2018 Toyota Prius C problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Visibility/Wiper (1) · Vehicle Speed Control (1) · Electrical System (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota Prius C model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (2)
Hybrid Propulsion System 2019-06-26 · campaign 19V491000 · 464 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Prius C vehicles. The DC-DC converter may fail resulting in the auxiliary battery no longer receiving power from the converter, which may cause a loss of drive.
Risk: A loss of drive increases the risk of crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the DC-DC converter with a new one, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began August 23, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is K0K.
Equipment:other:labels 2018-03-15 · campaign 18V176000 · 19 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota Prius C vehicles sold in Puerto Rico. The front passenger air bag and recommended child occupant seating positions label may not have been attached during assembly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: If the label is missing, occupants may not follow the proper restraint usage guidelines, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners and will mail the removable labels to all known owners of the subject vehicles, free of charge. The recall began on April 11, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0L.
Service bulletins (169)
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 169 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2023-07-04 · Vehicle Speed Control · 💥 crash“i entered a large, strip mall parking area and was driving at the vastly reduced speed one would use in such a situation. my intention was to park my car to enter a store in the mall. i turned a corner to park on the side of the building (parking options were limited). as i entered a parking space (moving at the speed one would drive to do so; esse…”
2021-12-01 · Electrical System“certain 2018+ and all later toyota prius c modes have a 12v battery for which there is currently no oem or aftermarket replacement. the battery has a form factor (shape and size) that is exclusive to these vehicles and not used in any other car sold in north america. vehicles with failed batteries (like mine) cannot be operated. toyota should retro…”
2020-09-27 · Unknown Or Other · 24,578 mi“ireceived the warning that "pre-collision system malfunction" while i was driving on the highway this morning. the warning message asked me to stop the car at a safe place and visit the dealer. as soon as i got off the highway, the car stopped itself, and the steering was locked. the car was completely disabled. after turn off the car completely fo…”
2019-03-19 · Unknown Or Other · 1,500 mi“the pre-collision has never worked , took it in to toyota and they said it was good and that there was no way to test in real life . but it has not worked since car was new . there have been many times when there was a car very close stopped or moving slow in front of car and i am apparently ready to hit ,but no alarm or signal.…”
2018-10-04 · Visibility/Wiper · 10,222 mi“while on my morning commute on the freeway the moonroof unexpectedly exploded showering fragments of glass into the vehicle. one shard actually splintered into my finger requiring medical attention i have numerous pictures on my phone…”
2018-10-04 · Unknown Or Other · 10,233 mi“while driving on the freeway with no other vehicles around me the moonroof unexpectedly exploded showering the interior with razor sharp shards of glass which inflicted a splinter. after contacting toyota, i was informed that moonroofs are not covered under warranty i have pictures on my phone of these shards...…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.