Total Complaints
5 filings
SUBARU BRZ · model year
5 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
New Car Assessment Program
The 2016SUBARUBRZ carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 5/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 5/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2016 BRZ is unknown or other with 1 filings, followed by electrical system (1) and service brakes (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 14 investigation files overlapping the 2016 BRZ. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
5 filings
Crashes Reported
3 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 1 |
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
| WHEELS | 1 |
On the day before Easter, while driving down W. Colonial Dr., a car suddenly pulled out in front of me, causing me to slam on the brakes. immediately after, it seemed like the brake booster blew out, as my brakes started making a hissing sound and felt like they were losing pressure. Additionally, I noticed a clunking noise coming from my car. Three or four days later, while driving, my brakes failed and I ended up rear-ending another vehicle. I contacted the dealership from where I purchased the car less than a month ago, but I am still unsure if they will help me fix it. There seems to be a problem with the bearings or the suspension in addition to the brakes, but I am not sure if the dealership will help me fix any of these issues.
On the day before Easter, while driving down W. Colonial Dr., a car suddenly pulled out in front of me, causing me to slam on the brakes. immediately after, it seemed like the brake booster blew out, as my brakes started making a hissing sound and felt like they were losing pressure. Additionally, I noticed a clunking noise coming from my car. Three or four days later, while driving, my brakes failed and I ended up rear-ending another vehicle. I contacted the dealership from where I purchased the car less than a month ago, but I am still unsure if they will help me fix it. There seems to be a problem with the bearings or the suspension in addition to the brakes, but I am not sure if the dealership will help me fix any of these issues.
On the day before Easter, while driving down W. Colonial Dr., a car suddenly pulled out in front of me, causing me to slam on the brakes. immediately after, it seemed like the brake booster blew out, as my brakes started making a hissing sound and felt like they were losing pressure. Additionally, I noticed a clunking noise coming from my car. Three or four days later, while driving, my brakes failed and I ended up rear-ending another vehicle. I contacted the dealership from where I purchased the car less than a month ago, but I am still unsure if they will help me fix it. There seems to be a problem with the bearings or the suspension in addition to the brakes, but I am not sure if the dealership will help me fix any of these issues.
MY BRZ IS EXPERIENCING BATTERY DRAIN ISSUES. I HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY WITH AN OEM BATTERY FROM SUBARU, BUT MY CAR STILL HAS A DRAIN ON THE BATTERY. I HAD TO PURCHASE A PORTABLE JUMP STARTER KIT TO ENSURE THAT IF THE CAR DIDN'T START THAT I HAD A JUMP AVAILABLE. I HAVE NOT BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE AS OF NOW. THIS SITUATION HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. I THOUGHT I MAY HAVE LEFT A LIGHT ON, BUT WHEN I HAD THE CAR JUMP STARTED, I NOTICED THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ON.
Mileage: 78,000
"TAKATA RECALL" FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW IS TEMPERMENTAL AND ON MANY OCCASIONS WILL NOT CLOSE UNLESS INCHED UP CAREFULLY IN INCREMENTS. SINCE THIS IS DONE WHILE DRIVING IT IS A GREAT DISTRACTION AND IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. WIRING WAS ALREADY REPLACED, BUT WAS TOLD BY ATTENDANT THAT HER CAR WINDOW DOES THE SAME THING AND IS CAUSED BY THE EXPANSION OF THE PLASTIC PIECE ON THE TOP OF THE WINDOW SILL NEEDED FOR CLOSURE. THIS IS A LAYPERSONS EXPLANATION OF THE EXISTING PROBLEM. THE WINDOW SOMETIMES GOES UP OR DOWN AND NOT HALF WAY AS WELL. THE OTHER THREE WINDOWS WORK WITHOUT PROBLEMS. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND FIXED WITHOUT DELAY.
Occupant Detection System (ODS) Failure
Passenger Front Air Bag Suppression
Front suspension control arm failure
FUEL PUMP LEAKS
FUEL LINE LEAK
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.