There is now a class action lawsuit over engine failures in the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ

The boxer engine drama of the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ continues. After more than one viral example of the horizontally opposed four-cylinders taking off, there’s now a class action lawsuit claiming the manufacturers knew the engines were defective but still chose to do so “for buyers to keep hidden.” As a result, the lawsuit claims that owners of sports cars equipped with 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter boxers are left with vehicles that can suffer from low oil pressure and ultimately oil starvation.

Arkansas plaintiff Laura Young filed the lawsuit, seeking more than $5 million for those involved in the class action Complaints about cars reports. Young purchased a used 2019 Toyota 86 in October 2021. In April 2023, he suffered a total engine failure with approximately 64,000 miles on the odometer. That meant it was just outside Toyota’s five-year/60,000-mile warranty, forcing her to pay. Young’s car still appears to be broken down after more than a year because Toyota “failed to replace its defective engine with a non-defective one,” according to the complaint.

Of course, there are plenty of variables we don’t know about Young’s situation. It is important to consider engine oil change intervals and other general maintenance practices. It’s also unclear if the car showed any signs of trouble before the engine died.

We’ve reported on this topic again and again over the past two years, speaking to multiple owners whose engines blew on the track. In the case of one GR86 owner, Toyota initially decided not to replace the engine because the car was competing in a high-performance racing event when it exploded. Later, after media reports, Toyota changed course and provided a new 2.4-liter for free. Clearly, not every affected owner has had the same outcome with their warranty claims, although most claim there was a common thread to the failures: RTV.

The lawsuit alleges that Toyota and Subaru used RTV silicone where the engines should have normal gaskets. Because RTV hardens and disintegrates at high temperatures, it can flake off and end up in the engine crankcase. The lawsuit says the manufacturers applied RTV “excessively and clumsily during the manufacturing process,” further increasing the chance of it entering the oil and coolant passages. This could be the cause of the low oil pressure and the resulting oil hunger.

Each of the following models is included in the lawsuit:

• 2013-2016 Member FR-S
• 2017-2023Toyota 86/GR86
• 2013-2023 Subaru BRZ

The drive I’ve reached out to both Toyota and Subaru for comment, and I’ll update this story with their responses.

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