← New search

2014 Toyota Prius C

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

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

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
Compare all Prius C years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 16 of 32 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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.

  • Service Brakes. Review the 8 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 →
  • Electrical System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

5 crash reports0 fire reports4 injury reports

Power Train complaints

2 reports
Clear category filter
Mileage unknown · Aug 19, 2021
Power TrainService BrakesVehicle Speed Control

Brake failure / Unintended Acceleration / Unknown cause Driving at approx 25mph on urban street (road in good condition no potholes, ramps, etc) I began to slowly brake as I approached a red traffic light. Instead of braking, the car began to accelerate quickly. I pressed the brake pedal again - no response. Pressed down hard …

Read full complaint

Brake failure / Unintended Acceleration / Unknown cause Driving at approx 25mph on urban street (road in good condition no potholes, ramps, etc) I began to slowly brake as I approached a red traffic light. Instead of braking, the car began to accelerate quickly. I pressed the brake pedal again - no response. Pressed down hard for a third time which executed an emergency stop. This all happened within 1 or 2 secs. There were no injuries or involvement of other cars on this occasion. However, had I been any closer to the car in front, I believe I would have rear-ended it. Had this occurred a few moments later, at the busy junction 400m ahead, it could have been fatal. I am absolutely sure it was not driver error. I was not distracted, drive regularly, and have been a confident and safe driver for over 30yrs. I have never experienced this in a car before, and in fact wasn't aware that it could happen until I researched it on this site. No warning lights or indicators came on. The car ran normally for the remaining 2 miles back home. I didn't think anything of it before, but prior to this incident (in our 5 yrs ownership) there were approx. 5 instances when the engine would "roar" as if it wanted to accelerate but didn't when I was breaking or slowing down on a highway. Also, there were perhaps 3 instances when the car felt as though it was "running away" i.e. a slight acceleration - for no obvious reason. As neither of these represented safety issues, I assumed the car was just a bit old and these issues would be addressed as part of any service. Now I wonder if they are related to the sudden acceleration. The car is currently having a "health checks" run, but nothing has been found. I am reluctant to drive this vehicle if neither my dealer or Toyota can discern the problem. Overall we have been happy with this car and its performance, but this is an unacceptable "anomaly" as far as safety is concerned. Vehicle available for inspection.

NHTSA ODI #11429735

68,500 miles · Jul 29, 2019
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

CITY STREET ...PRESSED ON GAS AFTER THE LIGHT CHANGED AND IT DID NOT GO FORWARD AND THEN WAIVERED FOR AWHILE. I WAS VERY CLOSE TO HOME. I DO NOT KNOW HOW IT WILL WORK TOMORROW . NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON. IT HAS ACTED FUNNY BEFORE LIKE THIS ON HIGHWAY TRIPS AND THEN IT WOULDN'T DO IT. TOYOTA DEALERS DO NOT EVEN KNOW ABOUT THEM …

Read full complaint

CITY STREET ...PRESSED ON GAS AFTER THE LIGHT CHANGED AND IT DID NOT GO FORWARD AND THEN WAIVERED FOR AWHILE. I WAS VERY CLOSE TO HOME. I DO NOT KNOW HOW IT WILL WORK TOMORROW . NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON. IT HAS ACTED FUNNY BEFORE LIKE THIS ON HIGHWAY TRIPS AND THEN IT WOULDN'T DO IT. TOYOTA DEALERS DO NOT EVEN KNOW ABOUT THEM AND IT IS ANNOYING. IT FEELS LIKE A TRANSMISSION SLIPPING BUT HAS LESS THAN 70,000 MILES. I THOUGHT MAYBE HEAT IS DOING IT BUT NOW THAT IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY IE OVER 5 YEARS OLD, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. I AM UNSURE WHAT CAUSES THIS SINCE NO LIGHTS WARN ANYTHING IS WRONG.

NHTSA ODI #11240225

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.