2013 Subaru BRZ problems
Owners have filed 81 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Subaru BRZ. Engine is the most reported problem area, at 60% of complaints. Next are fuel system (6%) and wipers, windshield & visibility (5%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 81 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 61% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 0 and 1
- Injuries and deaths
- 0 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 50,000 miles 69 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 19 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 10 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 14 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 13 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 7 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 3 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 2 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 69 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 50,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 60,000 miles (41 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 1 complaint mentions a fire. Its complaints are less severe on average than those of 94% of model years in our database.
It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Blown short block / cracked cylinder head, broken connecting rod, $7000+ estimates for engine rebuild. My brz stalled while traveling on the freeway.
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!
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.
In march 2019 I took my car into subaru for a factory recall on the valve springs. They did the work and I received my car back about two weeks later. About two months after that my car died while driving on a highway for no apparent reason. I called subaru and told them what happened and that I think something went wrong due to the recall work they did on my valve springs. They assured me it had nothing to do with the work they did but that they would inspect my vehicle.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 subaru brz. While the contact's son was driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost power and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The driver heard an abnormal noise and then the vehicle seized. The vehicle was towed to the driver's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact stated that an independent mechanic came to the driver's residence to replace the engine. The vehicle was repaired. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 18v772000 (engine and engine cooling).
Other model years of the BRZ
- 2027
- 2026
- 2025
- 2024
- 2023
- 2022
- 2020
- 2019
- 2018
- 2017
- 2016
- 2015
- 2014
- 2013