What 179 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Scion Fr-s

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, stopped blowing cold. On June 7, 2026 - four days and only a few miles later - the engine spun a rod bearing and began knocking loudly. The vehicle is now inoperable. This recall requires removing and disassembling the engine and is widely documented to cause oil starvation and spun bearings when excess RTV sealant from reassembly clogs the oil pickup screen. My engine ran normally for years and failed within days of the recall repair. The recall repair caused catastrophic engine failure. No crash or injury has occurred; the vehicle is parked to prevent further damage.

NHTSA ODI 11742856

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

NHTSA ODI 11703673

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.

NHTSA ODI 11653904

sometimes the car randomly stalls out during driving. usually off cold starts if i let it warm up for even 5 minutes it still will stall out sometimes. its not super common id say it does it once every 2 days maybe. the car is also misfiring and ive noticed a large loss of power from the car. it started back in june and i just havent really gotten it fixed yet. usually when im driving itll kind of just buffer and a check engine light is thrown on but it ends up going off after a couple drives.

NHTSA ODI 11619011

The engine suffered catastrophic failure 2,988 miles after the J02 Saftey recall was performed by Preston Toyota of New Castle, PA. I was travelling at highway speeds when the engine died and would not turn on. I lost all power brakes and could have wrecked and injured myself, others or worse, caused a fatality. The car was towed to a toyota dealership that confirmed the issue was due to the work performed during the recall on the car. The oil light flashed a few times then shut off and then a few seconds later the engine died.

NHTSA ODI 11524410

Vehicle suffered engine failure in line with previous recalled, and subsequently repaired parts. Both Toyota & Subaru have refused to repair. Vehicle is under 100,000 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11523062

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.

NHTSA ODI 11520958

Engine failure. My safety is compromised by car leaving me stranded at an unpreditable time. Serviced center fixed vehicle twice unsuccecfully because different engine brand but joint partnership. No warning lamps were present before or after failure of engine.

NHTSA ODI 11502515

Under normal driving conditions, a well maintained 79k car, the joint that holds up cylinder #2 failed, totalling the engine. Thankfully the rod did not kill me.

NHTSA ODI 11493217

It is my belief that the valve spring on the engine broke, even after the recall work had been done. I was getting out of my car and heard, what sounded like, metal under tension popping really loudly. After that the engine made a rattling noise. In hindsight I should have known something was wrong, but I had an oil change at the dealer in 2 days and thought they would hear it. After the oil change they didn't say anything so I felt it was ok. On my way home from work the following day, less than 40 miles after the oil change, the car suddenly completely shut off while I was driving home on the highway. What saved my life was that I was getting off the highway in the right lane and was able to roll the car slightly off the highway. Had this been in any other lane I might have been in an accident. Trying to restart the car on the side of the road it had a terrible knocking noise and sounded like something was spinning freely. I had it towed to the dealer as they had just changed the oil thinking that was it. They "looked" at it a couple days later and said it was a spun bearing and that it was normal wear and tear. The car only has 103,000 miles on it and was driven normally, with regular maintenance. Upon retrieving the car the tow truck driver stated that's not normal to happen, and I noticed the car was in the same place as where I had it towed originally. The dealer never actually inspected or looked at the car and just made the spun bearing assessment without trying to start it, as the battery was dead from trying to restart on the highway. No one has since touched the car, and some research online shows that I am not the only person this has happened to. The recall stated that the valve springs could break while driving and the car would suddenly shut off with no warning. This is exactly what happened, while driving on the highway home. According to the dealer it is a spun bearing but that is not what it sounds like at all. It definitely sounds like a rod.

NHTSA ODI 11492687

The day before the incident, took the vehicle for an oil change at dealership. Driving in a Interstate 8 under construction and vehicle had engine malfunction turning off and also turned off power steering creating difficulty steering, could have created accident on freeway jeopardize my safety and of others. The engine malfunction started by making a rattling sound and turning off the engine. Since my vehicle is Standard/Manual transmission, I stepped on the clutch and the rattling stop making me coast with the moment it had. I removed the clutch to turn on the vehicle and the rattling continued so I put it in neutral, waited to slow down to push the vehicle onto an emergency lane (since the freeway was under construction and the lanes had Jersey Barriers). The problem hasn't been able to reproduce because the vehicle cannot restart, contact local dealership and rejected to perform recall unless I put down $2,000 (November 2018). Sent out to a local shop but didn't have workers with Boxer engine knowledge. Contact DMV for guidance about rejection on recall (which happened again on March 2022) and made another appointment at local dealership. They rejected me again without inspecting recall component and commented that "It was suspicious that you haven't had the recall done on it". There wasn't any check engine light nor abs or any message prior to the failure.

NHTSA ODI 11468640

Was going down the road. To a fast food place. As soon as I turned. A pop happens and the whole car started to shake. All the maintenance was done every 6k miles. Got the car at 32k miles Went to Toyota. And they called and said it was engine failure “mechanical failure” then they called back and said there was no coolant. In my eyes I feel it’s to cover their end to not do a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11464676

2013 SCION FR-S Valve spring recall notice was received in the mail. Recalled valve spring replacement caused engine to seize twice. The first time the engine seized Tustin Toyota admitted fault, noting issue was from recall fix and repaired the engine at no cost. The second time the engine seized Toyota denied responsibility and wanted to charge $5000

NHTSA ODI 11461198

After completing the valve spring recall I got my car back and not 200 miles later the engine started to have rod knock. The Toyota dealership told me that there was now metal in my oil pan and I would need a new engine. This is not a unique issue, it has been happening to hundreds of other cars going through this exact recall, for years now.

NHTSA ODI 11450284

Toyota of El Cajon performed the J02 recall for engine valve springs on August 13, 2020 at 98, 448 mileage. Toyota of El Cajon performed service oil/filter change, coolant change, and multipoint inspection June 2021 (work order 356309). The engine of my 2013 Scion FR-S malfunctioned with a rod knock on July 13, 2021 at 105k mileage, eleven months after J02 recall performed. There were no warnings lamps, oil lights, or any messages prior to failure. The only symptom was the engine rod knock when the car starts. Toyota of El Cajon technician and shop floorman do not know the cause, yet they attempt to deny that this issue relates to the J02 recall. They said it would cost a "couple thousand" to take apart the engine to investigate the cause. They said it would be $9k out of my pocket to replace the short block and would be "terribly expensive". I towed my unfixed vehicle home through my insurance. Vehicle has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance or others. I am contacting Toyota Corporate to create claim #. Engine failure after J02 recall is a well-known issue. There are several other cases of this happening and a Class Action lawsuit due to workmanship error and sealant. This issue should be fixed by the dealership/manufacturer without cost to consumer. The safety, reliability and reputation of the vehicle depends on it. Do the right thing!

NHTSA ODI 11427377

I was driving down the road and felt the car lose power. Shortly, after the traction control and check engine light came on. I pulled over and a I slowed the engine died on me. It took several tries and it finally started and I made it home going about 45. The next day I went to town and as I pulled into a parking lot the engine completely died again. I went to the parts store right next door and the code read can shaft sensor fault. I then slowly drove to a family members house and where we replaced those sensors. This didn't fix anything. I then took it too my mechanic who proceeded to tell me I needed a new engine. There were multiple codes showing with his code reader. I only remember low oil pressure but the oil was full. Tried to drive it back to family members (less than 2 miles)but it didn't make it and I had to have it towed home.i had the valve spring recall repaired in the summer of 2020. My car has 103,000 miles and has had every oil change and had a tune up when I took it to the dealership for the recall.

NHTSA ODI 11426888

I started my car and immediately hears a knocking noise and I as drive or stay idled and rev my engine a bit I can hear the knocking noise as well.

NHTSA ODI 11425750

The contact owns a 2013 Scion FR-S. The contact received notification of an unknown recall. The vehicle was then taken to a local dealer and the engine was replaced. The contact then stated while driving the vehicle two months later, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was then taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed with the oil valve needing to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred two years later. The vehicle was then towed back to the dealer where it was diagnosed with the engine needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist due to the warranty coverage being expired. The failure mileage was approximately 82,900.

NHTSA ODI 11420334

The contact owns a 2013 SCION FR-S. The contact stated while coming to a complete stop, the vehicle would stall without warning. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,003.

NHTSA ODI 11419575

THE VEHICLE WAS ON THE HIGHWAY FOR A ROAD TRIP. DURING THE TRIP THE VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING EXCESSIVELY. UPON PULLING THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE WE INSPECTED THE ENGINE TO SEE A LARGE HOLE IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE VEHICLE WAS RENDERED INOPERABLE UPON FURTHER INSPECTION.

NHTSA ODI 11413040

I WAS DRIVING ON THE ROAD NEAR MY HOUSE AND THE CAR STARTED MAKING A KNOCKING NOISE SO I PULLED OVER AND CHECKED THE OIL AND IT WAS FINE SO I KEPT DRIVING AND IT STARTED GETTING WORSE SO I HAD TO TOW THE CAR HOME

NHTSA ODI 11405095

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 SCION FR-S. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE MADE AN ABNORMAL SOUND AND STALLED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND WAS TOWED BACK TO THE RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS NOR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V772000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) HOWEVER, THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 45,000.

NHTSA ODI 11397382

AFTER SEEING NUMEROUS TOYOTA J02 (2018) VALVE TRAIN RECALL CATASTROPHES, I DECLINED THE SERVICE. WHEN THE CA DMV REQUIRED IT FOR REGISTRATION RENEWAL, I WAITED UNTIL THE DEADLINE SO THE TOYOTA MECHANICS WOULD GET MORE PRACTICE ON OTHER CARS BEFORE SERVICING MINE IN JANUARY 2020 WITH 98K MILES ODOMETER. I THOUGHT THE STRATEGY WORKED, UNTIL NOVEMBER 2020 AT 111K MILES ODOMETER. ON MY DAILY FREEWAY COMMUTE, WITH A CLATTER AND THEN A BANG, A HOLE WAS BLOWN IN THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE, OUT OF WHICH OIL SPRAYED ONTO THE CAT PRODUCING BILLOWING SMOKE, CEL'S, AND THEN A LOW OIL ALERT. BY THE TIME I GOT OFF THE FREEWAY, THE ENGINE STILL RAN BUT WAS KNOCKING. PUENTE HILLS TOYOTA RECOVERED A ROCKER ARM THAT HAD SOMEHOW DETACHED ITSELF FROM ITS SWIVEL, THRASHED AROUND INSIDE THE VALVE CASE, AND THEN GOT EJECTED OUT THROUGH THE VALVE COVER. THEY INSISTED THE FAILURE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THEIR SERVICE WARRANTY, WHICH WAS 12-MONTHS UNLIMITED MILES IN PRINT, FOR DEPRAVED REASONS THEY ADDITIONALLY REFUSED TO PUT IN WRITING. THEY, AND OTHER LOCAL SHOPS, ATTEMPTED TO QUOTE ME TO SWAP IN A USED ENGINE, BUT NOW THERE'S COINCIDENTALLY A NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE OF THESE ENGINES, TURNING MY CAR, WHICH HAD RUN 98K MILES FLAWLESSLY, INTO A TOTAL LOSS. THE NHTSA FAILED THE PUBLIC FOR FORCING AND THEN NOT RESCINDING A RECKLESS RECALL DECISION, WHERE THE HAZARDS OF A SPECIALIZED ENGINE SERVICE PERFORMED BY UNSPECIALIZED DEALERSHIP MECHANICS DWARFED THE HAZARDS OF TAKING NO ACTION. IN TRYING TO PREVENT DOZENS OF POTENTIAL ENGINE STALLS, THEY CAUSED HUNDREDS OF TOTAL LOSS ENGINE FAILURES. A LEVEL OF SYSTEMIC INCOMPETENCE AND CORRUPTION HAS ALSO BEEN EXPOSED IN THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS OF NORTH AMERICA. I ONLY HOPE THE NHTSA, TOYOTA, CLASS ACTION LAWYERS, OR SOMEONE CAN STEP UP.

NHTSA ODI 11389146

I'LL BE DRIVING AND RPM WILL DIP SO FAST SOMETIME CARS DIES BUT HAPPENS EVERY NOW AND THEN. SOMETIMES IN START UP AND OR JUST JUST A STOP LIGHT

NHTSA ODI 11388589

2013 SCION FR-S HAD A VALVE SPRING RECALL. WHILE DRIVING, AS SOON AS I APPROACHED A STOP SIGN THE ENGINE STALLED. SOON AS I RE-IGNITED THE ENGINE I HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING SOUND. MY VEHICLE WAS ONLY GOING 10-15 MPH WITH THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE GETTING LOUDER. THIS EVENT OCCURRED A YEAR/8000MILES AFTER THE RECALL SERVICE. I BELIEVE THIS INCIDENT WAS CONTRIBUTED BY THE THE RECALL SERVICE. Consumer stated J02 recall was serviced May 22, 2019 at 87705 miles. Incident happened again on June 5th,2020 at 95745 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11386807