2013 Toyota Prius problems and recalls

58% of owner complaints on the 2013 Toyota Prius related to the Service Brakes (242 of 414).

414
Complaints
3
Recalls
40
Crash reports
4
Fire reports
24
Injuries
85.0
Severity index

Severity index 85.0 High. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 85.0p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Ranked 35 of 145 by severity index among 2013 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 76% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2013 ranking.

Components cited in complaints

Service BrakesService Brakes: 242 complaints (58.5%)242 58%Electrical SystemElectrical System: 52 complaints (12.6%)52 13%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 50 complaints (12.1%)50 12%EngineEngine: 37 complaints (8.9%)37 9%Vehicle Speed ControlVehicle Speed Control: 22 complaints (5.3%)22 5%Air BagsAir Bags: 18 complaints (4.3%)18 4%Fuel/Propulsion SystemFuel/Propulsion System: 16 complaints (3.9%)16 4%Power TrainPower Train: 14 complaints (3.4%)14 3%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
SERVICE BRAKES24258.5%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM5212.6%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER5012.1%
ENGINE378.9%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL225.3%
AIR BAGS184.3%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM163.9%
POWER TRAIN143.4%

Complaints filed per year

040802012: 12013: 282014: 282015: 112016: 162017: 122018: 282019: 292020: 202021: 182022: 172023: 322024: 562025: 802026: 38 (partial year)12131415161718192021222324258026
Complaints by the calendar year they were filed. The hatched bar is the current year to date.
YearComplaints
20121
201328
201428
201511
201616
201712
201828
201929
202020
202118
202217
202332
202456
202580
2026 (year to date)38
Filings in 2023 to 2025 ran 3.1x those in 2020 to 2022 (168 against 55).

Recall campaigns

CampaignReportedComponentSummary
18V68400004/10/2018HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEMToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Toyota Prius and 2012-2014 Toyota Prius V vehicles. Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) within the inverter may cause the hybrid system to shut down, causing the vehicle to stall
14V05300012/02/2014HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM: INVERTERToyota is recalling certain model year 2010 through 2014 Prius vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) inside the inverter module (a component of the hybrid system) contains transistors that may become damaged from high operating temperatures. If
20V36900024/06/2020HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM: INVERTERToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Prius and 2014-2017 Prius V vehicles not included in recall 18V-684. Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) within the inverter may cause the hybrid system to shut down, causing the

Other Toyota Prius model years

Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 13 years side by side.

Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-10-21. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.