2013 Toyota Prius c: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
400 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
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. Read the full note on the model page. 2013 specifically: 400 complaints on record, score 56/100 — read the year table on the model page to see where it sits among its siblings.
Read the guide
Used Toyota Prius, Prius c and Prius v: the years to avoid, including 2013 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 400 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 30.77
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Prius C. The contact stated that while his wife was attempting to cold-start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that on several occasions the vehicle was started; however, the instrument cluster and other electrical devices failed to operate as needed. The contact replaced the auxiliary battery. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred, and the vehi…
Car suddenly needed a jump start and again after a day or two of non-use. On the third day Brakes, ABS and traction control warnings were lighted up and remains. Brakes are mostly ineffective. My own scan returns the code C1252 and C1256 that says brake booster system failing. Took it to the dealer who charged $290 again to scan and came up with failed brake booster and pump assembly. The dealers is quoting total $40…
Warning lamps for ABS and others and the chiming dings came on while pulling away from the bank drive through and parking for a second. I shut the engine off and turned back on with no success. I was barely able to park in a spot because of difficulties braking. My car had been making an electric noise every 15 seconds or so previously, at different times when parked, but I thought it was the hybrid engine. Now I th…
Recalls: 0 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 50 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $1,300
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Service Brakes195 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Electrical System69 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other50 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Engine42 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Vehicle Speed Control24 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
- Air Bags21 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
Other Toyota Prius c years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Toyota Prius c?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Service Brakes (195 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2013 Toyota Prius c a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 56/100, computed from 400 NHTSA complaints and 0 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2013 Toyota Prius c's most common problem?
195 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2013 Toyota Prius c sit in the Service Brakes group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $580–$1,140 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2013 Toyota Prius c cost to run per year?
About $4,234 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $21,172 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Compare with
Other compacts of about the same age.
What will a 2013 Toyota Prius c really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 400 complaints, 0 recalls on record
- 400 NHTSA complaints on record (30.8/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (14.5/yr)
- 0 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems