2013 Scion FR-S Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other FR-S years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 4 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 179 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Scion FR-S. That is the most of any FR-S model year in the database (4 years). The most reported problem area is engine (141 complaints, 79%), typically at around 74,000 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 3 fires, 1 injury. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.
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- 179owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2013 Scion FR-S problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 141 | 79% | 74,000 | “valve spring” (30%) | $8,550 |
| Power Train | 21 | 12% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 8 | 4% | 63,300 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 8 | 4% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 4% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 3% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 2% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 2% | 29,300 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 2 | 1% | 37,400 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 1% | 40,483 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 1% | 4,494 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | 8,500 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | 40 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 1% | 24,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 1% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | 800 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2013 Scion FR-S recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Engine and engine cooling:engine
Problem: 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.
Risk: An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Power train:automatic transmission:park/neutral start interlock switch; electrical system:ignition
Problem: 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."
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: 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."
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Equipment:other:owners/service/other manual
Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2013 scion fr-s vehicles manufactured from march 22, 2012, through may 14, 2012. The ownerâs manual contains an inaccurate description of the actual operation of the front passenger occupant classification system. Other portions of the ownerâs manual, describing the air bag system, require clarification. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) no. 208, âoccupant crash protection.â
Risk: If a user reads and follows inaccurate ownerâs manual information, this could lead to an increased risk of injury to a front passenger seat occupant under certain crash conditions.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and will mail corrected inserts for the ownerâs manuals, free of charge. The safety recall began on july 3, 2012. Owners may contact toyota at 1-866-707-2466.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
On approximately May 27, 2026 I delivered my 2013 Scion FR-S (approx. 105,000 miles) to an authorized Toyota dealer for Safety Recall J02 (NHTSA 18V-772, engine valve spring replacement). I picked it up on June 3, 2026. Immediately the engine ran sluggish and the air conditioning, which had worked…
I am submitting this complaint to report a serious safety defect involving a complete loss of steering control in my vehicle, 2013 Scion FR-S. While driving and making a turn, the steering system failed entirely, leaving me unable to control the direction of the vehicle. I retained only braking and…
The car randomly shut off, i started it back up and it has a knock in the engine. Oil is super clean, and changed every 3k miles. I keep up with maintenance on my vehicle. I contacted Toyota and they had a Valve Spring Recall that leads to this very problem but somehow my vehicle isn't covered. I
The car randomly shut off, i started it back up and it has a knock in the engine. Oil is super clean, and changed every 3k miles. I contacted Toyota and they had a Valve Spring Recall that leads to this very problem but somehow my vehicle isnt covered.
The contact owns a 2013 Scion FR-S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V772000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall…
Other Scion FR-S years
See all Scion FR-S problems by year, every Scion model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Scion models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Scion FR-S?
Owners most often report engine, power train, fuel/propulsion system problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 141 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2013 Scion FR-S?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2013 Scion FR-S a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other FR-S model years, the 2013 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.