2014 Toyota PRIUS

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2014 Toyota PRIUS has 273 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 3.4x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is brakes problems (35% of all complaints), specifically: we have recently purchased a 2014 toyota prism that now has less than 4000 miles on the engine. in a very short period we have experienced a mass amounts of defects with the car. the first repair was toyota had to replace the battery from our home. the second was a recall dealing with a national. ⚠️ 1 fire report filed.

1 fire report 39 crash reports 20 injuries

273

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

3.4x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

BRAKES

96 complaints

35%

• WE HAVE RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2014 TOYOTA PRISM THAT NOW HAS LESS THAN 4000 MILES ON THE ENGINE. IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD WE HAVE EXPERIENCED A MASS AMOUNTS OF DEFECTS WITH THE CAR. THE FIRST REPAIR WAS TOYOTA HAD TO REPLACE THE BATTERY FROM OUR HOME. THE SECOND WAS A RECALL DEALING WITH A NATIONAL
• I WAS PULLING INTO A CONVENIENCE STORE IN MY 2014 PRIUS. AS I WAS GLIDING IN, I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE CAR KEPT GOING. I CONTINUED TO PRESS IT AND THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE, I COULD FEEL THE SURGE OF POWER. I WAS COMPLETELY UNABLE TO STOP THE CAR AND RAN INTO PARKING POSTS AT THE FRON
• I WAS PULLING INTO A CONVENIENCE STORE IN MY 2014 PRIUS. AS I WAS GLIDING IN, I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE CAR KEPT GOING. I CONTINUED TO PRESS THE BRAKE AND THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE. I COULD FEEL THE SURGE OF POWER. I WAS COMPLETELY UNABLE TO STOP THE CAR AND I RAN INTO PARKING POSTS AT

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 17 crashes

“WE HAVE RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2014 TOYOTA PRISM THAT NOW HAS LESS THAN 4000 MILES ON THE ENGINE. IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD WE HAVE EXPERIENCED A MASS AMOUNTS OF DEFECTS WITH THE CAR. THE FIRST REPAIR WAS TOYOTA HAD TO REPLACE THE BATTERY FROM OUR HOME. THE SECOND WAS A RECALL DEALING WITH A NATIONAL”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

32 complaints

12%

• I PURCHASED A 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS ON MAY 31, 2014. TODAY 6/18/14 I FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS MODEL VEHICLE. I CALLED TOYOTA AND I WAS INFORMED THE RECALL SERVICE HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED. I CALLED A LOCAL DEALER (DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE) AND THEY INFORMED ME TH
• POINT SOURCES OF LIGHT (I.E. BRAKE LIGHTS, HEADLIGHTS, TRAFFIC LIGHTS, ETC.) AT NIGHT TIME AND TO A LESS VISIBLE EXTENT IN THE DAY TIME ARE DUPLICATED OR TRIPLICATED AT DISTANCES THROUGH THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. AS THE LIGHT SOURCE IS CLOSER TO THE CAR, THE GHOSTING EFFECT DIMINISHES. THIS PROBLEM DO
• 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ENGINE FAILURE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED A BROWN COLORED ALARM APPEARED ON THE DASH, WHICH FLASHED ON THEN OFF, AS THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN. IF HE TRIED TO ACCELERATE, THE LIGHT WOULD COME ON, BUT NO RESPONSE TO INCREASE SPEED. HE MANAGED T

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 2 crashes

“I PURCHASED A 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS ON MAY 31, 2014. TODAY 6/18/14 I FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS MODEL VEHICLE. I CALLED TOYOTA AND I WAS INFORMED THE RECALL SERVICE HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED. I CALLED A LOCAL DEALER (DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE) AND THEY INFORMED ME TH”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

25 complaints

• 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE SAFETY FEATURES. *SMD THE CONSUMER BELIEVED BACK-UP CAMERAS SHOULD COME STANDARD ON VEHICLE. HE ALSO BELIEVED AUTO BRAKING SHOULD BE A STANDARD FEATURE. *JB
• TOYOTA'S ENTUNE NAVIGATION SYSTEM RANDOMLY FREEZES AND RESETS. WHEN THIS HAPPENS AT HIGH SPEEDS ON A HIGHWAY WHERE A PERSON IS DEPENDING ON THE SYSTEM TO GET SOMEWHERE, IT CAUSES A MASSIVE DISTRACTION AND A RISK TO LIFE AND LIMB. TOYOTA IS OFFERING NO RESOLUTION TO THIS ISSUE AND IT'S DEALERSHIPS AR
• I FREQUENTLY GET A MUSTY SMELL OUT OF MY VENTS THAT I HAVE NOTICED FROM TIME OF TAKING OWNERSHIP. I WAS TOLD AT THAT TIME TOYOTA WAS AWARE OF IT AND THE SOLUTION WAS TO TAKE THE SYSTEM OUT OF RECIRCULATE A FEW MILES FROM HOME ALLOWING OUTSIDE FRESHER AIR IN TO REMOVE THE APPARENT MOISTURE BUILDUP. I

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“2014 TOYOTA PRIUS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE SAFETY FEATURES. *SMD THE CONSUMER BELIEVED BACK-UP CAMERAS SHOULD COME STANDARD ON VEHICLE. HE ALSO BELIEVED AUTO BRAKING SHOULD BE A STANDARD FEATURE. *JB”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

17 complaints

• WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS A SERIES OF YELLOW TRIANGLES SUDDENLY FLASHED ON THE DASHBOARD ALONG WITH SOME BEEPS. THE ENGINE THEN STALLED AND THE GAS PEDAL NO LONGER RESPONDED TO ANY INPUTS. DUE TO A COMBINATION OF SHEER LUCK AND DRIVER PRESENCE OF MIND THE CAR WAS STEERED TO THE
• WITHIN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, AND ABOUT FOUR TIMES, I HAD EXPERIENCED ROUGH/HIGH IDLING DURING HOT DAYS AND AFTER DRIVING OVER 80 MILES; USING AIR CONDITIONING. (I WORK OVER 70 MILES FROM HOME.) I DECIDED TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA OF REDLANDS DEALERSHIP ON AUGUST 4, 2015, BECAUSE THE CAR WAS DIS
• HEADLIGHTS AND CABIN LIGHTS FAILED TO TURN OFF WHEN REMOTE LOCK WAS ACTIVATED. LIGHTS WERE THEN TURNED OFF MANUALLY. FIVE HOURS LATER, IN THE PARKING LOT, THE CAR WAS NEARLY COMPLETELY DEAD. LAST TIME IT HAPPENED, WE LEFT IT AND IT RECHARGED ITSELF. THIS TIME, IT DID NOT RECHARGE ITSELF; IT WAS

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS A SERIES OF YELLOW TRIANGLES SUDDENLY FLASHED ON THE DASHBOARD ALONG WITH SOME BEEPS. THE ENGINE THEN STALLED AND THE GAS PEDAL NO LONGER RESPONDED TO ANY INPUTS. DUE TO A COMBINATION OF SHEER LUCK AND DRIVER PRESENCE OF MIND THE CAR WAS STEERED TO THE ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SPEED CONTROL

14 complaints

• WHILE TRAVELING IN SLIPPERY CONDITIONS I ATTEMPTED TO NAVIGATE A RIGHT HAND TURN. THE CAR BEGAN TO SLIDE WHILE BRAKING INDICATING POSSIBLE SNOW BUILDUP IN FRONT OF TIRES. I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE OUT OF THE SLIDE WHICH IS PROPER IN FRONT WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES. THE CARS DASH LIGHTS LITE UP AND THE SL
• I WAS PULLING INTO A CONVENIENCE STORE IN MY 2014 PRIUS. AS I WAS GLIDING IN, I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE CAR KEPT GOING. I CONTINUED TO PRESS IT AND THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE, I COULD FEEL THE SURGE OF POWER. I WAS COMPLETELY UNABLE TO STOP THE CAR AND RAN INTO PARKING POSTS AT THE FRON
• I WAS PULLING INTO A CONVENIENCE STORE IN MY 2014 PRIUS. AS I WAS GLIDING IN, I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE CAR KEPT GOING. I CONTINUED TO PRESS THE BRAKE AND THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE. I COULD FEEL THE SURGE OF POWER. I WAS COMPLETELY UNABLE TO STOP THE CAR AND I RAN INTO PARKING POSTS AT

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 8 crashes

“WHILE TRAVELING IN SLIPPERY CONDITIONS I ATTEMPTED TO NAVIGATE A RIGHT HAND TURN. THE CAR BEGAN TO SLIDE WHILE BRAKING INDICATING POSSIBLE SNOW BUILDUP IN FRONT OF TIRES. I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE OUT OF THE SLIDE WHICH IS PROPER IN FRONT WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES. THE CARS DASH LIGHTS LITE UP AND THE SL”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

SPEED CONTROL(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 273 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
BRAKES: WE HAVE RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2014 TOYOTA PRISM THAT NOW HAS LESS THAN 4000 MILES ON THE ENGINE. IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD WE HAVE EXPERIENCED A MASS AMOUNTS OF DEFECTS WITH THE CAR. THE FIRST REPAIR WAS TOYOTA HAD TO REPLACE THE BATTERY FROM OUR HOME. THE SECOND WAS A RECALL DEALING WITH A NATIONAL
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: I PURCHASED A 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS ON MAY 31, 2014. TODAY 6/18/14 I FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS MODEL VEHICLE. I CALLED TOYOTA AND I WAS INFORMED THE RECALL SERVICE HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED. I CALLED A LOCAL DEALER (DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE) AND THEY INFORMED ME TH
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE SAFETY FEATURES. *SMD THE CONSUMER BELIEVED BACK-UP CAMERAS SHOULD COME STANDARD ON VEHICLE. HE ALSO BELIEVED AUTO BRAKING SHOULD BE A STANDARD FEATURE. *JB
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS A SERIES OF YELLOW TRIANGLES SUDDENLY FLASHED ON THE DASHBOARD ALONG WITH SOME BEEPS. THE ENGINE THEN STALLED AND THE GAS PEDAL NO LONGER RESPONDED TO ANY INPUTS. DUE TO A COMBINATION OF SHEER LUCK AND DRIVER PRESENCE OF MIND THE CAR WAS STEERED TO THE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)