Buyer Research

2020 Subaru BRZ — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $19,000–$26,000. 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

The last year of the original BRZ, and NHTSA's file for it holds two complaints — one of which is a single owner's front-end noise filed under three different component headings, which is why the same story shows up as suspension, powertrain and engine on the record. Two complaints is not evidence that this car is sound; it is evidence that almost nobody filed. Worth knowing between our pages: the in-tank fuel pump recall that covered the 2018 and 2019 cars stops at the 2019 model year, so a 2020 is not in that campaign. Judge this one on its history and its front end, and put your money into a pre-purchase inspection rather than a warranty.

What we checked

Checked against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 2 owner complaints for the 2020 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 the suspension (1), the transmission and drivetrain (1), the engine (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 2020 Subaru BRZ

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

Popping from the front wheel area at parking speeds — strut top mountsMedium

One owner noticed a pop from the right front at low speed and while turning into a parking space at 20,000 miles, was told twice that nothing was wrong, and eventually had the strut top mounts replaced on both sides at 45,650 miles. The top mount is the bearing the whole strut turns on; when it dries out you hear it at walking pace with the wheel turned, not at speed. Test it the way the owner found it: roll slowly through a full-lock turn in both directions with the windows down and the radio off.

Repair cost (estimate): $400–$900 for both sides

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the suspension (1).

Engine and transmission mounts wearing out earlyMedium

The same owner had motor mounts replaced along with the strut top mounts, which is why one complaint is filed under both powertrain and engine on this year's record. Worn mounts let the drivetrain move where it should not: you feel it as a shudder through the floor at idle in gear and a clunk when you lift off the throttle and get back on it. Idle it in gear with the brake on and feel the shifter; then find an empty road and blip the throttle on and off in second. A clunk you can feel in your seat is a mount, not a gearbox.

Repair cost (estimate): $350–$900

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

Modified and tracked cars: what a hard life does to this engineMedium

This is the generation that ended up in autocross paddocks and drift events, and the two things that kill these engines are aftermarket boost and sustained high-g cornering that lets oil slosh away from the pickup. Neither is in NHTSA's file for this year — we are flagging it from owner-community reports, not from the public record. Look under the hood for a boost kit, under the car for a baffled oil pan or an accusump, and at the tyres for the square wear pattern a tracked car carries. Then pay for a leak-down test.

Repair cost (estimate): $200–$400 for a compression and leak-down test; $6,000–$10,000 for a replacement engine — about 44% of what this car is typically worth

Source: not yet checked against public records.

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗A pop or creak from the front struts during a slow full-lock turn
✗Clunk through the floor when you lift off and get back on the throttle
✗Roll cage, harness bar, tow hook or timing-sticker residue — evidence of track days
✗Mismatched tyres or a squared-off wear pattern on the fronts

Good Signs

✓Strut top mounts replaced with an invoice naming both sides
✓Oil change receipts at 5,000-mile intervals
✓A steady idle in gear with the brake held, no shudder through the floor
✓Factory suspension and exhaust still fitted, with stock ride height