2013 Toyota Prius reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 409 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Toyota Prius over 14 years — 23 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Prius years here — over the median of the other years, which is 7. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Inverter and Hybrid propulsion.

2010 Toyota Prius — Photo by Corvettec6r, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons Public domain

Complaints

409

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (229 of 409), then Electrical system (51) and Engine (37). Those filings include 39 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, and 19 that report an injury.

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 Prius has 686 complaints, 50 per year, and the 2014 has 237 complaints, 17 per year. The 2013 has fewer 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. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (3)

Recall hybrid propulsion, inverter 2020-06-24 · NHTSA campaign 20V369000

Summary 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.

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.

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 2014-02-12 · NHTSA campaign 14V053000

Summary 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.

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.

Complaints by component (409 total)

Service brakes

229

Electrical system

Engine

Speed control

Air bags

Fuel and propulsion system

Powertrain

Structure

Exterior lighting

Forward collision avoidance

Wheels

Hybrid propulsion

Hydraulic brakes

Steering

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Seat belts

Visibility and wipers

Suspension

Seats

Tires

Air brakes

Latches, locks, and linkages

Visibility

Adaptive and mobility equipment

Back-over prevention

Child seat

Equipment

Show 19 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the ABS warning light illuminated. Minutes later, the vehicle started to brake and lurch forward with the accelerator pedal depressed.…"
Hydraulic brakes, Speed control · filed 2026-09-10
"My 2013 Prius has 86,500 miles on it. It has been regularly maintained. A routine state inspection revealed a severely rusted rear axle beam and a front axle that is heading in that direction. Other Prius' in [XXX] have…"
Suspension, Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-28
"The break pump for my 2013 prius is going out and is a known issue with Toyota. I contacted toyota and they have stated because it is past the extended warranty they can not repair it and aren't liable for it. I bought…"
Service brakes · filed 2026-08-26
"I purchased a 2013 Toyota Prius from a reputable dealership in Omaha (O'Daniel Honda). 5 days after purchase the ABS, BRAKE, and Traction Control lights came on in the evening. When I took it to the dealership the next…"
Service brakes · filed 2026-08-25
"Brake actuator failed"
Service brakes · filed 2026-08-21

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2013 Toyota Prius 5 HB FWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2013 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid 5 HB FWD	4 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	1.8L, 4-cyl	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Front-wheel drive	49	46	48 MPG	$1350
Prius Plug-in hybrid	1.8L, 4-cyl	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Front-wheel drive	51	49	50 MPG / 540 mi range	$1300

Specs and fitment

3rd generation, 2012–2015

Body styles Liftback

Oil SAE 0W-20 , 4.4 qt capacity

Tire size 195/65R15, P215/45R17

Known issues for this generation

Recall 14V-053 covers certain model year 2010 through 2014 Prius vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) inside the inverter module may have transistors that become damaged from high operating temperatures, which can illuminate warning lamps and limit power. Recall 18V-684 covers certain 2010-2014 Toyota Prius vehicles (along with certain 2012-2014 Prius v vehicles in the same campaign). Excessive voltage in the 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; Toyota states the 18V-684 updates are needed even if earlier inverter software campaigns were already performed. Recall 20V-369 covers certain 2013-2015 Prius vehicles not included in 18V-684, for the same IPM voltage condition; dealers perform a hybrid system software update.

Compare

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

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Toyota Prius reliable?

What are common problems with a 2013 Toyota Prius?

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

Has the 2013 Toyota Prius been recalled?

The 2013 Toyota Prius 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?

Owners have filed 409 complaints about the 2013 Toyota Prius with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Toyota Prius get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Toyota Prius is 49 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is a 2018 Toyota Prius?

4th generation (US model years 2016-2022).

What oil does a Toyota Prius hybrid take?

US manuals for recent Prius liftbacks specify about 4.4 qt with filter; viscosity is SAE 0W-20 on 2012-2015 models and SAE 0W-16 (with 0W-20 as a temporary substitute) on 2016+ models.

When did the fifth-generation Prius start in the US?

Fifth generation (XW60) US model years begin with 2023.