Toyota GT86 Radiator: Specs, Fitment & Common Faults

On the GT86, a genuinely useful diagnostic pattern: coolant loss specifically at higher speeds points toward a pressure or cap issue.

Illustration for editorial purposes

Find Toyota GT86 Radiator Here!

Opens live listings in a new tab.

OEM Part Number: confirm via VIN — radiators (aftermarket) Nissens 64685 / Valeo 735072

Accuracy note: Covers the Toyota GT86 (2012-) as listed in the UK aftermarket catalogues. Radiators are sold by engine, gearbox and air-conditioning fitment, and one model usually has two or three different cores — a thicker core for diesels and automatics, a thinner one for small petrols — with different hose positions, so a radiator for the wrong engine will not connect up. The references below are UK aftermarket listings whose fitment lists name this generation, labelled by brand with the core size in mm; genuine numbers are those quoted against the listing. Check your engine code and whether the car has air conditioning against your VIN, and replace the coolant and bleed the system after fitting.

Radiators (aftermarket)	Nissens 64685 (375 x 328 x 16 mm, without cap, without expansion tank, with gaskets/seals); Valeo 735072 (375 x 328 x 16 mm, for vehicles without oil cooler, without coolant regulator); Denso DRM21602 (350 x 374 x 16 mm)
Core sizes & variants	One 375 x 328 x 16 mm core for the 2.0 boxer; the GT86 is a Subaru-built car and shares the part with the BRZ.
Genuine (OE) numbers quoted	None quoted in catalogue listings — order a genuine unit against your VIN
Fitment notes	Subaru BRZ-catalogued radiators are the same part; the automatic versions carry an in-tank oil cooler.

Accuracy note: genuinely worth knowing: radiator core size and construction can differ between petrol and diesel GT86 engines, and again between manual and automatic gearboxes where the automatic needs an integrated oil cooler circuit — confirm your exact engine code and transmission before ordering.

A Genuinely Useful Diagnostic Pattern Worth Knowing About — Toyota GT86 Radiator

If you're losing coolant specifically through the overflow or header tank pipe, and it seems to happen only at higher speeds, this is genuinely worth understanding: this specific pattern points toward excessive pressure building up in the cooling system, rather than a head gasket issue, particularly if a proper block test has already ruled the head gasket out. A radiator cap that's no longer holding pressure correctly, or a partial blockage somewhere in the system, are both worth checking.

A genuinely useful technical explanation worth knowing about water pump noise: a whining or grinding noise from the water pump area is typically caused by bearing wear, and in more advanced cases, the impeller itself striking the housing once the bearing has failed enough to let it shift position.

It's also worth knowing that coolant leaking specifically from the water pump's shaft seal, visible as a small weep beneath the pump, is often one of the earliest signs of pump failure.

Toyota GT86 Radiator: The Part That Keeps Everything Else From Cooking

There's nothing exciting about this component, yet on the Toyota GT86, most catastrophic engine failures that aren't simply down to wear trace back to a cooling problem someone ignored too long. Catching it early is cheap; catching it late usually isn't.

Toyota GT86 Radiator: Watch: Replacing It

🎬 Watch: Mishimoto Radiator Install FRS/BRZ How to (sister (scion fr-s / subaru brz))

Watch on YouTube ↗

Same car as GT86; aftermarket rad but stock removal shown.

Before you buy: radiator size and design vary significantly by engine size, transmission type, and whether your car has air conditioning. Always confirm against your VIN before ordering.

Toyota GT86 Radiator: What It Does

The Toyota GT86 radiator's core job is moving heat out of the engine coolant and into the passing air, holding engine temperature within safe limits. Automatic versions frequently add a second internal circuit for transmission fluid cooling, which is exactly why the correct part number carries extra weight on this component.

Find Toyota GT86 Radiator Here!

Opens live listings in a new tab.

Toyota GT86 Radiator: Faults, DIY Difficulty & Aftermarket Advice

These are the same regardless of make or model — see our full Radiator Guide for the three common failure modes, confirming fitment against your VIN, and OEM vs aftermarket guidance.

More Toyota Radiator

The same part, covered across other Toyota models.