Model year record
2014 Toyota Prius C recalls & problems
The 2014 Toyota Prius C has no safety recalls on file with NHTSA, and 33 owner complaints. The most-reported problem area is service brakes (9 complaints).
Safety recalls
No safety recalls have been filed for the 2014 Toyota Prius C.
Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.
Crash test ratings
2014 Toyota Prius C 5 HB FWD
| Frontal crash | ★★★★★ |
|---|---|
| Side crash | ★★★★★ |
| Rollover | ★★★★★ |
| Rollover risk | 11.8% |
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.
Fuel economy
Prius c Hybrid
| City / highway | 53 / 46 mpg |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline |
1.5 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (variable gear ratios) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $1,350/year to fuel
EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.
What owners report
| Problem area | Complaints | Typical mileage* |
|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 9 | — |
| Unknown or other | 8 | — |
| Engine | 7 | 68,500 mi |
| Electrical system | 6 | — |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 29,267 mi |
| Air bags | 3 | 50,000 mi |
| Exterior lightingHazard flashing warning lights | 3 | — |
| Steering | 3 | — |
| StructureBody | 2 | — |
| Power train | 2 | — |
| Suspension | 1 | — |
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
Recent owner complaints
- Service brakes
The brakes failed while driving at a high speed (55 MPH) on the highway along with failing when braking at a low speed (15 MPH) near a major intersection. This occured with no warning other than the Brake, ABS, and Traction Control appearing as the failure was occuring. The warning light when away after the first occurance and the brakes began working again within a few moments. It then reoccured and the lights did not turn off and the car began beeping. My safety, along with my passengers safety and the safety of those who were in the area was put at risk. The highway failure occured in a high traffic area which was also a construction zone so workers were at risk. It has been confirmed by…
- Service brakes
Brake actuator assembly known issue in Prius C, Toyota refuses to do anything about it. Part is not cheap.
- Service brakes
While driving, suddenly all brake lights and warning lights went on, and brakes stopped working normally. It became difficult to brake (brake took a while to engage - had to press pedal to the floor). After diagnostics at the dealership it looks like the brake booster failed. Apparently Toyota knew about this issue as they did an extended warranty through a Customer Support Program, but unfortunately my issue occurred just past the expiration of that warranty. Since brakes are such a critical component of vehicle safety, if they don't operate well or as expected, it endangers the driver and everyone else on the road. It is wild that Toyota is aware of this issue but that there has been no…
- Service brakes
I was told that my Brake Booster and Brake Booster Pump Assembly needed replaced. I had specifically asked my dealership in the past if there were any issues with my car and was told that there was nothing, which was untrue. I called Toyota and was told that I was mailed something back in 2018, but I do not remember receiving it. Now I am told that this has expired. I wanted to know if I had any recourse or extension time on this program 21 TE01. I am afraid that my brakes will not work, as the lights go off and on. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Service brakes
Cruise Control Not Working. Traction Control Light Active, Brake Light Active, And Light Active The cause was diagnosed by Toyota of Paris. TSB for C1391 Code abnormal leak in accumulator. The corrective action is to replace brake booster assembly with Master cylinder and Brake Booster pump Assembly.
- Electrical system
We were driving on a city street about 25-30mph and the car jerked suddenly and the lights on the dashboard illuminated and the "Check Hybrid System" message came up as well. The car was able to coast to a nearby parking lot. We attempted to drive the car home and the car stalled in the middle of the street. We were able to push the car off the road and then get it towed. The presented a potentially very dangerous situation as the car had a complete failure while driving in the middle of the road. The Toyota service department ran a diagnosis which returned DTC P0A94. All of this indicates that the car should be covered under the CUSTOMER CONFIDENCE PROGRAM 23TE03 however that program seems…
- Service brakes
2014 Toyota Prius C with 220k miles. Four warning lights came on while driving. Brakes became not responsive unless you press down very hard. Regenerative braking, went away. The Brake pump can be audibly heard turning on every few seconds.
- Unknown or other
My 2014 Toyota Prius C experienced a complete hybrid inverter failure. The part number of the inverter is the same as the one covered under Toyotaâs inverter recalls (such as Recall J0V), yet my VIN is not included. The failure created a serious safety concern, as the vehicle lost power while in motion. Toyotaâs recall appears to be too limited in scope and may need to be expanded to cover Prius C models that share the same faulty part. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this issue, as it appears to involve the same hardware defect acknowledged in other Prius models.
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Pedestrian alert soundsClosedLed to recall 22V063000
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review…