First, let me preface this blog with the fact that the car is an excellent vehicle and I personally do not believe that this "issue" is as big a deal as the vast majority are making it out to be. Yes, it is not an ideal scenario, but it is easily remedied or checked for and no one knows the full scope of affected vehicles yet. The GR86 is a *large* step up in terms of performance, creature comforts, and overall build quality from the 1st generation GT86/BRZ and I am happy that we are developing products for the vehicle.
The Issue
As of recent, the brand new 2022 GR86 has come under attack for silicone being found in the oil pump inlet or pickup. I have been told about this issue earlier this year (2022) by our Japanese distributor and now someone in the States was denied a warranty engine which sparked a lot of controversy on Facebook and the internet as a whole. This has since been resolved, which is good news for both the owner and Toyota. As a result of this uproar, we decided to drop our pan and inspect our oil pickup to avert any engine damage as we plan to modify and track our vehicle quite a bit throughout the development process. We created a video of the disassembly which is linked below.
What Should I Do?
As a potential owner of the GR86, I am sure you are asking what you should do. For now, I would wait until Toyota or Subaru comes out with a plan of attack. It is possible you can do what we did but *this could void your warranty* as you will have opened up your engine. We did so for a variety of reasons but primarily to check for silicone and ensure the engine will remain in good health at high RPM on track. I would personally avoid going to the track with a new car until the oil pickup is checked, either by a dealer or you personally, but that is a personal suggestion and you can do whatever you would like.
The Good News
The oil pickup seems to be very well designed and we found no large metal shavings in the oil pan. Our engine appears to be healthy and in good shape, and we were able to remove a potential issue that could have caused failure down the road.
2022+ GR86 and BRZ Silicone and RTV in Oil Pickup