Originally Posted by GotMunchies?
My advice is to spend some time in the Issues subforum, read through some of the bigger threads and you'll get some background on the usual problems. Just remember to bring some grains of salt. Hyperbole is fairly common there (as it is for any car community).
Here's a quick list off the top of my head of the most common issues with this platform:
- Condensation in tail lights (Fairly common - heard rumors, these are no longer being replaced under warranty, after market fixes exist)
- Oil leak from cam plate on rear of engine on manual cars (not common - aftermarket fix, can be done in driveway)
- RPM drop and shudder (common prior to MY2014ish - fixed at dealer under TSB. Not to be confused with RPM drops at idle with AC on, this is a pretty common Subaru thing).
- Crickets from high pressure fuel pump (common to all model years - three versions of the HPFP exist, none fix the crickets for sure, does not effect driveability, can only be heard at idle).
- DI Seal failure (Possibly due to gaps left in transient fuel tables, not very common, occurs mostly in tracked or tuned cars. Apparently newer ECU revisions fix this issue. Has been quiet for a long time - since MY2013ish).
- Axle failures (all examples I read about were on significantly lowered cars, fixed with aftermarket axles.)
- Notchy transmissions / gear grinds (unclear how common it is, some people complain of notchy shifting or difficulty getting into 2nd when cold. Some transmissions have been replaced, sometimes fixed with better transmission fluid. Drive the car you intend to buy before you buy it, just to make sure things shift well. I think notchy transmissions are very common to budget sports cars).
- Usual pops and rattles in the interior - its a budget sports car, you get what you pay for.
- Issues connecting to Bluetooth (really hit or miss. I guess if you have a lot of contacts on your phone, it overwhelms the connection process and won't connect. Options exist to not transfer contacts and then issues are rare).
Regarding track use - the car can be driven straight onto the track if you don't intend to go 100% and are ready to replace fluids immediately afterward. Otherwise, the usual for just about any car is needed (e.g. brake pads, fluid, good oils, and tires). The exception is for those tracking regularly in hot climates - an oil cooler is considered pretty mandatory. Several options are routinely used (OEM sandwhich cooler under oil filter, Jackson Racing external cooler).
All in all, the BRZ/FRS is a great little sports car ripe for an owner who cars about the experience of driving and learning to drive better. The added bonus is decent fuel economy (6spd manual, I get about 30mpg on my commute and routinely over 30 on highway trips). The car is relatively comfortable for long trips or the commute, the speakers suck but can be tweaked to sound ok. Bluetooth means you don't even need to use the Nav (instructions from your phone read over speakers).
In the end, coming from an S2k, you'll likely be underwhelmed (maybe even frustrated) by the engine but the trade off is a car more usable every day that can still go to the track whenever you want. And remember, you can fit four wheels and a jack in the car with the rear seat down - very useful.
BTW, regarding new vs. used - depending on how you're buying, if you're financing and get a really low interest rate (< 2.00%) over 5 years, the savings of used over new approach negligible and you have the added benefit of being the only owner of the car.
My advice is to find a car you can REALLY test drive. You'll really know if you'll like it once you push it a bit.
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