2013-2024 Subaru BRZ Problems: 8 Known Issues

Certain 2013 BRZ engines have valve springs that can fracture, producing abnormal noise or malfunction and possibly a stall with no restart.

Owners of 2022+ BRZs are finding excessive RTV silicone sealant from the factory oil pan and timing cover assembly migrating into the oil system, clogging the oil pickup screen and starving the FA24 of oil. Sealant has been found on dipsticks at as few as 500 miles; multiple complete engine failures have been reported by owners. Subject of an active class action investigation by Sauder Schelkopf and Lemberg Law.

Instrumented testing of 2022+ BRZs shows the FA24 stock oil pan and pickup cannot maintain oil pressure during sustained right-hand cornering at >1G. Documented pressure drops from 62 psi to 28 psi at high RPM cause rod bearing damage. Multiple track/autocross engine failures have been reported, including Blake Alvarado's GR86 failure, though that case is confounded because RTV sealant was also found in the oil pickup. Killer B's prototype baffle did not fully resolve the pressure drop. Stock cars lack an oil cooler and the OEM 0W-20 is borderline at sustained track use.

The FA20 engine in the BRZ consumes oil at elevated rates during high-RPM driving, spirited canyon runs, and track use. The engine design with direct injection and high compression (12.5:1) combined with the oil-fed variable valve timing system means oil consumption increases significantly when the engine is frequently operated above 5,000 RPM. Consumption rates of 1 quart per 1,000-2,000 miles are reported by owners who drive aggressively. The narrow oil galleries in the FA20 make proper oil level maintenance critical.

Early FA20-equipped BRZs exhibit rough idle, RPM hunting, shaking, and occasional stalling shortly after cold start. Often triggers CEL with cam timing codes P0017, P0018, or P0019. Caused by ECU's reaction to normal mechanical variation in the AVCS system rather than a hardware defect. Subaru fixed the early cam-code stall with an ECU reflash in 2012, and TSB 11-136-14 (03/26/14) added reprogramming for idle RPM drop/instability when the A/C cycles off and extended cranking; later production cars received the updated calibration at factory.

2022 BRZs built 6/30/2021-4/19/2022 use undersized capacitors in the rear combination lamp assemblies. Strong sunlight exposure causes voltage drop that disables the rear turn signal intermittently, creating a crash risk when other drivers can't see the signal. NHTSA recall 23V-609 covers ~3,214 US vehicles. Subaru bulletin WRM-23 issued 12/14/23, owner notifications mailed 1/8/2024.

This affects 2018-2019 BRZs equipped with Denso-made low-pressure in-tank fuel pumps (which feed the FA20's high-pressure direct injection system). Pumps built March 2018-March 2019 may have a lower-density impeller; combined with the BRZ's fuel pump controller, the impeller can interfere with the pump body until the pump binds or fails. Causes loss of fuel pressure, rough running, stalling, hard starting, and potential no-start. Covered by Subaru recall WRG-21 (NHTSA 21V-587, filed July 2021), which includes 2,409 BRZs built April 6 - November 6, 2018; the earlier WRD-20 recall (20V-218, June 2020) did not include the BRZ. Part of the broader 165,000+ vehicle Subaru/Denso recall and class action settlement.

Manual transmission BRZs commonly develop throwout bearing (release bearing) noise, typically a chirping, squealing, or grinding sound when the clutch pedal is pressed or released. The noise is most apparent in cold weather and often appears between 20,000-60,000 miles. While the noise itself is mostly a nuisance, a failed throwout bearing can cause clutch disengagement problems. Subaru has not issued a recall, but the issue is well-documented across both BRZ and Toyota 86 communities. Replacement requires transmission removal.