2013 Subaru BRZ Recalls & Complaints

Incident: October 1, 2021 · Filed: October 30, 2026

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 are associated with the problem. The vehicle is scheduled to be inspected at a Subaru dealer. The dealer has not yet confirmed the cause. The component will be available for inspection upon request.

Incident: July 6, 2026 · Filed: July 22, 2026

Hello, My name is [XXX] and I have a Subaru BRZ 2013 which harbors a valve spring recall (NHTSA Campaign ID 18V-772, Subaru Recall WTY-84). In seeking help to repair this, I had a customer experience that can be viewed as neglectful, deceitful and malicious in nature. Dealership Recall Refusals I called into two different dealerships to get this recall taken care of under the policies and procedures set forth by the NHTSA and at Subaru’s direction (notice). One dealership, Lancaster County Motors Subaru of Lancaster, immediately declined the recall and Subaru Advocacy suggested I take it elsewhere, violating several safety mandates and franchise agreements set forth by Subaru. Steve Moyer Subaru Subsequently, I called Steve Moyer Subaru dealership in Leesport and was told that they could facilitate the fixing of my recall which was (initially) a sigh of relief based on my previous experiences. They scheduled me for the recall and instructed me to bring my car in on XXX asked to take it in as soon as possible due to the nature of this recall (XXX) and the agreed. They gave me a loaner vehicle and took it in to perform the recall. I signed for the loaner and gave them all applicable information. Escalation Shortly after submission of the vehicle (per Tanner Mohn), I was told that instead of working on the recall, they would like to ask for a new engine on behalf of Subaru (this is given the complex nature of the recall and resulting damage). Please note that I did not suggest this however, Tanner Mohn was vehement on moving forward in this manner. The following week, I got a call from Subaru Advocacy (entity) who apologized for the issues and hold up. Additionally, they stated that they would contact Steve Moyer Motor Subaru to see what the following steps were. Next, I received a text stating that they “examined” my vehicle and an advisor would be contacting me. I then received a call from Tanner Mohn stating Subaru declined a new engine. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: March 25, 2024 · Filed: April 23, 2024

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.

Incident: October 8, 2023 · Filed: January 19, 2024

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.

Incident: July 29, 2022 · Filed: August 9, 2022

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.

Incident: January 6, 2022 · Filed: January 18, 2022

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.

Incident: August 3, 2021 · Filed: September 27, 2021

BLOWN SHORT BLOCK / CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD, BROKEN CONNECTING ROD, $7000+ ESTIMATES FOR ENGINE REBUILD. MY BRZ STALLED WHILE TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY.

Incident: May 31, 2021 · Filed: July 15, 2021

The contact owns a 2013 Subaru BRZ. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle loss motive power and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 18V772000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the Vin was not included. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

Incident: January 17, 2021 · Filed: January 17, 2021

I HAD MY BRZ RECALL REPAIR IN THE SPRING OF 2019. IT TOOK ABOUT 3 WEEKS FOR THE SUBARU DEALER TO FIX THE SPRING VALVE. WHEN I RECEIVED IT BACK, MY ENGINE FELT A LITTLE ROUGH AND HAD A HIGH IDLE AND MADE SOME NOISE. DUE TO THE PANDEMIC I HAVE NOT DRIVEN MUCH SINCE THE REPAIR, SO I DIDN'T NOTICE TOO MUCH OF AN ISSUE, BUT WAS PLANNING TO GO BACK TO THE DEALER WHEN COVID WAS LESS OF A RISK. TODAY, I DROVE MY CAR MAYBE 500 MILES SINCE THE REPAIR, AND AS I ACCELERATED ON TO THE HIGHWAY MY CAR STARTED REVVING REALLY HIGH, CHECK ENGINE LINE FLASHED ON AND THE CAR LOSE POWER AND STOPPED. IF I PRESSED ON THE GAS, IT STARTED TO DECLINE IN SPEED AND ULTIMATELY STOPPED. I MADE MY WAY TO THE RIGHT LANE, HIT THE HAZARDS AND WAITED STRESSFULLY FOR A TOW TRUCK AS CARS SPED BY ME ON THE HIGHWAY. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE ISSUES LIKE I JUST EXPERIENCED SINCE THE RECALL FIX AND WANTED TO ADVISE YOU OF MY ISSUE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT I CAN DO TO GET THE CAR BACK UP TO SAFETY STANDARDS.

Incident: May 6, 2019 · Filed: November 28, 2020

MY CAR WAS RUNNING WITH ANY ISSUE UNTIL RIGHT AFTER THE RECALL REPAIR. THE RECALL (VALVE SPRINGS) REPAIR WAS PERFORMED DURING THE WEEK OF MAY 6TH, 2019. I PICKED UP THE CAR ON MAY 11, 2019 AND THE ENGINE STALLED A FEW TIMES ON THE ROAD ON THE SAME DAY WHEN I DROVE THE CAR BACK HOME. I CALLED THE DEALER THE SAME DAY I PICKED UP THE CAR AND LEFT THEM A MESSAGE ABOUT THE ENGINE STALL. THEN, ON MONDAY, MAY 13TH, I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO LOU FUSZ SUBARU ST. LOUIS. THE DEALER HAD MY CAR FOR A WEEK AND THEY DROVE THE CAR A FEW TIMES BUT DID NOTHING TO FIX THE ENGINE STALL ISSUE.