When Laura Young bought her 2019 Toyota 86, which shares much of the exterior design, boxer engine, and demographic as Subaru’s BRZ, in 2021, she expected to get a reliable car. Because, you know, a marriage between two of the most reliable Japanese automakers ever carries that promise.

What she didn’t expect, however, was to have to replace her engine two years later – after just 64,000 miles – because of what she’s claiming is a manufacturer’s defect. Since her engine failure happened 4,000 miles outside of the factory warranty, Toyota denied her claim for a new engine.

Young didn’t accept the denial lightly. Other owners of either car rose to the occasion to make the same claim, from both first and current-generation models, so she rallied other New Jersey drivers to file a class action lawsuit against the automakers on July 1.

Young’s complaint alleges the companies knowingly sold customers doomed-to-fail cars. Her accusations report the automakers equipped the engines with a type of room-temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone gasket incapable of handling the differentiating temperatures of a performance car.

Over time, the varying temperatures would cause the gaskets to weaken and break down, leaving bits of silicone to travel through oil and coolant channels of the engine and, well, destroy itself.

If it didn’t blow up, drivers with both the 2.0 and the 2.4-liter engine reported oil starvation and oil pressure issues. 

Young is seeking $5 million from the automakers to go to herself and those involved in the 86/GR86 and BRZ suit and urged the automaker to recall the engine for owners who haven’t had their engines fail. The complaint also wants the companies to extend the factory warranty period.

Models flagged in the suit include the 2013-2016 Scion FR, the 2017-2023 Toyota 86/GR86, and the 2013-2023 Subaru BRZ.

Subaru and Toyota deny the gaskets are the source of the multiple failures. 

Since the case is ongoing, the suit has no victor as of yet. Surely, keen eyes will follow the engine lawsuit for its end results.