2013 SUBARU BRZ — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
80
Owner Complaints
2
Recalls
110
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2013 SUBARU BRZ
The 2013 SUBARU BRZ has received a total of 80 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 2 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE, EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL. 110 technical service bulletins have been issued by Subaru of America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Engine (47 complaints), Unknown Or Other (6 complaints), and Electrical System (3 complaints).
Recalls for the 2013 SUBARU BRZ
NHTSA has recorded 2 recalls for the 2013 SUBARU BRZ, potentially affecting up to 167,420 vehicles.
Recall 18V772000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
| 165,534 vehicles affected
Defect: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Subaru Impreza, 2012-2013 Impreza Stationwagon, 2013 Subaru BRZ, XV Crosstrek and Toyota Scion FR-S vehicles. The engine valve springs in these vehicles may fracture causing an engine malfunction or a possible engine stall.
Consequence: An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Subaru will notify their owners. Toyota will notify the FR-S owners. Dealers will replace the valve springs, free of charge. The recall began December 26, 2018. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614, Toyota owners may contact the...
View full details →Recall 12V254000 — EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
| 1,886 vehicles affected
Defect: SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2013 BRZ VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 25, 2011, THROUGH MAY 25, 2012. THE OWNERS MANUAL CONTAINS AN INACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTUAL OPERATION OF THE FRONT PASSENGER OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM. OTHER PORTIONS OF THE OWNERS MANUAL, DESCRIBING THE AIR BAG SYSTEM, REQUIRE CLARIFICATION. AS SUCH, THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE...
Consequence: MISINFORMATION COULD LEAD TO AN INCREASED RISK OF INJURY TO FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS DURING CERTAIN CRASH CONDITIONS.
Remedy: SUBARU WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND WILL MAIL CORRECTED OWNERS MANUALS, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 19, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2013 SUBARU BRZ
80 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2013 SUBARU BRZ. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 47 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuelpropulsion System | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibilitywiper | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment Adaptivemobility | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System Gasoline | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipmentelectricalradiotape Deckcd Etc | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
The contact owns a 2013 Subaru BRZ. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with maintenance failure. The contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V772000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 58,498.
From the very first day I had these brakes pads installed they performed terribly. At low speeds, under 25mph, they would shriek and slightly shake the vehicle; far worse response at higher speeds. I read somewhere online that the remedy for this problem was to "wed" the pads to the existing rotors. So, I performed that as best as I could in a safe and sound manner which resulted in a continuation of the same sounds and violent pitching during braking. I continued to use them for about 4K miles until one day I approached a red stop light and stood on the brakes to make my vehicle stop and it barely responded in time to not cause an accident. I took my car to a dealership mechanic to review and their finding was that the pads severely warped my rotors and they needed to be fully replaced, pads and rotors. Cost me an additional $200 in labor on top of what I paid for parts. My car is now performing as it had in the past. I specifically requested and kept the parts that the dealership mechanic replaced as the Brembo pads were highly suspect to start with and I wanted to provide them as support for my claim here. If they're needed please reply back with an address to ship them to. Never once in the time I've driven my vehicle had I experienced that type of safety hazard before ~ 90K miles from November of 2012. This brake product should not be deemed safe for public roads.
We took the car into the dealership due to an engine light being on and the recall was something they informed us about and we decided to take care of it all at the same time. We have never recieved safety recall information from Subaru. My Son owned the car prior to us and purchased from Subaru dealership. After several weeks of the car being at the dealership and a very large bill we picked up the car and drove 14 miles and the engine light went on again. We returned the car to dealership and they had it another week at least and we picked it up again with no further engine light coming back on. The engine light never turned back on even when the car stalled out and heard a banging sound. We had car towed to Subaru dealership. The car has been there for several weeks and now they are telling us we need to pay 8000.00 to fix. The car seemed to have lost power after we had recall and feel that the our safety was at risk and my Sons safety as well due to not receiving safety recall notification and service of the recall not resolving the issue with the motor in fact making it worse. Subaru of America has let us know they have no responsibility and will not assist us with any repairs even though our car is stuck in another state and clearly this has been an ongoing issue with this make, model, and year. I had experienced the pressing on the brake and feeling acceleration but I thought maybe my foot had slipped or something as it only happened once. I am thankful that we were only driving between 35 and 45mph when the car actually died while driving.
We took the car into the dealership due to an engine light being on and the recall was something they informed us about and we decided to take care of it all at the same time. We have never recieved safety recall information from Subaru. My Son owned the car prior to us and purchased from Subaru dealership. After several weeks of the car being at the dealership and a very large bill we picked up the car and drove 14 miles and the engine light went on again. We returned the car to dealership and they had it another week at least and we picked it up again with no further engine light coming back on. The engine light never turned back on even when the car stalled out and heard a banging sound. We had car towed to Subaru dealership. The car has been there for several weeks and now they are telling us we need to pay 8000.00 to fix. The car seemed to have lost power after we had recall and feel that the our safety was at risk and my Sons safety as well due to not receiving safety recall notification and service of the recall not resolving the issue with the motor in fact making it worse. Subaru of America has let us know they have no responsibility and will not assist us with any repairs even though our car is stuck in another state and clearly this has been an ongoing issue with this make, model, and year. I had experienced the pressing on the brake and feeling acceleration but I thought maybe my foot had slipped or something as it only happened once. I am thankful that we were only driving between 35 and 45mph when the car actually died while driving.
Took my 2013 BRZ Limited in for the Valve Spring recall. After work completed I was unable to get my car home before I had severe knocking, CEL, and power failure. Car was at dealership for over a month. After I got it back it's been driven 10k miles and has a rod bearing failure and all the same symptoms - power loss, grinding/knocking, and dash lights lit up.
Safety Rating for the 2013 SUBARU BRZ
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2013 SUBARU BRZ in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2013 SUBARU BRZ
Subaru of America, Inc. has issued 110 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2013 SUBARU BRZ. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
18-226-21 — EQUIPMENT
The purpose of this bulletin is to provide a description of current changes to Service Manuals available via the Subaru Technical Information System (STIS) web site.
02-189-22 — EQUIPMENT
This Bulletin announces design changes to the engine oil and CVT fluid drain plugs.
07-120-17R — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
This Service Information Bulletin announces design changes made to the ignition coil and engine wiring harness in response to a limited number of cases related to the ignition coil primary / secondary DTCs listed.
07-120-17R — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This Service Information Bulletin announces design changes made to the ignition coil and engine wiring harness in response to a limited number of cases related to the ignition coil primary / secondary DTCs listed.
09-69-19 — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
This bulletin provides an additional service procedure for replacing the pulsation dampers located on both low-pressure fuel delivery pipes as shown in the illustration below. Although the BRZ Service Manual does not currently show the dampers and the required replacement seals as separate components, the Electronic Parts Catalog (EPC) does...
WTY-84R — ENGINE
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2013 model year BRZ and XV Crosstrek and 2012-2014 model year Impreza vehicles to replace the engine valve springs which may fracture. A total of 139,324 U.S. vehicles will be affected by this recall.
WTY-84R — EQUIPMENT
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2013 model year BRZ and XV Crosstrek and 2012-2014 model year Impreza vehicles to replace the engine valve springs which may fracture. A total of 139,324 U.S. vehicles will be affected by this recall.
02-133-12R — EQUIPMENT
The purpose of this bulletin is to clarify the proper installation direction of the valve springs used on the FA engine. The springs have a light blue paint mark identifier as shown in the chart below.
02-133-12R — ENGINE
The purpose of this bulletin is to clarify the proper installation direction of the valve springs used on the FA engine. The springs have a light blue paint mark identifier as shown in the chart below.
12-225-17 — STRUCTURE:BODY
This bulletin provides a service procedure to address a small number of reports involving water leaking into the interior and collecting in the passenger's front floor area.
Showing 10 of 110 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2013 SUBARU BRZ
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the SUBARU BRZ
- 2013 SUBARU BRZ (current)
- 2014 SUBARU BRZ — 8 complaints
- 2015 SUBARU BRZ — 3 complaints
- 2016 SUBARU BRZ — 5 complaints
- 2017 SUBARU BRZ — 10 complaints
- 2018 SUBARU BRZ — 1 complaint
Other SUBARU Models
- SUBARU OUTBACK — 12,068 total complaints
- SUBARU FORESTER — 8,432 total complaints
- SUBARU LEGACY — 4,117 total complaints
- SUBARU IMPREZA — 3,406 total complaints
- SUBARU CROSSTREK — 1,431 total complaints
- SUBARU ASCENT — 1,230 total complaints
- SUBARU WRX — 1,207 total complaints
- SUBARU SVX — 373 total complaints