2013 Toyota PRIUS - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2013 Toyota Prius has an outstanding overall safety rating of 5, making it a top-choice for safety-conscious car buyers. It excels in various crash tests, with impressive scores in front and side crash ratings, as well as rollover and side pole crash ratings. Additionally, it comes equipped with electronic stability control, enhancing its ability to maintain control on the road.

However, it is worth noting that the Toyota Prius does not come with forward collision warning or lane departure warning features, which are increasingly common in newer vehicles for added safety.

In terms of complaints and recalls, the Toyota Prius has had 246 complaints and 3 recalls reported. While this may seem like a high number, it is essential to consider the overall context and popularity of the vehicle. Overall, the Toyota Prius is a reliable and safe choice in the hybrid car market.

auto generated summary, may be inaccurate.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

246

Recall Count

3

Investigation Count

3

Safety Rating

5/5

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Safety Features

2013 Toyota Prius 5 HB FWD Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2013 Toyota Prius 5 HB FWD

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2013 Toyota Prius 5 HB FWD Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2013 Toyota Prius 5 HB FWD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2013 Score 2024 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated 4 Not Rated
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 5 5 Not Rated
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 4 4 Not Rated

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2013 Score 2024 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated 5 Not Rated
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 4 5 Not Rated
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 4 5 Not Rated
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated 5 Not Rated
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated 5 Not Rated
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated 5 Not Rated

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2013 Score 2024 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated 4 Not Rated
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated 5 Not Rated

Complaints for the 2013 Toyota PRIUS

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"i was driving home on a busy street in houston, tx on a clear day. i tried to slow down due to traffic & the following warning lights appeared on the dash: red brake system warning and yellow brake light, abs, brake system warning light & the slip indicator light. right after, i came to a red light & started to brake, the car felt like it was on ice and couldn't stop properly. fortunately i didn't have to come to a complete stop because there were many cars in front of me and the light turned green. when i stopped applying pressure to the brakes the car sort of shook side to side. each time i had to brake, the car felt like it was on ice, i had to put the hazards on & give myself a very large amount of room to stop the car. while at a red light i turned the car off/on; no change in the dashboard lights. i turned onto a street w/ less traffic; pulled over, turned the car on/off again and no change. i was less than a mile from home so i drove the rest of the way w/ my hazards on & never went faster than about 15 mph; even at that speed the car took too long to come to a complete stop, it felt like i almost had no brakes at all. thank god i wasn't on the highway w/ no brakes!! this is a huge safety issue, someone could die or be seriously injured. had the car towed to a toyota dealership on mon 1/15/24; they said there was a brake fluid leak in the master cylinder & malfunction of brake booster pumps, the code was c1391; both parts needed to be replaced. total cost for repairs $3800. had the car towed to a mechanic, paid $2600 for the same service. per my research this is a known problem with this generation of prius', toyota offered an "enhanced warranty" to replace the parts if they were broken, but the dealer said my warranty expired in 2022. why weren't owners made aware of this issue and warranty? i would have brought the car in for repair in the past if i knew there was a defect with the car. the car should be recalled."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES
Date of incident: 2025-01-01
Complaint:
"abs, brake, trac warning, and brake lights turned on. when i used a diagnostic device, i read the code c1391 code. the brakes of the vehicle are not working properly. upon my research, i found that several factors can trigger the c1391 code, including a faulty brake accumulator pressure sensor, low brake fluid level, brake system leaks, issues with the abs pump/motor, or electrical problems within the brake system. this problem has many safety implications. the brake system is fundamental for vehicle control and stopping power. any compromise in its performance poses a risk to the driver, passengers, and others on the road. prompt action is necessary to investigate and rectify the root cause of the c1391 code to ensure the continued safety of affected vehicles. i think toyota company should issue a recall for this faulty system."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES
Date of incident: 2024-12-01
Complaint:
"abs, brake, and traction control lights are on alongside a constant beeping. i have lost regenerative braking and it now takes more effort upon the brake pedal to come to a complete stop. i am in fear that the brake system will go out completely, causing damage to myself or my children."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES
Date of incident: 2024-08-01
Complaint:
"brake pump failed while on the highway. brake functionality and braking distance changed drastically while driving high speeds. dealer confirmed that the breaker pump and master cylinder must be replaced with a new assemblies. there was no recall for this failure, but a toyota customer support program for replacement of this brake assembly was active for reports of this failure only before april 2023. toyota dealerships are not obligated to cover this replacement or make customer aware on any suspected vehicle unless the failure was present before april 2023. warning lamps only appeared at brake pump failure - not before failure."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES
Date of incident: 2023-01-11
Complaint:
"brake booster and brake booster pump assemblies. making a buzzing noise. cost to repair is estimated to be 2500 or more. toyota even has a bulletin for it, but they did not inform the public, because the part is very expensive and difficult to fix on a prius. since it has expired, we are out of luck."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES
Date of incident: 2023-01-12
Complaint:
"the brake accumulator and brake actuator failed while driving and lost brakes. i had to step on the pedal very hard to avoid a collision. check engine light c1391 came on"
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES
Date of incident: 2023-05-12
Complaint:
"factual background: i purchased the vehicle on may 2, 2023, with approximately 61,000 miles on the odometer. on october 22, 2023, the vehicle displayed diagnostic trouble code (dtc) 1391, which is a known issue with toyota prius vehicles. currently my vehicle currently has approximately 86,000 miles on the odometer. i first contacted toyota on october 27, 2023, and spoke to tier 1, tier 2, and ultimately to a tier 3 support representative. i was told that i could not escalate further, but that a supervisor would do a one business day call back. on october 30, 2023, i received a call back from a supervisor who escalated my case to the executive office. on october 31, 2023, i received a call from the executive office and asked for their address in order to file a formal complaint. on that very same day, i went to peterson toyota to have them confirm dtc 1391, which they did and my visit and paperwork is recorded within your internal system via toyota information system (1tis) per the dealership. i am requesting that toyota fix the known and now verified defective brake booster and brake booster pump in my vehicle at no cost to me, the consumer, pursuant to the magnuson-moss warranty act and implied warranty of toyota’s products. again all of the details regarding my vehicle and its history are found on toyota information system (tis). there have been several complaints about this known issue and an investigation needs to be reopened regarding this ongoing issue. several class action lawsuits are getting settled before consumers have a chance to hold toyota liable. will someone from the nhtsa please start an investigation or facilitate in any way to get an investigation into to this reoccurring issue. brakes matter and society is depending on government and corporations to be transparent and ethical. the ftc, bbb and attorney general’s need to act on behalf of everyone in keeping our roads safe and holding toyota accountable again. too many people’s lives matter."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES
Date of incident: 2024-10-10
Complaint:
"what component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? brake booster and brake booster pump assembly have failed. part are available for inspection. how was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? had trouble stopping on the highway and at intersections. has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? no were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? no. problem happened before warning lights appeared. later, problem was verified with error codes, dash lights, and sensation of brake action."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES
Date of incident: 2023-04-10
Complaint:
"brake booster defect caused abs and brake light went on, thus we lost abs while driving. initially we heard noises while breaking in april 2023, told to change break pads. we went in to toyota dealer again in oct 2023, and diagnosed with brake booster problem, leaking gas inside. toyota knew that its brake booster has a defect in design and has customer support program as a post failure solution vs recalls as a preventative measure. we were never informed about this customer support program regarding defect in brake booster. toyota declined to repair saying my car already missed the time window (10 years since first use). toyota should recall brake booster assemblies for prius 2010-2015. in my case, due to delay in diagnosing this serious problem, i was put on a serious financial burden to pay for this repair ($2800 quoted by toyota dealer). i was also put on a life threatening risk of driving a malfunctioning car for a long time without being informed. since the beginning of this incidence, i’ve called toyota four times and toyota acknowledged that they did not inform me and toyota dealer failed to make a proper diagnosis on time to repair."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES
Date of incident: 2023-04-10
Complaint:
"to whom may be concerned, the car i own is toyota prius 2013, it has the brake issue nearly a year: i can hear the brake booster pump works every 8 seconds, and the worse thing is the car is jump and has a longer brake distance when i step on the brake paddle. i even nearly had a incident at the intersection because the brake lag. i know toyota has customer support program zjb, and i also brought my car to toyota dealer. but they say they can replicate the issue. but according to the program, it must be some light on to be qualified. so now i have to take care of over $3000 bill by myself, otherwise i have to take a risk to drive my car with the brake issue. i searched online, there are a lot of customers have the similar issues like me. so toyota has already known this issue, but why they just still wanna those cars running on the road, brake system is the most important part, it's disregarding human life. thanks for your time. best regards [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)"
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES
Date of incident: 2022-01-09

Recalls for the 2013 Toyota PRIUS

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"toyota is recalling certain model year 2010 through 2014 prius vehicles. in the affected vehicles, the intelligent power module (ipm) inside the inverter module (a component of the hybrid system) contains transistors that may become damaged from high operating temperatures. if this occurs, various warning lamps will be illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle will have reduced power allowing it to only drive a short distance."
Consequence:
The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. The hybrid system could also shut down completely resulting in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

Toyota will notify owners and dealers will update the software for both the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU, free of charge. If an owner experiences a failure of the inverter before the vehicle receives updated software, the dealer will repair or replace the inverter assembly with a new one at no charge. The recall began on March 21, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Component(s) Involved: HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM > INVERTER
Date of incident: 2014-02-12
Recall:
"toyota motor engineering & manufacturing (toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2015 prius and 2014-2017 prius v vehicles not included in recall 18v-684. excessive voltage in the intelligent power module (ipm) within the inverter may cause the hybrid system to shut down, causing the vehicle to stall while being driven."
Consequence:
An unexpected hybrid power system shut down may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will perform a software update for the hybrid system. If the vehicle has experienced an inverter failure with certain hybrid system faults related to this condition, the inverter assembly will be repaired or replaced, prior to software update. All repairs will be performed free of charge. This recall began July 24, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB10 / 20TA10.

Component(s) Involved: HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM > INVERTER
Date of incident: 2020-06-24

TOYOTA Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

TOYOTA ranks 3 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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