Toyota Prius c: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Toyota Prius c: 9 model years scored from 743 NHTSA owner complaints and 4 recall campaigns. Worst year 2013, best year 2015.
Toyota Prius c: which years to avoid
Across 5 scored model years the Toyota Prius c ranges from 56/100 in 2013 to 93/100 in 2018 — a 37-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy a Prius c at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Service Brakes (195 of them).
Safest years: 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 — scored 70 or better.
Check carefully: 2013.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
Editor's note
No Prius c year rates AVOID; the one to be careful with is the 2013, a CAUTION at 56 on 399 complaints, 195 of them Service Brakes. Buy a 2014 or 2015, which score 81 and 89 on 205 and 132 complaints with no safety-critical recalls, or a 2018 or 2019 at 93 and 92 on 6 and 0 complaints, evidence low. The Prius c record is 742 complaints and four recall campaigns across nine model years, and its shape is the Prius shape: Service Brakes first at 195, 80 and 52 for 2013 to 2015, Electrical System second at 68, 36 and 27, then Engine and Vehicle Speed Control. There is no brake campaign on file for any year, so the brake pattern is a symptom without an official cause, and a test drive is the only check. The one substantive campaign is 19V491000 for a DC-DC converter on 2018 and 2019 cars that may fail and cause a loss of drive.
Read the guide
Used Toyota Prius, Prius c and Prius v: the years to avoid — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
How the Prius c changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 2 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2014–2015
Mean score 85/100, about 15 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Service Brakes more than anything else (132 complaints).
2018–2019
Mean score 92/100, about 1 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Unknown Or Other more than anything else (3 complaints).
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2015 (score 89). Worst: 2013 (score 56, CAUTION).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | — | DATA PENDING | $2,580 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 92 | BUY | $2,720 | 0 | 1 |
| 2018 | 93 | BUY | $2,874 | 6 | 2 |
| 2017 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,000 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,040 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 89 | BUY | $3,508 | 132 | 1 |
| 2014 | 81 | BUY | $3,744 | 205 | 0 |
| 2013 | 56 | CAUTION | $4,094 | 400 | 0 |
| 2012 | — | DATA PENDING | $3,650 | 0 | 0 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the Prius c, through the years →
Prius c sub-models & family
What goes wrong on the Toyota Prius c
Across every Prius c model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Service Brakes327 complaints across all Prius c years · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles$580–$1,140
- Electrical System133 complaints across all Prius c years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other101 complaints across all Prius c years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Engine73 complaints across all Prius c years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Vehicle Speed Control43 complaints across all Prius c years · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement$520–$1,150
- Air Bags38 complaints across all Prius c years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
What are the best Toyota Prius c years to buy?
2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2018 at 93/100, on 6 complaints and 2 recall campaigns.
Which Toyota Prius c years should I avoid?
The 2013 is the weakest year we score, at 56/100 (CAUTION), on 400 complaints and 0 recalls. Check the year-by-year table above before committing to any particular car.
What is the most common Toyota Prius c problem?
327 of the complaints filed against the Prius c across all its model years sit in the Service Brakes group — more than any other component.
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04