FR-S / BRZ reliability stats

[mkaresh]

We have some updated reliability stats for the FR-S and BRZ based on owner experiences through March 31, 2013. A big thanks to the owners here who have been helping!

A reported repair frequency of 41 repair trips per 100 cars per year is a bit worse than the average for new cars. A few commonly reported problems--all discussed in detail on this forum--are the reason. Once these are past, the stat will improve if no new common problems appear.

To see how competitors compare, and to sign up to help improve this information:

Scion FR-S reliability ratings and comparisons

[sastexan]

Judging by my own car (manuf March 2012) and the comments in the forums, it seems that most of the problems relate to cars in the first two months of manufacturing - I know Toyota has spent some pretty good cash fixing these issues with my own car (and still as yet unresolved, like the rear package shelf popping). Still, tools like TrueDelta help us owners get a better feel for the overall issues with the cars - if more people participate - not just those of us with problems!

Hopefully the trend will be upward on reliability as the cars age.

[GT 86 Brah]

i wonder how many of these were due to tail light condensation and the chirping noises.

[Mikem53]

I would hardly call a few rattles and chirps reliability issues.
That's why this repair frequency stat report needs to be taken lightly.
A repair for a blown engine is quite different than one for a rattle on the back shelf. Yet this survey counts them equally.
So would you by a car based on this survey with fewer defects even though they were all engine and transmission related vs more reported instances with just some minor tweak issues?

[Roadliner]

Anything that requires me having to bring the car to a dealer, taking up time that was meant for work/play MATTERS, whether is for a few rattles or a replacement engine.
Thank you for this thread Mkaresh

[mkaresh]

We post the descriptions for all reported repairs to the site, so people can see what's behind the numbers.

Engines rarely blow during the first 120k miles these days. So if that's all someone is concerned about, buy anything.

Even minor engine issues are rare during the warranty period. So by this measure the FR-S's issues are more serious than most.

[russv]

Interesting the Miata had fewest complaints, but then they had 20+ years to work out any bugs.

[Gen]

Originally Posted by russv

Interesting the Miata had fewest complaints, but then they had 20+ years to work out any bugs.

Demographics also matter immensely.

[regal]

Originally Posted by mkaresh

A reported repair frequency of 41 repair trips per 100 cars per year is a bit worse than the average for new cars.

Would like to know how many blown engines, several reports on this forum. Not normal Toyota reliability. This is more like German sports cars, with high maintenance and low reliability.

[mkaresh]

Only one report of a complete engine failure, and in that case the fuel pump and cam gears were replaced. This failure appears to have occurred before the member joined, so it doesn't factor into our reliability stat for the car.

This is a large, active forum. If even one or two percent of members post about a problem, it will seem common.

Even the most common problems, the tail light condensation and fuel pump chirp, are only being reported by about ten percent of the owners participating in our systematic survey. Over time this might double. This is a typical level for "common problems."

[russv]

Originally Posted by Gen

Demographics also matter immensely.

Can you explain?

[mkaresh]

Younger people might be more likely to notice and do something about minor problems than older ones.

[russv]

Or conversely, older people who have experienced more cars are more sensitive to manufacturing defects having dealt with many in the past. I find that most younger people, members here generally excepted, have very little knowledge about cars.

[Gen]

Originally Posted by russv

Can you explain?

Sure, as someone else stated, age matters quite a bit as does gender, socioeconomic status, etc. What someone may see as a 'problem', others might find perfectly acceptable or simply not report in this survey due to brand loyalty. Are Porsches really the most reliable car on the planet? Your typical Porsche buyer will do anything to validate his or her purchase (e.g. it's the BEST car in the world). Conversely, your average Civic buyer will probably bitch if their tires have to be replaced in the first 50,000 miles.

This sort of survey also doesn't assign weight to problems based on severity. A chirping fuel pump is considered the same as the engine throwing a rod. They're interesting to look at but you have to take it with a grain of salt as it tells you more about the customer base than the car itself.