2022 Subaru BRZ Problems And Complaints

2022 Subaru BRZ User Complaints and Problems

The 2022 Subaru BRZ coupe has no registered complaints on its name for the latest model year and in fact, it has only one officially recognized consumer complaint since 2018. Well, this does not make the BRZ a completely sorted package as there are multiple unofficial online forums for this car that have recognized threads on a handful of complaints on this sports coupe.

Listed below are the most commonly known issues of the 2022 Subaru BRZ and their implications on the ownership experience.

Mechanical Complaints

• Rough idling - Engine revs dropping as low as 500 RPMs for a split second (multiple times) when idling is one issue that many Subaru BRZ owners have been concerned about. This fluctuation is mainly noted when coming to a halt or when letting the car warm up with the air conditioning switched on. As said by an owner, the engine sounds like a “jackhammer” at that point sending in vibrations through the steering, pedals, and gear lever. Though this issue might end up being detrimental to the engine mounts, in the long run, no ECU updates for rough fuelling problems have been brought out by the automaker.
• Noise at higher revs - The engine on the Subaru BRZ coupe, as informed by many owners, is said to rattle/ detonate at certain higher RPMs. The issue was found to be with a faulty high-pressure fuel pump, which certain owners needed replacement. But, the replacement pumps were also said to cause the same noise. Further investigation found that the fuel quality did affect the proper

Electric System Complaints

• Media unit - One common issue that many of the first-gen BRZ owners have been facing. The media head unit seems to drop calls and audio when connecting the phone via Bluetooth. This issue was majorly reported by iOS users where the system loses signal from the phone intermittently and reconnects itself after some time. Resetting the head unit was a temporary fix and information on whether a firmware update was released or not from the automaker's side is unavailable.
• Keyless access - Owners have been complaining about the car failing to detect the key when inside the cabin. The dome lights and the door locks do function when the key is in proximity, but the ignition system is said to fail to detect the key. The dealership was unable to trace the cause of the issues as the system was not putting out any sort of error code and the keyfob battery was said to be working properly.

Structural Complaints

• Windows - Multiple owners have complained about the windows on the Subaru BRZ freezing shut. This problem is mainly said to happen in the winter when the power windows just refuse to work. Owners are forced to use de-icers or wait till the ambient temperature rises before it starts working normally. Some owners also complain about the windows not going up all the way in the auto-up function.

The Subaru BRZ coupe also has isolated incidents of oil leaks, engine block cracks, tappet noises, random stalls, and passenger airbag sensor issues - all of which have not been discussed here since it has not been a very common occurrence. The table includes only official figures recognized by the NHTSA, the actual number of complaints could vary significantly.

Category	Number of complaints
Fuel and Propulsion System	1
Engine/ Powertrain	3
Safety	1
Service brakes	0
Electrical	2
Structural	1

 2022 Subaru BRZ Recalls

The Subaru BRZ coupe is not a car known to be riddled with issues, and the low number of recalls showcases its good performance when it comes to durability and reliability. Even the couple of recalls stated here, post 2015, are not major ones as we see it and mostly are a one-day fix/replacement. Coming out as the brainchild of two Japanese brands (Subaru and Toyota), with both boasting world-class reliability credits, we do not expect anything less from the BRZ coupe.

S. No	Date	NHTSA ID	Issues Noticed	Additional Remarks
1	29th July 2021	21V587000	Fuel pump may fail	Low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail, causing an engine to stall while driving and increasing the risk of a crash.
2	31st December 2018	18V935000	Camera image may not display	Software issues on the media system may cause the audio display system to not show the rearview image while backing up, increasing the risk of a crash.

Compared to the competition, the Subaru BRZ coupe has been performing rather well. Its recall status comes out identical to its twin, the Toyota GR 86, registering only one recall since 2020. The Ford Mustang 2.3 Ecoboost on the other hand, has over 5 on its name for the same period. Given both the 2022 Subaru BRZ coupe and the 2022 Toyota 86 are brand new models for 2022, we cannot write off the possibility of recalls later down the line.

Component Affected	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
Safety	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Exterior	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Electric	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
Interior	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Drive System	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fuel System	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Engine	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Which Subaru BRZ model year should you avoid?

The only major recall that the Subaru BRZ has had since 2015 was due to a faulty fuel lift pump, which is an easy fix and not something to fret about. There is no specific model year that you should avoid on the BRZ post the year 2015 iteration. If you plan to go even older, a good service record should mostly mean that you are good to go.

Should you buy a used Subaru BRZ?

The Subaru BRZ is an excellent coupe for those who are looking for some real fun and driving pleasure on a budget. Since the car has not received any major updates till the 2022 model year, you certainly won’t feel outdated or lacking in anything even if you decide to get the older model years. Given that the car has no big issues to be concerned about, one shouldn’t have a second thought about getting one of these coupes especially since the prices have come low on used ones.