Electrical complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
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 access getting into my vehicle with the door lock that is not working. I currently have to go to my passenger side and crawl over to unlock my driverside door. …
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 was.
While driving, I received a warning "hybrid system malfunction". Within seconds, the vehicle powered off and the steering wheel LOCKED. I had no control of the car and came to an abrupt stop in lane 1 of a two lane road. I was fortunate that it was late in the evening with few cars on the road, had I been on the highway during rush hour the outcome, due to loss of power and control (steering), could have been catastrophic and perhaps fatal for me or other commuters. I note that in 2014, Toyota notified NHTSA of a recall to, "rectify software in two of the Prius's electronic control units, one for the motor/generator and the other controlling the hybrid system." Further Toyota said, "In rare circumstances, it could shut down the hybrid system itself, resulting in loss of power and the vehicle coming to a stop". This is exactly what happened to me the other night. …
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 to only cover the 2010-2015 Prius and 2011-2017 Prius V models and not the Prius C. …
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Prius C. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the vehicle stalled as a system failure warning message appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle inadvertently turned. The vehicle was restarted but shifted into limp mode with the message displayed. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and then drove the vehicle to the residence. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V369000 (Hybrid Propulsion System) and 14V053000 (Hybrid Propulsion System, Electrical System) which she linked to the failure. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.
Immobilized failure due to combination of brake hose failure preventing hybrid control/shift actuator. Hybrid steering lock became disengaged and could not communicate with the certification ecu due constant power being disabled due to complete main body failure. Hybrid system cannot go back into park however ecm side did. Ecm was not receiving power as dealer coded main body as a plug in hybrid effectively disabling fuel systems (including emissions/fuel safety) causing full misclassification in the smart key certification process. Car starts, goes into ready and disables LIN comms alongside cutting main relay due to tailgate and fuel constant powers being cut while driving.
The contact owned a 2012 Toyota Prius C. The contact stated that while attempting to park, the vehicle rapidly accelerated upon tapping the brake pedal and crashed into a brick storefront without warning. The air bags failed to deploy upon impact. A bystander inside the store assisted the contact in exiting the vehicle. Law enforcement responded to the scene and administered a breathalyzer test, which returned negative for alcohol. A police report was filed, noting minor scratch damage to the storefront's concrete. The contact did not seek immediate medical attention; however, she sustained soreness in her upper arms and upper legs, as well as driving-related anxiety in a rental vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was inspected and deemed a total loss by an insurance adjuster. …
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius C. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, the message "Check Hybrid Status - Stop vehicle in Safe Place Immediately" was displayed. There were several warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with an internal power module transmitter and MG control computer inside the inverter assembly failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called an independent mechanic, and DTC: P0A94 (DC/DC converter or inverter performance problem invertor assembly) was associated with the failure. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 98,015.
NHTSA investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which Toyota Prius c years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2013 (23), 2012 (15), 2014 (6) and 2015 (5) model years. Electrical complaints make up 40% of all complaints for the 2013.
Is there a recall for Toyota Prius c electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for any Toyota Prius c model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Toyota Prius c electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 69,000 miles; 43% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the propulsion system › inverter (1 mentions), followed by the instrument cluster/panel (1).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.