Subaru BRZ Oil Change: The 2.4L Boxer and Its 5.3 Quarts

The BRZ is a small, rear-drive sports coupe built with a flat-four that sits low in the chassis. Owners tend to know their cars well and ask good questions, so this page is specific. The second generation that arrived for 2022 has a 2.4-liter engine, and the first generation from 2013 to 2020 had a 2.0-liter. Both like to rev, both have a sump that rewards a full oil level, and both see plenty of mountain road around here.

At a glance

• 2022 and newer FA24 2.4L: 0W-20 synthetic is the required oil (2022 BRZ Owner's Manual)
• 5.3 US qt with the filter, 5.1 without, 1.1 qt from low to full on the dipstick
• Subaru: every 6 months or 6,000 miles, whichever comes first
• Fuel: 93 AKI or higher per the manual

What the 2022 manual actually says

The specification pages of the 2022 BRZ Owner's Manual call 0W-20 synthetic oil the required oil for optimum engine performance and protection, meeting API SN with Resource Conserving or ILSAC GF-5 at the time of printing. If 0W-20 synthetic is not available, the manual allows 5W-30 conventional only to top off, with a change back to 0W-20 synthetic at the next oil change. It lists 5.3 US quarts with the filter, 5.1 without, and 1.1 quarts between the low and full marks on the dipstick.

First-generation cars from 2013 to 2020 have the 2.0-liter FA20. We have not verified a published capacity for that engine for this page, so on those cars we read the cap and follow the owner's manual in the glovebox.

Subaru's interval, and when to go sooner

Subaru of America's owner page says engine oil should be changed every 6 months or 6,000 miles, whichever comes first, and it explains why both matter: oil breaks down with time even when the car is parked, and it wears from heat and friction when the car is driven. The BRZ manual sends you to the Warranty and Maintenance Booklet for the complete schedule, and that booklet is the document to follow for anything beyond the oil.

A BRZ that sees autocross days or a lot of high-rpm canyon driving is working its oil much harder than a commuter. If that is your car, read the booklet's guidance on harder use and consider changing on the early side.

Kingsbury Grade, Minden nights

Kingsbury Grade climbs from the Carson Valley floor to Daggett Pass in a series of tight switchbacks, which is exactly the kind of road people buy this car for. The engine spends a lot of time high in its rev range on the way up and on engine braking on the way down. Down in the valley, Minden averages 188 nights a year at or below freezing and 75 at 20 F or colder on the NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals, so the same car also does a lot of cold starts.

Thin 0W-20 is what lets the engine get oil to the top end quickly on those cold mornings. Keep the level at the full mark and check it every couple of fill-ups, because 1.1 quarts is the whole range on the stick.

Transmission, differential and the other fluids

Automatic BRZs use Subaru ATF WS, about 7.9 quarts, and manual cars use Subaru's Manual Transmission Gear Oil LV 75W, about 2.3 quarts. The rear differential takes Subaru Differential Gear Oil LX or a GL-5 75W-85 or 75W-90, about 1.22 quarts. Those figures are from the same 2022 manual. We check for leaks on the lift and can do a differential service with the correct fluid.

The manual also lists premium fuel, 93 AKI or higher. That is not an oil item, but a car run on lower octane can knock under load, and we mention it if a customer asks why the engine feels flat on a climb.

On the lift

• 0W-20 synthetic to the 5.3-quart fill, a new filter and the reminder reset
• Undertray handled with care and every fastener put back
• Engine and cabin air filters shown to you
• Coolant level, brake fluid level, battery test at participating locations
• Differential and transmission checked for seepage
• Tire pressure set to the door placard, not a guess