The 2013 Toyota Prius has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 1,772,424 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 534 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the service brakes. Last updated July 5, 2026.
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.
Consequence
An unexpected hybrid power system shut down may increase the risk of a crash.
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…
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.
Consequence
If the hybrid system shuts down unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of a crash.
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…
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…
Consequence
The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. The hybrid system could also shut down completely resulting in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
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…
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding a catastrophic brake component failure on my 2013 toyota prius, occurring at less than 83,000 miles. The vehicle’s brake master cylinder/actuator assembly has suffered an internal hydraulic pressure leak, causing the electric booster pump to run…”
“On june 20, 2026 while driving the toyota prius I experienced a sudden brake failure. Initially I thought I might have pressed the accelerator instead of the brake. But then pressing the brake I found the car did not stop and the abs brake, brake lights, and other lights lit up on the dash board.…”
“There have been several reports of this matter and a ton of recalls due to the brake booster issues with all prius makes and models from 2010 on. The recall was issued and ended before I purchased this vehicle and never fixed. The brake booster has recently began having trouble in my vehicle. I…”
“Brake pedal is going all the way to the floor the car barely stops. The abs and brake lights show up on the dashboard and won't go away; when I used a diagnostic scanner to find the problem, three malfunction codes involving the brake system showed up. This has been going on for five days now, and…”
“Brake booster went out, car only has 78,000 miles”
“Actuator needs replacing, currently at 127k miles and displaying traction control, brake and abs warning lights. The repair will be a few thousand dollars, the cars market value is only around $6k. This is a known toyota defect for this generation of prius but toyota hasn’t recalled these…”
“My 2013 toyota prius with only 99,000 miles is experiencing a brake system failure. The brake warning light, abs light, and traction control light all illuminate. The brake actuator pump runs every 10 seconds, indicating loss of hydraulic pressure. Safety concern: this issue affects braking…”
“My 2013 toyota prius with only 99,000 miles is experiencing a brake system failure. The brake warning light, abs light, and traction control light all illuminate. The brake actuator pump runs every 10 seconds, indicating loss of hydraulic pressure. Safety concern: this issue affects braking…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationDP19004 Opened 2019-09-30 · closed 2021-01-21
Brake Actuator Valve Wear
On September 19, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a defect petition from Mr. Roger Hogan requesting that the Agency investigate and recall certain Toyota Prius, Prius PHV, Camry Hybrid and Avalon Hybrid vehicles for a brake actuator valve wear condition covered under Toyota Customer Support…
InvestigationDP22005 Opened 2023-01-27 · closed 2023-08-07
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for…
InvestigationDP23005 Opened 2023-11-22 · open
Brake Actuator Valve Wear
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received a petition dated September 19, 2023 from the owner of a 2012 Toyota Prius V requesting that ODI reevaluate its decision to deny DP19-004. In the letter, the petitioner reported experiencing an unexpected and complete loss of brake power while driving, accompanied…
InvestigationDP23005 Opened 2023-11-22 · open
Brake Actuator Valve Wear
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received a petition dated September 19, 2023 from the owner of a 2012 Toyota Prius V requesting that ODI reevaluate its decision to deny DP19-004. In the letter, the petitioner reported experiencing an unexpected and complete loss of brake power while driving, accompanied…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2013 Toyota Prius as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.