AFAIK these issues are only limited to the really early examples. Generally you might be safer with a 2017 and up, but really know what you’re buying. Inspect, test drive, and maybe have another set of eyes and ears with you when you go for a test drive to scope things out. No used car is without faults. Be careful and good luck with your purchase!
just wondering, but should i be ok after the last owner of the car had engine fully replaced (EVERYTHING), after the engine died, cuz it had no oil ? 2013 chasse, under 1000km on it
Two lessons learned 1) don't buy a used car with an unknown condition or severe miles for years driven 2) refrain from buying first generation of a model.
@@NapoleonDynamite69 Absolutely buy a used sport car is like a russian roulette. Sadly sports are for people who can afford them. You can't go cheap in this car segment That DEALS of Ferraris for 40 grands, BRZ and Boxters for 6.000 are real traps
I got a brand new 2016 brz, I put on it 45k miles in exactly 2 years, driving it the way the car was meant to be driven. Changed the rear tires more then 6times. Yes the car slides very well. And I do my fluid and oil changes more frequent then the manual says. Obviously since I drive it more and harder. This saying, iv never had a problem. The car went stage 2 uel with OFT after 1year of driving it. Car is going super strong still.
The 2016 cars are stronger than the 2013 one. A lot of problems were worked out in 2012.2013,2014 that started making it into 2015 production. Buy 2016 The BRZ is probably the most durable car sold in the states. Period. Toyota and Subaru really worked on the durability of the car vs adding hp.
zdy, The 2015 and up are fantastic. In 2017 The Toyota 86 was the most reliable car you could buy in the United States. It is almost always a bad idea to buy the first year of a totally new engine design. I rolled the dice.
I have a 2013 FRS. I've done all the oil changes myself and anything mechanically. It has almost 140,000 miles and I've had only 2 issues. I burnt up the clutch which I was able to get the dealer to replace it for free and my rear suspension makes noises when I'm driving. I never took my car to the dealer for the valve spring recall. I had no issues so I didn't feel like I needed to do so and I felt that they would screw it up somehow. I do drive fast at times but I don't really drive it hard. None the less, it's been a very reliable car and still going strong!
@@aeroladen2039 I have a 2014 FRS as well and am at 107k which is crazy to think 5 years ago you had it at 110k. I'm wondering what you're at now lol. No major issues for me thankfully. Just typical maintenance and spark plug and coil changes.
Yeah that's why the 2007 Camry V6 had so many issues including a melting oil line that needed to be swapped for a metallic one or else it spewed oil all over your engine bay after melting. Or how about the terrible terrible water pump design after sensors (so no warning lights or signs) which caused the engine to blow and get a rod knocking. The boxer is a solid engine if you maintain its fluids and don't rev it in to the ground constantly. Every company has its flaws.
If you are going to track your car hard YOU WILL BRAKE SOMETHING. Be prepared. Upgrade the brake pads, Tires, Run 1/2 a quart high ( helps prevent oil starvation) helps not eliminate. Upgrade the radiator. So many people running turbos on the stock radiator that cant even keep the stock engine cool on a hot day. You should be ok with just those mods. I don't like aftermarket oil coolers. You are at the mercy of the quality of the installation. If you are lucky enough to have E-85 in your state do an e85 tune. Your car will run much much cooler ( even on a very hot day) and put out 15% more hp. 230 crank vs 200. The only downside is your gas mileage moves down 20%.
This could happen with any engine, not just an FA20. I would say it was an issue with the previous owner(s) beating on the car and not properly maintaining it. Poor car... Hope you get it sorted out.
I have a 2013 automatic FRS. The only problem I've had that you mentioned was the crickets in the fuel pump. They did replace it twice, but last time I mentioned it, in 2017, they said the newer service bulletin said the sound was "a normal part of operation" & not to replace it unless it actually malfunctioned. Another thing they did under warranty was find and fix all the rattles. That car rattled up front, in back and somewhere inside the cabin. First, of course, they tried to blame my aftermarket radio, cat-back exhaust and intake. It was easy to prove that was BS, so they put their "rattle expert" on it... and gave me a loaner for the 2 weeks it took to isolate the sources and fix 'em to my satisfaction. Oh, I bought it used at Carmax in 2015.
From what I read, maybe you are purchasing fuel which high alcohol content. This will do something to do with washing the washers causing the squeak. Sorry the information is a bit vague but if you RUclips squeak chirping in RUclips, you might be able to find out the actual description. Hope this helps =]
@@fortyglock9698 The rattles were in several places. That could've been one. It was hard for me to locate... and hard for the dealer's "Rattle Expert," too. I left it there a week (they provided a free loaner car) during which he got most, but not all. I brought it back and it took another week (with loaner). The Expert presented the car to me personally and proudly took a test drive with me over some bumpy roads (not hard to find in SoCal). That time, he got the last of 'em. No problems in the two years since then.
This guy - *come up with service bulletins ISSUED BY THE MANUFACTURER for known and reoccuring issues* fanboys - 'yeah, but my supercharged 86 pushing 700 HP on stock internals with half a million miles is fine, you are just salty!' Then procedes to cite anecdotes ad infinium.
78k miles 2015 FRS running KN Cold Air Intake, E85 Fuel, Stage 2+ tune with OFT. 1st owner abused it. 2nd owner took care of it. 3rd owner took some care of it. I've been abusing it and put 2,500 miles on it in 3 weeks. 10/10 reliability so far.
Thing is the whole car is built around complimenting the amazing chassis. The boxer engine provides a very low center of gravity. Though most of the time Subaru engines are very reliable, especially non-turbo ones. Most of these issues were in the US. Early US cars had a bad engine map which caused engine failures, it was fixed but it may have already done the damage.
@@shantiwilson6530 Going great! 3 years later still got it, done regular maintenance, have about 28k miles, and I'm about to track it for the first time ever in a month. No issues whatsoever.
The rod knock sound hurt my heart. My car is currently in the shop after having to get it towed and when my car (somehow) started before putting it on the tow truck, it sounded just like that. I'm having them take apart the engine today, but oof. Thanks for the video, I've been trying to do research all day and your video has been the most helpful.
70,000+ miles on my '13 FRS (bought new). Zero real problems,crickets, water in taillights(recalled and fixed). Adult owned but driven spirited at times. Bottom line, he was a sucker and bought a used car that was thrashed and now he is pissed.
Bill Souza my 13’FRS is at 55K with zero problems. Don’t go cheap on gas, oil, parts of the engine, check fluids regularly & this car is super reliable. All has to do with the owner & how they take care of it.
He doesn't seem very pissed really. Seems quite calm, and is covering the most common problems for this car. The fact that he had problems is trivial. The fact that you didn't is also trivial. Look at the stats.
I finally replaced my '13 FRS (also bought new) at 120K miles - never raced it, but plenty of fun driving. The only trouble I had was a loose plug in the socket of wires in the fuel system wiring that occurred after the dealer replaced the high pressure fuel pump because of the cricket noise. I replaced it with the '18 BRZ 50th Anniversary Edition
Sorry you had to go through this! I'm currently shopping around for cars and this gave me some valuable insight. I had an abysmal experience with my R56S.. had it less than a year, replaced the engine after that failed one month into ownership and then every single sensor, fuel related part and electronics. Largely looking at the challengers and these now haha
I’ve had my 2013 Scion FR-S for about two years now (bought used with 30k miles now at 60k) and I have never had any problems with mine. I do all the oil changes and regular maintenance myself. This guy is obviously salty from buying a pos one that wasn’t taken care of. What did you honestly expect when buying a cheap one
I got my FRS brand new in 2013. I never race the car (street or track). Driving normally, I got a CEL. it was camshaft solenoid related. had the ecu replaced. a year later, got the light again. got another ecu. A month ago, got the CEL, still under warranty.. only 53000 km, Toyota refuses to fix it under warranty. kinda pissed. I already have a spare motor that will be built but seriously... I baby the crap out of the car and it still gives me a shit ton of issues
Yea my daily is an 05 2.5rs currently on 125k kms all original. Treat them right and they’ll treat you right. I don’t understand dickheads who buy new cars and then don’t bother maintaining them like they think because it’s new it can go on forever or something.
Joshua Szeto Why is it “after the fact” in the first place? The logbooks legit give you a specific timeline of when to service the car, it really only comes down to ignorance or stupidity if you don’t follow that schedule.
Looking up stuff on the 2020 Supra, and this video gets recommended lol. Well, I had a 2013, oil changes and maintenance on schedule. Rod bearing failure around 40k miles. Replaced the short block under warranty, but dealer took a very long time to figure out how to put that engine back together. I was nervous about this car and that was the last straw in a chain of other minor issues (leaky taillights, clutch bearing squeal, crickets, loose axle nut), so I traded it before repairs were complete and got a Camry V6. 70,000+ miles and the car has never been to a mechanic for anything other than oil changes, filters, new brakes, tires, and transmission flush. You know, NORMAL car maintenance. Also, if you go on the forums talking about problems with these cars, you will catch a lot of heat from the community there. I left those crabby guys behind happily along with the car.
Hey Hansen, I enjoyed your video (good content, easy to listen to and follow). It's actually a lot harder to find people critiquing these car negatively than positively and this is exactly what I was looking for. Would you be inclined to update your description with the December 2018 Valve Spring Recall information for future viewers? I wonder if that had anything to do with your rocker arm failure. Hope all worked out. Cheers.
I got my 2013 used but only 14,6xx miles, so far had zero engine issues, but the transmission grinding/gear lockout can be a problem at high RPM. Getting aftermarket shifter bushings and trans mounts as well as better trans fluid to fix it before it blows, since I’m out of warranty due to the cars age
Those are both bad examples, shit happens no matter how much money you put into these cars they'll shit on you eventually. If not, it's like getting struck by lightening.
70K miles on my '13 BRZ that was purchased new in 2012. Aside from initial quality issues (tail lights filling with water, knock sound in trunk, premature wear on corner edge of driver's seat), I have had no major issues with the exception of the driver side door lock mechanism wearing out and needing to be replaced earlier this year, right around 68,000 miles (it was covered under the extended warranty I purchased that goes to 70k miles). Other than that, I've experienced some minor annoyances such as clicks and knocks from under the steering column when braking/accelerating. First year model issues? Perhaps. The fuel pump chirp does not affect performance. It's an annoyance. Had two pumps replaced under original manufacturer warranty, but the sound still persisted and Subaru came forward and said that it's pretty much going to continue. After nearly six years of ownership (as of 5/18), knock on wood, my BRZ has been fairly free of problems. That said, I do take good care of it. Added new rims and tires (Michelin Pilot Super Sport 245/35/18) which are a tremendous improvement to handling. Can't assume all BRZ/FRS cars will exhibit the problems this poster stated. Sounds like the previous owner never had the car properly maintained, or, this case was an anomaly.
@@averagejoe181 At 98.3k miles right now. Timing belt needed to be replaced at 92k miles....and I highly recommend going with the OEM belt as opposed to aftermarket brands. Tried two aftermarkets used by a very reputable local service shop and they both squeaked non-stop and needed to be replaced within weeks of installation (the service place used both a basic and more expensive type they carried and neither were satisfactory). Other than that, two new annoyances have come to being: the window toggles on the driver side door began to rattle/vibrate when driving. A very small piece of black foam took care of that problem as it keeps the toggles/buttons more snug. The rear view mirror has also become loose and cannot be tightened for some reason. It's loose where it attaches to the windshield so the reflection I am getting is all blurred due to the excessive vibration being transferred to the mirror because it's not completely affixed to the glass.....if that make sense. I plan to use a small square of double-sided 3M tape to take care of that issue. Other than that, just wear and tear on the soft materials -- primarily the driver's seat on the edge where you slide in, and the threading on the steering wheel. I had to trim some of that off as it was coming loose. Mechanically though, the car is still doing fine. For fun last winter, I used Plastic-Dip (matte black) on my stock rims that have Michelin X-Ice Xi3 tires on them. I was surprised that the material stayed on despite a very up and down winter with a tremendous amount of rain. I use 18" Enkei Raijin wheels with the aforementioned Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires (245-35) in the spring thru fall. I very highly recommend both sets of tires if you experience four seasons in your region.
@@shantiwilson6530 117,000 miles so far and averaging 28.3MPG. No major repairs outside of the 7-year warranty (knock on wood). I'll likely do a RUclips video sometime later this summer to go over my experiences over the past 10 years with the car. As far as suggestions: I'd very highly recommend you upgrade the tires/rims. I went with 18" Enkei Raijins and 245/35/18 Michelin Pilot SS tires for six years (Michelin X-Ice Xi3 for the winter) but just two months ago switched to Michelin Pilot AS 4 (same size). The wider, stickier tires are a HUGE improvement with regard to handling. I added some minor exterior upgrades like LED foglight bulbs (after the OEMs burned out at 72K miles) and aftermarket taillights after one OEM started holding condensation (111k miles). Also added Subaru's OEM STI front splitter and side/back aero kits.
Should have bought new. Bought mine brand new in 2013, 100K+ miles and I still have no issues (minimal bolt-ons). I've taken care of all maintenance myself and I drive it to work like I'm on the track. Title should read "Bought used BRZ and I broke it, now I will bash the vehicle for everyone". My only issue is the common, "not enough power"
Ricky Wei , just did about 3 months ago. No issues before or after. Toyota did break a cam sensor during the breakdown and charged me for them breaking it, “wasn’t covered” asshats.
2013. 6spd brz at 43k now. Timing cover leak fixed under warranty. Crickets from fuel pump are normal. Water in tail light fixed by me. No other issues. My guess... The previous owner of your brz must have over revved too high aka miss shifted too many times. Sorry to hear you got a bad car. Could happen to anyone.
Bro I owned a bmw, had to change the whole engine on that due to a piece of my disa valve getting sucked up in the cam. So... the BRZ was a major upgrade
The valve spring problem is a known recall issue with these cars. The dealer will replace the springs free of charge. Also, asking a driver a question about his car is not "accusing" them of anything.
I have a 2013 BRZ. I keep it out of the bad weather so it still only has about 25000 miles. I have had no big problems though. I have the crickets but I wouldn't really consider that a problem. They are something that I haven't heard of anyone being able to fix. They are just a slight annoyance. I had the water in the lights, but that was fixed without a problem. Nothing else wrong. The car seem pretty well as long as it isn't abused.
The fuel chirp issue is just obnoxious, but that's it, no harm to it. E85 decreases the chirps, but replacing the fuel pump won't fix it, or at least last i checked. The throwout bearing happens to be a big issue once you hit 60k to 80k miles. For some reason, they break down quick, quicker than the clutch(dependant on how you drive). To get to it is the same process as replacing clutch/flywheel, so you should replace those as well, but the labor can be expensive and upgrades can be too.
I second this. A lot of people in our club says the throwout bearing needs to be replace before 60k and what usually fix the issue is replacing it with a 2017 model throwout bearing. Spark plugs need to be change before 60k as will.
Yeah agreed. I’ve got a 2013 anniversary 10. Did the throwout bearing myself. To ensure it would be done right. Had the fuel pump done at the dealer for the noisy cricket and of course it didn’t work. Started chirping about a month after the new pump was Installed. Been chasing a clunking sound from somewhere in the steering on the drivers side when turning at slow speeds. Haven’t found it yet. A bit more finicky of a car than I would have liked. But it’s drives so awesome I can’t get rid of it. I hope mine doesn’t do what you’re experiencing. I drive the shit out of it and it sounds like someone dogged your car. I got mine with 12 miles on it. And am good about oil changes and maintenance. Wish you luck man.
2015 BRZ Limited with 42,000 miles. Bought it brand new from the dealership. Maintained it regularly, have had 1 set of new tires and regular oil changes and maintenance checks since buying it in August of 2015. No issues except water condensation in the tail lights. Sounds like you just got a really really used car that the previous owner just beat into the ground.
2013 (first year of the BRZ) had a lot of issues. They fixed ALOT with the 14 models and even more so in the 15…. 2017 saw minor issues as they tested new material in the engine to make it stronger which got perfected in 18-20 models… the new year 22 isn’t doing great… first year model cars aren’t great usually
Everything I've seen points to the chirp/sewing machine sound being the fuel pump as well. Almost has a "squeak" quality to the sound and it goes away when the RPM is raised/rev'd. What you usually don't hear is that valve train noise has more of a "Tick" or "Click" quality to it and is more pronounce than injector sounds. It's also more than likely that the sound does NOT go away and will match rpms when rev'd.
2013 frs here, had the transmission replaced under warranty (possibly bad synchros) at around 39k miles. It would not let me shift into gear. So far everything is good but im at 43k miles soooooooo, we will see. I also modded the shit out of my car and abuse it alot so i wont be suprised if something goes wrong.
@Smixhy everything is running fine rn. Car has 45k miles so you can tell I haven't driven it much sense. It's just garaged, probably going to make it a track car when I'm out of school someday. The only issues I have are the ones self inflicted with all the mods I've done lol.
@Smixhy that's good! If I were to go back in time, I wouldn't have modified the car as much as I did. The car is fun stock, do little things here and there to make it look the way you want and in a couple of years or more trade it in for something better. Dream cars change as you get older, when I was 13 my dream car was a 350z, 17yo was a g35, at 20 a mustang, 25 a corvette. Sounds like your ahead of the curve 👍
I have renault and it makes most of those noises on normal operation, I get my 86 in a couple of weeks so this ill give me something to look out for great video very helpful. :)
I just finished an hour worth of reading horrific documented articles submitted from dealerships around the US. And, yes the 70+ articles I read turned me away from the MY13 MY14 BRZ / FRS for GOOD! I only go to the source to get the facts form real people dealing with real problems. The 2013-2014's are going to be a risk you should NOT be willing to take. The most common ones I read were people hearing loud progressive knocking sounds while driving and instant power cuts form the engine with the dash lit up. 85% of these articles were directly related to spinning a bearing (rod knock) and shattering the valve spring / rocker arms causing much more than valve interference within the engine. I read that the #4 cyl rod bearing will seize up and fail due to excess RTV from factory blocking oil passages in block and pickup. These are facts. I am sorry to hear this happened to you to man.
Appreciate your video I'm saving it in my Subaru RUclips folder in case something pops up so that I can just read out the service codes that you've given out to them if anything further arises with mine
Two questions. What years does these major issues tend to stop and would you just be able to replace some of these issues with after market and would it be worth it or just better to get a newer one
I have one and I’ve had it for like 2 months. I don’t have any problems with it. Most owners before me were girls who didn’t really push it to the limit or anything, it looks and feels brand new. Only problem I’ve found before buying was a leaking condenser but it usually happens with many cars here in Sweden because of stone chip. Nothing I can’t fix myself expect for filling up the system with fresh refrigerant. Otherwise none of the previous owners had any major problems. I know the car was recalled a few years ago because of a piston ring problem but that problem was fixed and other than that I have a big chunk of receipts of all the services and small repairs all the way from the first owner until now.
Took me awhile to get over the fact my new frs blew up on me while on the highway a couple of months ago. I felt the engine lost power on the passing lane and smoke started to fly out of the engine bay. Open the hood to see fire on the bottom where the oil was leaking. Luckily a tow truck magically showed up and my car was able barely start and basically held on as I was redirected from the highway to the nearest shop. That shop said they don't work on foreign cars and then I went to another shop and then along the way the engine gave almost reaching that shop. The owner saw my car and pushed it to their lot. As I open the hood, the shop pointed out there was a hole in the block.
Saying 5 major problems with the car bc you got one from the bad batch is a little biased. To debunk the 5 'major' issues: The 2013 and 2014 brzs, frs, and gt86s had 'major' rocker arm and coil pack failure early on in the car's average lifespan (there was also a recall regarding these issues, so you get a free engine tune-up depending on when you took yours back for the recall.) These problems were fixed in time for the release of the 15-17 frs and 15-present brzs and gt86s. Most reported rod bearing problems only occurd on high mileage motors, usually between 90k and 110k miles. unless there is a unknown force being applied like, not maintaining the car correctly or applying boost to the car on stock internals, which in that case really only happens when you go over 350 bhp. As for the camshaft position sensor failure. This video was the first I've ever heard of it, so that's all I'm gonna say about that. As for the fuel pump chirping, I have equal length catless headers and a custom catback exhaust, so its generally too loud to hear the chirping unless I'm idling at 2500 rpm or SLOWLY speeding up. Overall, I've owned my 2015 frs for 2 and a half years, and that half a year I was driving with catless headers on stock tune, so engine code and am now at 127,000 miles. Other than that, no car killing issues. Some problems you actually could of said were: Driving belt tensioner is shakey, factory wheel studs cross thread super easily, and maybe the useless sound generator.
@shiftinglanes I think you need to make a updated video because what you’re saying is a lot different from what I’m seeing in the comments and it can put a lot of fear in new buyers like myself.
The true lesson here is buy an new 86/ BRZ or a low mile car under full factory warranty. You can buy an super clean ultra low mile under two year old BRZ for under 20k. You can buy an 2015 sub 40,000 mile FRS for 15k all day long. Why buy an 100,000 mile 2013 BRZ for 11k? Not worth saving the 4 grand to be out of warranty unless you are going to mod the car right away. When you start modding cars all bets are off as far as reliability goes.
That doesn’t make sense So when your brz hits 100,000miles you plan to sell it? Personally I would want a car to last atleast 200000miles I own a 2004 is300 - 170000miles still very reliable
rish77ify, I plan to keep my BRZ for 20 years or 200,000 miles. I have not had an disabling problem so far and I have na early 2012 car. I paid 26k new My car is 6 years old and still worth 13k wholesale with 50,000 miles on it. So I can keep it for 20 years or sell it tomorrow. Ether way the car is an excellent value.
fatboy19831 - I agree the brz is an excellent value and fun factor; However, I just challenge the longevity of the brz, if can actually handle what it was built for right out of the factory, which is driving it ten tenths
Go ahead if you like the car I have one for 5 years now and never give me a problem The guy who made a video bought one used and in a very cheap price The same will happens with any other car. Buy a sport car used is a risk. Buy it for a ridiculous low price, you are buying a big problem 100% sure
What a great and thoughtful informative channel!! I would like to purchase a BRZ. So trying to avoid these problems.....is there a year that is "improved" that mechanically would be a better choice?? Thanks just jim
Yep the 2016 car is like a tank.. Almost all the mods for the 2017 car came strait from the aftermarket. Subaru just looked at what the owners were doing and made them factory standard.
TheEnterpriseFilmz 57K on my 13’FRS. No issues. Regular oil changes at 3K. The only major thing I had to spend money on were the front shocks but that was my own fault.
Honestly, I wish I knew about some of the issues before I bought my 86, though I friggin love my car with a passion. Anyway, 15,000 dollars worth of mods, no going back now anyway. Also this makes me think, maybe I should stop beating the hell outta my 86 every damn day. You seem very knowledgeable on the matter. Sorry this happened to your BRZ. Probably luck of the draw.
Subaru dealer did a recall improperly on the valve springs, which caused oil to leak into my engine and it spun a rod. They told me it would be $13,000 to fix. I had to send them articles on how Subaru dealers were doing this recall improperly, resulting in blown engines. They called someone out from Subaru corporate and covered my costs under warranty, thankfully!
These are only issues with MY13 and possibly very early MY14 (though thats more the DI seals and poor tune which aren't even mentioned). Either way it was a small percentage of total sales. Coil packs maybe, and the HFPF isnt even a problem it just makes noise.
my 2013 frs had 98k+ miles, I bought used at 70k but still running smooth even I drive it hard. Also my car tuned, oil change at 8k miles with top quality oil and a top quality oil filter, I send oil sample to oil analysis too.
LEMON!!! I have a 2015 BRZ premium with stock internals and running 7psi with a c30 rotrex supercharger and had none of these issues. Daily driven and a sunday funday car with minor maintenance here and there
Thank you for sharing this valuable information. I will pay more attention to the sounds coming out of my engine. I've been blessed so far with my 2019, running pretty good at 33K miles. I think my takeaway from this video is to sell at 90K miles or just take the hit and upgrade the engine 😆
Thank you for you summarize video... I think i will buy an MX5 RF 2.0 instead of the Gt86/brz. I'm too scared of the engine bearing problem and heard and see too many bad stories even in not tracked car nor mod. I can't accept such a problem in an affordable sporty car. First point: reliability.
sad to hear that subaru has problems with oil again.the diesel engine from forester 2009 was a nightmare with oil system. it looks that problems continue in newer engines
@@GastonMaqueda Yeah and I think the ones that had valve spring issues which seem to be very small in number, are cars that got abused by previous owners.
@@GastonMaqueda Well at least he wasn't like my Grandparents that bought a 2006 ford car (Sadly I don't know what specific car it is nor what it looks like because even my Grandparents didn't even know) and that thing litterally fell apart after they bought it. This was very recent, and this was from the Phillippines of all places, so who the hell knows how they driven that car there.
Mine has 96k miles and has so many problems with the engine... it’s been at the dealership for months and I just got it back and I’m having issues again.. clean title, beautiful red FRS with ONLY aftermarket exterior parts.... fuck these cars
Just bought a new 2018 86 gt Black 2 weeks ago, I hope I never run into these problems 😕 I’ll definitely be care on not being hard on the engine. One of things you mention while I randomly popped the hood just to take a picture of the engine is that, I did notice on Friday that just from driving back from work for 20 minutes that the engine gave out a lot of heat. 🤔 any suggestions?
The tapping sound/sewing machine sound, that's not the high pressure fuel pump chirping ? I have a 2016 frs and it sounds exactly like that video clip. I was led to believe that's the fuel pump chirp. I only have 15k on it and its louder then the one in the video.
Hood louvers are great at managing Heat in the engine bay and especially good at helping air flow through through the radiator and other flow through heat sinks for other fluids like trans cooler, oil coolers and whatever the vehicle comes with or can be added
if they would have just put a camery 2.5 problem solved. LOL. they messing up the new supra to with a BMW engine. gonna be trash at 100k. turbos. fuel pumps. etc. timing chain.
Chances are the PO sold it because he knew there was an issue that you didn't notice before purchase. Was this CPO with a warranty? Sorry if I missed that if you mentioned it. Journal bearings are hydrodynamic bearings, there should be no metal on metal contact except being hand cranked or the instant the engine is started. which will not spin a bearing.
Hi, I got 2013 FRS too but my problem is the flexplate brake 2 times and the dealer told me is the engine but the engine fell ok I check whit other good mechanic but now the car no drive has the engine out hope fix sooner.
You took a stock road car and tracked it it was inevitable that something was going to break. You don’t track a stock car and test it limits , you take a stock car and build it for the track.
Sounds like its either coverable by a warranty, and don't let your rpm go in the red. And maybe get some stronger parts. A few hundred dollars, not that much when you're thinking about a several thousand dollar fix.
Got my 2013 scion Toyota 86 frs with 40k miles I have had it a little over a year with no major issues at all besides my rear diff went out but it was covered under my warranty. Currently sitting at 60k no issues ive ever had to pay out of pocket for.
I have rod knock I think. 2013 with 33k on the clock. Bought it literally 4months ago putting 1k on it and from previous lady owner ( only owner ). Full service history and had valve recall June 2019. I've read after doing the valves, this can actually cause major issues further down the line ( I seem to have this issue ) I find out by the end of the week what the situation is and I prey it's Toyotas fault and some sort of warranty covers this
3.5 years driving my 2018 BRZ... Bought new and have had ZERO issues... I would NEVER buy this platform used as tons of people mod the S*** out of them and many don't know what they are doing! If you buy this platform used, make sure there are NO ''engine'' mods done... otherwise walk away... That's MY opinion and am sticking to it! Cheers...
I was thinking about getting a 2014 frs with 86k miles, is it worth it, trying to upgrade from my neon, not really planing to race it just using it as a weekend drive
I have a 2017 Toyota 86 that is having a lot of valve train noise or something almost like a timing chain rattle and I've got 42000 miles on my car. I also get a weird clatter noise depending on RPM and how I manipulate the throttle.
Hi I am buying a 2017 GT86 Orange Edition this weekend. It has done 8500 miles. Do you know if these issues have been addressed on the 2017 revised models? Also are these issues covered under warranty? Here in uk it comes with 5 year manufacturer warranty, and this should have the remaining 2 years! Please advise..
Have 13 FR S bought w 15K now have 40+k. No issues so far with very many wot runs but watching redline. Will be replacing spark plugs soon. Should I think about r and r coil packs as I did on wife's Lincoln with plugs @ only around $100.00 for all eight or just wrapping with gold foil? Thanks for any and all advise!
Unless you have some money set aside at least $2000 I would not buy any Subaru with over 100,000 miles. I love my 2013 BRZ and have had zero problems ( other than the crickets ). Stay away from the 2013's. First year production runs always have some teething pains. I would go 2014 and up. You can still by an 2014 still under drivetrain warranty 5 years 50,000 miles. If you have to have reliable transportation, don't have any money set aside buy a newer twin under warranty. For the record in 2017 the most reliable car sold in the United States was the Toyota 86. The most reliable car Subaru sold in 2017 was the BRZ.
He means "growing pains". It was brand new, so you can feel pains with brand new cars compared to the next years of the same car. Like when an infant starts growing teeth.
Scary ticking timebombs that we love so much. Every little sound the car makes its like "is that knock?", "Is that metal on metal?" And really there is no way to know haha! The DI is so loud you can't really monitor the engine health much by sound. The engine makes so many strange noises like the intake "gasp" and the "blow-off" sound when letting off the throttle. Fun cars though! (Make sure the transmission and diff fluid has been changed too, changes mine around 2000 miles and it was like a thick slurry of metal shavings around the magnetic plugs from the break-in period.
ShiftingLanes do yourself a favor, don't run 0w20 in it. Wear protection sucks on 0w20 to benefit short term fuel economy. I have a video on my RUclips that goes into it.
Just got a used 2018 brz limited auto on snow tires. It was a very wet day and had the car go sideways several times just going up Hill with a curve (30-40mph) with a little throttle . Still trying to figure out if it's the tires , Mechanical problems or driver error. Was a little scary.
I have a 2014 frs and it has been a terrible car. I take great care of it and I’m a damn good driver( most women aren’t ) I have already had to get a new clutch 1.5 years ago and a new compressor. The inside has peeled and worn within 3 years maybe less. I’ve had a few mustangs before this car and never had any issues. I do love this car but it’s made With cheap materials on the inside and obviously not all Toyota parts
This car has high miles so you have no idea if this car was just simply neglected. Don’t say these are “common problems”. All these issues you explain can happen to any high mileage vehicle if not taken care of. You get what you pay for.
"I don't like being accused of beating on the car immediately" 1: you did do it, and money shifted 2: for the rocker arms to fail, and it's a sports car, this is a pretty natural conclusion. Problems with the car, but that one was on you
We finally have an update on everything that was replaced to get our 2013 Subaru BRZ running again: ruclips.net/video/dHlfSNt0C48/видео.html
Hey Hansen, has all this shit and other shit been resolved for 2017 models?
AFAIK these issues are only limited to the really early examples. Generally you might be safer with a 2017 and up, but really know what you’re buying. Inspect, test drive, and maybe have another set of eyes and ears with you when you go for a test drive to scope things out. No used car is without faults. Be careful and good luck with your purchase!
Watch this video at 1.25 or 1.5. He talks really slow
just wondering, but should i be ok after the last owner of the car had engine fully replaced (EVERYTHING), after the engine died, cuz it had no oil ?
2013 chasse, under 1000km on it
Two lessons learned 1) don't buy a used car with an unknown condition or severe miles for years driven 2) refrain from buying first generation of a model.
Don't ever buy a sports car without the money to replace the engine and know it can likely happen.
@@NapoleonDynamite69
Absolutely buy a used sport car is like a russian roulette.
Sadly sports are for people who can afford them. You can't go cheap in this car segment
That DEALS of Ferraris for 40 grands, BRZ and Boxters for 6.000 are real traps
@@NapoleonDynamite69 yes if you don't know how to drive or maintain a car lol
Step 1: buy it new
First year*
I got a brand new 2016 brz, I put on it 45k miles in exactly 2 years, driving it the way the car was meant to be driven. Changed the rear tires more then 6times. Yes the car slides very well. And I do my fluid and oil changes more frequent then the manual says. Obviously since I drive it more and harder. This saying, iv never had a problem. The car went stage 2 uel with OFT after 1year of driving it. Car is going super strong still.
The 2016 cars are stronger than the 2013 one. A lot of problems were worked out in 2012.2013,2014 that started making it into 2015 production. Buy 2016 The BRZ is probably the most durable car sold in the states. Period. Toyota and Subaru really worked on the durability of the car vs adding hp.
Stas Kalbas Mine is a 2013 86. I hope I don’t experience any of these problems.
2013 models are pretty bad in reliability. My friend doesn't drive too hard, and his car died at 30k km nor even miles lol
zdy, The 2015 and up are fantastic. In 2017 The Toyota 86 was the most reliable car you could buy in the United States. It is almost always a bad idea to buy the first year of a totally new engine design. I rolled the dice.
Bought a blue 2018 brz recently
I have a 2013 FRS. I've done all the oil changes myself and anything mechanically. It has almost 140,000 miles and I've had only 2 issues. I burnt up the clutch which I was able to get the dealer to replace it for free and my rear suspension makes noises when I'm driving. I never took my car to the dealer for the valve spring recall. I had no issues so I didn't feel like I needed to do so and I felt that they would screw it up somehow. I do drive fast at times but I don't really drive it hard. None the less, it's been a very reliable car and still going strong!
Update?
Well, I am 70 and was about to buy a Blue Edition and I see this... I appreciate the depth of knowledge this chap has.
I drive a 2014 scion frs with 110k on it. Never had a single problem, done basic maintenance throughout its life.
hey man, its been three years since you commented lol... how's it running since? I am looking to get a high mileage one as well and just curious
@@CertifiedNailPuller did you get it?
@@aeroladen2039 I have a 2014 FRS as well and am at 107k which is crazy to think 5 years ago you had it at 110k. I'm wondering what you're at now lol. No major issues for me thankfully. Just typical maintenance and spark plug and coil changes.
I’d still rather it be a Subaru Design and a Toyota Engine.
You wouldn't like to have the 2zz-ge, witch is the last high revving 4cyl from toyota, so toyota not always good.
@@konstantindufnik696 that was a Yamaha engine chief
@@LWNDmax only the head
Yeah that's why the 2007 Camry V6 had so many issues including a melting oil line that needed to be swapped for a metallic one or else it spewed oil all over your engine bay after melting. Or how about the terrible terrible water pump design after sensors (so no warning lights or signs) which caused the engine to blow and get a rod knocking. The boxer is a solid engine if you maintain its fluids and don't rev it in to the ground constantly. Every company has its flaws.
not a boxer
If you are going to track your car hard YOU WILL BRAKE SOMETHING. Be prepared. Upgrade the brake pads, Tires, Run 1/2 a quart high ( helps prevent oil starvation) helps not eliminate. Upgrade the radiator. So many people running turbos on the stock radiator that cant even keep the stock engine cool on a hot day. You should be ok with just those mods. I don't like aftermarket oil coolers. You are at the mercy of the quality of the installation.
If you are lucky enough to have E-85 in your state do an e85 tune. Your car will run much much cooler ( even on a very hot day) and put out 15% more hp. 230 crank vs 200. The only downside is your gas mileage moves down 20%.
Thank you for that info
This could happen with any engine, not just an FA20.
I would say it was an issue with the previous owner(s) beating on the car and not properly maintaining it.
Poor car...
Hope you get it sorted out.
Thank you. Looking so very forward to getting it back
-Hansen
mykrrrr he did get the cheapest brz lmao look at his other video
Pretty sure you're supposed to beat on the engine.
Previous owner must've liked the sound of bouncing off the rev limiter...
Bro, any sports car you buy used is a risk.
ANY car, not just sports cars.
I have a 2013 automatic FRS. The only problem I've had that you mentioned was the crickets in the fuel pump.
They did replace it twice, but last time I mentioned it, in 2017, they said the newer service bulletin said the sound was "a normal part of operation" & not to replace it unless it actually malfunctioned.
Another thing they did under warranty was find and fix all the rattles. That car rattled up front, in back and somewhere inside the cabin. First, of course, they tried to blame my aftermarket radio, cat-back exhaust and intake. It was easy to prove that was BS, so they put their "rattle expert" on it... and gave me a loaner for the 2 weeks it took to isolate the sources and fix 'em to my satisfaction.
Oh, I bought it used at Carmax in 2015.
From what I read, maybe you are purchasing fuel which high alcohol content. This will do something to do with washing the washers causing the squeak. Sorry the information is a bit vague but if you RUclips squeak chirping in RUclips, you might be able to find out the actual description. Hope this helps =]
Did u have the rattle in the drivers side dash?
@@fortyglock9698 The rattles were in several places. That could've been one. It was hard for me to locate... and hard for the dealer's "Rattle Expert," too. I left it there a week (they provided a free loaner car) during which he got most, but not all. I brought it back and it took another week (with loaner). The Expert presented the car to me personally and proudly took a test drive with me over some bumpy roads (not hard to find in SoCal).
That time, he got the last of 'em. No problems in the two years since then.
This guy - *come up with service bulletins ISSUED BY THE MANUFACTURER for known and reoccuring issues* fanboys - 'yeah, but my supercharged 86 pushing 700 HP on stock internals with half a million miles is fine, you are just salty!' Then procedes to cite anecdotes ad infinium.
5 major problems summarized to 1: the engine!!
2012 engine or bad but the 2013 are not bad at all
78k miles 2015 FRS running KN Cold Air Intake, E85 Fuel, Stage 2+ tune with OFT. 1st owner abused it. 2nd owner took care of it. 3rd owner took some care of it. I've been abusing it and put 2,500 miles on it in 3 weeks. 10/10 reliability so far.
How’s it doing now?
Toyota shouldve just built the whole damn things without Subaru engine.
This car should be the introduction of the 3jz
Amen. Stupid boxer engines and Subaru friked this car up. I'll never consider risking it
Thing is the whole car is built around complimenting the amazing chassis. The boxer engine provides a very low center of gravity.
Though most of the time Subaru engines are very reliable, especially non-turbo ones.
Most of these issues were in the US. Early US cars had a bad engine map which caused engine failures, it was fixed but it may have already done the damage.
Too bad that's not what the car was for at all
Ive seen at least 4 FRS engines being rebuilt in the past 2 years at Toyota dealership I work at.
toyota should just have used their own fucking motors....subaru motors are JUNK
Appreciate the info! Just got a new BRZ and hope I won’t run into these issues for awhile! Thanks for the research.
How’s it working for you? I don’t know if you’ll see this but wondering about buying a 2013 automatic brz and wanting a little more opinions.
@@shantiwilson6530 Going great! 3 years later still got it, done regular maintenance, have about 28k miles, and I'm about to track it for the first time ever in a month. No issues whatsoever.
The rod knock sound hurt my heart. My car is currently in the shop after having to get it towed and when my car (somehow) started before putting it on the tow truck, it sounded just like that. I'm having them take apart the engine today, but oof. Thanks for the video, I've been trying to do research all day and your video has been the most helpful.
I've had a supercharged my14 for 2 years now, and never had a single issue
Still good?
Still good ?
Still good?
Still good?
Cmooonnnnnn repllyyyyy
70,000+ miles on my '13 FRS (bought new). Zero real problems,crickets, water in taillights(recalled and fixed). Adult owned but driven spirited at times. Bottom line, he was a sucker and bought a used car that was thrashed and now he is pissed.
Bill Souza my 13’FRS is at 55K with zero problems. Don’t go cheap on gas, oil, parts of the engine, check fluids regularly & this car is super reliable. All has to do with the owner & how they take care of it.
He doesn't seem very pissed really. Seems quite calm, and is covering the most common problems for this car. The fact that he had problems is trivial. The fact that you didn't is also trivial. Look at the stats.
I finally replaced my '13 FRS (also bought new) at 120K miles - never raced it, but plenty of fun driving. The only trouble I had was a loose plug in the socket of wires in the fuel system wiring that occurred after the dealer replaced the high pressure fuel pump because of the cricket noise. I replaced it with the '18 BRZ 50th Anniversary Edition
Sorry you had to go through this! I'm currently shopping around for cars and this gave me some valuable insight. I had an abysmal experience with my R56S.. had it less than a year, replaced the engine after that failed one month into ownership and then every single sensor, fuel related part and electronics.
Largely looking at the challengers and these now haha
I went into this video not realizing that I had the video speed at 1.5x. I slowed it down to regular speed and was amazed at how slow this guy talks.
I’ve had my 2013 Scion FR-S for about two years now (bought used with 30k miles now at 60k) and I have never had any problems with mine. I do all the oil changes and regular maintenance myself. This guy is obviously salty from buying a pos one that wasn’t taken care of. What did you honestly expect when buying a cheap one
I got my FRS brand new in 2013. I never race the car (street or track). Driving normally, I got a CEL. it was camshaft solenoid related. had the ecu replaced. a year later, got the light again. got another ecu. A month ago, got the CEL, still under warranty.. only 53000 km, Toyota refuses to fix it under warranty. kinda pissed. I already have a spare motor that will be built but seriously... I baby the crap out of the car and it still gives me a shit ton of issues
Joshua Szeto dont buy first year models
Yea my daily is an 05 2.5rs currently on 125k kms all original. Treat them right and they’ll treat you right. I don’t understand dickheads who buy new cars and then don’t bother maintaining them like they think because it’s new it can go on forever or something.
that's just pointless advice after the fact.
Joshua Szeto Why is it “after the fact” in the first place? The logbooks legit give you a specific timeline of when to service the car, it really only comes down to ignorance or stupidity if you don’t follow that schedule.
Looking up stuff on the 2020 Supra, and this video gets recommended lol. Well, I had a 2013, oil changes and maintenance on schedule. Rod bearing failure around 40k miles. Replaced the short block under warranty, but dealer took a very long time to figure out how to put that engine back together. I was nervous about this car and that was the last straw in a chain of other minor issues (leaky taillights, clutch bearing squeal, crickets, loose axle nut), so I traded it before repairs were complete and got a Camry V6. 70,000+ miles and the car has never been to a mechanic for anything other than oil changes, filters, new brakes, tires, and transmission flush. You know, NORMAL car maintenance. Also, if you go on the forums talking about problems with these cars, you will catch a lot of heat from the community there. I left those crabby guys behind happily along with the car.
Hey Hansen, I enjoyed your video (good content, easy to listen to and follow). It's actually a lot harder to find people critiquing these car negatively than positively and this is exactly what I was looking for. Would you be inclined to update your description with the December 2018 Valve Spring Recall information for future viewers? I wonder if that had anything to do with your rocker arm failure. Hope all worked out. Cheers.
I got my 2013 used but only 14,6xx miles, so far had zero engine issues, but the transmission grinding/gear lockout can be a problem at high RPM. Getting aftermarket shifter bushings and trans mounts as well as better trans fluid to fix it before it blows, since I’m out of warranty due to the cars age
4 years update?
5 years update?
I think you got a bad example. These cars simply don't have much of reliability problems at all if you maintain them.
You're right mine 2013 brz is driven like I stole it 60% of my driving time. Once a year full service, highest octane rating fuel warm up
Those are both bad examples, shit happens no matter how much money you put into these cars they'll shit on you eventually. If not, it's like getting struck by lightening.
Man, so sorry you had to go thru all this.
Thank you for that! I still have my chin up. This thing will return to its former glory and less sad videos will be on the way!!!
-Hansen
I just joined the Subaru family in March 2017 with a new brz. Fingers crossed for it.
70K miles on my '13 BRZ that was purchased new in 2012. Aside from initial quality issues (tail lights filling with water, knock sound in trunk, premature wear on corner edge of driver's seat), I have had no major issues with the exception of the driver side door lock mechanism wearing out and needing to be replaced earlier this year, right around 68,000 miles (it was covered under the extended warranty I purchased that goes to 70k miles).
Other than that, I've experienced some minor annoyances such as clicks and knocks from under the steering column when braking/accelerating. First year model issues? Perhaps. The fuel pump chirp does not affect performance. It's an annoyance. Had two pumps replaced under original manufacturer warranty, but the sound still persisted and Subaru came forward and said that it's pretty much going to continue. After nearly six years of ownership (as of 5/18), knock on wood, my BRZ has been fairly free of problems. That said, I do take good care of it. Added new rims and tires (Michelin Pilot Super Sport 245/35/18) which are a tremendous improvement to handling.
Can't assume all BRZ/FRS cars will exhibit the problems this poster stated. Sounds like the previous owner never had the car properly maintained, or, this case was an anomaly.
Any update on your BRZ? Have you had any major problems since you posted this?
@@averagejoe181 At 98.3k miles right now. Timing belt needed to be replaced at 92k miles....and I highly recommend going with the OEM belt as opposed to aftermarket brands. Tried two aftermarkets used by a very reputable local service shop and they both squeaked non-stop and needed to be replaced within weeks of installation (the service place used both a basic and more expensive type they carried and neither were satisfactory). Other than that, two new annoyances have come to being: the window toggles on the driver side door began to rattle/vibrate when driving. A very small piece of black foam took care of that problem as it keeps the toggles/buttons more snug. The rear view mirror has also become loose and cannot be tightened for some reason. It's loose where it attaches to the windshield so the reflection I am getting is all blurred due to the excessive vibration being transferred to the mirror because it's not completely affixed to the glass.....if that make sense. I plan to use a small square of double-sided 3M tape to take care of that issue. Other than that, just wear and tear on the soft materials -- primarily the driver's seat on the edge where you slide in, and the threading on the steering wheel. I had to trim some of that off as it was coming loose. Mechanically though, the car is still doing fine. For fun last winter, I used Plastic-Dip (matte black) on my stock rims that have Michelin X-Ice Xi3 tires on them. I was surprised that the material stayed on despite a very up and down winter with a tremendous amount of rain. I use 18" Enkei Raijin wheels with the aforementioned Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires (245-35) in the spring thru fall. I very highly recommend both sets of tires if you experience four seasons in your region.
@@TheMrFett Thanks for the feedback! Much appreciated.
Thinking about buying a ‘13 automatic brz myself, do you have any suggestions? Is your car still holding up fine?
@@shantiwilson6530 117,000 miles so far and averaging 28.3MPG. No major repairs outside of the 7-year warranty (knock on wood). I'll likely do a RUclips video sometime later this summer to go over my experiences over the past 10 years with the car. As far as suggestions: I'd very highly recommend you upgrade the tires/rims. I went with 18" Enkei Raijins and 245/35/18 Michelin Pilot SS tires for six years (Michelin X-Ice Xi3 for the winter) but just two months ago switched to Michelin Pilot AS 4 (same size). The wider, stickier tires are a HUGE improvement with regard to handling. I added some minor exterior upgrades like LED foglight bulbs (after the OEMs burned out at 72K miles) and aftermarket taillights after one OEM started holding condensation (111k miles). Also added Subaru's OEM STI front splitter and side/back aero kits.
Thanks for the time/effort for gathering and sharing this info.
Never,never had a problem with mine! 2014 model 150000 KM!
Should have bought new. Bought mine brand new in 2013, 100K+ miles and I still have no issues (minimal bolt-ons). I've taken care of all maintenance myself and I drive it to work like I'm on the track. Title should read "Bought used BRZ and I broke it, now I will bash the vehicle for everyone". My only issue is the common, "not enough power"
Have you done the recall yet? It is said to have valve spring issues
Ricky Wei , just did about 3 months ago. No issues before or after. Toyota did break a cam sensor during the breakdown and charged me for them breaking it, “wasn’t covered” asshats.
2013. 6spd brz at 43k now. Timing cover leak fixed under warranty. Crickets from fuel pump are normal. Water in tail light fixed by me. No other issues. My guess... The previous owner of your brz must have over revved too high aka miss shifted too many times. Sorry to hear you got a bad car. Could happen to anyone.
i got my 2013 brz two months ago at 37,000 miles. im at 40,000 now so hopefully stays good🤞🏼
Bro I owned a bmw, had to change the whole engine on that due to a piece of my disa valve getting sucked up in the cam. So... the BRZ was a major upgrade
Swilf valve? N47 engine?
The valve spring problem is a known recall issue with these cars. The dealer will replace the springs free of charge. Also, asking a driver a question about his car is not "accusing" them of anything.
Very informative video. Hope your problem is solved to your satisfaction. Wish you good luck.
I’ve got an update on this. Problem is solved. Make sure you’re subscribed and watched the latest video!
-Hansen
I have a 2013 BRZ. I keep it out of the bad weather so it still only has about 25000 miles. I have had no big problems though. I have the crickets but I wouldn't really consider that a problem. They are something that I haven't heard of anyone being able to fix. They are just a slight annoyance. I had the water in the lights, but that was fixed without a problem. Nothing else wrong. The car seem pretty well as long as it isn't abused.
I've got a 2014 (2nd Gen) since new and never had an issue. I drive it hard and service it every 10,000km... hope you get it sorted..
The fuel chirp issue is just obnoxious, but that's it, no harm to it. E85 decreases the chirps, but replacing the fuel pump won't fix it, or at least last i checked. The throwout bearing happens to be a big issue once you hit 60k to 80k miles. For some reason, they break down quick, quicker than the clutch(dependant on how you drive). To get to it is the same process as replacing clutch/flywheel, so you should replace those as well, but the labor can be expensive and upgrades can be too.
I’ll have to make an update to this video in the future and I’ll be sure to include this. Thanks!
-Hansen
I second this. A lot of people in our club says the throwout bearing needs to be replace before 60k and what usually fix the issue is replacing it with a 2017 model throwout bearing. Spark plugs need to be change before 60k as will.
Yeah agreed. I’ve got a 2013 anniversary 10. Did the throwout bearing myself. To ensure it would be done right. Had the fuel pump done at the dealer for the noisy cricket and of course it didn’t work. Started chirping about a month after the new pump was
Installed. Been chasing a clunking sound from somewhere in the steering on the drivers side when turning at slow speeds. Haven’t found it yet. A bit more finicky of a car than I would have liked. But it’s drives so awesome I can’t get rid of it. I hope mine doesn’t do what you’re experiencing. I drive the shit out of it and it sounds like someone dogged your car. I got mine with 12 miles on it. And am good about oil changes and maintenance. Wish you luck man.
My car only chirps when I fill up with anything except chevron...
Bought a 2013 BRZ w 65K miles on it. Had the throwout bearing seize before 70K. $2200 later....
(Previous owner had beaten on it)
2015 BRZ Limited with 42,000 miles. Bought it brand new from the dealership. Maintained it regularly, have had 1 set of new tires and regular oil changes and maintenance checks since buying it in August of 2015. No issues except water condensation in the tail lights. Sounds like you just got a really really used car that the previous owner just beat into the ground.
2013 (first year of the BRZ) had a lot of issues. They fixed ALOT with the 14 models and even more so in the 15…. 2017 saw minor issues as they tested new material in the engine to make it stronger which got perfected in 18-20 models… the new year 22 isn’t doing great… first year model cars aren’t great usually
Everything I've seen points to the chirp/sewing machine sound being the fuel pump as well. Almost has a "squeak" quality to the sound and it goes away when the RPM is raised/rev'd. What you usually don't hear is that valve train noise has more of a "Tick" or "Click" quality to it and is more pronounce than injector sounds. It's also more than likely that the sound does NOT go away and will match rpms when rev'd.
2013 frs here, had the transmission replaced under warranty (possibly bad synchros) at around 39k miles. It would not let me shift into gear. So far everything is good but im at 43k miles soooooooo, we will see. I also modded the shit out of my car and abuse it alot so i wont be suprised if something goes wrong.
What he said
@Smixhy everything is running fine rn. Car has 45k miles so you can tell I haven't driven it much sense. It's just garaged, probably going to make it a track car when I'm out of school someday. The only issues I have are the ones self inflicted with all the mods I've done lol.
@Smixhy that's good! If I were to go back in time, I wouldn't have modified the car as much as I did. The car is fun stock, do little things here and there to make it look the way you want and in a couple of years or more trade it in for something better. Dream cars change as you get older, when I was 13 my dream car was a 350z, 17yo was a g35, at 20 a mustang, 25 a corvette. Sounds like your ahead of the curve 👍
I have renault and it makes most of those noises on normal operation, I get my 86 in a couple of weeks so this ill give me something to look out for great video very helpful. :)
I just finished an hour worth of reading horrific documented articles submitted from dealerships around the US. And, yes the 70+ articles I read turned me away from the MY13 MY14 BRZ / FRS for GOOD! I only go to the source to get the facts form real people dealing with real problems. The 2013-2014's are going to be a risk you should NOT be willing to take. The most common ones I read were people hearing loud progressive knocking sounds while driving and instant power cuts form the engine with the dash lit up. 85% of these articles were directly related to spinning a bearing (rod knock) and shattering the valve spring / rocker arms causing much more than valve interference within the engine. I read that the #4 cyl rod bearing will seize up and fail due to excess RTV from factory blocking oil passages in block and pickup. These are facts. I am sorry to hear this happened to you to man.
Appreciate your video I'm saving it in my Subaru RUclips folder in case something pops up so that I can just read out the service codes that you've given out to them if anything further arises with mine
Two questions. What years does these major issues tend to stop and would you just be able to replace some of these issues with after market and would it be worth it or just better to get a newer one
I have one and I’ve had it for like 2 months. I don’t have any problems with it. Most owners before me were girls who didn’t really push it to the limit or anything, it looks and feels brand new. Only problem I’ve found before buying was a leaking condenser but it usually happens with many cars here in Sweden because of stone chip. Nothing I can’t fix myself expect for filling up the system with fresh refrigerant. Otherwise none of the previous owners had any major problems. I know the car was recalled a few years ago because of a piston ring problem but that problem was fixed and other than that I have a big chunk of receipts of all the services and small repairs all the way from the first owner until now.
I experienced the spun rod bearing issue. Subaru replaced the block under warranty at 53k miles without question so I'm happy!
Took me awhile to get over the fact my new frs blew up on me while on the highway a couple of months ago. I felt the engine lost power on the passing lane and smoke started to fly out of the engine bay. Open the hood to see fire on the bottom where the oil was leaking. Luckily a tow truck magically showed up and my car was able barely start and basically held on as I was redirected from the highway to the nearest shop. That shop said they don't work on foreign cars and then I went to another shop and then along the way the engine gave almost reaching that shop. The owner saw my car and pushed it to their lot. As I open the hood, the shop pointed out there was a hole in the block.
Saying 5 major problems with the car bc you got one from the bad batch is a little biased.
To debunk the 5 'major' issues:
The 2013 and 2014 brzs, frs, and gt86s had 'major' rocker arm and coil pack failure early on in the car's average lifespan (there was also a recall regarding these issues, so you get a free engine tune-up depending on when you took yours back for the recall.) These problems were fixed in time for the release of the 15-17 frs and 15-present brzs and gt86s. Most reported rod bearing problems only occurd on high mileage motors, usually between 90k and 110k miles. unless there is a unknown force being applied like, not maintaining the car correctly or applying boost to the car on stock internals, which in that case really only happens when you go over 350 bhp.
As for the camshaft position sensor failure. This video was the first I've ever heard of it, so that's all I'm gonna say about that. As for the fuel pump chirping, I have equal length catless headers and a custom catback exhaust, so its generally too loud to hear the chirping unless I'm idling at 2500 rpm or SLOWLY speeding up. Overall, I've owned my 2015 frs for 2 and a half years, and that half a year I was driving with catless headers on stock tune, so engine code and am now at 127,000 miles. Other than that, no car killing issues.
Some problems you actually could of said were:
Driving belt tensioner is shakey, factory wheel studs cross thread super easily, and maybe the useless sound generator.
@shiftinglanes I think you need to make a updated video because what you’re saying is a lot different from what I’m seeing in the comments and it can put a lot of fear in new buyers like myself.
The true lesson here is buy an new 86/ BRZ or a low mile car under full factory warranty. You can buy an super clean ultra low mile under two year old BRZ for under 20k. You can buy an 2015 sub 40,000 mile FRS for 15k all day long. Why buy an 100,000 mile 2013 BRZ for 11k? Not worth saving the 4 grand to be out of warranty unless you are going to mod the car right away. When you start modding cars all bets are off as far as reliability goes.
Top notch advice!
-Hansen
That doesn’t make sense
So when your brz hits 100,000miles you plan to sell it?
Personally I would want a car to last atleast 200000miles
I own a 2004 is300 - 170000miles still very reliable
rish77ify, I plan to keep my BRZ for 20 years or 200,000 miles. I have not had an disabling problem so far and I have na early 2012 car. I paid 26k new My car is 6 years old and still worth 13k wholesale with 50,000 miles on it. So I can keep it for 20 years or sell it tomorrow. Ether way the car is an excellent value.
fatboy19831 To spend the extra 4k for K20A swap duh
fatboy19831 - I agree the brz is an excellent value and fun factor; However, I just challenge the longevity of the brz, if can actually handle what it was built for right out of the factory, which is driving it ten tenths
I bought my Frs with 17k miles, it has 21k now and 0 issues
Are you stupid or are you stupid
Engine broke 3 hrs after I bought it 😭
Is it just me or do I just hear the 👏slap thigh👏
Thanks for the info. Beautiful car, but sad how Subaru and these boxer engines seem to ruin some Models. Never risking it with the frs or 86.
Go ahead if you like the car
I have one for 5 years now and never give me a problem
The guy who made a video bought one used and in a very cheap price
The same will happens with any other car. Buy a sport car used is a risk. Buy it for a ridiculous low price, you are buying a big problem 100% sure
What a great and thoughtful informative channel!! I would like to purchase a BRZ. So trying to avoid these problems.....is there a year that is "improved" that mechanically would be a better choice??
Thanks
just jim
Not sure if you are still looking but the years are 2012-2013 but not all of them in those years are affected. Lookup the vin on NHTSA before buying.
2013/2014 models are production failures 2015+ models are where they fixed all that shit and are built stronger, sturdier and more reliable
Thank you! I clarified it in our title
-Hansen
mines a 2014. its been going strong no issues so far. knock on wood.
Yep the 2016 car is like a tank.. Almost all the mods for the 2017 car came strait from the aftermarket. Subaru just looked at what the owners were doing and made them factory standard.
TheEnterpriseFilmz 57K on my 13’FRS. No issues. Regular oil changes at 3K. The only major thing I had to spend money on were the front shocks but that was my own fault.
Thanks for info mate 👍
Honestly, I wish I knew about some of the issues before I bought my 86, though I friggin love my car with a passion. Anyway, 15,000 dollars worth of mods, no going back now anyway. Also this makes me think, maybe I should stop beating the hell outta my 86 every damn day. You seem very knowledgeable on the matter. Sorry this happened to your BRZ. Probably luck of the draw.
Stuff happens. I’ll get it back soon hopefully and will make more uplifting BRZ videos lol
-Hansen
Dude your car is a rock. At least stock.
Subaru dealer did a recall improperly on the valve springs, which caused oil to leak into my engine and it spun a rod. They told me it would be $13,000 to fix. I had to send them articles on how Subaru dealers were doing this recall improperly, resulting in blown engines. They called someone out from Subaru corporate and covered my costs under warranty, thankfully!
These are only issues with MY13 and possibly very early MY14 (though thats more the DI seals and poor tune which aren't even mentioned). Either way it was a small percentage of total sales.
Coil packs maybe, and the HFPF isnt even a problem it just makes noise.
Thank you! I updated the title to clear this up.
-Hansen
my 2013 frs had 98k+ miles, I bought used at 70k but still running smooth even I drive it hard. Also my car tuned, oil change at 8k miles with top quality oil and a top quality oil filter, I send oil sample to oil analysis too.
Erik Huynh still running strong? Thinking of buying one
Erik Huynh any update?
2:45 So they change the spark plug and four coil pack instead of the valve rocker arm ? Thanks for the info about major problem on early FR-S btw !
LEMON!!! I have a 2015 BRZ premium with stock internals and running 7psi with a c30 rotrex supercharger and had none of these issues. Daily driven and a sunday funday car with minor maintenance here and there
Thank you for sharing this valuable information. I will pay more attention to the sounds coming out of my engine. I've been blessed so far with my 2019, running pretty good at 33K miles. I think my takeaway from this video is to sell at 90K miles or just take the hit and upgrade the engine 😆
Thank you for you summarize video... I think i will buy an MX5 RF 2.0 instead of the Gt86/brz. I'm too scared of the engine bearing problem and heard and see too many bad stories even in not tracked car nor mod. I can't accept such a problem in an affordable sporty car. First point: reliability.
You from New England? Looks like Mass/NH
sad to hear that subaru has problems with oil again.the diesel engine from forester 2009 was a nightmare with oil system. it looks that problems continue in newer engines
There's nothing wrong with a BRZ 86 FRS cars.
I don't have any issue with mine (almost 5 years, 45.000 Km)
I think the problem is not the model
The problem is buy a second hand sport
@@GastonMaqueda Yeah and I think the ones that had valve spring issues which seem to be very small in number, are cars that got abused by previous owners.
@@DarthVader-1701
Exactly
My father did that mistake in early 80's
He bought a Lancia Beta Coupe 2000. Second hand
OMG..... problems every 15 days.
@@GastonMaqueda Well at least he wasn't like my Grandparents that bought a 2006 ford car (Sadly I don't know what specific car it is nor what it looks like because even my Grandparents didn't even know) and that thing litterally fell apart after they bought it. This was very recent, and this was from the Phillippines of all places, so who the hell knows how they driven that car there.
Mine has 96k miles and has so many problems with the engine... it’s been at the dealership for months and I just got it back and I’m having issues again.. clean title, beautiful red FRS with ONLY aftermarket exterior parts.... fuck these cars
Just bought a new 2018 86 gt Black 2 weeks ago, I hope I never run into these problems 😕 I’ll definitely be care on not being hard on the engine. One of things you mention while I randomly popped the hood just to take a picture of the engine is that, I did notice on Friday that just from driving back from work for 20 minutes that the engine gave out a lot of heat. 🤔 any suggestions?
The tapping sound/sewing machine sound, that's not the high pressure fuel pump chirping ? I have a 2016 frs and it sounds exactly like that video clip. I was led to believe that's the fuel pump chirp. I only have 15k on it and its louder then the one in the video.
To Avoid the crickets Shell V power 91 only.
Absolutely I have mine for 5 years. I never put nothing that is not Shell V Power 91 and I don't hear any cricket
Great video. Thank you for sharing.
Hood louvers are great at managing Heat in the engine bay and especially good at helping air flow through through the radiator and other flow through heat sinks for other fluids like trans cooler, oil coolers and whatever the vehicle comes with or can be added
Great video, Thanx
if they would have just put a camery 2.5 problem solved. LOL. they messing up the new supra to with a BMW engine. gonna be trash at 100k. turbos. fuel pumps. etc. timing chain.
Tim Z you’re absolutely right lol Camrys are bulletproof. What’s your take on a 2012 Avalon v6 with 90K miles. Do u think it’s reliable like a Camry?
Except for the fact that they used the subaru boxer engine so that they could mount it lower to give the car a lower center of gravity.
Chances are the PO sold it because he knew there was an issue that you didn't notice before purchase. Was this CPO with a warranty? Sorry if I missed that if you mentioned it.
Journal bearings are hydrodynamic bearings, there should be no metal on metal contact except being hand cranked or the instant the engine is started. which will not spin a bearing.
Hi, I got 2013 FRS too but my problem is the flexplate brake 2 times and the dealer told me is the engine but the engine fell ok I check whit other good mechanic but now the car no drive has the engine out hope fix sooner.
You took a stock road car and tracked it it was inevitable that something was going to break. You don’t track a stock car and test it limits , you take a stock car and build it for the track.
Sounds like its either coverable by a warranty, and don't let your rpm go in the red. And maybe get some stronger parts. A few hundred dollars, not that much when you're thinking about a several thousand dollar fix.
You make a ran a 2013 with the most major problems and generalize all of them have this issue?
Got my 2013 scion Toyota 86 frs with 40k miles I have had it a little over a year with no major issues at all besides my rear diff went out but it was covered under my warranty. Currently sitting at 60k no issues ive ever had to pay out of pocket for.
How’s it running now ?
@@jonathang7186 still going strong no issues but I'm only at 66000 miles I havnt driven much since my license was suspended for a year.
I have rod knock I think. 2013 with 33k on the clock. Bought it literally 4months ago putting 1k on it and from previous lady owner ( only owner ). Full service history and had valve recall June 2019. I've read after doing the valves, this can actually cause major issues further down the line ( I seem to have this issue ) I find out by the end of the week what the situation is and I prey it's Toyotas fault and some sort of warranty covers this
What ended up happening?
3.5 years driving my 2018 BRZ... Bought new and have had ZERO issues... I would NEVER buy this platform used as tons of people mod the S*** out of them and many don't know what they are doing! If you buy this platform used, make sure there are NO ''engine'' mods done... otherwise walk away... That's MY opinion and am sticking to it! Cheers...
I was thinking about getting a 2014 frs with 86k miles, is it worth it, trying to upgrade from my neon, not really planing to race it just using it as a weekend drive
I have a 2017 Toyota 86 that is having a lot of valve train noise or something almost like a timing chain rattle and I've got 42000 miles on my car. I also get a weird clatter noise depending on RPM and how I manipulate the throttle.
Hi I am buying a 2017 GT86 Orange Edition this weekend. It has done 8500 miles. Do you know if these issues have been addressed on the 2017 revised models? Also are these issues covered under warranty? Here in uk it comes with 5 year manufacturer warranty, and this should have the remaining 2 years! Please advise..
Have 13 FR S bought w 15K now have 40+k. No issues so far with very many wot runs but watching redline. Will be replacing spark plugs soon. Should I think about r and r coil packs as I did on wife's Lincoln with plugs @ only around $100.00 for all eight or just wrapping with gold foil? Thanks for any and all advise!
I have had my frs for a year and no problems with it
You must have babied the car well.
8:35 : the roller you see vibrating" is the belt tensioner roller. The video inserted is misleading
Unless you have some money set aside at least $2000 I would not buy any Subaru with over 100,000 miles. I love my 2013 BRZ and have had zero problems ( other than the crickets ). Stay away from the 2013's. First year production runs always have some teething pains. I would go 2014 and up. You can still by an 2014 still under drivetrain warranty 5 years 50,000 miles. If you have to have reliable transportation, don't have any money set aside buy a newer twin under warranty. For the record in 2017 the most reliable car sold in the United States was the Toyota 86. The most reliable car Subaru sold in 2017 was the BRZ.
What do you mean by teething pains in the 2013 BRZ?
He means "growing pains". It was brand new, so you can feel pains with brand new cars compared to the next years of the same car. Like when an infant starts growing teeth.
How much would a 2014 go for? The cheapest 2013 I've found was 11k
I’ve had mine since new. I have not had a single problem. 2015 54000 miles
What are the companies that rebuild the short block of the FA-20? Sounds like they know how to fix the problems.
Scary ticking timebombs that we love so much. Every little sound the car makes its like "is that knock?", "Is that metal on metal?" And really there is no way to know haha! The DI is so loud you can't really monitor the engine health much by sound. The engine makes so many strange noises like the intake "gasp" and the "blow-off" sound when letting off the throttle.
Fun cars though! (Make sure the transmission and diff fluid has been changed too, changes mine around 2000 miles and it was like a thick slurry of metal shavings around the magnetic plugs from the break-in period.
I’m going to be so PARANOID when I get this car back
-Hansen
ShiftingLanes do yourself a favor, don't run 0w20 in it. Wear protection sucks on 0w20 to benefit short term fuel economy. I have a video on my RUclips that goes into it.
This is exactly why I won't get a Subaru powered car. Too bad these don't have Toyota engines.
Just got a used 2018 brz limited auto on snow tires. It was a very wet day and had the car go sideways several times just going up Hill with a curve (30-40mph) with a little throttle . Still trying to figure out if it's the tires , Mechanical problems or driver error. Was a little scary.
Still torn between the gt86 and brz. Subaru fan but the gt86 is more modelled off the ae86 a think . Really hard decision
I have a 2014 frs and it has been a terrible car. I take great care of it and I’m a damn good driver( most women aren’t ) I have already had to get a new clutch 1.5 years ago and a new compressor. The inside has peeled and worn within 3 years maybe less. I’ve had a few mustangs before this car and never had any issues. I do love this car but it’s made
With cheap materials on the inside and obviously not all Toyota parts
This car has high miles so you have no idea if this car was just simply neglected. Don’t say these are “common problems”. All these issues you explain can happen to any high mileage vehicle if not taken care of. You get what you pay for.
"I don't like being accused of beating on the car immediately"
1: you did do it, and money shifted
2: for the rocker arms to fail, and it's a sports car, this is a pretty natural conclusion. Problems with the car, but that one was on you
This is a factory defect. There’s a recall. Do your research.