2014 Toyota Prius: problems, recalls and reliability
4 recalls and 218 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is service brakes (41% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · 4 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Jun 2020
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 218 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Brake actuator had been making noises and it finally stopped working on 7/14/26. Thankfully my car was and stopped and parked. The car has 137k miles on it, one owner and no explanation of what caused this. There were no accidents, abuse, or failure to maintenance.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Jul 2026
“The traction control, abs, and emergency brake light came on. We checked and the code produced was C1391. There's a humming noise every 10 or so seconds when idle. The humming noise is also present when braking. We did some research and this appears to be an issue with Toyota Prius. We called the dealership and were informed that this was not a known issue. Thank you.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jun 2026
“ABS, traction control, brake system, and brake lights turned on while driving. Took the car to the mechanic and pulled the code C1391. It seems from other complaints to NHTSA that it is a common issue and quite dangerous, meaning the brake system is failing.”Owner report · Service Brakes · May 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“ABS, brake, and traction warning lights came on. Loss of power brakes/limited manual brake. Extended warranty/customer service outreach did not apply. Car is at 120,000 miles and almost 12 years.”Owner report · Service Brakes · May 2026
“My car experienced a failing brake actuator/accumulator. The first sign was the ABS and break lights accompanied by a whoosing sound. The issue causes intermittent system wide break failure and renders the car undriveable. Toyota had an extended warranty for this issue but that offer was closed by the time my car had the failure even though it was still under 150,000 miles. I believe this is a significant safety issue and should rise to the level of a recall by Toyota.”Owner report · Service Brakes · May 2026
“While driving, three warning lights suddenly appeared on the dashboard . Abs warning, traction light, and break warning light At the same time, the brake pedal became very hard to press, and the vehicle did not slow down as expected. This caused a significant increase in stopping distance, and I nearly rear-ended the vehicle in front of me. The issue appears to involve the braking system and created an immediate safety risk. No prior warning signs were noticed before this incident. The vehicle has not yet been inspected but is available for inspection upon request.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Apr 2026
“When the brake is applied, the vehicle accelerates for a fraction of a second before slowing down. I have experienced this when the vehicle is moving slowly, such as in a parking lot.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Mar 2026
“Head gasket failure. No check, engine, light or warning. My car was very well maintained regularly. After research, I found this to be a very common problem. Yes it is available for inspection. Upon request. The problem was confirmed by chemical test, ignition vapors going into engine coolant. Other symptoms were misfiring on cylinder two and cylinder four. Severe engine knocking.”Owner report · Engine · Mar 2026
“the cylinder head gasket blew because of the poor design of the intake manifold and the EGR system. There are updated parts to fix this issue, but there was no recall. This poor design led to the vehicle having "the Death Knock." It started doing this knock on my trip driving my daughter to college. The engine could have seized in traffic on the way to [XXX] from [XXX] . No warning lights came on telling me there was an issue. The vehicle is being taken apart now to see if my connecting rods were bent from the coolant entering the combustion chamber. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”Owner report · Engine · Feb 2026
“The slip notification, abs, and brake lights turned on while driving on the highway. The brakes then became very stiff and the vehicle did not brake as fast or as well as it normally does without the lights.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Feb 2026
When filing, owners marked a crash in 28 of these complaints and injuries in 15 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 4 campaigns
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.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2012-2015 Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. The hybrid battery contains an Electric Vehicle (EV) fuse that may fracture after repeated high-load driving conditions such as climbing long hills.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EV fuse, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 8, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0R.
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.
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.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2014 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Prius by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2014 Toyota Prius reliable?
NHTSA has 218 owner complaints and 4 recall campaigns on record for the 2014 Toyota Prius. The most complained-about area is service brakes (41% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2014 Toyota Prius problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 40,347 miles or less.
Does the 2014 Toyota Prius have open recalls?
4 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning hybrid propulsion system. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.