2018 Toyota Prius C reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2018 Toyota Prius C has 6 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 1 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Prius C years here — over the median of the other years, which is 0. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Hybrid propulsion and Labels.

2015 Toyota Prius c — Photo by MercurySable99, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (1 of 6), then Engine (1) and Powertrain (1). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Prius C has 2 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2019 has 0 complaints, 0 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Toyota Prius C. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (2)

Recall hybrid propulsion 2019-06-26 · NHTSA campaign 19V491000

Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Prius C vehicles. The DC-DC converter may fail resulting in the auxiliary battery no longer receiving power from the converter, which may cause a loss of drive.

Remedy 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.

Recall Labels 2018-03-15 · NHTSA campaign 18V176000

Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota Prius C vehicles sold in Puerto Rico. The front passenger air bag and recommended child occupant seating positions label may not have been attached during assembly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Remedy 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.

Complaints by component (6 total)

Electrical system

Engine

Powertrain

Speed control

Steering

Visibility and wipers

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"I entered a large, strip mall parking area and was driving at the vastly reduced speed one would use in such a situation. My intention was to park my car to enter a store in the mall. I turned a corner to park on the…"
Powertrain, Speed control, Engine · filed 2023-07-04
"Certain 2018+ and all later Toyota Prius C modes have a 12V battery for which there is currently no OEM or aftermarket replacement. The battery has a form factor (shape and size) that is exclusive to these vehicles and…"
Electrical system · filed 2021-12-01
"IRECEIVED THE WARNING THAT "PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM MALFUNCTION" WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THIS MORNING. THE WARNING MESSAGE ASKED ME TO STOP THE CAR AT A SAFE PLACE AND VISIT THE DEALER. AS SOON AS I GOT OFF THE…"
Steering, Unknown or other · filed 2020-09-27
"THE PRE-COLLISION HAS NEVER WORKED , TOOK IT IN TO TOYOTA AND THEY SAID IT WAS GOOD AND THAT THERE WAS NO WAY TO TEST IN REAL LIFE . BUT IT HAS NOT WORKED SINCE CAR WAS NEW . THERE HAVE BEEN MANY TIMES WHEN THERE WAS A…"
Unknown or other · filed 2019-03-19
"WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WITH NO OTHER VEHICLES AROUND ME THE MOONROOF UNEXPECTEDLY EXPLODED SHOWERING THE INTERIOR WITH RAZOR SHARP SHARDS OF GLASS WHICH INFLICTED A SPLINTER. AFTER CONTACTING TOYOTA, I WAS…"
Unknown or other · filed 2018-10-04

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2018 Toyota Prius C 5 HB FWD	4 stars	4 stars	4 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Prius c	1.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Front-wheel drive	48	43	46 MPG	$1400

Specs and fitment

First generation (2015 refresh), 2015–2020

Body styles Hatchback

Oil 0W-20 , 3.9 qt capacity

Tire size 175/65R15, 185/60R15, 195/50R16 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 15V-514 covers certain model year 2015 Toyota Prius c vehicles manufactured April 20, 2015, to June 30, 2015, sold through Southeast Toyota Distributors. The Tire Pressure Monitoring System may be improperly calibrated and may fail to warn the driver of low tire pressure, failing FMVSS 138.

Compare

See every Toyota Prius C model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Toyota Prius C reliable?

What are common problems with a 2018 Toyota Prius C?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (1 of 6), then Engine (1) and Powertrain (1). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Is the 2018 Toyota Prius C more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 Prius C has 2 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2019 has 0 complaints, 0 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Toyota Prius C been recalled?

The 2018 Toyota Prius C has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Toyota Prius C?

Owners have filed 6 complaints about the 2018 Toyota Prius C with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Toyota Prius C get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Toyota Prius C is 46 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

Is oil specified for the Prius c on this record?

Not yet with a sourced fill here — confirm SAE grade from the owner’s manual for your model year.

What does recall 15V-514 cover on the Prius c?

Certain model year 2015 Prius c vehicles manufactured April 20, 2015, to June 30, 2015, sold through Southeast Toyota Distributors: the Tire Pressure Monitoring System may be improperly calibrated and may fail to warn of low tire pressure.

What years does this site cover for Prius c?

2012-2014 and facelift 2015-2020.