Low engine oil levels came on just last week. I had gotten my complimentary oil/rotate last month. I’ve heard and seen videos on this vehicle having excessive RTV sealant on the oil pan. Makes me very concerned seeing how the RTV clogs the oil pickup resulting in oil deprivation. Seeing how this is my only car I rely a lot on this vehicle. The engine could’ve seized up on me anytime. When the light had come on I checked my dipstick and found that there was hardly any oil in the engine. T dipstick was practically dry. I have documentations to prove it as well. I’ve topped up my own oil and will be monitoring this problem. If I reproduce the same problem I will be back to complain again/headed to the dealership. This needs to be fixed ASAP. Seeing how my car only has 18,000 miles it’s ridiculous. Recall the vehicles already and get this issue resolved before someone gets seriously injured. No way I’m paying for something production messed up on.
2022 Subaru WRX engine problems
15 complaints (60% of all complaints for this car).
- owner complaints
- 15
- of this car's complaints
- 60%
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Subaru WRX engine problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2022 Subaru WRX engine
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2022 Subaru WRX owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The electric pushbutton would not function. I have a standard transmission and I let the clutch out too soon by accident. It killed the engine but the electrical components stayed on, such as lights, interior dash gauge, air conditioning, radio, everything else functioned as if the car were on and running however, i couldn't start the vehicle and the push button did not generate any response from the vehicle. Opening and shutting the door did not work, getting out and locking the car did not do anything. It was just like when a desktop computer freezes with the screen still functioning. This is the third time it has happened, the first 2 times it was 1. In a store parking lot 2. In my garage. 3. Today it happened as I was trying to leave the house, in my garage again. Each time, letting off the clutch too soon is what caused the car to behave this way. The first time I sat in the parking lot for about 15 minutes, same with the second time. This time I made sure to look at a clock and it happened at 10:50 am CST, it is 11:21 am CST currently and still no response from the car, it will not turn on. My safety so far has not been a concern as I was in a parking lot or garage each time this has happened but if this happens in traffic or in an intersection, it will be deadly. It will kill people both myself and other motorists. I have slipped off of the clutch before in this vehicle and this malfunction does not happen each time. It is sporadic. I don't know why it happens only sometimes. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. The vehicle or component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or any other people. The first occurrences have been in the month of June 2023. There were no other warning lamps on to indicate any problems. The dash lights, air, etc remain on after it happens just like when you switch the car to the "Accessories" position however the engine will not Crank.
Excessive RTV silicone was used on the oil pan on this year/make/model. This issue causes pieces of RTV to break off inside the oil pan and clog the oil pickup resulting in the engine being deprived of oil. I’m seeing more and more people document this issue online and worry the $33,000 car I just bought may have this issue. Subaru has not issued any recall knowing this is affecting many many vehicles.
The vehicle’s oil pan has seal is made up of RTV silicone and it seems an excessive amount was placed around the oil pan. I’ve noticed that this has caused some of the silicone sealant to chip off into the oil pan causing it to flow into the oil pick up. Over time I’ve noticed a burning smell from the engine bay area and the exhaust. I know different models of Subaru have the same engine type and have all faced this issue causing catastrophic damage to the engine. And so far I have not heard Subaru making any headway to fix the issue. This is my daily vehicle and I really do not want what could be a simple fix to destroy my car. But I’m sure a lot of other Subaru WRX owners are facing this issue! There have been many owners posting videos of them dropping the pan to show residue of the RTV silicone getting caught in the oil pick up filter. Subaru needs to fix this since it came from the factory with this defect!
Car has some type of black silicone inside oil pan. Inside upper pan as well. Also has clogged a screen that oil passed through. I have seen many people online do this pan drop time and time again and still having big chunks blocking its path to engine. I’m afraid of oil deprivation. This with ultimately destroy the entire motor. This could lead to serious injury or death if the motor suddenly goes. I believe this needs to be looked into to help prevent this. More of these 2022 Subaru wrxs being manufactured in this manner could ultimately destroy a 30,000$ vehicle and lead to crashing out unexpectedly. My phone number is [XXX] thank you for your time. ,[XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The fa24 engine for this car uses an RTV gasket to seal the oil pan. Subaru ended up using too much RTV sealant on this engine which ended up causing pieces of RTV to fall off inside of the oil pan. This can cause a clog in the oil pickup which may result in oil starvation for the engine. If this happens in traffic and the motor blows up, it could cause a collision. Subaru doesn't have any active service or recalls for this issue and it has been known to happen on the BRZ and Toyota 86 which both use the same engine. You can see online that others have dropped the oil pans on their fa24s and found RTV fluid in their oil pan. Recently, RallySport Direct on YoutTube release a video detailing them dropping the oil pan on a 22 WRX and found large pieces of RTV clogging the oil pickup. If Subaru doesn't address this issue, it can affect many vehicles on the road.
The seal on the oil pan is chipping off and getting into the oil pan and oil pick up system and causing oil starvation.
There is a huge concern about excess RTV getting into the oil pick up that will cause oil starvation in the engine once enough particles of RTV have caused obstruction. The 2022 WRX has the same engine FA24 as the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86, both have had issues with excess RTV in the oil can and have caused catastrophic damage. There has been many articles, forum posts, and videos showing this issue. Lastly, removal of RTV is very labor intensive as the header must be dropped in order to get the oil pan off. You can not remove the oil pick up without taking the entire front timing cover off either. In conclusion, most will not be able to have this cleaned out themselves and would only have the option to pay the dealership or an independent shop to do the work.
RTV sealant was over applied to the oil pan and timing cover which will result in a clogged oil pickup. Having a clogged oil pick up will starve the engine from oil which yields extremely catastrophic results, especially in a performance sports sedan. This is the same complaint as the others. Thank you.
There has been many credible reports with evidence that an excessive amount of RTV is used in the oil pan area, causing enough silicone to become lodged within the lines. This can and will cause the motor to fail as oil starvation can occur. Removing the oil pan would void the warranty and is not in a serviceable location. Subaru of America has been made aware of these reports but has not responded with a recall. Reported incident is the date in which this was first reported by body shops I could find. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFX1PrixUyg
Questions about the 2022 Subaru WRX engine
Does the 2022 Subaru WRX have engine problems?
Owners have filed 15 complaints about the engine of the 2022 Subaru WRX, 60% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2022 Subaru WRX engine problems start?
Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.
Was there a recall on the 2022 Subaru WRX engine?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Subaru WRX have bad engine?
The Subaru WRX model years with the most engine complaints are 2002 (18 complaints), 2015 (18 complaints) and 2022 (15 complaints).
Other 2022 Subaru WRX problems
Transmission 4Electrical 3Airbags 2Driver assistance 2Body 1Brakes 1Fuel system 1
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