Selling a dead or damaged Prius c

The Prius c was the Yaris-sized member of the Prius family, sold in the US from 2012 through 2019. Its NHTSA record is short: 189 complaints and four recalls, each touching fewer than 1,000 vehicles. Brakes and electrical faults are what owners write about most.

One generation, eight model years

Toyota launched the Prius c in the US and Canada in March 2012 as the third member of the Prius family, a car the size of a Yaris with a hybrid drivetrain. Early cars were built at Kanegasaki, Iwate, by Kanto Auto Works; from 2012 production moved to Toyota Motor East Japan in Ohira, Miyagi.

The powertrain never changed. A 1.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four rated at 73 hp gives a total hybrid system output of 99 hp, through a power-split transaxle. The battery is a 144-volt nickel-metal hydride pack under the rear seat. The EPA rated the 2012 at 50 mpg combined and the 2019 at 46, same hardware, lower numbers. The car got a light facelift for 2015 and a smaller one for 2017, and North American sales ended after the 2019 model year.

What owners report, and what Toyota did about it

Brake warnings

Service brakes are the biggest complaint category, with 53, and 24 of them are on the 2012. For 2015-2017 cars, Toyota issued bulletin T-SB-0008-24 in February 2024. It covers brake, ABS and TRAC warning lights or a Check VSC message with codes C1391, C1252, C1256 or C1253, caused by a small internal brake fluid leak in the brake actuator. The fix in the bulletin is a new brake master cylinder. Toyota says that repair "is covered under the Toyota Basic Warranty," which ran 36 months or 36,000 miles. This is a bulletin, not a recall, and no extended coverage came with it. We found no matching bulletin for the 2012-2014 cars, which drew most of the brake complaints.

Electrical faults and lost drive

Electrical complaints are second, with 32, and 14 of them are on the 2013. On the newest cars there is a recall: 19V491 covers 464 Prius c from 2018-2019 whose DC-DC converter may stop charging the auxiliary 12-volt battery, which can cause a loss of drive. Dealers replace the converter free as needed.

Three small recalls

• 15V514: 949 2015 cars built from April 20 to June 30, 2015 and sold through Southeast Toyota, whose tire pressure monitors may not warn of low pressure. Dealers recalibrate them.
• 17V295: 2017 cars from Gulf States Toyota whose spare tire pressure was set wrong. The 409 vehicles span 15 Toyota models, not just the Prius c.
• 18V176: 19 2018 cars sold in Puerto Rico that may be missing the passenger air bag label.

The hybrid battery

Toyota's longer battery coverage, 10 years or 150,000 miles, applies to "all new model year 2020" Toyota hybrids. The last US Prius c is a 2019, so none of them get it. A dealer's VIN lookup shows what factory coverage, if any, remains.

NHTSA complaints and recalls, 2012-2019

Our count from NHTSA's data files (October 10, 2026). The brake column is NHTSA's "service brakes" category.

19V491 covers both 2018 and 2019, which is why the recall column adds to five.

Is it worth repairing?

Start with the VIN at NHTSA's recall site. On a 2018 or 2019 that loses drive, the open DC-DC converter recall may be the whole answer.

Past that, the brake bulletin carries no extended coverage, and the 10-year battery warranty does not apply. Get a written estimate from a hybrid shop. Then check listings for a running Prius c of your year with similar miles. An estimate that eats up most of that price is your answer. Thinking of pulling the battery to sell separately? Our part out or sell whole page compares the two routes.

How to sell the Prius c whole

1. Write down the VIN and mileage, which warning lights are on, and whether it reaches Ready.
2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Tell us where it sits: a garage, an apartment lot, the curb, a hybrid shop. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
4. Leave the high-voltage battery in. Keep the wheels and converter on too, and say up front if anything was removed.
5. Have the title ready when the truck arrives. Without one, start with our no-title guide. For plates and insurance afterward, see after you sell.

Not sure what counts as non-running? The non-running car guide covers it. Other small Toyotas: the Prius, Prius v and Yaris, or every Toyota.