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EnginePart report

2012 Toyota Prius C Engine Problems

Complaints
5about this part
Share
8%of 64 total for the year
Median mileage
88,000miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the engine of the 2012 Toyota Prius C, 8% of the 64 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 88,000 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“Rough start at cold start when car is left for more than 12 hours. Intermittent problem cannot be determined at dealer due to infrequency of issue, but happens multiple times a month. Toyota was unable to help me and says this is unrelated to the exact same issue plaguing 2010-2013 prius and prius v models, even though symptoms are exactly the same.”

NHTSA complaint #11153679, filed 2018-11, 93,000 miles

“Problem with the fuel bladder causing the gauge to read incorrectly. The gauge gets stuck at a quarter tank and before you know it, you're out of gas. Once this happened, it caused the hybrid system to fail and locked the car up even after putting gas in it. Has to do a master reset of the entire car to get it to start again.”

NHTSA complaint #11084607, filed 2018-04, 88,000 miles

“I am writing to express a complaint regarding the issues I have experienced with the brake system of my Toyota Prius C, 2012 model. For the past several months, I have noticed that the brakes exhibit strange noises, soft pedal sensation, reduced braking efficiency, were driving and the ABS, traction, brake, and that other light turned on and the brakes became slow these issues have been observed on multiple occasions and pose a safety risk to myself, other drivers, and pedestrians. I have taken the vehicle for inspection, but the problems persist or have not been definitively resolved. …”

NHTSA complaint #11664280, filed 2025-06

“I was driving on the expressway and experienced a sudden loss of power. The internal combustion engine suddenly stopped and did not deliver any power to the wheels. I immediately received a message on the system that said 'Check Hybrid System Stop Vehicle in a Safe Place'. The electric motor still continued to provide some power with the available battery charge. I was able to make it to the shoulder of the road but it was challenging to get to the shoulder with no power or warning and high speed traffic. My wife and I were in the vehicle. …”

NHTSA complaint #11490716, filed 2022-10

Related service bulletins

Engine: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2018117%
2015318%
2014721%
2013712%
201258%

Other parts of the 2012 Toyota Prius C

Brakes
26 complaintsElectrical system
15 complaintsAir bags
8 complaintsOther or unknown
8 complaintsElectronic stability control
4 complaintsSeat belts
4 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
4 complaintsExterior lighting
3 complaintsSeats
3 complaintsVehicle speed control
3 complaintsForward collision avoidance
2 complaintsFuel system
2 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2012 Toyota Prius C

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology