2013 Toyota Prius V reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2013 Toyota Prius V holds 124 complaints after 14 years, a rate of 6 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 6 Prius V years on this site. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Hybrid propulsion, Inverter, and Tail lights.

2012 Toyota Prius v — Photo by MercurySable99, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

124

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (64 of 124), then Electrical system (15) and Engine (15). Those filings include 9 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 6 that report an injury.

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 Prius V has 13 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2014 has 82 complaints, 4 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

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 2013 Toyota Prius V. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (3)

Recall hybrid propulsion 2018-10-04 · NHTSA campaign 18V684000

Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Toyota Prius and 2012-2014 Toyota Prius V vehicles. 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.

Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 22, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0V. Note: The software updates in this recall are needed even if the vehicle had the software previously updated under recalls 14V-053 or 15V-449.

Recall hybrid propulsion, inverter 2015-07-15 · NHTSA campaign 15V449000

Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Prius V vehicles manufactured August 22, 2011, to June 30, 2014. A component within the hybrid inverter assembly may overheat, causing the hybrid system to reduce output power allowing the vehicle to only drive a short distance. In some circumstances, the hybrid system may shut down causing the vehicle to stop while being driven.

Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the motor/generator control electronic control unti (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU, free of charge. The recall began on July 30, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.

Recall exterior lighting, tail lights 2013-12-12 · NHTSA campaign 13E070000

Summary Genera Corporation (Genera) is recalling certain aftermarket replacement tail lights, model 11-6468-00 (driver-side), and model 11-6467-00 (passenger-side), sold for use on 2012-2013 Toyota Prius V vehicles. The brake light and tail light circuits are switched causing the brake lights to be illuminated continuously until the brake pedal is pressed, when the brake lights will go out.

Remedy Genera will notify owners and provide replacement aftermarket tail lamps, free of charge. The recall began on January 23, 2014. Owners may contact Genera at 1-888-963-9888. This recall is being conducted by Genera Corporation, not by Toyota Motor Corporation.

Complaints by component (124 total)

Service brakes

Electrical system

Engine

Fuel and propulsion system

Exterior lighting

Powertrain

Speed control

Air bags

Forward collision avoidance

Hydraulic brakes

Suspension

Hybrid propulsion

Structure

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Seat belts

Adaptive and mobility equipment

Chest clip, buckle, and harness

Engine and engine cooling

Equipment

Parking brake

Seats

Steering

Show 14 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"My Prius had brake warning lights come on around December 2025. Turns out the brake accumulator had an internal leak. After doing some research, I discovered this was a known brake booster issue that Toyota has not…"
Service brakes · filed 2026-07-17
"Suddenly Cars Brakes failed with vehicle almost lunged forward. I had to slam the brakes heavily for it to stop; Took the vehicle to Toyota Service and clearly its a QUALITY issue toyota acknowledged as a know problem…"
Service brakes · filed 2026-05-01
"The harness webbing/strap on the Evenflo Revolve360 Slim tore without any known incident or accident causing the damage. The defect was discovered on April 15, 2026 when the seat was temporarily removed from the…"
chest clip, buckle, and harness · filed 2026-04-23
"The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Prius V. The contact stated that while pulling out of a parking space at approximately 15 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal felt spongy, but the vehicle responded as…"
Hydraulic brakes · filed 2026-04-17
"The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Prius V. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the rear driver’s side tire became flat. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the rear axle had fractured due to rusting and…"
Powertrain · filed 2026-04-14

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2013 Toyota Prius V SW FWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 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 v	1.8L, 4-cyl	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Front-wheel drive	43	39	41 MPG	$1600

Specs and fitment

First generation (ZVW40/ZVW41), 2012–2017

Body styles Wagon

Oil 0W-20 (all temps); 5W-20 temporary if 0W-20 unavailable , 4.4 qt capacity

Tire size 205/60R16 or 215/50R17 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 18V-684 covers certain 2010-2014 Toyota Prius and 2012-2014 Toyota Prius v vehicles. Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) within the inverter may cause the hybrid system to shut down and the vehicle to stall while being driven. Dealers update software for the motor/generator control ECU and hybrid control ECU. Recall 15V-449 covers certain model year 2012-2014 Prius v vehicles manufactured August 22, 2011, through June 30, 2014: a component within the hybrid inverter assembly may overheat, causing the hybrid system to reduce output power.

Compare

Previous year 2012 Toyota Prius V Next year 2014 Toyota Prius V See every Toyota Prius V model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Toyota Prius V reliable?

What are common problems with a 2013 Toyota Prius V?

Is the 2013 Toyota Prius V more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2012 Prius V has 13 complaints, 0 per year, and the 2014 has 82 complaints, 4 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

Has the 2013 Toyota Prius V been recalled?

The 2013 Toyota Prius V has 3 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 2013 Toyota Prius V?

Owners have filed 124 complaints about the 2013 Toyota Prius V with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Toyota Prius V get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Toyota Prius V is 41 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Toyota Prius v take?

0W-20 for all temperatures; 5W-20 may be used temporarily if 0W-20 is unavailable. Capacity is about 4.4 quarts with filter.

What does recall 18V-684 cover on the Prius v?

Certain 2010-2014 Prius and 2012-2014 Prius v vehicles: excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module may damage transistors. See the NHTSA campaign for the remedy.

What tire sizes did the Prius v use?

205/60R16 or 215/50R17 depending on trim.