Owners have filed 179 complaints on the Scion FR-S, covering 2013–2016. The system named most often is Engine (123 reports). Worst years by volume: 2013, 2015, 2014; cleanest: 2016, 2014, 2015. 2 reports describe a crash, 3 a fire. On average the car was 6.0 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Scion FR-S
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 179 FR-S complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Engine 123 Read
I took my car in for j02 engine valve spring safety recall on jan 29th, 2019 at a toyota dealership. Took them a couple days, but when they finished, they said the car was good as new and I could drive it normally. 2 weeks of daily commute to work with no issues, then on feb 17, 2019, I was driving up highway 1 for a…
Engine stalled won't crank over or run anymore. Mechanic said it was a valve spring issue and vehicle had a recall that entitled engine to be replaced by Toyota
There was a recall on the power train system for the 2016 Scion frs models and mines just failed. I was never notified about this recall. Can the recall be reopened
Power Train 21 Read
Throw out bearing failing at 48,500 miles. Dealer refused to cover repair. This is a known issue for which there is a dealer TSB with a revised part and better grease that does not dry out. Issue is revealed by squealing sound at start up, which dealer replicated and confirmed issue is bad throw out bearing. Quoted me…
I own a 2015 automatic scion fr-s. The car has a check engine light and downshifts are very jerky and hard. Upshifts are fine, but in both manual mode (paddle shifts) and in automatic mode, coming to a stop and downshifting through the gears results in hard, jerky violent movements and the car fails to rev match. I've…
Reverse lockout on the stick shift does not function. During shifting the driver can accidently put the vehicle in reverse while moving forward or put the vehicle in reverse while trying to put it into first gear. This can happen at any time during the shifting process
Steering 7 Read
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 acceleration…
Steering wheel began clunking and locking up when turning. Had this issue on a previous FRS, Electronic Power Steering Motor Coupler had failed and needed replacement
While driving, the steering wheel is loose and easily turns left, almost on its own. Where as turning it to the right is tight and more difficult. This makes driving very difficult and dangerous, especially on windy days. I've read about it here and there online while trying to figure out whats happening and I am not…
Fuel/propulsion System 5 Read
High pressure fuel pump noise at idle could be indicative of malfunction
I am filing a complaint before problems persist and make things worse. My brand new scion frs, what I was reassured by my dealer was reliable dependable make and model. Given the trust he had gained prior to the sale I believed every word he said down to his over market asking price pitch. I bought it all and the car.…
High pressure fuel pump started making significant amounts of noise, was deemed defective by toyota and replaced. 3000 miles later, the same noise is back, and now toyota is refusing to repair / replace the part, even though car has less than 12000 miles on it, even now. This high pressure fuel pump is of concern…
Engine And Engine Cooling 5 Read
The contact owns a 2013 scion fr-s. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 18V772000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was taken to toyota of redlands (921 new york st, redlands, ca 92374, (866) 611-5911) to be repaired. After driving the vehicle for 80 miles the engine ceased without…
The contact owns a 2013 Scion FR-S. The contact stated there was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check oil warning light was illuminated while the vehicle was decelerating. The contact drove into a nearby parking lot. The…
The contact owns a 2013 Scion FR-S. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V772000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it remained awaiting the parts for the recall repair. The contact stated that once the parts for the repair were available, the mechanic…
Service Brakes 3 Read
After leaving a residence, getting onto the freeway with no issues for about 1/4 mile, suddenly upon getting about to 50 mph, I felt a shimmy. I thought I had a flat tire. But I was smelling a burning smell pretty quickly. I thought it was from a polluted semi truck. But it got stronger. So, I decided to take the…
The passager rear caliper malfunction cause the brake pad fly away from the right rear brake
On june 28th I was driving to work on a rainy day. While taking a curve the car lost traction cause the traction light to come on as well as the ABS light. A few minutes down the road the car started braking without me even pressing down on the break
Seat Belts 3 Read
The seat belt latch sticks. Doesnt easily press to unlatch seat belt. On drivers side
The contact owns a 2014 scion fr-s. The contact stated that the seat belt pretensioner failed to operate correctly as the passenger's and driver's door ajar warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure…
The contact owns a 2013 scion fr-s. The contact stated the front drivers side seat belt cannot be adjusted and it was rubbing across his neck. The manufacturer stated that was how the vehicle was designed. The contact stated he was six feet tall and that affected anyone six feet or taller vs. Someone who was shorter…
Electrical System 2 Read
Defective engine/motor failure spark plug popped out of engine along with coil. The service technician and service manager were shocked at the spark plug broken internally. I paid for spark plug replacement totaling approximately $1,200. Upon inspecting other parts of the motor it was determined the engine bay has…
Valve spring recall was done less than 2k miles ago on this vehicle. It currently has a little over 49,000 miles on it. It is now experiencing severe power loss. When taken into the dealership for evaluation they said it was caused due to sudden timing chain failure, including all the gears and coils related to timing…
FR-S years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Engine | — | — | |
| 2015 | Electrical System,engine | — | 1 | |
| 2014 | Engine | — | — | |
| 2013 | Air Bags | 2 | 2 |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 43 |
| Average complaints per series | 4.2 |
| Worst single series | 13 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 6.0 years |
A model average of 4.2 hides a worst series at 13. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the FR-S?
By complaint volume, 2013, 2015, 2014 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which FR-S years are the cleanest?
2016, 2014, 2015 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Scion FR-S have?
179 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2013–2016. Of those, 2 describe a crash and 3 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.