Toyota Prius c 2012–2019

Summary

8 model years in 1 generation, 191 owner complaints in total.
No model year holds enough complaints in its first three years to be compared with the others.
These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
Half of the complaints that give a mileage were filed by 44,700 miles (102 of them give one).
Owners reported 27 crashes, 1 fire, 21 injuries and 0 deaths across these model years.
4 recalls and 2 federal investigations cover these model years.

2012–2019

Each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Fewer than three years of this generation are comparable, so no year is named.

Model year	All complaints	First three years	Most reported system	Note
2012	64	11	Brakes	not compared
2013	57	9	Electrical System	not compared
2014	33	1	Brakes	not compared
2015	17	5	Electrical System	not compared
2016	12	6	Brakes	not compared
2017	2	1	Brakes	not compared
2018	6	4	Windows, Wipers & Visibility	not compared
2019	0	0		not compared

Every model year

A model year gets its own page when four sources cover it, it holds at least 50 complaints, and it either compares with the other years of its generation or shows one system in 40% or more of the complaints that name a component. The rest are listed here with their figures.

Model year	Complaints	Recalls	Investigations	Bulletins	Combined MPG	Page
2012	64	0	2	366	50	yes
2013	57	0	1	379	50	yes
2014	33	0	1	294	50	listed here
2015	17	1	1	279	50	listed here
2016	12	0	1	232	50	listed here
2017	2	1	1	178	46	listed here
2018	6	2	1	169	46	listed here
2019	0	0	0	0	46	listed here

What owners report across all years

System	Complaints	Share	Median mileage
Brakes	59	34%	25,000 mi
Electrical System	52	30%	70,000 mi
Engine	23	13%	73,211 mi
Airbags	18	10%	50,000 mi
Fuel & Propulsion	14	8%	66,000 mi

Shares are over complaints that name a component; a complaint naming several systems is counted under each.

Brakes

Owner report The brakes failed while driving at a high speed (55 MPH) on the highway along with failing when braking at a low speed (15 MPH) near a major intersection. This occured with no warning other than the Brake, ABS, and Traction Control appearing as the failure was occuring. The warning light when away after the first occur…

Owner report My name is [XXX] currently active duty military stationed in San Diego. Can you please check if my car VIN number [XXX] 2016 Toyota Prius C 103k miles still covered for brake booster malfunction code 1391. I have told they are extended warranty up to 10 yrs less 150k. Toyota dealer here seems not seeing any warrant…

Electrical System

Owner report The contact owned a 2012 Toyota Prius C. The contact stated that while attempting to park, the vehicle rapidly accelerated upon tapping the brake pedal and crashed into a brick storefront without warning. The air bags failed to deploy upon impact. A bystander inside the store assisted the contact in exiting the vehicle…

Owner report While I was driving on the freeway the dash lit up with multiple lights. Simultaneously, I lost power to the car and could not accelerate and only break. The steering was tight and I could not steer correctly. Then a message that said, CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM STOP THE VEHICLE IN A SAFE PLACE IMMEDIATELY. The was slowing do…

Engine

Owner report While driving the hybrid battery light turned on. The car then began to reduce its speed and I had to pull over. I restarted the car and on one of the fuses to the computer to restart it. I began to drive the car back home and it did it again. I recently had a hybrid battery replaced in the vehicle. I was on the freewa…

Owner report I am writing to express a complaint regarding the issues I have experienced with the brake system of my Toyota Prius C, 2012 model. For the past several months, I have noticed that the brakes exhibit strange noises, soft pedal sensation, reduced braking efficiency, were driving and the ABS, traction, brake, and that ot…

Largest recalls

Campaign	Component	Filed	Vehicles
15V514000	TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS	2015-08-13	949
19V491000	HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM	2019-06-26	464
17V295000	TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE	2017-05-02	409
18V176000	EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS	2018-03-15	19

Whether a recall has been done on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Open investigations

None open.

Service bulletins

Toyota issued 1,897 service bulletins covering these model years, most often about equipment.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so a bulletin listed here may not be specific to one year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

Date	Component	Summary
2026-02-13	ENGINE	OBSOLETE NOTICE February 13, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0009-26.
2026-02-13	ENGINE	This bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge on Ni-MH high voltage (HV) batteries. This bulletin should be used in conjunction with the applicable model and model year Repair Manual while performing a rescue charge…
2026-01-07	UNKNOWN OR OTHER	Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Serv…
2025-06-13	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and repairing refrigerant…
2024-12-06	STRUCTURE:BODY	Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood…
2024-12-06	STRUCTURE:BODY	The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicl…
2024-12-05	STRUCTURE:BODY	Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow the Removal Procedure …
2024-12-03	STRUCTURE:BODY	Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. This type of contamination can be identified by the …
2024-11-04	SERVICE BRAKES	This Customer Support Program provides coverage as it applies to Brake Booster and Brake Booster Pump Assemblies on Certain 2014-2016 Model Year Highlander HV and certain 2017 Model Year Prius V Vehicles. The specific condition covered by t…
2024-07-29	STRUCTURE:BODY	Some 2005 – 2024 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Serv…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more after news coverage or a recall. That is why years are compared only with other years of the same generation, over the same span, and never with other models.

Sources

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications (data as of 2026-10-28).
U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines and fuel economy.

This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection.