Reliable Auto DB

2013 Subaru BRZ reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2013 Subaru BRZ has 64 complaints with NHTSA after 14 years, or 4 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 12 BRZ years on this site. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Engine and Owner's manual.

2013 Subaru BRZ
Photo by Hugh Llewelyn, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0
Complaints

64

Per year

4

Recalls

2

Years on the road

14

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (47 of 64), then Electrical system (3) and Fuel and propulsion system (3). The most filings arrived in 2019 (28 of 64). Those filings include 1 that reports a fire.

Next to 2014

The 2014 BRZ has 6 complaints, 0 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2013 Subaru BRZ. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall Engine 2018-11-01 · NHTSA campaign 18V772000
Summary 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.
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. Subaru's number for this recall is WTY-84.
Recall Owner's manual 2012-06-05 · NHTSA campaign 12V254000
Summary SUBARU IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2013 BRZ VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 25, 2011, THROUGH MAY 25, 2012. THE OWNER’S MANUAL CONTAINS AN INACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTUAL OPERATION OF THE FRONT PASSENGER OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM. OTHER PORTIONS OF THE OWNER’S MANUAL, DESCRIBING THE AIR BAG SYSTEM, REQUIRE CLARIFICATION. AS SUCH, THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD (FMVSS) NO. 208, “OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.”
Remedy SUBARU WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND WILL MAIL CORRECTED OWNER’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 (64 total)

Engine
47
Electrical system
3
Fuel and propulsion system
3
Visibility and wipers
3
Adaptive and mobility equipment
2
Engine and engine cooling
2
Exterior lighting
2
Fuel system, gasoline
2
Powertrain
2
Service brakes
2
Structure
2
Equipment
1
Seats
1
Steering
1
Visibility
1
Show 7 more Show less
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

0

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

12012420136201412016220171201828201913202032021220222202412026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "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…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-07-22
  • "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…"
    Engine and engine cooling · filed 2024-04-23
  • "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…"
    Service brakes · filed 2024-01-19
  • "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…"
    Unknown or other, Engine · filed 2022-08-09
  • "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…"
    Engine · filed 2022-01-18

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2013 Subaru BRZ 2 DR RWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
BRZ 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Rear-wheel drive 24 33 28 MPG $2850
BRZ 2L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 21 29 24 MPG $3300

Specs and fitment

1st generation (ZC6), 2013–2020
Body styles Coupe
Oil 0W-20 synthetic , 5.7 qt capacity
Tire size 215/45R17

Known issues for this generation

Recall 18V-772 covers certain 2013 Subaru BRZ vehicles among other Subaru and Toyota Scion FR-S models: engine valve springs may break, which can cause engine damage or a stall. Dealers replace the valve springs. The campaign's published unit count is shared across the listed Impreza, BRZ, XV Crosstrek, and FR-S vehicles. Recall 12V-254 covers certain 2013 BRZ vehicles for an inaccurate owner's-manual description of tire-pressure monitoring system operation; Subaru mailed corrected manuals.

Compare

Next year 2014 Subaru BRZ See every Subaru BRZ model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Subaru BRZ reliable?

The 2013 Subaru BRZ has 64 complaints with NHTSA after 14 years, or 4 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 12 BRZ years on this site. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Engine and Owner's manual.

What are common problems with a 2013 Subaru BRZ?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (47 of 64), then Electrical system (3) and Fuel and propulsion system (3). The most filings arrived in 2019 (28 of 64). Those filings include 1 that reports a fire.

Is the 2013 Subaru BRZ more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2014 BRZ has 6 complaints, 0 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

Has the 2013 Subaru BRZ been recalled?

The 2013 Subaru BRZ has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2013 Subaru BRZ?

Owners have filed 64 complaints about the 2013 Subaru BRZ with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Subaru BRZ get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Subaru BRZ is 26 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Subaru BRZ take?

0W-20 synthetic on first gen (2013-2020) and second gen (2022-on); second gen allows 5W-30 for top-up only if 0W-20 is unavailable.

What does recall 18V-772 cover on early BRZ?

Certain 2013 BRZ vehicles among other Subaru and Scion FR-S models: engine valve springs may break, which can cause engine damage or a stall. Dealers replace the valve springs.

What tire sizes does the second-gen BRZ use?

215/45R17 and 215/40R18 depending on trim.