2013 Subaru BRZ Complaint Log

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 SUBARU BRZ. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MOTOR FAILED FOUR TIMES AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE, DROVE ROUGHLY, AND CONSTANTLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND HAD TO BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER (WALLACE SUBARU OF JOHNSON CITY, 3101 E OAKLAND AVE, JOHNSON CITY, TN 37601, (877) 258-6065) AGAIN FOR FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A WARRANTY, BUT WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM IF THE DEALER WOULD SERVICE THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE A SOLUTION. THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED A TSB ON THE ENGINE, BUT THERE WAS NO MANUFACTURER RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE NOT AVAILABLE.

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 DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED. THAT TOOK SEVERAL WEEKS SINCE THE ISSUE DOESN'T CAUSE THE CAR TO REPORT A CODE OR ERROR. AFTER WEEKS OF FAILED EXPLORATION, I FORCED THE DEALERSHIP TO LOOK AT WHAT I SUSPECTED WAS CAUSING THE ISSUE. THEY DID AND VERIFIED THAT IT WAS A FAILED DIRECT INJECTOR SEAL. RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT THIS IS BECOMING A MORE COMMON ISSUE WITH THE SUBARU BRZ AND SCION FRS, WHICH ARE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME CAR. SCION ACKNOWLEDGES THE ISSUE WHEREAS SUBARU DOES NOT. THE REPAIR WILL TYPICALLY COST ANYWHERE FROM $1000 ON UP. BUT, IN MANY CASES, SINCE THERE'S NO CODE, THE DEALERSHIPS SEND THE CAR BACK ON THE ROAD UNTIL THE ENGINE SEIZES UP COMPLETELY. A QUICK SEARCH OF A CAR FORUM TURNED UP FIFTY OTHER CARS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. THIS WAS JUST ONE FORUM. THAT WOULD IMPLY THERE ARE MANY OTHER UNREPORTED INCIDENTS OF A SIMILAR NATURE. I REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THROUGH SUBARU CUSTOMER SERVICE. BUT REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE, AND THEREFORE DENY IT AS A WARRANTY CLAIM. HERE IS A LINK TO A SMALL SAMPLING OF SIMILAR ISSUES: HTTP://WWW.FT86CLUB.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=38397. *TR

ARGUABLY SYSTEMIC ELECTRICAL PROBLEM BATTERY WENT DEAD -RE CHARGED AND THEN ULTIMATELY REPLACED BY DEALER SWITCH FOR PASSENGER WINDOW ONLY WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. WAS REPLACED AND CONTINUES TO NON FUNCTION CAR WILL NOT START ON OCCASION ALTHOUGH LIGHTS, RADIO ETC WILL GO ON NO RESPONSE WHEN IGNITION BUTTON PUSHED. *TR

THE HEAD RESTRAINT IS EXCRUTIATINGLY UNCOMFORTABLE. THE ANGLE IS DIGGING INTO THE BACK OF MY HEAD, AND THERE IS NO WAY TO ADJUST IT. I NOW GET NECK PAIN JUST SITTING IN MY CAR. *TR I UNDERSTAND THAT NEW REGULATIONS REQUIRE THIS, BUT IT TRADES SLIGHT SAFETY BENEFIT IN THE RELATIVELY UNLIKELY CASE OF AN ACCIDENT WITH ALMOST GUARANTEED NECK/SPINE DAMAGE ON A DAILY BASIS. IT IS HORRIBLE AND CAUSING ME PAIN, AND I WILL NOW HAVE TO TRADE THE CAR IN FOR AN OLDER MODEL VEHICLE THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE FORWARD-JUTTING HEAD RESTRAINTS. PLEASE FIX THIS REGULATION!!! *TR

THIS VEHICLE MAKES A "CHIRPING" FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM THAT WHICH SUBARU OF AMERICA CLAIMS YIELDS NO DANGER OR EFFECT TO THE VEHICLE. FROM MY OBSERVATION WITH THE SUBARU BRZ IT MAKES SOUNDS SUCH AS THE ENGINE IS CUTTING OUT AND STARTING BACK IMMEDIATELY, ALSO DIED ON THE ROAD WHILE SITTING IN NEUTRAL AT A LIGHT. THIS VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, AND SUBARU OF AMERICA WILL NOT HONOR THEIR WARRANTY WITH THE REPAIRS NEEDED/REQUESTED. *TR

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!!!

GASKETS AROUND DRIVER SIDE WINDOWS (INCLUDING STATIONARY TRIANGULAR PANES) AS WELL AS PASSENGER SIDE WINDOWS DO NOT CREATE A GOOD SEAL AND ALLOW MOISTURE TO ENTER FROM OUTSIDE FROM THINGS SUCH AS RAIN OR REGULAR HAND WASHING. *TR

THE RADIO HEAD UNIT TOUCHSCREEN IS FAIRLY UNRESPONSIVE TO THE TOUCH AND BUTTONS ARE TOO SMALL. FORCES DRIVER TO SPEND MORE TIME LOOKING AT UNIT WHILE DRIVING THAN A RESPONSIVE TOUCH SCREEN WITH LARGER BUTTONS. SEVERAL TIMES I WAS FRUSTRATED WHEN SCREEN WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THE TOUCH OR WHEN THE "SOUND" BUTTON WAS ACTIVATED/PRESSED INSTEAD OF THE "UP" STATION/ARROW BUTTON. THE TWO BUTTONS ARE WAY TOO CLOSE. SYSTEM NEEDS A SOFTWARE UPDATE. ALSO, VOICED GPS DIRECTIONS PROVIDED WILL NOT RETURN ONCE A PHONE CALL IS RECEIVED OR PLACED. ONLY THE MAPPED DIRECTIONS ARE ACTIVATED AND CAUSES DISTRACTION WHEN SCREEN MUST BE VIEWED INSTEAD OF DIRECTIONS BEING HEARD. *TR

I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY OCCUR ON MY CAR AS WELL. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE DEALER DIAGNOSED IT AS A MISFIRE IN ONE OF THE CYLINDER. DIRECT INJECTOR WENT BAD CAUSING DETONATION. THIS IS NOW BECOMING A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. YET, THE MANUFACTURE REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS ISSUE. THE ROOT CAUSE I BELIEVE IS A IMPROPER ECU TUNE. SOUTH AFRICA TOYOTA ISSUED A TSB. PLEASE SEE LINK HTTP://WWW.FT86CLUB.COM/FORUMS/SHOWPOST.PHP?P=1055748&POSTCOUNT=5. *TR

THE HOMELINK REAR VIEW MIRROR MOUNT FAILED AND THE MIRROR FELL ONTO THE CENTER CONSOLE, HITTING THE CENTER AIR VENTS AND DAMAGING THE MOLDING, ALSO HITTING THE SHIFT KNOB AND INTERFERING WITH SHIFT MANEUVERS. THIS ALSO HAPPENED TO ME AGAIN ONE YEAR LATER ON JULY 18, 2014. *TR

CHIRPING/SQUEAKING SOUND POSSIBLY FROM THE ENGINE'S HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP NOISE OCCURS UPON DE-ACCELERATION AT 28MPH W/ CAR IN NEUTRAL SEE SUBARU TSB 2013MY BRZ NO. 09-54-12R DATED 10/03/12. *TR

THE HOMELINK MIRRORS IN THESE CARS HAVE BEEN A VERY BIG ISSUE. I HAVE BEEN IN FOR AT LEAST THREE REPAIRS WITHIN THE LAST YEAR. THE FIRST NIGHT I TOOK MY CAR HOME, THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR FELL OFF AND HIT THE DASH OF THE CAR. THIS COULD HAVE DISTRACTED SOMEONE AND MADE THEM RUN OFF THE ROAD. THEY REPAIRED IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO COMPLETELY TAKE THE VIBRATIONS AWAY. YOU CAN'T SEE ANYTHING WHEN LOOKING IN THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR, BECAUSE IT SHAKES SO MUCH. THERE ARE FORUMS FULL OF PEOPLE ONLINE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. SUBARU DID CHANGE THE BACKPLATE DESIGN RECENTLY, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE FIXED THE ISSUE. I'VE NOTICED THAT IT'S WORSE WHEN IT'S HOT OUTSIDE. THE MIRROR SEEMS TO LOOSEN. IT HAS NOT FALLEN AGAIN, BUT I THINK IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME. *TR

THIS 2013 SUBARU BRZ WITH THE STANDARD RADIO AND ONLY RADIO OFFERED IS THIS AM/FM/HD/SAT/IPOD/IPHONE/TEXT/CD/NAV TOUCHSCREEN ONLY ACCESS TO CONTROLS RADIO. THIS RADIO IS SLOW TO RESPOND WHEN USING IPOD/IPHONE,SLOW TO RECOGNIZE TOUCH INPUTS, SOMETIMES IGNORES INPUT. BUTTONS ON TOUCHSCREEN TOO SMALL. THIS CAR DESPERATELY NEEDS STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS FOR THIS UNSAFE RADIO! I KNOW THEY WILL BE OFFERING THIS IN THE NEXT MODEL YEAR BUT THAT LEAVES ABOUT 100000 OF THESE UNSAFE BRZS ON THE ROAD WITH DISTRACTED DRIVING ISSUES. I ALREADY HAD TO LOCKUP THE BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING A CAR IN FRONT OF ME! THIS RADIO CAUSE DRIVER TO LOSE EYE CONTACT WITH THE ROAD FAR TOO LONG FOR COMFORT! I WILL NOT LET MY 18YR OLD DRIVE THIS CAR, ITS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN! I FEEL SUBARU NEEDS A RECALL TO RETROFIT THE STEERING WHEELS CONTROLS OR BAN USA SALES AND FORCE SUBARU TO BUY BACK THESE UNSAFE SOLD BRZ. WHEN YOUR DRIVING THIS CAR YOU GOT THE MANUAL TRANS GOING ON PLUS YOUR AVG COFFEE DRINKER AND ADD IN THIS DEADLY RADIO SETUP AND YOUR JUST ASKING FOR AN ACCIDENT! THIS CAR IS TARGETED AT YOUNG BUYERS WITH THEIR IPODS/IPHONES AND TALKING AND TEXTING AS THEY CRUISE THE STREETS. THIS CAR IS THE ONLY CAR THAT SUBARU SELLS WITHOUT THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS. WHY? PLEASE FORCE SUBARU TO REPLACE THE NO CONTROL STEERING WHEEL FOR ONE WITH CONTROLS. A CONCERNED PARENT. *TR