2013 Toyota Prius V problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes (62) · Exterior Lighting (7) · Vehicle Speed Control (6)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota Prius V model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
67 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
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 2015-07-15 · campaign 15V449000 · 108,624 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Prius V vehicles manufactured August 22, 2011, to June 30, 2014. A component within the hybrid inverter assembly may overheat, causing the hybrid system to reduce output power allowing the vehicle to only drive a short distance. In some circumstances, the hybrid system may shut down causing the vehicle to stop while being driven.
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 the motor/generator control electronic control unti (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU, free of charge. The recall began on July 30, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
Exterior Lighting:tail Lights 2013-12-12 · campaign 13E070000 · 409 vehicles
Defect: Genera Corporation (Genera) is recalling certain aftermarket replacement tail lights, model 11-6468-00 (driver-side), and model 11-6467-00 (passenger-side), sold for use on 2012-2013 Toyota Prius V vehicles. The brake light and tail light circuits are switched causing the brake lights to be illuminated continuously until the brake pedal is pressed, when the brake lights will go out.
Risk: The reversed tail lamp function reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Genera will notify owners and provide replacement aftermarket tail lamps, free of charge. The recall began on January 23, 2014. Owners may contact Genera at 1-888-963-9888. This recall is being conducted by Genera Corporation, not by Toyota Motor Corporation.
Service bulletins (497)
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 497 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-01 · Unknown Or Other“airbag light remains on and horn has also stopped working. …”
2026-07-17 · Service Brakes“my prius had brake warning lights come on around december 2025. turns out the brake accumulator had an internal leak. after doing some research, i discovered this was a known brake booster issue that toyota has not issued a recall on. they do have an extended warranty program, but my vehicle did not qualify. the warning lights did not come on until…”
2026-05-01 · Service Brakes“suddenly cars brakes failed with vehicle almost lunged forward. i had to slam the brakes heavily for it to stop; took the vehicle to toyota service and clearly its a quality issue toyota acknowledged as a know problem with error code c1391. they even had customer support program 20te07 acknowledging it as their issue; i almost got killed for this. …”
2026-04-23 · Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness“the harness webbing/strap on the evenflo revolve360 slim tore without any known incident or accident causing the damage. the defect was discovered on april 15, 2026 when the seat was temporarily removed from the vehicle. upon inspection, the harness strap was found to be nearly completely torn through and would likely not have restrained the child …”
2026-04-17 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · 120,000 mi“the contact owns a 2013 toyota prius v. the contact stated that while pulling out of a parking space at approximately 15 mph and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal felt spongy, but the vehicle responded as intended. the brake, the abs, the traction control warning lights, and an unknown warning light were illuminated. the contact scanned t…”
2026-04-14 · Power Train:axle Assembly“the contact owns a 2013 toyota prius v. the contact stated that while in reverse(r), the rear driver’s side tire became flat. upon inspection, it was discovered that the rear axle had fractured due to rusting and corrosion, and had punctured the rear passenger’s side tire. the vehicle was towed to the local mechanic, who diagnosed that the rear axl…”
2026-04-05 · Service Brakes“when i'm in the car, the brake booster keeps recharging with out touching the brake pedal. also, the car has problems when i apply the brakes while driving. they make a hissing and popping noise and the braking is spongy. i have had braking warning lights come on as well. it is similar to what others have been describing as the brake booster and pu…”
2026-02-13 · Service Brakes“spontaneous failure of brake actuator system. …”
2026-01-27 · Service Brakes“upon a hard (but not emergency) brake, my abs and brake warning lights came on and my car began whirring once every few seconds. i immediately took the car to the toyota dealership, who informed me that my master brake cylinder and booster had to be replaced, and that issues with the booster were something they had seen frequently in this generatio…”
2026-01-20 · Service Brakes“the brake actuator and compressor is having repeated problems and causing the brakes to lock up completely while driving both in city and on the highway. abs/parking/normal brakes the lights on the dash all start flashing and beeping. abs / emergency brake / exclamation warning / sliding / lights all on it also caused the speedometer to stop work…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.