2013 Toyota Prius problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes (208) · Vehicle Speed Control (22) · Engine (17)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota Prius model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
175 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Hybrid Propulsion System: Inverter 2020-06-24 · campaign 20V369000 · 266,638 vehicles
Defect: Toyota 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 vehicle to stall while being driven.
Risk: An unexpected hybrid power system shut down may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will perform a software update for the hybrid system. If the vehicle has experienced an inverter failure with certain hybrid system faults related to this condition, the inverter assembly will be repaired or replaced, prior to software update. All repairs will be performed free of charge. This recall began July 24, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB10 / 20TA10.
Hybrid Propulsion System 2018-10-04 · campaign 18V684000 · 807,329 vehicles
Defect: Toyota 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 while being driven.
Risk: If the hybrid system shuts down unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 22, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0V. Note: The software updates in this recall are needed even if the vehicle had the software previously updated under recalls 14V-053 or 15V-449.
Hybrid Propulsion System: Inverter 2014-02-12 · campaign 14V053000 · 698,457 vehicles
Defect: Toyota 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 this occurs, various warning lamps will be illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle will have reduced power allowing it to only drive a short distance.
Risk: The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. The hybrid system could also shut down completely resulting in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners and dealers will update the software for both the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU, free of charge. If an owner experiences a failure of the inverter before the vehicle receives updated software, the dealer will repair or replace the inverter assembly with a new one at no charge. The recall began on March 21, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Service bulletins (466)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Engine 2026-02-13 · T-SB-0009-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge on ni-mh high voltage (hv) batteries. this bulletin should be used in conjunction with the applicable model and model year repair manual while performing a rescue charge. the grx-5100 should be used wherever the repair manual ref
Engine 2026-02-13 · T-SB-0119-15 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
obsolete notice february 13, 2026: this bulletin is now obsolete. please see t-sb-0009-26.
Unknown Or Other 2026-01-07 · T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2005 – 2026 toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. the purpose of this service bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures
Electrical System 2025-06-13 · T-SB-0058-23 Rev1 · Service Campaign
the air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. the procedures outlined in this service bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and repairing refrigerant leaks.
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. if these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicle surface, especially the horizonal areas of the hood, roof,
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
to prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. the purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and initial rust before the vehicle is delivered to the customer.
Showing the 6 most recent of 466 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-19 · Service Brakes“on xxx, at approximately 152,570 miles, the brake, abs, and traction-control warning lights illuminated at the same time on my 2013 toyota prius. the brakes felt spongy, and i heard a recurring buzzing sound approximately every 3 seconds. because of the change in brake-pedal feel and concerns about braking safety, i stopped using the vehicle. i rep…”
2026-10-17 · Unknown Or Other · 💥 crash“i experienced sudden unintended acceleration. while i was making a right turn from the street to my driveway, my car suddenly accelerated on its own and hit the side of the house and the garage door, causing significant damage to the house and the front of my car. my street is uphill, so my car was almost stopped when i made a turn. my car suddenly…”
2026-10-12 · Service Brakes“while driving our 2013 toyota prius, the vehicle experienced a sudden and severe loss of braking effectiveness while the vehicle was in motion. this created an immediate safety risk because the vehicle did not respond to braking as expected. after the incident, the vehicle displayed the red brake warning light, abs warning light, brake-system warn…”
2026-10-06 · Service Brakes“while driving, my brake pedal would randomly lose power assist. the pedal would get hard and i couldn't press it down normally, and i had to push as hard as i could just to get the car to slow down. this happened more than once while driving and i almost crashed because i couldn't stop the car in time. a scan later showed codes c1252 (brake booster…”
2026-09-28 · Tires:pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems · 138,932 mi · 🔥 fire“the contact owns a 2013 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving and pulling into a parking lot, there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle. the contact exited the vehicle but saw no fault with the vehicle. the contact was then notified by another person that the vehicle had caught on fire. the fire department extinguished the fire…”
2026-09-10 · Vehicle Speed Control · 140,000 mi · 💥 crash“the contact owns a 2013 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the abs warning light illuminated. minutes later, the vehicle started to brake and lurch forward with the accelerator pedal depressed. the contact stated that the vehicle spun out and crashed into the median. the contact’s chest struck the steering wheel, causing br…”
2026-08-28 · Unknown Or Other“my 2013 prius has 86,500 miles on it. it has been regularly maintained. a routine state inspection revealed a severely rusted rear axle beam and a front axle that is heading in that direction. other prius' in [xxx] have had this issue, and in some cases, the wheels have detached from the axle while the car is in motion. that is documented. tha…”
2026-08-26 · Service Brakes“the break pump for my 2013 prius is going out and is a known issue with toyota. i contacted toyota and they have stated because it is past the extended warranty they can not repair it and aren't liable for it. i bought the car used and was unaware that it has been a known issue for years. the previous owner did not have it replaced as they were pro…”
2026-08-25 · Service Brakes“i purchased a 2013 toyota prius from a reputable dealership in omaha (o'daniel honda). 5 days after purchase the abs, brake, and traction control lights came on in the evening. when i took it to the dealership the next day they had cycled off and the dealership couldn't find anything wrong. a few days later it happened again so i got into the deale…”
2026-08-13 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · 120,000 mi“the contact owns a 2013 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the abs, traction control, and brake warning lights were illuminated. the contact pulled off on the off-ramp and became aware that extra effort was needed to depress the brake pedal. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with brake b…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.