2013 Toyota Prius C problems
NHTSA has received 91 complaints about the 2013 Toyota Prius C, and 25% of them involve electrical system. After that come brakes (19%) and engine (8%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 91 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 25% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 18 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 3 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 67,000 miles 43 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 11 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 5 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 3 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 9 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 4 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 2 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 5 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 3 |
What the data shows
Among the 43 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 67,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 68,000 miles (12 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 18 complaints mention a crash; 3 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2013 ranks 2nd most-complained-about out of 4 model years of the Toyota Prius C with enough data (26 complaints in that window).
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota prius c. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and failed to respond. As a result, the contact crashed into a tree and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained back and knee injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound yard. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 8,000.
I was involved in a left-hand turn, t-bone style/side impact car accident on june 5th, 2019. The other driver was going 50+ MPH and I was going 20 MPH. My air bags should have at least deployed on the passenger side where there is impact.
I am requesting $2,919.03 in repair reimbursement for my 2013 prius c, VIN # [xxx] on 2-11-19 I attempted a right turn on a city street in san marcos, ca. I rotated the steering wheel and heard and felt a 'clunk.' the steering wheel lost all torque and spun freely without engaging the wheels. I drifted into the middle of the intersection with complete loss of steering (see san diego sheriff report #[xxx]. Big red's automotive (see attached invoice) took attached pictures of steering column and intermediate shaft.
Driving on a highway on my way to work suddenly the my 2013 prius c engine completely stops. The check engine light and check hybrid system light came on. The car completely shuts down and now I'm a sitting duck good thing people slew down for me and even help me push my car to the side of the road safely. This is a very dangerous situation and needs attention.