AI Damage2014 Toyota Prius Plug-IN Hybrid reliability: common problems
Owners of the 2014 Toyota Prius Plug-IN Hybrid filed 13 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 13
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 54% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 23% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel/propulsion system 23% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 15% of all complaints
- 5 Exterior lighting 8% of all complaints
- 6 Forward collision avoidance 8% of all complaints
- 7 Seat belts 8% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 7 complaints (54% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 3 complaints (23% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 3 complaints (23% of all).
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (15% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (8% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 13 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Engine | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 3 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Got rear end on 08.21.2023. Was able to drive car to work next day. Once I got home the ABS, traction control, and brake light went on. Using OBD2 scanner. Code 16-17 Right--Rear Wheel Speed Sensor Electrical Noise or Intermittent interruption, Code 16-17 Left-Right Wheel Speed Sensor Malfunction, 61-01…
The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a lot and then towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed as being totaled. The contact does not know which dealership the vehicle was towed to. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,083.
The contact stated that the ABS, brake lights, and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the brake power booster and brake power gasket. The vehicle was not repaired.
The panel does get brighter when the headlights are turned on, but not during daylight .speedometer lighting is difficult to read.
On toyota's website the vehicle has a 10.9 gallon fuel tank capacity listed. I bought the car used at the end of last year and have never been able to get above 8.5 gallons. I constantly achieve 45-50 miles per gallon as advertised but never get the range I was promised from the dealer or by toyota's website.
I experience lost of power as well as waiting more gasoline, before the electric fuse recall, my average miles per full tank was 436 miles, now is 540 per full tank., also the ev miles was 8.5 per charge and now after the fuse replacement is 13.7 miles per charge, for almost 4 years I have been wasting more gas then…
I was on a well travelled and very winding road coming down a mountain when all of a sudden my prius lost power and lights on the dashboard indicating a malfunction in the parking system and the hybrid system came on.
While the vehicle was parked, the rear passenger side seat belt shoulder harness locked up and would not move. The passenger was unable to unlock the seat belt. There was no warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 9,261 of 32,261 model years in the NHTSA data (top 29% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Prius Plug-IN Hybrid has 7 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 13, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2014 Toyota Prius Plug-IN Hybrid?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, engine, fuel/propulsion system. Total complaints: 13. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (23%), loss of power / limp mode (15%), headlights and tail lights (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2014 Toyota Prius Plug-IN Hybrid?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2014 Toyota Prius Plug-IN Hybrid from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2014 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-07.