2016 Toyota Prius C Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2016 Toyota Prius C, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Tires & wheels325.0%
- Brakes325.0%
- Electrical216.7%
- Visibility18.3%
- Exterior lighting18.3%
- Driver assistance18.3%
- Other / unspecified18.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
P 175/65r15 I was driving on a slight curve on the I-10 in El Paso, TX when the rear bumper exploded. The car started swaying and swerving then I pulled over. I then realized that the tread on the tire was gone floating across the highway. The trie was bare with no tread with the bumper around the tire was gone. The explosion also caused the tail light to break.
See attached document for complaint
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
My name is [XXX] currently active duty military stationed in San Diego. Can you please check if my car VIN number [XXX] 2016 Toyota Prius C 103k miles still covered for brake booster malfunction code 1391. I have told they are extended warranty up to 10 yrs less 150k. Toyota dealer here seems not seeing any warranty coverage issues. Please help me look into this issues thank you. My contact number is [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
WHEN I AM IN THE PROCESS OF BRAKING AND HIT A ROUGH SPOT IN THE ROAD SUCH AS A POTHOLE, I ESSENTIALLY LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR FOR A SPLIT SECOND. IT FEELS JERKY LIKE IT LURCHES FORWARD OR SHAKES SIDE TO SIDE. ITS NOT VERY PRONOUNCED BUT ENOUGH TO MAKE ME FEEL UNSAFE. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I AM BRAKING AND RUN OVER POTHOLES, SO ITS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT THAT ONLY HAPPENED ON ONE DAY, AND IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW HARD I'M BRAKING OR HOW FAST I'M GOING UNLESS I'M BARELY MOVING (THEN IT DOESN'T JERK).
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE CAR HAS BEEN TOWED TWICE. EVERY TIME I ATTEMPT TO TURN ON THE CAR, THERE IS NO POWER. THE DEALER SAYS IT IS THE BATTERY AND HE HAS CHANGED THE BATTERY TWICE. I AM AFRAID TO USE THE CAR AND GET STRANDED IN THE HIGHWAY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA PRIUS C. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, A RUBBER ODOR EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT NO FAILURE WAS DETERMINED. SEVERAL DAYS LATER, THE "HYBRID COOLANT SYSTEM NEEDS SERVICE" WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A SAFETY HAZARD. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN AND THAT THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT FILTER SYSTEM NEEDED CLEANING TO PREVENT THE BATTERIES FROM OVERHEATING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
The original windshield has a “rippling distortion” where the windshield has ripple/bubble from defective glass or installation mistakes, making seeing traffic signs or streets very hard. I just bought this vehicle and noticed the problem. It created poor road vision, especially at night. Toyota needs to recall and replace all these windshields before it causes more accidents due to poor visibility looking through the glass.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
AT NIGHT ON DARK STREETS WITH NO OTHER LIGHTING, YOU CANNOT SEE TO DRIVE UNLESS YOU USE HIGH BEAMS. THERE IS A LINE ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD; A HORIZON. YOU CAN SEE BELOW THAT HORIZON (A THIN AREA), BUT IT'S BLACK ABOVE IT, MAKING IT VERY HARD TO SEE. VISIBILITY IS ONLY A FEW FEET. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THE SALES AND MANAGEMENT TEAM CLAIM THAT THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING. I CONTACTED SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS NORMAL. THERE IS NO FIX. I AM DEMANDING THAT MY HEADLIGHTS BE AIMED HIGHER IN HOPES THAT I CAN SEE TO DRIVE. IF THIS DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, THIS CAR CANNOT BE DRIVING AT NIGHT. IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE WITH SUCH LOW VISIBILITY. I WAS DRIVING VERY SLOWLY AND STILL FELT THAT I SHOULD HAVE JUST STOPPED. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN I AM IN THE PROCESS OF BRAKING AND HIT A ROUGH SPOT IN THE ROAD SUCH AS A POTHOLE, I ESSENTIALLY LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR FOR A SPLIT SECOND. IT FEELS JERKY LIKE IT LURCHES FORWARD OR SHAKES SIDE TO SIDE. ITS NOT VERY PRONOUNCED BUT ENOUGH TO MAKE ME FEEL UNSAFE. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I AM BRAKING AND RUN OVER POTHOLES, SO ITS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT THAT ONLY HAPPENED ON ONE DAY, AND IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW HARD I'M BRAKING OR HOW FAST I'M GOING UNLESS I'M BARELY MOVING (THEN IT DOESN'T JERK).
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA PRIUS C. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, A RUBBER ODOR EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT NO FAILURE WAS DETERMINED. SEVERAL DAYS LATER, THE "HYBRID COOLANT SYSTEM NEEDS SERVICE" WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A SAFETY HAZARD. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN AND THAT THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT FILTER SYSTEM NEEDED CLEANING TO PREVENT THE BATTERIES FROM OVERHEATING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .