2013 Toyota Prius C: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 402 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 0 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
402
Complaints
0
Recalls
43
Crash reports
3
Fire reports
24
Injuries
95.0
Severity index
Severity index 95.0 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 145 2013 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2013 Toyota Prius C ranks 38 of 145 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 74% of its model-year peers. See the full 2013 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES | 198 | 49.3% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 68 | 16.9% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 50 | 12.4% |
| ENGINE | 42 | 10.4% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 23 | 5.7% |
| AIR BAGS | 21 | 5.2% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 21 | 5.2% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 16 | 4.0% |
The single most-reported system is SERVICE BRAKES, cited in 198 of 402 complaints (49.3%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 30 |
| 2014 | 31 |
| 2015 | 15 |
| 2016 | 19 |
| 2017 | 14 |
| 2018 | 30 |
| 2019 | 32 |
| 2020 | 26 |
| 2021 | 21 |
| 2022 | 23 |
| 2023 | 37 |
| 2024 | 61 |
| 2025 | 59 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 3 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 2.2x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.