTS ARE FOGGED UP MAKING THEM LESS EFFECTIVE AND DULLER, ALSO THE WATER CAN SHORT OUT THE LIGHT. THEY KEEP REPLACING WITH PARTS THAT ARE AND HAVE THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. IN OTHER WORDS THIS IS A CHRONIC PERPETUAL PROBLEM AND THEY REFUSE TO REDESIGN THE LIGHTS. STARTED THE FIRST RAIN WE GOT WHEN I OWNED THE LEMON, AND IT CONTINUES THRU NOW 6/2016. NO END IN SIGHT!! NO RECALL JUST GLUE…
Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10875697 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10524548 · 2013-07-12 (July 12, 2013)
CHIRPING/SQUEAKING SOUND POSSIBLY FROM THE ENGINE'S HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP NOISE OCCURS UPON DE-ACCELERATION AT 28MPH W/ CAR IN NEUTRAL SEE SUBARU TSB 2013MY BRZ NO. 09-54-12R DATED 10/03/12. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10524548 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10524667 · 2013-07-13 (July 13, 2013)
I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY OCCUR ON MY CAR AS WELL. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE DEALER DIAGNOSED IT AS A MISFIRE IN ONE OF THE CYLINDER. DIRECT INJECTOR WENT BAD CAUSING DETONATION. THIS IS NOW BECOMING A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. YET, THE MANUFACTURE REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS ISSUE. THE ROOT CAUSE I BELIEVE IS A IMPROPER ECU TUNE. SOUTH AFRICA TOYOTA ISSUED A TSB. PLEASE SEE LINK HTTP://WWW.FT86CLUB.COM/FORUMS/SHOWPOST.PHP?P=1055748&POSTCOUNT=5. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 2,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10524667 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10576360 · 2014-04-01 (April 1, 2014)
ARGUABLY SYSTEMIC ELECTRICAL PROBLEM BATTERY WENT DEAD -RE CHARGED AND THEN ULTIMATELY REPLACED BY DEALER SWITCH FOR PASSENGER WINDOW ONLY WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. WAS REPLACED AND CONTINUES TO NON FUNCTION CAR WILL NOT START ON OCCASION ALTHOUGH LIGHTS, RADIO ETC WILL GO ON NO RESPONSE WHEN IGNITION BUTTON PUSHED. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 6,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10576360 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11230582 · 2019-07-09 (July 9, 2019)
AFTER I PICKED UP MY CAR FROM COMPLETING THE VALVE SPRING RECALL WORK AT A LOCAL SUBARU DEALER, MY CAR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE TRACTION LIGHT TURNED ON IN LESS THAN 6 MILES DRIVING. I DROVE MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALER ON THE NEXT MORNING, AND THE DEALER TOLD ME THERE WERE ECM, CAM GEARS AND WIRING HARNESS ISSUES AND NEED REPLACEMENT. ISSUES ARE STILL UNRESOLVED AND I AM WAITING FOR THE DEALER AND SUBARU INVESTIGATION.
Owner-reported narrative. 59,844 miles reported. Look up ODI 11230582 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11153282 · 2018-11-23 (November 23, 2018)
THERE IS A STRANGE PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING ON THESE CARS AND THE SCION FRS EQUIVALENT. THE PROBLEM IS REPORTED ON THE MESSAGE BOARDS BUT HOWEVER THIS WAS ONLY RECALLED IN NEW ZEALAND.GOING OVER AND SMALL BUMP THE ELECTRONIC STEERING RATTLES. IT RATTLES AT FIRST AND GETS WORSE UNTIL IT SHAKES THE WHEEL. DEALERS WANT ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND YET IT WAS ALREADY RECALLED IN ANOTHER COUNTY FOR THIS ISSUES.THIS CAN BECOME DANGEROUS AND MANY OWNERS JUST POST O LINE NOT KNOWING WHAT IS GOING ON WITH DEALERS SAYING IT'S NORMAL. LEAVING CUSTOMERS WI…
Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11153282 at NHTSA ↗