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

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (179)Crash / fire / injury (6)Engine (141)Transmission & drivetrain (21)Fuel system (9)Steering (7)Engine & cooling (5)Airbags (3)Wheels (3)Brakes (2)Electrical system (2)Speed control (2)

5 of 179 complaints match · Engine & cooling · clear filters

Feb 20, 2025Engine & cooling

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 repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The dealer and manufacturer informed the contact that the recall could not be performed because the engine in the vehicle was not the OEM part. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11644023

Dec 3, 2024Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Scion FR-S. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 60 MPH, the engine warning light was flashing. The driver pulled to the side of the road, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that there was a fractured engine valve spring. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V772000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

NHTSA ODI 11628526

Feb 2, 2023Engine & cooling

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 informed her that the manufacturer would not be covering the repairs on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11505208

Dec 9, 2022Engine & cooling

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 vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the valve spring had fractured. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number 18V772000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that 115 miles after the repair there was a knocking noise coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle began to run rough. While driving at highway speeds the vehicle began to feel as if it was decelerating with the accelerator pedal being depressed. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer who diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the failure was coming from the bottom of the engine. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.

NHTSA ODI 11496759

Jun 22, 2020Engine & cooling

TL* 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 WARNING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 169,000.

NHTSA ODI 11330056

Working with the data? Download all 179 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 28, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 Scion Fr-s verdict →