Problems · NHTSA complaints

2013 Subaru BRZ problems

Owners filed 65 complaints about the 2013 Subaru BRZ with NHTSA between Jul 2012 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is engine (47).

Complaints
65
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine47
  2. Fuel/propulsion system4
  3. Visibility/wiper3
  4. Electrical system3
  5. Engine and engine cooling2
  6. Service brakes2
  7. Power train2
  8. Exterior lighting2
  9. Equipment adaptive/mobility2
  10. Structure2
  11. Fuel system, gasoline2
  12. Steering1
  13. Seats1
  14. Equipment1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20121
20134
20146
20150
20161
20172
20181
201928
202013
20213
20222
20230
20242
20250
20262

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine

47 reports1 fire
“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…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 9, 2022Unknown or other, EngineODI 11478397

Fuel/propulsion system

4 reports
“When refueling, the gas pump nozzle shuts off almost immediately as if the tank is full, even when the tank is near empty. The only way to add fuel is to hold the nozzle at a specific angle and repeatedly squeeze the trigger at a very slow trickle. The problem has gotten progressively worse over time. This is a widely reported issue on early-production 2013 BRZ / Scion FR-S vehicles. Owners report that the rubber fuel filler hose between the metal filler pipe and the fuel tank collapses internally, restricting fuel flow so fuel backs up and trips the nozzle shutoff. The manufacturer later revised this hose with a new part number (reported as SU003-01093), but no recall has been issued for affected vehicles. Safety risk: Because the automatic nozzle shutoff no longer works normally, there is no reliable way to tell when the tank is actually full. The driver has to manually override normal fueling, which creates a risk of fuel overflowing and spilling at the pump, onto the vehicle and onto the person fueling. In New Jersey, where attendants must pump gas, attendants cannot fuel the vehicle normally, which puts them at the same risk. No warning lights or messages…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 30, 2026Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11774712

Visibility/wiper

3 reports
“TAILLIGHT CONDENSATION WHEN RAINING. KNOWN DEFECT, BUT COMPANY WILL NOT PAY FOR REPAIR. STATING OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY. MAY OCCLUDE LIGHTS WHEN DRIVING. BROKEN DRIVER'S SIDE SUNVISOR IMPEDING VISION. MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ON ONLINE FORUMS, AGAIN REPORTED TO BE OUTSIDE WARRANTY DESPITE SAFETY ISSUE. TAKEN IN PRIOR TO WARRANTY RUNNING OUT AND TURNED AWAY.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 6, 2019Exterior lighting, Visibility/wiperODI 11194288

Electrical system

3 reports
“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 AND PUTTY THAT FAILS!!!”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 21, 2016Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Service brakesODI 10875697

Engine and engine cooling

2 reports1 related recall
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 23, 2024Engine and engine coolingODI 11584770

Service brakes

2 reports
“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…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 19, 2024Service brakesODI 11566401
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.