2014 Toyota Prius Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 53,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

My vehicle is experiencing the well-known brake booster failure. This started at 90,000 miles, with an increased frequency in the running of the brake booster. It has steadily gotten worse, and now the pump runs with every brake application or every 13 seconds. There is now a hissing sound when I apply the brakes. I have repeatedly taken…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Facing brake booster/accumulator leak at ~105,000 miles diagnosed and confirmed by a mechanic at an independent service center. Problem is characterized by a hissing and chirping sound from the brakes. No warning lights appear on the dash, but this is a known problem with the 2014 Prius. Brake system could fail at any time, preventing…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 19,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

Sometimes the car nothing in the car will light up nor will it start. We replaced the battery in the rear. We replaced the fob battery. Sometimes we open the driver's door and shut it and it will make the dash lights go on and the car will then stat when the start button is pushed. The car remains dead sometimes no matter how many times…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 39,450 miles

The driver door and passenger door locks only work sometimes and it seems to be a electrical issue because I have noticed other odd things with the electrical in the carOwner complaint, filed 2019

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 16,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

I started noticing the ghosting or tripling of light issue in my windshield. I mostly noticed this during night times, I initially thought I was just tired and my eyes were tired, but I’ve been able to photograph it and verify my experience with other people. This effect is horrible for my eyesight and makes all lights at night so blurry…Owner complaint, filed 2024

The driver side headlight, running high beams and low beams, have stopped working despite changing the bulbs. It seems to be an issue with the ballast going out and/or just not working anymore. This seems like a major safety issue.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 2 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 63,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

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…Owner complaint, filed 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…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 12,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

Sudden unintended acceleration. 2014 prius was parked for a few days in hot, humid weather. When pulling the car into the driveway at a low speed, the car suddenly [VIN] to a velocity fast enough to collide with an suv parked in the driveway, knocking it through a metal fence and into the backyard. It also caused the driver of the prius…Owner complaint, filed 2017

The contact owns a 2014 toyota prius. While driving at 5 MPH, the vehicle [VIN] [VIN]. The failure previously occurred once before. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The [VIN] was notified. The failure mileage was 11,687.Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 11,687 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 16,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

Passenger airbag indicator on/off light was on despite having passenger over the airbag activation weight requirement being present with seatbelt buckled. Brought car to Toyota dealership and after running diagnostics for two hours they found that the airbag itself is faulty.Owner complaint, filed 2022

Airbags did not deploy when I got into an accident on I-91. The car has been totaled and is in Allstate's possession, and I believe it is available for inspection. My safety was put at risk because the airbags didn't deploy in a head-on collision with multiple objects (reflector pole, trees). The vehicle is in the process of being…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 38,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (7).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

The blizzard pearl paint began splitting and flaking off my passenger side doos. The location on both doors is the area right below the windows. This started several months ago and now large chunks are coming off despite having used a 3 paint touch up process. Now the pattern is repeating on my driver's side.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 60,250 miles

While parked, the struts that hold open the rear lift hatch failed suddenly, causing the hatch to fall on the head of person loading the car. The hatch was caught by a second person, preventing serious injury. On inspection, the struts were leaking oil.Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 49,500 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 14,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Turning the steering wheel more than quarter turn. Rattling, clicking noise is apparent out of center steering console. Turning the steering wheel more than 360 degrees. There are several rattles and clicks in the wheel. Driving is not affected. It feels as if something is loose inside the airbag. The main concern is a feeling of…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 7,000 miles

As I tried to make a right turn at a very busy intersection, I heard a strange noise and totally lost control of the steering wheeling. I turned the steering wheel 360 degrees all the way, around and around, but the car kept going straight... After a minute or so, the coordination between the steering wheel and the wheels re-established…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 21,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 11,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

I purchased this car used, in may 2017 with 14,500 miles. I am having an intermittent problem of the car shifting back into reverse when I am trying to shift from reverse to drive. It has happened approximately a dozen times since in 5 weeks. I have brought it to the dealership where I purchased the car 3 times. They are currently…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 14,700 miles

The contact owns a 2014 prius. The contact stated that vehicle intermittently shifted into neutral. The contact mentioned that the drive and/or reverse gear needed to be held in order for the gear not to shift into neutral. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was…Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 20,000 miles

Parts named most: Automatic emergency braking (6).

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

The Toyota Prius, models through 2010 - 2015 have a known issue with the Brake Booster (actuator) and ABS Pump where the parts will degrade and break at or around 100,000mi. Toyota issued a bulletin and had a replacement program that covered the part that has since elapsed but has not corrected the issue with existing stock and inventory…Owner complaint, filed 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…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 40,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the seat belts would not lock properly. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed with needing the buckles replaced. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 88,000 miles

Purchased 'leather' package upgrade. Seats starting separating a year ago. Got tired of run around with dealer to make repairs. Took it to another dealer to be told seats were simulated vinyl leather. Got seats repaired out of my own pocket. No more toyota's for us!Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 25,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Hybird system malfunction. Car lost power and stalled where we cannot shift. That happened after driving the car home and later tried to start it in our driveway.Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 105,000 miles

While I was doing a slow turn in a driveway, my brake failed and the car continued to accelerate in a forward motion. When I shifted into reverse, the car revved and roared accelerating at full tilt. It raced across a road into another driveway only stopping when wedged between a garage door and a tree. Toyota took the totaled car and…Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 21,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Ask for a hybrid battery health report from a dealer or hybrid shop.
• Watch for warning messages at startup and on the test drive, and confirm the car switches between gas and electric smoothly.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Prius. The contact stated was unable to start the vehicle. Additionally, the hybrid system warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the inverter assembly to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired.…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 86,500 miles

2014 toyota prius. Consumer writes in regards to electrical system software recall notice and requests financial compensation. *smd the consumer stated toyota and the dealer knowingly sold him a defective vehicle, in which they were fully aware of recall # 14v053000.Owner complaint, filed 2014

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

While backing out of a parking space at low speed, the rear axle beam (torsion beam) broke apart and the rear wheel assembly tore away from the beam. The vehicle was towed. The beam shows heavy, long-standing corrosion with flaking scale and rust-through holes on its exterior near the rear mounting points. Six weeks earlier, on September…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Lost steering on car while driving. Shop noted right control arm completely corroded through and broken axle. Entire undercarriage rusted and corroded. Available for inspection. Sudden loss of steering is a risk factor for serious injury or death. Problem has been looked at by two independent service centers who have agreed on problem.…Owner complaint, filed 2022, at 57,900 miles

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2014 toyota prius equipped with toyo proxes a20 (na) tires, size: p215/50/r17 (na). While the tires were being repaired at gateway tire (8115 macon road, cordova, tn 38018; 901-624-0911), the contact was informed of a slight tear that circled the inside of all four tires, causing the tread to slightly separate. The…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 40,694 miles

We purchased a new toyota prius that came with yokohama all season radials. Because the tire light came on, I checked the air pressure in the tires and set them to the psi as recommended at about 1000 miles. There was a minor imbalance of 3-4 psi in some tires, but no serious under inflation. We noticed some minor road noise and…Owner complaint, filed 2014, at 2,990 miles