A used second-generation Toyota GR86 is a seductive proposition for anyone who has long dreamed of a compact rear-wheel-drive coupe at a reasonable price. But there’s a catch. The model year matters more than almost anything else here: early 2022 cars deserve a magnifying glass and a calculator, while the 2023 GR86 looks far less worrying.
The second-gen GR86 launched for the 2022 model year with a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter flat-four good for 228 hp and 184 Nm. Compared with the old Toyota 86, the car felt noticeably livelier, the cabin got a long-overdue update, and the playful character was preserved. On paper, the perfect formula.
Then the stories started. It was specifically the early GR86s that began racking up reports of engine failures — usually after spirited driving or track days. The prime suspect is oil starvation in the FA24 during high-speed right-hand corners: oil in the sump simply stops reaching the pickup. Add the isolated cases where factory sealant clogged the lubrication system, and the picture turns unsettling. Still, this isn’t a mass epidemic — plenty of 2022 owners have racked up tens of thousands of trouble-free kilometers.
The 2023 GR86 looks like the saner pick. Mechanically it’s nearly the same car, but the loud complaints about the engine have noticeably eased off. The 2024 has been quiet so far too — but it’s still too fresh to draw any real conclusions about long-term durability.
