Page 436 of 596

4367-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS c_U
■When to replace your vehicle's tires
Tires should be replaced if:
●The treadwear indicators are showing on a tire.
●You  have  tire  damage  such  as  cuts,  splits,  cracks  deep  enough  t o
expose the fabric, and bulges indicating internal damage
●A tire goes flat repeatedly or c annot be properly repaired due  to the size
or location of a cut or other damage
If you are not sure, consult  with your Toyota dealer.
■Replacing tires and wheels
If the ID code of the tire press ure warning valve and transmitt er is not reg-
istered, the tire pressure warni ng system will not work properly.  A f t e r   d r i v -
ing  for  about  20  minutes,  the  tire  pressure  warning  light  blink s  for  1
minute and stays on to indi cate a system malfunction.
■Tire life
Any tire over 6 years old must  be checked by a qualified techni cian even
if it has seldom or never been u sed or damage is not obvious.
■Routine tire inflation pressure checks
The  tire  pressure  warning  system  does  not  replace  routine  tire  inflation
pressure  checks.  Make  sure  to  chec k  tire  inflation  pressure  as part  of
your routine of daily vehicle checks.
■Low profile tires (vehicles  with P195/50R16 tires)
Generally,  low  profile  tires  will  wear  more  rapidly  and  tire  gr ip  perfor-
mance  will  be  reduced  on  snowy  and /or  icy  roads  when  compared  to
standard  tires.  Be  sure  to  use  snow  tires  or  tire  chains  on  sno wy  and/or
icy roads and drive carefully at a speed appropriate for road a nd weather
conditions. 
     
        
        Page 440 of 596

4407-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS c_U
WARNING
■When inspecting or replacing tires
Observe the following precautions to prevent accidents. 
Failure to do so may cause damage  to parts of the drive train as well as
dangerous  handling  characteristics,  which  may  lead  to  an  accide nt
resulting in death o r serious injury.
●Do not mix tires of different ma kes, models or tread patterns. 
Also, do not mix tires of re markably different treadwear.
●Do not use tire sizes other th an those recommended by Toyota.
●Do  not  mix  differently  constructed  tires  (radial,  bias-belted  o r  bias-ply
tires).
●Do not mix summer, all  season and snow tires.
●Do not use tires that have b een used on another vehicle. 
Do not use tires if you do not kn ow how they were used previous ly. 
●Do not tow if your vehicle has a compact spare tire installed.
■When initializing the tire pressure warning system
Do  not  operate  the  tire  pressure  warning  reset  switch  without  first
adjusting the tire inflation pressure to the specified level. O therwise, the
tire  pressure  warning  light  may  not  come  on  even  if  the  tire  in flation
pressure  is  low,  or  it  may  come  on  when  the  tire  inflation  pres sure  is
actually normal. 
     
        
        Page 442 of 596
4427-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS c_U
The  recommended  cold  tire  infla-
tion pressure and tire size are dis-
played  on  the  tire  and  loading
information label. (P. 541)
Tire valve
Tire pressure gauge
Remove the tire valve cap.
Press the tip of the tire press ure gauge onto the tire valve.
Read the pressure using  the gauge gradations.
If the tire inflation pressure is not at the recommended level,  adjust
the pressure. 
If you add too much air, press the center of the valve to defla te.
Tire inflation pressure
Tire inflation pressure
Inspection and adjustment procedure
1
2
1
2
3
4 
     
        
        Page 445 of 596

4457-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
PRIUS c_U
When replacing wheels, care should be taken to ensure that they are
equivalent to those removed in load capacity, diameter, rim wid th and
inset
*. 
Replacement wheels are available at your Toyota dealer.
*: Conventionally referred to as “offset”.
Toyota does not recommend using the following:
● Wheels of different sizes or types
● Used wheels
● Bent wheels that hav e been straightened
● Use  only  Toyota  wheel  nuts  and  wrenches  designed  for  use  with
your aluminum wheels.
● When  rotating,  repairing  or  changi ng  your  tires,  check  that  the
wheel nuts are still tight afte r driving 1000 miles (1600 km).
● Be  careful  not  to  damage  the  aluminum  wheels  when  using  tire
chains.
● Use  only Toyota  genuine  balance   weights  or  equivalent  and  use  a
plastic or rubber hammer w hen balancing your wheels.
■When replacing wheels
The  wheels  of  your  vehicle  are  equipped  with  tire  pressure  warn ing
valves  and  transmitters  that  allow  the  tire  pressure  warning  sy stem  to
provide  advance  warning  in  the  event  of  a  loss  in  tire  inflatio n  pressure.
Whenever  wheels  are  replaced,  tir e  pressure  warning  valves  and trans-
mitters must be installed. ( P. 434)
Wheels
If  a  wheel  is  bent,  cracked  or  heavily  corroded,  it  should  be
replaced.  Otherwise,  the  tire  may  separate  from  the  wheel  or
cause a loss of handling control.
Wheel selection
Aluminum wheel pre cautions (if equipped) 
     
        
        Page 446 of 596

4467-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
PRIUS c_U
WARNING
■When replacing wheels
●Do not use wheels that are a different size from those recommended in
the Owner's Manual, as this may  result in a loss of handling control.
●Never  use  an  inner  tube  in  a  leaking  wheel  which  is  designed  fo r  a
tubeless tire. Doing so may resu lt in an accident, causing death or seri-
ous injury.
■When installing the wheel nuts
●Never use oil or grease on the wheel bolts or wheel nuts. 
Oil and grease may cause the wheel nuts to be excessively tight ened,
leading to bolt or disc wheel damage. In addition, the oil or g rease can
cause the wheel nuts to loosen and the wheel may fall off, caus ing an
accident  and  resulting  in  death  or  serious  injury.  Remove  any  oil  or
grease from the wheel  bolts or wheel nuts.
NOTICE
■Replacing tire pressure warn ing valves and transmitters
●Because  tire  repair  or  replacement  may  affect  the  tire  pressure   warn-
ing  valves  and  transmitters,  make  sure  to  have  tires  serviced  b y  your
Toyota dealer or other  qualified service shop. In addition, make sure to
purchase  your  tire  pressure  warning  valves  and  transmitters  at  your
Toyota dealer.
●Ensure that only genuine Toyota  wheels are used on your vehicle. 
Tire  pressure  warning  valves  and  transmitters  may  not  work  prop erly
with non-genuine wheels. 
●Be  sure  to  install  the  wheel  nuts  with
the  tapered  ends  facing  inward.
Installing  the  nuts  with  the  tapered
ends  facing  outward  can  cause  the
wheel  to  break  and  eventually  cause
the  wheel  to  come  off  while  driving,
which  could  lead  to  an  accident
resulting in death o r serious injury.Tapered 
portion 
     
        
        Page 483 of 596

4838-2. Steps to take in an emergency
8
When trouble arises
PRIUS c_U
WARNING
■Maintenance of the tires
Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should be checked monthly
when  cold  and  inflated  to  the  inflation  pressure  recommended  by the
vehicle  manufacturer  on  the  vehicle  placard  or  tire  inflation  p ressure
label  (tire  and  load  information  label).  (If  your  vehicle  has  t ires  of  a  dif-
ferent size than the size indica ted on the vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure  label  [tire  and  load  information  label],  you  should  de termine
the proper tire inflation p ressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your  vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure  monitoring  system  (TPMS -tire  pressure  warning  system) that
illuminates a low tire  pressure telltale (tire pressure warning  light) when
one  or  more  of  your  tires  is  significantly  under-inflated.  Acco rdingly,
when  the  low  tire  pressure  telltale  (tire  pressure  warning  ligh t)  illumi-
nates,  you  should  stop  and  check  your  tires  as  soon  as  possible ,  and
inflate  them  to  the  proper  pressure.  Driving  on  a  significantly   under-
inflated  tire  causes  the  tire  to  overheat  and  can  lead  to  tire  failure.
Under-inflation  also  reduces  fuel  efficiency  and  tire  tread  lif e, and may
affect the vehicle’s handl ing and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS (tire pressure warning system) is not  a sub-
stitute for proper tire maintena nce, and it is the driver’s responsibility to
maintain  correct  tire  pressure,  even  if  under-inflation  has  not   reached
the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale (tire
pressure warning light).
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS (tire pressure  warn-
ing  system)  malfunction  indicato r  to  indicate  when  the  system  is  not
operating  properly. The TPMS  (tire  pressure  warning  system)  mal func-
tion indicator is combined with  the low tire pressure telltale (tire pressure
warning  light).  When  the  system  detects  a  malfunction,  the  tell tale  will
flash for approximately one mi nute and then remain continuously  illumi-
nated.  This  sequence  will  continue  upon  subsequent  vehicle  star t-ups
as long as the malfunction exists . When the malfunction indicator is illu-
minated,  the  system  may  not  be  able  to  detect  or  signal  low  tir e  pres-
sure as intended.
TPMS (tire pressure warning system) malfunctions may occur for  a vari-
ety of reasons, including the installation of replacement or al ternate tires
or  wheels  on  the  vehicle  that  prevent  the TPMS  (tire  pressure  w arning
system)  from  functioning  properly. Always  check  the  TPMS  (tire  pres-
sure  warning  system)  malfunction  telltale  after  replacing  one  o r  more
tires  or  wheels  on  your  vehicle  to  ensure  that  the  replacement  or  alter-
nate tires and wheels allow the TPMS (tire pressure warning sys tem) to
continue to function properly. 
     
        
        Page 541 of 596
5419-1. Specifications
9
Vehicle specifications
PRIUS c_U
15-inch tires
16-inch tires
Tires and wheels
Tire sizeP175/65R15  84H,  T125/70D16  96M
(spare)
Tire inflation pressure
(Recommended cold 
tire inflation pressure)Front:
38 psi (260 kPa, 2.6 kgf/cm
2 or bar)
Rear: 33 psi (230 kPa, 2.3 kgf/cm
2 or bar)
Spare:
60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2 kgf/cm
2 or bar)
Never exceed the maximum cold tire infla-
tion pressure indicated on the tire sidewall.
Wheel size 15  5J, 16   4T (spare)
Wheel nut torque 76 ft•lbf (103 N•m, 10.5 kgf•m)
Tire size P195/50R16  83V,  T125/70D16  96M
(spare)
Front and rear tire inflation
pressure
(Recommended  cold  tire
inflation pressure)Front:
32 psi (220 kPa, 2.2 kgf/cm
2 or bar)
Rear:
29 psi (200 kPa, 2.0 kgf/cm
2 or bar)
Spare: 60 psi (420 kPa, 4.2 kgf/cm
2 or bar)
Never exceed the maximum cold tire infla-
tion pressure indicated on the tire sidewall.
Wheel size 16  6J, 16   4T (spare)
Wheel nut torque 76 ft•lbf (103 N•m, 10.5 kgf•m) 
     
        
        Page 546 of 596
5469-1. Specifications
PRIUS c_U
Full-size tire
Compact spare tire
Tire information
Typical tire symbols