2018 Subaru BRZ
Gas Compact car
The 2018 Subaru BRZ is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact car with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the BRZ, is EPA-rated at 27 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 1 complaints, most often about engine and engine cooling.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRZ | Gas | RWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 24 | 33 | 27 | $2,850 |
| BRZ | Gas | RWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 21 | 29 | 24 | $3,250 |
| BRZ tS | Gas | RWD | 2.0L 4-cyl | 20 | 27 | 23 | $3,350 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
Out of factory warranty soon?
The 2018 Subaru BRZ is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.
Compare coverage →Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Data on this page is never influenced by that.
Recalls (2)
Fuel System, Gasoline
highProblem: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ascent, 2018 Forester, 2018-2020 Impreza, Legacy, Outback, 2018-2019 BRZ, WRX, and Toyota 86 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the low-pressure fuel pump, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 24, 2021. Subaru and Toyota owners may call customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WRG-21.
Visibility
highProblem: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Legacy, Outback, and BRZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, a software issue may cause the audio display system to not initialize, resulting in the camera display remaining blank. If this occurs, the rearview image will not display while backing up the vehicle. As a result, the vehicles fail to comply with requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Risk: Failure to display the rearview image while backing up increases the risk of crash.
Fix: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the audio system display software, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTZ-85.
Owner complaints
1 complaints filed
0 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 0 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2025: 1
Most-cited components
- Engine And Engine Cooling — 1
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 DR RWD | not rated | ★★★★☆ | not rated | ★★★★★ | 7% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.
Other BRZ model years
2027 BRZ
0 recalls · 0 complaints
A2026 BRZ
0 recalls · 0 complaints
A2025 BRZ
0 recalls · 0 complaints
A2024 BRZ
0 recalls · 3 complaints
A2023 BRZ
0 recalls · 1 complaints
A2022 BRZ
1 recalls · 10 complaints
A2020 BRZ
0 recalls · 2 complaints
A2019 BRZ
1 recalls · 1 complaints
A2017 BRZ
0 recalls · 7 complaints
A2016 BRZ
0 recalls · 3 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 39706, 39705, 39707). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.