2014 Toyota Prius problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes (80) · Vehicle Speed Control (14) · Engine (11)
🧭 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
99 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 (427)
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 427 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-21 · Unknown Or Other · 💥 crash“the toyota prius, models through 2010 - 2015 have a known issue with the brake booster (actuator) and abs pump where the parts will degrade and break at or around 100,000mi. toyota issued a bulletin and had a replacement program that covered the part that has since elapsed but has not corrected the issue with existing stock and inventory so the pro…”
2026-10-16 · Service Brakes“my vehicle is experiencing the well-known brake booster failure. this started at 90,000 miles, with an increased frequency in the running of the brake booster. it has steadily gotten worse, and now the pump runs with every brake application or every 13 seconds. there is now a hissing sound when i apply the brakes. i have repeatedly taken this…”
2026-10-05 · Service Brakes“facing brake booster/accumulator leak at ~105,000 miles diagnosed and confirmed by a mechanic at an independent service center. problem is characterized by a hissing and chirping sound from the brakes. no warning lights appear on the dash, but this is a known problem with the 2014 prius. brake system could fail at any time, preventing the car from …”
2026-09-12 · Service Brakes“abs and brake light are on. was on the freeway and when i pressed the brake the wheels got locked and the car made a 360 spin, it almost flipped over …”
2026-09-04 · Service Brakes“while driving my 2014 toyota prius, the brake, abs, and vehicle stability/traction control warning lights illuminated. there was no crash, injury, or noticeable loss of braking before the warnings appeared, and there were no preceding symptoms. the vehicle was evaluated by mac haik toyota in league city, tx, an authorized toyota dealer. they diagn…”
2026-08-03 · Unknown Or Other“i am submitting this complaint regarding a serious safety concern involving the brake actuator/booster assembly on my 2014 toyota prius. my vehicle has experienced failure of this critical braking component and has been unable to be properly repaired since november due to difficulty obtaining the correct replacement parts. this involves a major sa…”
2026-07-17 · Service Brakes“my car experienced a failing brake actuator/accumulator. the first sign was the abs and break lights accompanied by a whoosing sound. the issue causes intermittent system wide break failure and renders the car undriveable. toyota had an extended warranty for this issue but that offer was closed by the time my car had the failure even though it was …”
2026-07-14 · Service Brakes“brake actuator had been making noises and it finally stopped working on 7/14/26. thankfully my car was and stopped and parked. the car has 137k miles on it, one owner and no explanation of what caused this. there were no accidents, abuse, or failure to maintenance. …”
2026-07-02 · Unknown Or Other“the traction control, abs, and emergency brake light came on. we checked and the code produced was c1391. there’s a humming noise every 10 or so seconds when idle. the humming noise is also present when braking. we did some research and this appears to be an issue with toyota prius. we called the dealership and were informed that this was not a kno…”
2026-06-17 · Service Brakes“car is at less than 105k miles and yet brake actuator is failing. …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.