Your vehicle report

2013 Scion FR-S

The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.

NHTSA data through October 2026View original NHTSA data Change vehicle

Your vehicle at a glance

Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.

Owner complaints
179
Received Sep 2012 to Jun 2026
Official recalls listed
4
Naming this model year; check your VIN for applicability
BrakeNews flagged problems
0
Statistical signals, not official defect findings or recalls

Owner reports

Most reported problems

  1. 1
    Engine knocking from rod or main bearings15 complaints · 8.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
  2. 2
    Engine stalls and loses power while driving9 complaints · 5.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
  3. 3
    Engine suddenly shuts off while driving7 complaints · 3.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
See all reported problems

Official NHTSA records

Recalls to check

  • Recall #18V772000Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Subaru Impreza, 2012-2013 Impreza Stationwagon, 2013 Subaru BRZ, XV Crosstrek and Toyota Scion FR-S vehicles. The engine valve springs in these vehicles may fracture causing an engine malfunction or a possible engine stall.
  • Recall #16V075000Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Toyota Scion FR-S vehicles manufactured March 13, 2012, to January 14, 2016 and equipped an automatic transmission and ignition key. Vehicles with a push-to-start button are not affected. In the affected vehicles, it may be possible to remove the ignition key without the transmission being in the "Park" position. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
View recall details

BrakeNews signals

Flagged complaint patterns

Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.

No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.

How flags are identified

Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 3 crashes, 3 fires, 1 person injured, 0 deaths.

Explore by system

Where do owners report problems?

Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.

Schematic car with five system shortcutsGeneric side view, with the front on the left. Numbered links explore engine, brakes, steering, electrical, and body complaints. Text controls below provide the same choices.12345FRONTSCHEMATIC VIEW

Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.

View selected problems

Showing all 8 listed problems by system.

Engine & powertrain

2 more problems

Brakes

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Electrical & lights

Airbags, belts & seats

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Steering, suspension & tires

Body, doors & glass

Driver assistance

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Other

No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.

Complaint history

When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.

Complaints received about the 2013 Scion FR-S
80
Show as a table
YearComplaints
20121
20136
20145
20155
20165
20173
201811
201980
202027
202114
20227
20238
20242
20254
2026 (to Oct 2026)1
Total179

Problems owners report

Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.

ProblemComplaintsShareShare ratioStatus
Engine knocking from rod or main bearings158.4%–
Engine stalls and loses power while driving95.0%–
Engine suddenly shuts off while driving73.9%–NHTSA recall #18V772000
Vehicle catches fire from wiring52.8%–
Power steering cuts out while driving52.8%–
Manual clutch wears out or fails early42.2%–
Frame rusts and corrodes through31.7%–
Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline31.7%–

AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.

Recalls

  • NHTSA recall #18V772000November 1, 2018165,534 vehicles affected

    engine and engine cooling: engine

    Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Subaru Impreza, 2012-2013 Impreza Stationwagon, 2013 Subaru BRZ, XV Crosstrek and Toyota Scion FR-S vehicles. The engine valve springs in these vehicles may fracture causing an engine malfunction or a possible engine stall.

    An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Subaru will notify their owners. Toyota will notify the FR-S owners. Dealers will replace the valve springs, free of charge. The recall began December 26, 2018. Subaru owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614, Toyota owners may contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-888-270-9371. Subaru's number for this recall is WTY-84.

  • NHTSA recall #16V075000February 10, 201625,706 vehicles affected

    electrical system: ignition; power train: automatic transmission: park/neutral start interlock switch

    Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Toyota Scion FR-S vehicles manufactured March 13, 2012, to January 14, 2016 and equipped an automatic transmission and ignition key. Vehicles with a push-to-start button are not affected. In the affected vehicles, it may be possible to remove the ignition key without the transmission being in the "Park" position. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

    If the key can be removed from the ignition when the transmission is not in the "Park" position, the vehicle could roll away increasing the risk of a crash and occupant or pedestrian injuries.

    Remedy

    Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition key/transmission interlock wiring connections, correcting them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 7, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0E.

  • NHTSA recall #13V123000April 9, 20137,525 vehicles affected

    equipment: other: labels

    Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles. These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

    An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.

    Remedy

    Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

  • NHTSA recall #12V255000June 5, 20121,156 vehicles affected

    equipment: other: owners/service/other manual

    Toyota is recalling certain model year 2013 Scion fr-s vehicles manufactured from march 22, 2012, through may 14, 2012. The owner’s manual contains an inaccurate description of the actual operation of the front passenger occupant classification system. Other portions of the owner’s manual, describing the air bag system, require clarification. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) no. 208, “occupant crash protection.”

    If a user reads and follows inaccurate owner’s manual information, this could lead to an increased risk of injury to a front passenger seat occupant under certain crash conditions.

    Remedy

    Toyota will notify owners, and will mail corrected inserts for the owner’s manuals, free of charge. The safety recall began on july 3, 2012. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-866-707-2466.

About this data

NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2013 Scion FR-S.

Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.

Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN