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The 2013 Subaru BRZ has 64 NHTSA owner complaints and 2 active recall campaigns on file. Here's the breakdown — what's serious, what's noise, and what a working mechanic would actually do about it.
The 2013 Subaru BRZ has 64 NHTSA owner complaints and 2 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). The most-reported system is engine at 44 complaints, typically surfacing around 63,820 miles (~$3,100 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 BRZ (this page) | 64 | 2 |
| 2014 BRZ | 6 | 0 |
| 2015 BRZ | 3 | 0 |
| 2016 BRZ | 3 | 0 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
Run the VIN from the listing — 2 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 7.6/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
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…
There is a strange problem with the steering on these cars and the Scion frs equivalent. The problem is reported on the message boards but however this was only recalled in new zealand.going over and small bump the electronic steering rattles. It rattles at first and gets worse…
On july 17 2019 we bought the 2013 Subaru brz from a BMW dealership. At the time of sale we were advised that the vehicle had an open recall, therefore we had asked that the recall be serviced prior to taking possession of the vehicle. The service was completed at another…
Driving under normal conditions and started hearing something that sounded like fireworks under the hood of the car. I immediately parked it and researched. The issue appeared to be a failure of the seal on the direct injector for the fuel system. I had it repaired at the…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Misinformation could lead to an increased risk of injury to front seat occupants during certain crash conditions.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.6 out of 10 based on 64 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2013 Subaru BRZ is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
On the NHTSA data, the 2013 Subaru BRZ does not need avoiding. Buyable on the data — keep up the usual maintenance and inspect normally. The record behind that call: No systemic severe-failure pattern in the complaint record; Reliability score 7.6/10 — above the segment average; 2 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the engine first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 44 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 63,820 miles. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 7.6 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 64 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is engine. Typical failure occurs around 63,820 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is engine, with 44 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 63,820 miles. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop.
The engine is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 63,820 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 64 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $3,100, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.