The Subaru BRZ, a compact sports car known for its sleek design and performance, was commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) investigation period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. This period saw a significant number of motor finance agreements being scrutinised for potential mis-selling practices, impacting many Subaru BRZ owners.
How the Subaru BRZ was Typically Financed
Subaru BRZ buyers often opted for PCP and HP finance arrangements due to their flexibility and lower monthly payments compared to outright purchase. The typical financing amount ranged from £15,000 to £30,000 (FCA estimate), with terms of 36 to 48 months being the most common choices. During this period, several lenders were frequently associated with Subaru BRZ finance agreements, including
Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance,
Close Brothers Motor Finance,
MotoNovo Finance, and
Santander Consumer Finance.
For PCP agreements specifically, a significant portion of the car's value was deferred to the end of the contract as a balloon payment. This final lump sum could be high enough to discourage some buyers from completing their agreement, leading them to return the vehicle or face potential penalties for early termination.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The FCA investigation into motor finance agreements uncovered significant concerns regarding
discretionary commission arrangements (DCAs) between lenders and car dealerships. These arrangements allowed dealers to earn additional commissions based on the type of finance package chosen by customers, potentially incentivising salespeople to push more profitable deals at the expense of consumer needs.
According to the FCA estimates, 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) during this period (FCA estimate), with total mis-selling estimated at £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026) and an average loss per customer of approximately £829 (FCA estimate). These figures highlight the widespread nature of potential mis-selling practices across various car models, including the Subaru BRZ.
How to Check Your Agreement Look for any references to discretionary commissions (DCA) or unusual fee structures that may have been imposed during the initial financing process.
pay attention to the dates of your agreement; if it falls within the period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024 and was made through one of the common lenders such as Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, or Santander Consumer Finance, there is a higher likelihood that your agreement could be affected.
If you suspect that your Subaru BRZ finance agreement was mis-sold, the first step should always be to contact your lender directly. Common lenders such as Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, and Santander Consumer Finance all have dedicated customer service teams who can review your case for free.
you do not need a
claims management company to handle your complaint. By reaching out to the lender yourself, you maintain control over the process while avoiding additional costs associated with third-party services.
Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), 2024
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) Census 2021
Based on 601 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the Subaru Brz has a pass rate of 89.0%. This is above the national average of 79.6%, meaning the Brz performs well in MOT testing.
The Brz pass rate is better than the overall Subaru average of 81.1%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 48,770 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 89.0%
- MOT failure rate: 11.0%
- Tests analysed: 601 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 48,770 miles
- Subaru average pass rate: 81.1%
- National average pass rate: 79.6%
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.