2013 Toyota Prius Engine Problems
15 owner-reported engine complaints from NHTSA data
Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
Owner Complaints (15)
Your engine develops a crack in the head gasket, causing the engine to stall and stutter when switching between electric and gas power. You may also experience severe shaking. The check engine light will come on. Fixing this requires replacing the cracked head gasket, which is a major engine repair.
Parts you may need:
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I pushed on the gas, the car started mildly shaking under the hood( the engine) then I released my foot off the gas and the shaking ceased. I the. Attempted to accelerate again and the car started violently shaking so I released my foot from the accelerator and turned the car while coasting onto a side road where I traveled back home. Had the car towed to mechanic. He said the engine needs to be replaced as the pistons are damaged. My car has 196,000. I will have the engine replaced as my other 2012 engine just did the same similar thing and I am out two Priuses with blown engines. There were no warning lights and no previous issues or signs prior to the catastrophic events.
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, she heard a rattling and knocking noise then smoke started to spread throughout the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the dealer stated that the piston disintegrated and caused damage to the engine. The vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was informed that the head gasket and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. No warning lights were illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed to replace the engine. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
WE HARE RECENTLY STARTED EXPERIENCING EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION WITHOUT DASH WARNING. OUR CAR BURNED 2 QUARTS OF OIL IN 150 MILES WITH NO WARNING. TOYOTA HAS ISSUED AN INTERNAL SERVICE BULLETIN (T-SB-0169-16) THAT COVERS OUR VIN NUMBER, BUT SINCE WE ARE BEYOND WARRANTY THEY MADE NO OFFER TO HELP (WE WERE NOT NOTIFIED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY). ESSENTIALLY OUR CAR WAS IN MOTION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITH LITTLE OR NO OIL, BUT NO WARNING THAT THERE WAS NO OIL. I THINK WE GOT VERY LUCKY THAT OUR DRIVE ENDED BEFORE THE ENGINE FAILED.
IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING MY CAR ON NOV 18 & NOV 21ST, THE ENGINE REVS EXTREMELY LOUD FOLLOWED BY THE INABILITY TO ACTUALLY DRIVE MY CAR, LIKE ITS SHUTTING DOWN ON ME. IN A MATTER OF ABOUT 5 SECONDS AND IT NOT ALLOWING ME TO DRIVE OR ACCELERATE IT RETURNS TO NORMAL. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE THIS WEEK AND THOUGHT FOR SURE I WOULD FIND A RECALL ON THIS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ISSUE BUT TO NO AVAIL. IT HAPPENED BOTH TIMES ON A WELL TRAVELED TWO-LANE HIGHWAY. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 35-40MPH. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH NO ONE WAS DIRECTLY BEHIND ME BOTH TIMES. INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS! TOYOTA PLEASE DO A RECALL ASAP!
BASED ON THE DESCRIPTION FROM THE DEALER, THE PISTON ROD BROKE AND HIT THE CASING AND BROKE THE CASING CAUSING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE, THIS HAPPENED WHEN I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND WAS AT 40 MPH. AS I WAS DRIVING, I HEARD A LOUD BANG AND SUDDENLY MY CAR STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY AND THEN SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT FROM THE ENGINE AREA. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE CAR AND GOT IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST SHOP FOR INSPECTION WHEN THEY FOUND THIS ISSUE WHICH IF I WAS ON A HIGHWAY COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. AND COULD HAVE GOT INTO AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT. WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL..
ENGINE RATTLE/KNOCKING NOISE ON FIRST MORNING START UP ON OCCASION. CAR IS PARKED OUTSIDE IN A DRIVEWAY IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. PREVIOUS DATES UNKNOWN (MAYBE HAPPENED 4 OTHER TIMES). LOG STARTED 11/26/18 SINCE THE NOISE WAS REALLY BAD THAT DAY. 11/26/18 AT 6 A.M. CAR SAT IN DRIVEWAY FOR 2 DAYS. THE NOISE WAS REALLY BAD, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE NEXT DAY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AUTOMATICALLY CAME OFF. 1/22/19 AT 6 A.M. CAR SAT IN DRIVEWAY FOR 2 DAYS. THE NOISE WAS BAD BUT NOT AS BAD AS 11/26/18. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT COME ON. 2/1/19 AT 6 A.M. CAR SAT IN DRIVEWAY OVERNIGHT. SLIGHT NOISE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT COME ON. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS ONLINE. SOME HAVE SAID ITS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE DEALER HAS REQUESTED I TAKE MY CAR IN FOR THE RECALL (RECALL NO. 18V684) TO SEE IF IT FIXES THE PROBLEM BUT I'M GOING TO REQUEST THEY DIG INTO THIS FURTHER. I HAVE APPROXIMATELY 92,000 MILES.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V684000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM). THE CONTACT CALLED FREDERICK CHEVROLET AT 717-406-1727 (LOCATED AT 1505 QUENTIN RD, LEBANON, PA 17042) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT. *TT*JB
THE ENGINE TERRIBLY SHAKES AND GOT A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE DURING AN INITIAL STATIONARY COLD START IN THE MORNING DURING WINTER. IT HAPPENED 3 TIMES THIS DECEMBER 2017.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT PROVIDED THE REMEDY FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V684000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM) WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FRAME. THE DEALER (DCH WAPPINGERS FALLS TOYOTA, 1349 U.S. 9, WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY 12590, (845) 206-0521) STATED THAT THE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE AND DID NOT KNOW WHEN IT WOULD ARRIVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE RODE ROUGHLY, THE BATTERY WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.
CURRENTLY USING APPROXIMATELY 1 QUART OF OIL PER 2,000 MILES. THAT COMES OUT TO 5 QUARTS PER 10,000 MILE OIL CHANGE--WHICH IS MORE THAN THE 4.4 QUARTS THAT THE CAR HOLDS. NO DRIPS UNDER THE CAR. NO CLOUDS OF SMOKE OUT OF THE EXHAUST. THE OIL USAGE SLOWED DOWN, WHEN I TRIED USING CASTRIL FULL SYNTHETIC OIL--AT THE SUGGESTION OF A NEIGHBOR OF MINE, INSTEAD OF THE TOYOTA DEALER OIL AND MOBIL 1. IT IS A CONCERN, THAT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM MIGHT BE PLUGGING UP--DUE TO THIS OIL USE ISSUE. I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY TO 200,000. THE WARRANTY COMPANY TOLD ME TODAY, THAT, THEY WILL ONLY COVER INTERNAL ENGINE PART BREAKAGE, OR WHATEVER MY FACTORY WARRANTY WAS. THEY WILL NOT COVER THE CAUSE OF THE OIL USE, AND THEY WILL NOT COVER DAMAGE CAUSED BY LACK OF OIL. SO, I WAS TOLD, TO MAKE SURE I KEEP IT FULL OF OIL. TOYOTA SHOULD CONSIDER HOW THIS WILL AFFECT THEIR FUTURE BUSINESS. A BIG SALES POINT TO THE PRIUS IS, THAT, IT SHOULD LAST A REALLY LONG TIME. IT MAY LAST A LONG TIME, YET. I'LL KEEP ADDING OIL AND WE SHALL SEE. IN THE MEAN TIME, I PLAN TO GET A ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE PACKAGE THAT INCLUDES TOWING....
MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE CAR THIS MORNING AND THE ENGINE CUTOFF AND LOST ALL POWER ALONG WITH A MAINTENANCE REQUIRED LIGHT CAME ON. SHE TRIED TO ACCELERATE BUT IT WOULD NOT. SHE PULLED OFF THE ROAD. MY WIFE WAS IN ANOTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER.MY WIFE TURNED OFF THE CAR AND TURNED IT BACK ON IT DRIVE FINE FOR 25 MILES. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE AND SOUNDS LIKE ANOTHER RECALL LIKE THIS. HTTP://KFOR.COM/2014/02/12/DRIVE-A-TOYOTA-RECALLED-FOR-POWER-LOSS-ISSUE-COULD-BRING-CAR-TO-SUDDEN-STOP-ON-ROAD/
DROVE OVER OBJECT. PULLED OVER RIGHT AWAY. OBJECT DISLODGED. DIDNT SEE ANY FLUID KEPT ON DRIVING. AFTER 15 MILES ENGINE OVERHEATING LIGHT CAME ON AND PULLED OVER IMMEDITIATELY AND TURNED OFF ENGINE. HAD CAR TOWED TO NEAREST TOYOTA DEALER.NOW I M TOLD THAT OBJECT TORE A HOLE IN RADIATOR WHICH CAUSED ALL THE FLUID TO LEAK OUT AND CAUSED ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. TO THE POINT OF NO LONGER WORKING. WHAT IS THE POINT OF HAVING A WARNING LIGHT THAT COMES ON WHEN ITS TOO LATE TO REMEDY THE SITUATION?
CAR STALLED ON FREEWAY 163 BOUND NORTH (NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE SEEN) AT 10 PM PASSENGERS (3) WERE EXPOSED TO SEVER DANGER . TOYOTA DEALER COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. POLICE ASSISTED AND CAR WAS TOWED AWAY (ROAD ASSISTANCE) TO OWNER RESIDENT . DEALER CLAIMED THAT RECALL WAS SERVICED. SYMPTOMS APPEAR TO BE EXACT TO WHAT IT WAS REPORTED FOR PRIUS 2010 TO 2013. DEALER IS IN DENIAL
2013 TOYOTA PRIUS. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS AND PARTS FOR THE DEFECTED OIL FILTER HOUSING PART. *TA THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A CHEAP, PLASTIC OIL FILTER HOUSING. OVER TIME, THE HEAT GENERATED BY THE ENGINE CAUSED THE OIL FILTER HOUSING TO FAIL TO MAINTAIN ITS REQUIRED SHAPE. CONSEQUENTLY, WHEN SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE FOR A ROUTING OIL CHANGE, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE MECHANIC TO SEPARATE THE OIL FROM THE OIL FILTER HOUSING. *JB