Subaru BRZ: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Subaru BRZ: 12 model years scored from 101 NHTSA owner complaints and 6 recall campaigns. Worst year 2013, best year 2013.
Subaru BRZ: which years to avoid
Across 11 scored model years the Subaru BRZ ranges from 51/100 in 2013 to 93/100 in 2015 — a 42-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy a BRZ at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Engine (47 of them).
Safest years: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023 — scored 70 or better.
Check carefully: 2013, 2022.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
How the BRZ changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 2 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2014–2020
Mean score 90/100. Owners of these years complain about Engine more than anything else (9 complaints). 2 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2023–2024
Mean score 88/100, about 1 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Engine more than anything else (3 complaints).
Year-by-year data table
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,730 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 84 | BUY | $3,898 | 3 | 0 |
| 2023 | 92 | BUY | $4,116 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | 53 | CAUTION | $4,198 | 10 | 1 |
| 2020 | 92 | BUY | $4,186 | 2 | 0 |
| 2019 | 90 | BUY | $4,322 | 1 | 1 |
| 2018 | 89 | BUY | $4,362 | 1 | 2 |
| 2017 | 86 | BUY | $4,514 | 7 | 0 |
| 2016 | 93 | BUY | $4,545 | 3 | 0 |
| 2015 | 93 | BUY | $4,685 | 3 | 0 |
| 2014 | 90 | BUY | $4,780 | 6 | 0 |
| 2013 | 51 | CAUTION | $5,004 | 64 | 2 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the BRZ, through the years →
BRZ sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the BRZ on the federal record. Variants folded into this nameplate are counted in this page's data; the rest have too thin a record for a page of their own yet.
What goes wrong on the Subaru BRZ
Across every BRZ model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Engine65 complaints across all BRZ years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other12 complaints across all BRZ years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Fuel/Propulsion System7 complaints across all BRZ years · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement$680–$1,620
- Electrical System5 complaints across all BRZ years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Visibility/Wiper4 complaints across all BRZ years · typical job: Wiper motor, linkage or windscreen replacement$490–$1,200
- Power Train3 complaints across all BRZ years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
What are the best Subaru BRZ years to buy?
2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023… all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2015 at 93/100, on 3 complaints and 0 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Subaru BRZ problem?
65 of the complaints filed against the BRZ across all its model years sit in the Engine group — more than any other component.
Compare with
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04