NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
32 reports170,000 miles · May 2, 2024
Exterior LightingSteeringWheels
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Prius C. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds and turning from the left lane, the steering wheel popped out. The vehicle was able to reverse however, tires were pushed inward. The vehicle was pushed out of the roadway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The hazard ligh…
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The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Prius C. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds and turning from the left lane, the steering wheel popped out. The vehicle was able to reverse however, tires were pushed inward. The vehicle was pushed out of the roadway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The hazard light was inoperable. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000. The VIN was not available.
NHTSA ODI #11586549
Mileage unknown · Feb 9, 2024
StructureUnknown Or Other
Watergets into the body of the car for years since i bought the car i chaged the "body plugs" at the dealer they told me that would fix the problem but whenever it rains floor and trunk fills with water.
NHTSA ODI #11571037
73,211 miles · Jun 21, 2023
Engine
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Prius C. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to move the vehicle to the shoulder of the roadway safely. The contact stated that before losing motive power, an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the de…
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The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Prius C. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to move the vehicle to the shoulder of the roadway safely. The contact stated that before losing motive power, an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure had recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,211.
NHTSA ODI #11528077
Mileage unknown · Nov 21, 2021
Electrical SystemEngineSteering
While driving, I received a warning "hybrid system malfunction". Within seconds, the vehicle powered off and the steering wheel LOCKED. I had no control of the car and came to an abrupt stop in lane 1 of a two lane road. I was fortunate that it was late in the evening with few cars on the road, had I been on the highway durin…
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While driving, I received a warning "hybrid system malfunction". Within seconds, the vehicle powered off and the steering wheel LOCKED. I had no control of the car and came to an abrupt stop in lane 1 of a two lane road. I was fortunate that it was late in the evening with few cars on the road, had I been on the highway during rush hour the outcome, due to loss of power and control (steering), could have been catastrophic and perhaps fatal for me or other commuters. I note that in 2014, Toyota notified NHTSA of a recall to, "rectify software in two of the Prius's electronic control units, one for the motor/generator and the other controlling the hybrid system." Further Toyota said, "In rare circumstances, it could shut down the hybrid system itself, resulting in loss of power and the vehicle coming to a stop". This is exactly what happened to me the other night. Toyota claims, in 2014, that "it has received no reports of accidents or injuries related to the problem." This seems to be an extraordinarily amount of good luck as I could have been easily rear-ended the other night. Curiously, in this NHTSA data base, another owner reported an incident (11439720) on November 8, 2021, that is similar to the experience I had just days prior. And our VINS are eerily close. Coincidence? Not likely. Does the 2014 recall apply to my car and if not, why not given I experienced the exact same symptoms?
NHTSA ODI #11441194
Mileage unknown · Nov 8, 2021
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other
While driving on the interstate yesterday my Prius computer shut down entirely.
NHTSA ODI #11439720
Mileage unknown · Sep 9, 2021
Exterior Lighting
The seal of the rear lamp assembly becomes unsealed and lets water in. Burns our bulbs and short out electrical system because of this. Second right rear assembly was replaced today and now front units are also foggy so I know that the seal on the lamp unit is also wearing. I read about this with other Prius and other c models. …
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The seal of the rear lamp assembly becomes unsealed and lets water in. Burns our bulbs and short out electrical system because of this. Second right rear assembly was replaced today and now front units are also foggy so I know that the seal on the lamp unit is also wearing. I read about this with other Prius and other c models. I had to buy actual Toyota parts as there are no aftermarket units.
NHTSA ODI #11432288
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 …
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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
75,000 miles · Feb 19, 2020
Electrical SystemEngineVehicle Speed Control
I TURNED ON MY VEHICLE AND WHEN I SWITCHED GEARS, FROM PARK TO DRIVE, IT DID NOT REGISTER THAT IT WAS IN DRIVE. WHEN I TRIED TO DRIVE AWAY, THERE WAS NO ACCELERATION AND LACK OF POWER. MY BATTERY WAS OPERATING AT ALMOST MAX CAPACITY.
NHTSA ODI #11310098
63,769 miles · Jan 9, 2020
Air BagsCrash
MY DAUGHTER WAS TRAVELING DOWN 121 BY GRAPEVINE MILLS MALL. SHE NOTICED A DRIVER BEING AGGRESSIVE. SO SHE ATTEMPTED TO SWITCH TO GET AWAY FROM HIM. WHEN SHE WAS CHECKING TO MERGE TO NEXT LANE THE AGGRESSIVE DRIVER STOPPED FOR NO REASON. INTENTIONELLY WRECKING HER CAR. THEN DRIVING OFF. HER VEHICLE HAD EXTENSIVE DAMAGE AND HER …
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MY DAUGHTER WAS TRAVELING DOWN 121 BY GRAPEVINE MILLS MALL. SHE NOTICED A DRIVER BEING AGGRESSIVE. SO SHE ATTEMPTED TO SWITCH TO GET AWAY FROM HIM. WHEN SHE WAS CHECKING TO MERGE TO NEXT LANE THE AGGRESSIVE DRIVER STOPPED FOR NO REASON. INTENTIONELLY WRECKING HER CAR. THEN DRIVING OFF. HER VEHICLE HAD EXTENSIVE DAMAGE AND HER AIR BACKS NEVER DEPLOYED. HER PRIUS C HAD DRIVER SIDE FRONT END DAMAGE. THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE FENDER WAS RIPPED FROM THE VEHICLE.
NHTSA ODI #11298226
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 …
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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
NHTSA investigations
1DP22005 · 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.