The 2013 Subaru BRZ has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 167,420 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 80 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING18V7720002018-11-01165,534 affected
Defect
Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Subaru Impreza, 2012-2013 Impreza Stationwagon, 2013 Subaru BRZ, XV Crosstrek and Toyota Scion FR-S vehicles. The engine valve springs in these vehicles may fracture causing an engine malfunction or a possible engine stall.
Consequence
An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Subaru will notify their owners. Toyota will notify the FR-S owners. Dealers will replace the valve springs, free of charge. The recall began December 26, 2018. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614, Toyota owners may contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-888-270-9371. …
EQUIPMENT12V2540002012-06-051,886 affected
Defect
SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2013 BRZ VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 25, 2011, THROUGH MAY 25, 2012. THE OWNERÂ’S MANUAL CONTAINS AN INACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTUAL OPERATION OF THE FRONT PASSENGER OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM. OTHER PORTIONS OF THE OWNERÂ’S MANUAL, DESCRIBING THE AIR BAG…
Consequence
MISINFORMATION COULD LEAD TO AN INCREASED RISK OF INJURY TO FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS DURING CERTAIN CRASH CONDITIONS.
Remedy
SUBARU WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND WILL MAIL CORRECTED OWNERÂ’S MANUALS, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 19, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SUBARU AT 1-800-782-2783.
Complaints by component
ENGINE
47
1fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
6
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
3
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
3
VISIBILITY/WIPER
3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
2
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
2
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
2
POWER TRAIN
2
Total complaints80
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“Blown short block / cracked cylinder head, broken connecting rod, $7000+ estimates for engine rebuild. My brz stalled while traveling on the freeway.”
“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…”
“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…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2013 Subaru BRZ as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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