Toyota Prius C
Registered from 2012 to 2020.
About this model
The Toyota Prius c (c stands for "city"), also known as the Toyota Aqua (Japanese: トヨタ・アクア, Hepburn: Toyota Akua); "aqua" is Latin for water) in Japan, is a full hybrid gasoline-electric subcompact/supermini hatchback manufactured and marketed by Toyota. The Prius c is the third member of the Prius family, and combines the features of a Yaris-sized car with a hybrid powertrain. The Prius c is priced lower than the conventional Prius and has a higher fuel economy in city driving under United States Environmental Protection Agency test cycles. The Prius c was ranked by the EPA as the 2012 most fuel efficient compact car when plug-in electric vehicles are excluded.
From the Wikipedia article Toyota Prius C, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it stands out against its peers
- Service brakes: more complaints than 97% of 2012 cars — 45% of its 422 complaints, where an ordinary 2012 car has 8%.
- Exterior lighting: more complaints than 92% of 2012 cars — 9% of its 422 complaints, where an ordinary 2012 car has 3%.
- Visibility/wiper: more complaints than 91% of 2012 cars — 7% of its 422 complaints, where an ordinary 2012 car has 3%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- SERVICE BRAKES — 142 owners reported this, 5 involving a crash
- EXTERIOR LIGHTING — 30 owners reported this
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 20 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
- VISIBILITY/WIPER — 20 owners reported this
- ENGINE — 19 owners reported this
- AIR BAGS — 12 owners reported this, 9 involving a crash
- POWER TRAIN — 12 owners reported this, 2 involving a crash
- SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC — 11 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
Crash test
| Overall | ★★★★☆ |
| Frontal crash | ★★★★☆ |
| Side crash | ★★★★☆ |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ |
| Stability control | Standard |
| Forward collision warning | Standard |
| Lane departure warning | Standard |
Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1132 kg · 2550 mm wheelbase · 5.1 L/100km (EPA) · 4.9 L/100km city · 5.5 motorway · Hatch, 5-door |
| 2019 | 72 hp · 1132 kg · 2550 mm wheelbase · 5.1 L/100km (EPA) · 4.9 L/100km city · 5.5 motorway · Hatch, 5-door |
| 2018 | 72 hp · 1132 kg · 2550 mm wheelbase · 5.1 L/100km (EPA) · 4.9 L/100km city · 5.5 motorway · Hatch, 5-door |
| 2017 | 72 hp · 1132 kg · 2550 mm wheelbase · 5.1 L/100km (EPA) · 4.9 L/100km city · 5.5 motorway · Hatch, 5-door |
| 2016 | 82 hp · 1132 kg · 2550 mm wheelbase · 4.7 L/100km (EPA) · 4.4 L/100km city · 5.1 motorway · Hatch, 5-door |
| 2015 | 82 hp · 1132 kg · 2550 mm wheelbase · 4.7 L/100km (EPA) · 4.4 L/100km city · 5.1 motorway · Hatch, 4-door |
| 2014 | 82 hp · 1135 kg · 2550 mm wheelbase · 4.7 L/100km (EPA) · 4.4 L/100km city · 5.1 motorway · Hatch, 4-door |
| 2013 | 82 hp · 1135 kg · 2550 mm wheelbase · 4.7 L/100km (EPA) · 4.4 L/100km city · 5.1 motorway · Hatch, 4-door |
| 2012 | 82 hp · 1135 kg · 2550 mm wheelbase · 4.7 L/100km (EPA) · 4.4 L/100km city · 5.1 motorway |
Recalls
Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.
73% of 2019 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.
15V514000
If the vehicle is driven on underinflated tires, the tires may fail. Sudden tire failure increases the risk of a crash.
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.
17V295000
A spare tire that is not inflated to the proper value may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of a crash.
Gulf States will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the spare tires, adjusting their pressure as necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 15, 2017. Owners may contact Gulf States customer service at 1-800-444-1074. Toyota's number for this recall is 17R2.
18V176000
If the label is missing, occupants may not follow the proper restraint usage guidelines, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners and will mail the removable labels to all known owners of the subject vehicles, free of charge. The recall began on April 11, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0L.
19V491000
A loss of drive increases the risk of crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the DC-DC converter with a new one, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began August 23, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is K0K.
Regulator investigations
Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.
Pedestrian alert sounds
Defect petition, opened January 2023, closed August 2023.
Drivability, Service brake failure
Defect petition, opened March 2013, closed July 2014.
What the maker told its dealers
Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.
Toyota filed 97 bulletins about the 2020 Prius C.
- Structure: 26
- Equipment: 24
- Electrical system: 17
- Engine and engine cooling: 7
- Equipment adaptive/mobility: 4
- Air bags: 2
- Back over prevention: 2
- Communication: 2
- Engine: 2
- Lane departure: 2
- Other: 9
- This bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge on Ni-MH high voltage (HV) batteries. This bulletin should be used in conjunction with the applicable model and model year… · March 2026
- OBSOLETE NOTICE February 13, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0009-26. · March 2026
- Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address… · February 2026
- The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in… · July 2025
- The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these… · January 2025
- To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc… · January 2025
- Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle,… · January 2025
- Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail… · January 2025
89 more.
Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.