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2013 Toyota Prius C

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

27 reports with mileage · 30 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

8 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports

Power Train complaints

4 reports
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Mileage unknown · Aug 28, 2026
Electrical SystemPower TrainVehicle Speed Control

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 down and I h…

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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 down and I had to pull over on the side of the freeway. There were no fluids leaking from the car.The car did not power back on nor run for over 10 minutes. The incident put my safety and other safety at risk by turning off while driving highway speeds. I was afraid for my life. There is an open recall which has not yet been resolved Major Safety Recalls for the 2013 Prius •The Hybrid Inverter Module (Critical Recall): Excessive voltage inside the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) can cause the hybrid system to overheat, shut down completely, or put the car into "limp home" mode while you are driving.

NHTSA ODI #11760483

Mileage unknown · Jan 9, 2023
Electrical SystemPower Train

According to Toyota Dealership, "WILL NEED TO REPLACE (MG1) HV TRANSAXLE UNIT AS 1ST STEP IN ORDER TO TO BE ABLE TO PROCEED WITH DIAGNOSE AND CHECKED FOR ANY OTHER SHORTED COMPONENTS". Vehicle is available for inspection. Vehicle was being driven on a city street towards a red light when the vehicle experienced a jolt and lost c…

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According to Toyota Dealership, "WILL NEED TO REPLACE (MG1) HV TRANSAXLE UNIT AS 1ST STEP IN ORDER TO TO BE ABLE TO PROCEED WITH DIAGNOSE AND CHECKED FOR ANY OTHER SHORTED COMPONENTS". Vehicle is available for inspection. Vehicle was being driven on a city street towards a red light when the vehicle experienced a jolt and lost complete acceleration power and a "Check Hybrid System" was displayed on the dashboard. Luckily all vehicles behind were already coming to a stop for the red light, otherwise, the safety of my family and myself may have been put in more serious harm. Vehicle able to crawl to a nearby gas station. Attempted to use remaining battery power to drive back to residence nearby, but lost all battery power/function and puled into a bus lane where vehicle was towed from. There were no warning lights or messages displayed prior to the incident. Toyota Dealership performed DTC verification 3 times and found to verify P0A94 detail code 172 is the persistent DTC when memory is cleared. They also inspected the vehicle for concern and were able to verify Check Engine Light is ON, vehicle is on "Limp Mode" and does not "Ready ON". The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone else other than the Toyota Dealership.

NHTSA ODI #11500797

200,717 miles · Dec 28, 2020
Electrical SystemEnginePower TrainCrash

TOYOTA IS TRYING TO COVER UP THE TRUE NUMBER OF VEHICLES SUBJECT TO THE HYBRID SYSTEM RECALL.. TOYOTA CLAIMS THIS VEHICLE IS NOT THE SUBJECT OF RECALL, YET THE VEHICLE DISPLAYS ALL THE SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL.. 1.) THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT FREEWAY SPEED ON WESTBOUND HWY 92 ON 12/27/2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 6:30PM 2…

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TOYOTA IS TRYING TO COVER UP THE TRUE NUMBER OF VEHICLES SUBJECT TO THE HYBRID SYSTEM RECALL.. TOYOTA CLAIMS THIS VEHICLE IS NOT THE SUBJECT OF RECALL, YET THE VEHICLE DISPLAYS ALL THE SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL.. 1.) THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT FREEWAY SPEED ON WESTBOUND HWY 92 ON 12/27/2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 6:30PM 2.) THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER.. DASHBOARD LIGHTS CAME ON.. ERROR MESSAGE SAID "HYBRID SYSTEM FAILURE" 3.) POWER TO BRAKING AND STEERING REMAINED 4.) VEHICLE WENT OFF THE FREEWAY, WITH NO POWER, DOWN AN EXIT RAMP, AND CAME TO A STOP, LUCKILY, IN A LEGAL PARKING PLACE, AT THE CURB ON DE ANZA BLVD.. THIS IS WHAT TOYOTA SAID PUBLICLY: 'THE INVOLVED VEHICLES WERE DESIGNED TO ENTER A FAILSAFE DRIVING MODE IN RESPONSE TO CERTAIN HYBRID SYSTEM FAULTS', THE AUTOMAKER EXPLAINED. 'TOYOTA HAS FOUND THAT IN RARE SITUATIONS, THE VEHICLE MAY NOT ENTER A FAILSAFE DRIVING MODE AS INTENDED. IF THIS OCCURS, THE VEHICLE COULD LOSE POWER AND STALL. WHILE POWER STEERING AND BRAKING WOULD REMAIN OPERATIONAL, A VEHICLE STALL WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEEDS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.'

NHTSA ODI #11385233

31,000 miles · Jun 22, 2018
Power TrainVehicle Speed Control

AROUND 2:00 AM ON FWY 101 NORTH/SOUTH DIVISION POINT, CAR SUDDENLY LOST ITS POWER AND ACCELERATOR STOPPED WORKING AND STOPPED IN THE CURVING AREA ON FASTEST LANES. I TURNED MY KEY ON/OFF FOR 5 TIMES LIGHTS ON THE PANEL WAS ON BUT ACCELERATOR WAS NOT WORKING AT ALL FOR 30 MIN SO I CALLED POLICE AND AAA TOWING. WHEN FINALLY AAA C…

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AROUND 2:00 AM ON FWY 101 NORTH/SOUTH DIVISION POINT, CAR SUDDENLY LOST ITS POWER AND ACCELERATOR STOPPED WORKING AND STOPPED IN THE CURVING AREA ON FASTEST LANES. I TURNED MY KEY ON/OFF FOR 5 TIMES LIGHTS ON THE PANEL WAS ON BUT ACCELERATOR WAS NOT WORKING AT ALL FOR 30 MIN SO I CALLED POLICE AND AAA TOWING. WHEN FINALLY AAA CAME AND TALKING ON THE PHONE, THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATED AGAIN. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS MY CAR WAS FORCED TO PARK ON THE FASTEST LANE ON THE CURVING AREA AT 2:00AM AND MANY TRUCKS AND CARS WERE DRIVING 90 MILES/HOUR. 4-5 CARS WERE YELLING AT ME "IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO PARK YOUR CAR RIGHT HERE !" AND SOME MALE DRIVERS OFFERED ME FOR HELP BUT I TOLD THEM THAT I WAS WAITING FOR POLICE (AS I WAS MORE AFRAID TO GET A HELP FROM STRANGERS.) THIS INCIDENT COULD CAUSE A VERY SERIOUS INJURIES OR DEATH. NEXT DAY, I TOOK MY CAR TO TOYOTA NORTHLEDGE BUT THEY SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM OF THIS CAR. I READ THE "RECALL" OF TOYOTA PRIUS 2010-2014 ABOUT INVERTER PROBLEM WHICH CAUSE THE POWER FAILURE BUT TIM/SERVICE MANGER TOLD ME THAT "YOUR VIN # IS NOT COVERED WITH THIS ISSUE." THEREFORE, HE CAN NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

NHTSA ODI #11103445

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.