3.4% of complaints about the 2012 Toyota Prius C came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2012 vehicle — around the middle of the 201 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 6.6 yr in service. The most-reported system is service brakes (26 complaints), typically at 11.7 yr or about 25,000 miles.
THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED GENTLY AS THE CAR WAS APPROACHING A STOPPED CAR. THE PRIUS C THEN ACCELERATED, AT WHICH TIME THE BRAKES WERE FIRMLY APPLIED, THE ABS SYSTEM ENGAGED, BUT NOT IN ENOUGH TIME FOR THE VEHICLE TO STOP. THE PRIUS REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT, ALL AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED CAUSING INJURY TO THE DRIVER, AND THE FRONT END OF THE PRIUS WAS DESTROYED. IT CANNOT BE FIXED AND WILL NEED TO BE SCRAPPED. *TR
CAR IN FRONT SLOWED THEN STOPPED QUICKLY AS THE CAR AHEAD OF IT ATTEMPTED TO USE THE MIDDLE LANE IMPROPERLY (NOT A TURN LANE AT THAT TIME), NOT MOVING FULLY NOR QUICKLY INTO THE LANE. CAR IN FRONT STOPPED. APPLIED BRAKES IMMEDIATELY TO THE PRIUS C TO SLOW, THEN ADDED ONE RAPID PUMP, AND ULTIMATELY PUSHED THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. THE PRIUS DID LITTLE MORE THAN SLOW (WITHOUT EVEN A JOLT FROM THE FIRM APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES), CAUSING A CRASH INTO THE REAR OF THE CAR IN FRONT AND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE ENTIRE FRONT END. NO AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. *JS
WHEN STEPPING ON THE BRAKES DURING WEST WEATHER (MOISTURE IN THE BRAKES) THE REAR WHEELS LOCK UP FOR A SPLIT SECOND EVERY TIME. WHEN IT IS DRY IT DOESN'T LOCK UP BUT STILL HITS HARD.