Model year record

2015 Toyota Prius C recalls & problems

The 2015 Toyota Prius C has 1 safety recall and 17 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is unknown or other (7 complaints).

Recalls1safety recalls

Complaints17filed by owners

Crashes · fires2 · 0reported in complaints

NHTSA overall4 ★crash-test stars

2015 Toyota Prius C in an NHTSA crash test — NHTSA crash test

Safety recalls

TiresAug 13, 2015

Pressure monitoring and regulating systems

Recall 15V514000949 vehicles

Problem: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2015 Toyota Prius C vehicles manufactured April 20, 2015, to June 30, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) may be improperly calibrated and, as a result, the TPMS may fail to warn the driver that the tire pressure is low. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Risk: If the vehicle is driven on underinflated tires, the tires may fail. Sudden tire failure increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will re-calibrate the TPMS, free of charge. The recall began on September 15, 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET15E.

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

2015 Toyota Prius C 5 HB FWD

Overall★★★★★

Frontal crash	★★★★★
Side crash	★★★★★
Rollover	★★★★★
Rollover risk	11.8%

2015 Toyota Prius C NHTSA side crash test — NHTSA side barrier crash test

2015 Toyota Prius C NHTSA side pole crash test — NHTSA side pole crash test

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

50mpg combined

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	Crashes	Injuries	Typical mileage*
Unknown or other	7	0	0	18,000 mi
Electrical system	5	0	0	5,300 mi
Service brakes	3	0	0	—
Engine	3	0	0	—
StructureBody	2	0	0	—
Wheels	2	0	0	—
Air bags	2	2	1	—
Exterior lighting	1	0	0	—
Seats	1	1	1	—

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

Engine
While driving the hybrid battery light turned on. The car then began to reduce its speed and I had to pull over. I restarted the car and on one of the fuses to the computer to restart it. I began to drive the car back home and it did it again. I recently had a hybrid battery replaced in the vehicle. I was on the freeway both times and this caused me a lot of anxiety. There were two individuals in the vehicle, which both were at risk of being injured if there was a collision. We need it to pull over within less than 30 seconds. They appeared in the morning and a year prior. A year previously I replaced the battery. There was an odd buzzing sound in the back of the driver seat were the vent…
Jul 4, 2026
Electrical system
I purchased my 2015 Prius C in July of 2016. Since then I have consistently had issues with the lock actuator going out on various doors. As follows: 3/12/18 - Driverside 6/13/18 - Passenger Front 8/3/20 - Driverside 8/5/22 - Rear Driverside 12/16/22 - Passenger Front 3/14/23 - Driverside and now in July of 2025 the Driverside actuator is failing, AGAIN. The previous times were covered by my warranty, but that ended in 2023. My car is also kept in a garage. The dealership attempted to blame this issue on the elements, but come on...if that was the case, this would be happening to all sorts of various cars, and it's not. This is an issue for a variety of reasons, one being I am unable to…
Jul 2, 2025
Service brakes
Unknown brake issues
Apr 9, 2024
Air bagsCrash1 injury
Prius was rear-ended at highway speeds, forcing it into the vehicle ahead of it. Airbags did not deploy, & driver's seat failed to stay locked, moving forward then rearward during crash.
Oct 22, 2022
Air bagsCrash
OUR VEHICLE WAS STRUCK IN THE SIDE THIS WEEK, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WE WERE ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET TRAVELING AROUND 30MPH.
Jan 13, 2021 · 84,000 miles
Wheels
MY VEHICLES DID NOT INDICATE THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS LOW AND IT SHOULD TELL ME SINCE IT IS CERTIFIED USED. THERE WAS NO LIGHT INDICATOR OR ANYTHING AND 2 OF MY TIRES WERE LOW. AS A NEW CAR OWNER I HAD NO IDEA AND IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR MY PARTNER I WOULD HAVE NOT KNOWN. THIS POSES AS A SAFETY HAZARD AND IF THE DEALERSHIP KNOWINGLY DID NOT CHECK FOR THIS PROBLEM THEN THAT IS NEGLIGENT KNOWING THIS WAS A PROBLEM FOR THIS YEAR MAKE AND MODEL. IT WAS STATIONARY HOWEVER I COMMUTE EVEY DAY.
Mar 27, 2019
Electrical system
MY VEHICLE SHUT DOWN ON ME WHILE DRIVING. ALL LIGHTS CAME UP ON THE DASHBOARD. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAYS THE WIRE HARNESS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR 4600 DOLLARS. COUPLE DAYS PRIOR TO VEHICLE SHUTTING DOWN, HEADLIGHTS BEGAN SHORTING.
May 7, 2019 · 69,000 miles
Service brakes
THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE ABOUT A MONTH AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR BUT THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN MAKING AN ODD NOISE. IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW FAST OR SLOW I AM GOING BUT IT MAKES THAT NOISE AND IT MAKES THE BRAKES SLIP AND NOT COME TO A FULL STOP FAST ENOUGH. I HAVE GONE TO TOYOTA 4-5 TIMES JUST FOR THIS REASON AND ALL THEY CAN SAY IS THAT EVERYTHING IS FINE. IT CAN'T BE FINE IF THE CAR IS SLIPPING AND NOT STOPPING WHEN IT SHOULD! MIND YOU, I LIVE IN CALIFORNIA AND THERE IS ALMOST NEVER RAIN SO IT IS NOT DUE TO WET ROADS.
Aug 1, 2015 · 1,000 miles

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…
DP22005 · opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023