TOYOTA PRIUS C · model year

2014 TOYOTA PRIUS C

52 NHTSA complaints, 7 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

4 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2014TOYOTAPRIUS C carries 52 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 7 crashes, 0 fires, 6 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 4/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2014 PRIUS C is unknown or other with 8 filings, followed by engine (7) and service brakes (7). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 51 investigation files overlapping the 2014 PRIUS C, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

52
Complaints
7
Crashes
0
Fires
6
Injuries
0
Deaths
2014 TOYOTA PRIUS C — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS C. Overall composite: 4.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 4.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 4.0 ★
  • Side Crash 4.0 ★
  • Rollover 4.0 ★
NHTSA overall 4.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

52 filings

Crashes Reported

7 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 4/5 — Strong NCAP rating · Front: 4/5 · Side: 4/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
UNKNOWN OR OTHER8
ENGINE7
SERVICE BRAKES7
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM6
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL4
WHEELS3
AIR BAGS3
STEERING3
EXTERIOR LIGHTING2
POWER TRAIN2
SUSPENSION1
SEAT BELTS1
STRUCTURE1
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1

Recent Complaints

20251121SERVICE 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 recall yet.

20250807SERVICE 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)

20250714SERVICE 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.

20250714UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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.

20250714VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

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.

20250617ELECTRICAL 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 to only cover the 2010-2015 Prius and 2011-2017 Prius V models and not the Prius C. There are several reports of this same issue happening on the Prius C as well though so it doesn't make sense that it is not covered.

20250617UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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. There are several reports of this same issue happening on the Prius C as well though so it doesn't make sense that it is not covered.

20250606SERVICE 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.

20250505UNKNOWN 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 Toyota’s 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. Toyota’s 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.

20250321UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Code C1391 Master cylinder/ break booster

20240820UNKNOWN OR OTHER

See attached document for complaint.

20240723UNKNOWN OR OTHER

While driving car completely shut off in middle of road. Would not turn back on. Had car towed still will not start.

20240502STEERING

The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Prius C. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds and turning from the left lane, the steering wheel popped out. The vehicle was able to reverse however, tires were pushed inward. The vehicle was pushed out of the roadway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The hazard light was inoperable. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000. The VIN was not available.

Mileage: 170,000

20240502EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS

The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Prius C. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds and turning from the left lane, the steering wheel popped out. The vehicle was able to reverse however, tires were pushed inward. The vehicle was pushed out of the roadway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The hazard light was inoperable. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000. The VIN was not available.

Mileage: 170,000

20240502WHEELS

The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Prius C. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds and turning from the left lane, the steering wheel popped out. The vehicle was able to reverse however, tires were pushed inward. The vehicle was pushed out of the roadway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The hazard light was inoperable. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000. The VIN was not available.

Mileage: 170,000

20240209STRUCTURE:BODY

Watergets into the body of the car for years since i bought the car i chaged the "body plugs" at the dealer they told me that would fix the problem but whenever it rains floor and trunk fills with water.

20240209UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Watergets into the body of the car for years since i bought the car i chaged the "body plugs" at the dealer they told me that would fix the problem but whenever it rains floor and trunk fills with water.

20230621ENGINE

The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Prius C. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to move the vehicle to the shoulder of the roadway safely. The contact stated that before losing motive power, an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure had recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,211.

Mileage: 73,211

20211121ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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. Toyota claims, in 2014, that "it has received no reports of accidents or injuries related to the problem." This seems t

20211121ENGINE

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. Toyota claims, in 2014, that "it has received no reports of accidents or injuries related to the problem." This seems t

Compare 2014TOYOTAPRIUS C to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 1 Open

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS C have?
The 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS C has 52 NHTSA complaints, 7 crashes, 0 fires, 6 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS C?
The 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS C received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 4/5, front crash rating of 4/5, side crash rating of 4/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS C?
The most-complained component for the 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS C is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 8 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and SERVICE BRAKES.
Is the 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS C safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS C has an NHTSA safety rating of 4/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.