2012 Toyota Prius CProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 65 owner complaints about the 2012 Toyota Prius C, most often about the service brakes. It has no vehicle safety recalls on record.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 30, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: OSX, Public domain.
Where the 2012 Toyota Prius C has problems
65 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 26 | 2 |
| Electrical system | 15 | 1 |
| Air bags | 8 | 7 |
| Engine | 5 | 0 |
| Power train | 4 | 1 |
| Electronic stability control (ESC) | 4 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 4 | 3 |
| Seats | 3 | 1 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 |
| 8 other systems | 12 | 3 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
2012 Toyota Prius C recalls and how many were fixed
No vehicle safety recalls are on record for this model year.
2012 vs. every other Prius C year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Prius C median. How we score
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2012 Toyota Prius C, and the recalls they led to.
- Drivability, Service brake failureNo recall
- Pedestrian alert soundsLed to recall 22V-063
What Prius C owners report
Recent service brakes complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
While driving 65 mph on the expressway on January 12th, 2026 under cruise control, I tapped my brakes to slow down. My brake warning light came on, along with the ABS warning light, and the anti-swerve warning light. Cruise control no longer worked, and my brakes were noticeably hard to apply. I…
Brakes went soft with little braking power. Traced the fault code to a faulty braking actuator; toyota says this is past the coverage date for the recall.
I own a 2012 Toyota Prius C with approximately 156,578 miles. The vehicle has been diagnosed with C1391 – Abnormal Leak in Accumulator, which causes the brake actuator to lose hydraulic pressure. This results in frequent buzzing from the actuator pump, illuminated warning lights (BRAKE, ABS,…
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