2013 SUBARU BRZ Complaints

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.

MY VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET. I ONLY HAVE 54000 MILES ON THE ENGINE AND THE CAR IS LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD. ENGINE SPONTANEOUSLY STARTED KNOCKING AND STALLED OUT. THE ISSUE IS SPUN ROD BEARING AND THE CAUSE IS OIL STARVATION. THERE WAS NO OIL ON THE DIPSTICK, AND NO PRIOR SIGNS OF OIL LEAK AT HOME OR AT WORK . OIL PRESSURE LIGHT NEVER LIT UP. ADDITIONALLY, I CHECK/CHANGE MY OIL EVERY 3000 MILES RATHER THAN THE MINIMUM FACTORY RECOMMENDATION OF EVERY 6000.

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!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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