2012 Toyota Prius c
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
- Fuel economy
- 50 mpgcombined; city 53, highway 46; every version of this model year
- Five years of fuel
- $6,500U.S. average; Ohio $5,810 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
- NHTSA overall safety rating
- Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
- Recall campaigns
- 0none on file
- Owner complaints
- 64filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales
Problems owners report
Owners have filed 64 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Prius c. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
| Part | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 26 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Electrical system | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Air bags | 8 | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| Unknown or other | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Engine | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control (ESC) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power train | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Seat belts | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
5 more parts
| Fuel/propulsion system | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
Every Prius c year side by side
Recalls
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2012 Prius c. NHTSA's recall lookup checks a specific VIN.
Service bulletins and investigations
Carmakers sent NHTSA 366 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2012 Prius c, the latest on Feb 13, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (191), electrical system (76), structure (62), engine (27), air bags (18).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
| Investigation | Part | Opened | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defect petition DP22005 Pedestrian alert sounds · covers 43 makes | Electrical system | Jan 27, 2023 | Closed Aug 7, 2023 Petition withdrawn NHTSA's record and documents |
| Defect petition DP13002 Drivability, Service brake failure | Service brakes | Mar 18, 2013 | Closed Jul 25, 2014 Petition denied NHTSA's summary names recall 10V039000, 13V235000 NHTSA's record and documents |
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2012 Prius c.
Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5
Specs
EPA class: compact cars. Each version EPA tested:
| Version | Engine | Transmission | Fuel | City / hwy / comb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prius c Front-Wheel Drive | 1.5 L, 4 cyl | Automatic (variable gear ratios) | Regular Gasoline | 53 / 46 / 50 |
Sources and dates
- U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
- NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
- NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
- NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
- NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
- NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data