Which Scion FR-S years should you avoid?

No Scion FR-S model year in 2013–2015 scores in the flagged band. The weakest are 2013 and 2015.

What is the best year for the Scion FR-S?

2015 is the best-scoring Scion FR-S model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 77.4 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

How many recalls does the Scion FR-S have?

6 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Scion FR-S model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

Which Scion FR-S years to avoid

No Scion FR-S model year in 2013–2015 falls into the flagged band. The weakest are 2013 and 2015, and even those sit close to this model’s own median.

Ownership label · Scion FR-S Full report

Grade 2013–2015

2013 vs model median 1.4×

Model median3× median

Engine 10

Drivetrain 7

Fuel System 4

Weakest

2013 · 2015

Best

2013 · 2015

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Severity-weighted complaint volume and grade by model year for the Scion FR-S
Year	Complaint volume	vs median	Reports	Grade
2013		1.39×	33	C
2015		0.61×	13	B

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2013 C 33 reports · median 24,500 mi

Engine 10

After several weeks of smelling burnt oil in the cabin, I discovered a serious oil leak on the engine. The engine has a block off plate on the right rear camshaft area. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Drivetrain 7

My new car has been in and out of the shop for the past month (4 times). The check engine light keeps coming on and the dealer does not know how to fix it. The car does not also seem to be able to hold an idle speed. owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Fuel System 4

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. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

1 fire

2015 B 13 reports · median 34,000 mi

Airbags & Restraints 2
Brakes 2

The passager rear caliper malfunction cause the brake pad fly away from the right rear brake owner complaint filed with NHTSA
Engine 2

Vehicle started to stutter and having a loud knock from engine after sitting for 6 hours on a normal night, normal driving conditions, maintenance kept up including recent oil change... owner complaint filed with NHTSA

2 crash · 1 fire

The best year for the FR-S

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2015 is the best-scoring FR-S model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 77.4 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Best-scoring model years
Year	vs median	Reports	Grade
2015	0.61×	13	B
2013	1.39×	33	C

Recalls

6 campaigns on record.

Recall campaigns, largest first
Campaign	Component	Model years	Units affected
18V772000	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE	2013	165,534
16V075000	POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH	2013, 2015	25,706
13V123000	EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS	2013	7,525
16V420000	EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS	2015	4,253
14V828000	EQUIPMENT	2015	3,958
12V255000	EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL	2013	1,156

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2013 were reported at a median of 24,500 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Scion FR-S years should you avoid?: No Scion FR-S model year in 2013–2015 scores in the flagged band. The weakest are 2013 and 2015.
What is the best year for the Scion FR-S?: 2015 is the best-scoring Scion FR-S model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 77.4 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Scion FR-S have?: 6 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Scion FR-S model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2013 FR-S

Complaints in window: 33
Severity-weighted: 54
Model median (weighted): 39
vs model median: 1.39×
Recall campaigns (weighted): 4
Open investigations: 0

Score 55.2 C