2013 SUBARU BRZ Complaints

IN MARCH 2019, I HAD MY BRZ BROUGHT TO A SUBARU DEALER FOR A VALVE SPRING RECALL. IT TOOK THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES BEFORE THEY GOT IT RIGHT, AND 5000 MILES LATER, MY ENGINE IS BLOWN UP. I'VE READ ON SEVERAL WEBSITES THAT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO MANY OTHER BRZ AND TOYOTA FRS OWNERS/CARS. I HAD 47,000 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE WITH NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER BEFORE I BROUGHT IT IN FOR THE RECALL. NOW I HAVE A BROKEN/BLOWN OR REPAIRABLE ENGINE ON MY HANDS. I WAS DRIVING HOME ONE NIGHT ON THE FREEWAY, WHEN I HEAR THIS HORRIBLE KNOCKING NOISE AND MY CAR LOST POWER AND THEN SHUT DOWN. I HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALL AAA FOR A TOW. THE DEALERSHIP IS TELLING ME IT WILL COST OVER $8000 TO REPLACE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! SO I AM FILING A COMPLAINT.

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 DEALERSHIP ON JULY 26, 2019. LESS THAN 4 MONTHS LATER ON NOVEMBER 17, 2019, SHORTLY AFTER DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THERE WAS A CLICKING TYPE NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE, THE VEHICLE SEIZED AND WOULD NO LONGER MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SUBARU DEALERSHIP WHO ADVISED THE CODE WAS READING 'INTERNAL ENGINE FAILURE'. WHEN CONFRONTED WITH THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE RECALL, IT WAS DISMISSED SAYING THAT THE RECALL HAD TO DO WITH THE TOP PART OF THE ENGINE AND THIS APPEARS TO BE COMING FROM THE BOTTOM. THEY ARE CURRENTLY WORKING TO TAKE APART THE ENGINE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE TO HAVE IT COVERED UNDER THE LIMITED POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. BASED ON ALL COMPLAINTS IT APPEARS THIS ISSUE IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE SERVICE PROVIDED ON THE RECALL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 SUBARU BRZ. WHILE THE CONTACT'S SON WAS DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE DRIVER HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND THEN THE VEHICLE SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DRIVER'S RESIDENCE. OCEAN SUBARU OF FULLERTON (LOCATED AT 1100 S EUCLID ST, FULLERTON, CA 92832, (888) 428-2419) WAS CALLED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC CAME TO THE DRIVER'S RESIDENCE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V772000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.

IN APRIL 2019, I BROUGHT MY 2013 SUBARU BRZ TO THE SUBARU DEALERSHIP FOR VALVE SPRING RECALL. ABOUT 5 MONTHS LATER WHILE I'M DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, MY CAR MAKING LOUD KNOCKING NOISE AND VIBRATE AGGRESSIVELY. I'M VERY FORTUNATE THAT I MAKE IT HOME SAFE. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I FOUND OUT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE HAD ENGINE FAILURE AFTER VALVE SPRING RECALL DONE. I TOW MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WILL COST $1800 TO TEAR MY ENGINE APART AND CHECK FOR PROBLEM. I CALLED SUBARU CORPORATE AND THEY SAID THIS IS WORKMANSHIP ISSUE AND I NEED TO DEAL WITH THE DEALERSHIP. NOW I'M STUCK WITH A DEAD CAR. MY CAR WAS PERFECTLY FUNCTION BEFORE THE RECALL DONE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 SUBARU BRZ. THE CONTACT BOUGHT THE VEHICLE USED FROM AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. PRIOR TO THE CONTACT TAKING POSSESSION OF THE VEHICLE, IT WAS SERVICED AT WILSONVILLE SUBARU, 9200 SW BAILEY ST, WILSONVILLE, OR 97070, 503-946-9203) PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V772000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). UPON TAKING POSSESSION OF THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD TICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED; HOWEVER, AN UNKNOWN WARNING INDICATOR LATER ILLUMINATED AS THE CONTACT CONTINUED DRIVING. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY DID NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO BUD CLARY SUBARU (961 COMMERCE AVE, LONGVIEW, WA 98632, 360-575-6868) FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT IF THE FAILURE WAS LINKED TO THE RECALL, THE DEALER WOULD SERVICE THE VEHICLE FREE OF CHARGE. IF THE FAILURE WAS NOT LINKED TO THE RECALL, THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,743.

IN MARCH 2019 I TOOK MY CAR INTO SUBARU FOR A FACTORY RECALL ON THE VALVE SPRINGS. THEY DID THE WORK AND I RECEIVED MY CAR BACK ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER. ABOUT TWO MONTHS AFTER THAT MY CAR DIED WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I CALLED SUBARU AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED AND THAT I THINK SOMETHING WENT WRONG DUE TO THE RECALL WORK THEY DID ON MY VALVE SPRINGS. THEY ASSURED ME IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WORK THEY DID BUT THAT THEY WOULD INSPECT MY VEHICLE. AFTER RETURNING THE CAR TO THE RETAILER THAT WORKED ON IT PREVIOUSLY I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO PURCHASE A NEW SHORT BLOCK BECAUSE OF "OIL STARVATION IN CYLINDER 3" AND THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE TOP END OF THE ENGINE WHERE THEY WORKED AT PREVIOUSLY. I AUTHORIZED THE WORK AND THEY DID NOT GIVE ME A RENTAL/ LONER VEHICLE FOR THE TWO MOTHS THEY HAD MY CAR WORKING ON IT. I PAID THE $2,311.25 TO GET MY CAR BACK AND BEFORE I DROVE IT OFF THE LOT THE CAR HAD A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. I TOOK IT BACK AND TOLD THEM MY CAR WAS NOT FIXED. SINCE, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE CAM SPROCKET WENT BAD ( IN THE TOP END OF THE MOTOR WHERE THEY SAID THEY INSPECTED AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE BEFORE ) AND THAT I MAY NEED A NEW ECU. I CALLED SUBARU CORPORATE AND STARTED A CLAIM WITH THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR SOME HELP BUT THAT GOT ME NOWHERE AND IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT GETTING ANY INFORMATION FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN CHARGE OF FIXING MY VEHICLE. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AFTER THE FACTORY RECALL ON THE VALVE SPRINGS WHICH LEADS ME TO MAKING A COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA 3 MOTHS AFTER I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO GET SERVICED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 SUBARU BRZ. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, A KNOCKING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN UNKNOWN DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY SERVICED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V772000 (ENGINE). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

MY SUBARU BRZ WAS RECALLED FOR VALVE SPRINGS. I DROPPED OFF MY SUBARU ON JUNE 24TH FOR THE REPAIR. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD TAKE A FEW DAYS BUT THE CAR WAS NOT READY FOR PICK UP UNTIL SATURDAY JULY 20TH. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR I WAS CHARGED $33.00 FOR OIL FILTERS. WHEN I DROVE THE CAR OUT OF THE PARKING LOT THE CAR HAD NO POWER AND THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE CAR. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO KEEP IT. IT IS NOW TUESDAY JULY 23RD AND I HAVE NO UPDATE AS TO WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE CAR OR WHEN IT WILL BE REPAIRED.

HAD THE VALVE SPRING RECALL DONE ON MY VEHICLE. AFTER MY VHEICLE WAS FIXED CAR WAS MAKING TICKING NOISE. BRANG THE CAR BACK TO DEALERSHIP TO CHICK ON TICKING NOISE AND SAID THAT THE CAR WAS FINE, BRANG VEHICLE IN A FEW TIMES AND ALWAYS GET THE SAME ANSWER ON 7/19/18 WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND CAR WAS MAKING RAPID TICKING NOISE ENGINE STARTED LOSING POWER AND ENGINE DIED ON HIGHWAY.

AFTER I PICKED UP MY CAR FROM COMPLETING THE VALVE SPRING RECALL WORK AT A LOCAL SUBARU DEALER, MY CAR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE TRACTION LIGHT TURNED ON IN LESS THAN 6 MILES DRIVING. I DROVE MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALER ON THE NEXT MORNING, AND THE DEALER TOLD ME THERE WERE ECM, CAM GEARS AND WIRING HARNESS ISSUES AND NEED REPLACEMENT. ISSUES ARE STILL UNRESOLVED AND I AM WAITING FOR THE DEALER AND SUBARU INVESTIGATION.