What breaks most · 2012 to 2018 model years
Toyota Prius c problems by year
Owners have filed 79 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Toyota Prius c across model years 2012 to 2018. Three years stand out: 2012 for brakes complaints, 2013 for electrical system complaints and 2014 for brakes complaints. The quietest years are 2015.
- Years to check closely: 2012, 2013, 2014
- Fewest complaints: 2015
- Complaints on file
- 792012 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 201231 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 121 fires · 14 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 31kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 3Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 7 | 0 | Brakes (10) | |
| 17 | 2 | 0 | Electrical system (7) | |
| 11 | 3 | 0 | Brakes (2) | |
| 10 | 0 | 1 | Unknown or other (7) | |
| 7 | 0 | 0 | Unknown or other (4) | |
| 3 | 0 | 2 | Unknown or other (2) |
What fails on the 2012 Toyota Prius c
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 32% |
10 | 2 | Shop brakes parts for the 2012 Toyota Prius c |
| Air bags | 23% |
7 | 6 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 16% |
5 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2012 Toyota Prius c |
| Unknown or other | 13% |
4 | 1 | — |
| Stability controlABS and wheel speed sensors | 10% |
3 | 0 | Shop stability control parts for the 2012 Toyota Prius c |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 10% |
3 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2012 Toyota Prius c |
| Seats | 10% |
3 | 0 | — |
| Seat belts | 10% |
3 | 3 | Check recalls for seat belts on NHTSA.gov |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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The back brakes automatically release at 5 mph when decreasing speed and only when its wet outside. The car is now at 365,000 miles and it is still doing it 6 years later
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Brake lights stay on after brake pedal is released when car is in park and when it is in motion. The brake lights stay on even after the key is removed from ignition and car locked. Toyota has repaired this problem twice and now it is the third time i have the problem.
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While braking the front wheel rolled over a sunken sewer cover causing temporary braking failure and a sliding sensation.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Toyota Prius c years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2012, 2013, 2014 carry the most filings on the Toyota Prius c. The 2012 alone has 31 complaints, led by brakes.
What is the most common Toyota Prius c problem?
On the 2012 model year, the most-reported component is brakes with 10 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Toyota Prius c problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Toyota Prius c complaints that include mileage is about 31,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.