2013 Toyota Prius Problems, Recalls & Reliability
543 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2013 Toyota Prius, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 18/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 92,500 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2013 Toyota Prius has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2013 sits among all Prius years
What owners report
“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”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Prius
“Low beam headlamps have been replaced by me 3 times in 80k miles. I am now aware there is an ongoing problem as they are again failing, and i replaced the bulbs of both just 2 weeks ago. There is no warning, they just don't work. I notice it while driving and cannot see without bright headlights on.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Prius
“In less than 30 days after having bought the car, the brake booster system went out and the dealer is requesting I pay despite this being apart of the massive Prius recall”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Prius
“Hybrid battery overheats after an hour of driving at high speeds. Car battery shuts down and becomes immobile.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Prius
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 225 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 58,150 miles. Half of those reports fall between 15,000 and 108,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received a petition dated September 19, 2023 from the owner of a 2012 Toyota Prius V requesting that ODI reevaluate its decision to deny DP19-004. In the letter, the petitioner reported experiencing an unexpected and complete loss of brake power while…
Led to recall campaign 22V063000.
Technical service bulletins
466 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2013 Toyota Prius. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2013 Toyota Prius reliable?
The 2013 Toyota Prius drew 543 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 18/100, scored against the model's worst year (2010).
What are the most common 2013 Toyota Prius problems?
The top reported problems for the 2013 Toyota Prius are brakes & stability (236 complaints), electrical (63), and other (58).
At what mileage do 2013 Toyota Prius problems show up?
Owners most often report 2013 Toyota Prius problems around 58,150 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 15,000 and 108,000 miles.
Does the 2013 Toyota Prius have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2013 Toyota Prius. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.