2015 Scion Fr-S problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (5) · Service Brakes (2) · Power Train (2)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Scion Fr-S model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (3)
Equipment:other:labels 2016-06-09 · campaign 16V420000 · 4,253 vehicles
Defect: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Camry and Highlander, 2015-2016 Toyota Tundra, Scion FR-S, and tC vehicles. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
Risk: An incorrect label may lead an owner to overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
Electrical System:ignition 2016-02-10 · campaign 16V075000 · 25,706 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Toyota Scion FR-S vehicles manufactured March 13, 2012, to January 14, 2016 and equipped an automatic transmission and ignition key. Vehicles with a push-to-start button are not affected. In the affected vehicles, it may be possible to remove the ignition key without the transmission being in the "Park" position. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 11
Risk: If the key can be removed from the ignition when the transmission is not in the "Park" position, the vehicle could roll away increasing the risk of a crash and occupant or pedestrian injuries.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition key/transmission interlock wiring connections, correcting them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 7, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0E.
Equipment 2014-12-30 · campaign 14V828000 · 3,958 vehicles
Defect: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Toyota 4Runner, Tacoma, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, RAV4, Scion FRS, and XB vehicles. The affected vehicles may have accessories installed by SET, such as running boards or other items, that were incorrectly installed. The accessory attaching fasteners were not tightened with the proper torque, possibly causing the accessory to detach from the vehicle.
Risk: Accessories that detach from a vehicle may result in a vehicle crash and/or personal injury.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the affected bolts, free of charge. The recall began February 23, 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET-14B.
Service bulletins (74)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Visibility:defroster/Defogger/Hvac System:engine Coolant Hoses And Fittings 2020-12-11 · S-TT-0117-20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
tt: hvac drain tube is found to be blocked/clogged.
Equipment:other:owners/Service/Other Manual 2019-12-20 · S-S-0003-14_Obso · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
tsb: obsolete notice december 20, 2019: this bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.
Fuel System, Gasoline 2018-02-06 · S-TT-0113-18 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
tsb: in the event that injector seal repair is required on vehicles equipped with a direct injection fuel system, a special service tool set is required to properly install the seal onto the injector. as new vehicle configurations have been released, several injector seal tool sets have been distrib
Fuel System, Gasoline:fuel Injection System:injectors 2018-02-06 · S-TT-0113-18 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
tsb: in the event that injector seal repair is required on vehicles equipped with a direct injection fuel system, a special service tool set is required to properly install the seal onto the injector. as new vehicle configurations have been released, several injector seal tool sets have been distrib
Equipment 2018-01-03 · S-TT-0116-19 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
tt: in certain cases of leaking air conditioning systems, the root cause of the leak is inadvertently overlooked, causing a repeat repair. to improve customer satisfaction and repair a/c system leaks in one dealer visit, toyota has developed a set of guidelines for evaluating a/c system components.
Power Train 2017-04-10 · S-SB-0012-17 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
tsb: some 2013 ? 2016 model year fr-s vehicles equipped with a manual transmission may exhibit an abnormal noise, such as a squeak, grind or groan type noise when the clutch pedal is depressed. applicable warranty: this repair is covered under the toyota basic warranty. this warranty is in effect fo
Showing the 6 most recent of 74 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2025-06-15 · Engine“the valve spring for my 2015 frs completely broke and this was a known issue and recalls for my car and it is available for inspection…”
2023-01-18 · Steering“steering wheel began clunking and locking up when turning. had this issue on a previous frs, electronic power steering motor coupler had failed and needed replacement.…”
2022-10-21 · Engine“defective engine/motor failure spark plug popped out of engine along with coil. the service technician and service manager were shocked at the spark plug broken internally. i paid for spark plug replacement totaling approximately $1,200. upon inspecting other parts of the motor it was determined the engine bay has coolant inside mixed with oil. the…”
2021-08-08 · Engine“i was driving 80 mph in the inner lane of a multi lane highway. out of no where with no warning lights or sounds the car just lost all power, the steering felt like it locked and the car fell on it's face. i was almost hit by two different cars trying to get over to the shoulder and there was white smoke pouring out of the exhaust making cars beh…”
2019-05-02 · Engine · 120,000 mi“while driving my vehicle, it started misfiring, throwing up a flashing check engine light, and it was rough to keep it running. upon towing it to the dealership and having it investigated for the root cause, it was determined that the valve springs on a cylinder are failing. this issue is identical to the issues that are occurring in safety recall …”
2019-04-23 · Service Brakes · 34,000 mi“the passager rear caliper malfunction cause the brake pad fly away from the right rear brake…”
2018-11-14 · Power Train · 21,000 mi“reverse lockout on the stick shift does not function. during shifting the driver can accidently put the vehicle in reverse while moving forward or put the vehicle in reverse while trying to put it into first gear. this can happen at any time during the shifting process.…”
2018-10-30 · Power Train · 30,000 mi“i own a 2015 automatic scion fr-s. the car has a check engine light and downshifts are very jerky and hard. upshifts are fine, but in both manual mode (paddle shifts) and in automatic mode, coming to a stop and downshifting through the gears results in hard, jerky violent movements and the car fails to rev match. i've looked the issue up and many p…”
2018-08-01 · Engine · 43,000 mi“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... started to drive the vehicle and it had loud pinging and knocking became louder when i tried to accelerate once getting on the highway and the vehicle started to st…”
2016-12-31 · Seat Belts“the seat belt latch sticks. doesnt easily press to unlatch seat belt. on drivers side.…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.