Buyer Research

2017 Subaru BRZ — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $14,000–$21,000. This is one of the more reliable vehicles in its class — here's what to watch for anyway.

Deciding between model years? Compare the 10 Subaru BRZ years we've written up →

Kestrel Take

Seven complaints sit in NHTSA's file for the 2017 BRZ, and a file that thin is not a reliability rating — it is a low-volume sports car that sold in small numbers to owners who tend to fix things themselves rather than file. What is on the record is small and scattered: an SRS light tied to the passenger seat, a head unit that drops Bluetooth audio, and one manual gearbox grinding into gear. On a car like this the bigger variable is not the factory, it is the last owner. Buy the stock, well-documented example over the cheaper one wearing a tune and coilovers, and pay a shop to look for track abuse before you hand over money.

What we checked

Checked against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 7 owner complaints for the 2017 Subaru BRZ, and no recall campaigns.

That is too small a record to read a pattern from, so we are not going to pretend otherwise — with numbers this low one owner moves the percentage by a lot. What has been filed is grouped under airbags (2), electrics and electronics (1), the transmission and drivetrain (1). Treat those as things to look at, not as the vehicle's known weaknesses. A thin file usually means few of these were sold or few owners filed. It is not evidence the vehicle is trouble-free, and the issues below are our own research rather than a reading of this record.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2017 Subaru BRZ

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.

Airbag warning light, and a passenger seat that reads as empty with someone in itMedium

Two of the seven complaints on file are the airbag system: a yellow SRS warning that appears and disappears with no fault found at inspection, and a passenger airbag that switched itself off with the owner sitting in the seat. On this car that usually traces to the occupant-detection sensor in the passenger cushion or a connector under a seat rail. You can check it in the parking lot: have an adult sit in the passenger seat and watch the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light on the dash. It should go out. If it stays lit, that airbag is not arming, and the fix is a seat-out job.

Repair cost (estimate): $300–$1,200

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under airbags (2).

Factory head unit drops Bluetooth audio mid-songLow

One owner reports the stock stereo cutting the Bluetooth audio out and bringing it back, occasionally at first and then constantly, with dealer software updates that did not make it stop. It is an annoyance rather than a safety matter, but a replacement unit is real money and it is the easiest thing in the world to test: pair your phone in the driveway and play music for the whole test drive, including over rough pavement.

Repair cost (estimate): $0–$700 — a software update at the low end, a replacement head unit at the high end

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under electrics and electronics (1).

Manual gearbox grinding and refusing gears on the way up to speedMedium

One owner describes the six-speed grinding loudly and fighting him into gear, which is exactly when you least want it — merging onto a highway. On this gearbox the usual suspects are tired gear oil, a clutch that is not releasing fully, or a worn second-gear synchro. Drive it cold and then hot and shift 1-2-3 briskly both times; a grind that only shows up cold is often fluid, a grind that shows up hot is often the synchro. Either way it is a price conversation before it is a repair.

Repair cost (estimate): $400–$2,600 — fresh gear oil and clutch hydraulics at the low end, a synchro rebuild at the high end

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the transmission and drivetrain (1).

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗A grind or a block going into second or third on a brisk shift
✗Aftermarket turbo or supercharger hardware with no build records
✗PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF staying lit with an adult sitting there
✗Curb rash on the wheels and scraped lower bodywork — a record of how it was driven

Good Signs

✓Stock intake, exhaust and suspension, with the factory parts still in the seller's garage
✓Oil change receipts at 5,000-mile intervals
✓Subaru dealer service history through the warranty years
✓Even tread wear across all four tires at the same depth