Service Brakes. Review the 262 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 68 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Exterior Lighting. Review the 48 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

37 crash reports7 fire reports16 injury reports

Engine complaints

46 reports

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Mileage unknown · Nov 16, 2015

EnginePower Train

EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. RECENTLY I NOTICE OIL PRESSURE LOW LIGHT LIGHTS FREQUENTLY. IT USED THE OIL WAS CHANGED EVERY TIME THE MAINTENANCE LIGHT COME UP. ABOUT EVERY 5000 MILES. NOW THE LOW OIL PRESSURE COMES ALMOST EVERY 1000 MILES. THE CAR ONLY HAS 89K MILES.

NHTSA ODI #10790539

63,000 miles · Sep 1, 2015

EngineService BrakesSuspension

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THERE ARE 3 ISSUES I AM HAVING WITH THIS PRIUS. THE BRAKES ARE THE FIRST PROBLEM. AS OTHERS HAVE STATED, I TOO HAVE THE SAME LURCHING FORWARD WHEN BRAKING OVER BUMBY OR ROUGH ROADS. THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. SECOND, THE SUSPENSION IS CREAKING AND CRUNCHING WHEN MAKING TURNS AT LOW SPEEDS UNDER 20MPH. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE WHEELS ARE TURNED ALL THE WAY RIGHT AND ALL THE WAY LEFT. THIS CRUNCHING NOISE HAPPENS WHEN BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, MAKING U-TURNS, COMING TO A STOP ON AN INCLINE, AND BRAKING OVER SPEED BUMPS. I'VE HAD THE DEALER LOOK AT THIS FOR THE LAST YEAR WHEN I COME IN FOR SERVICE AND ONE TECH SAYS THEY CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT, ANOTHER TECH SAYS HE HEARS IT BUT CAN'T FIND THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM, THE SERVICE MGR. ALSO WENT ON A DRIVE WITH ME AND REPRODUCES THE NOISE CONCERN BUT THE TECHS COULDN'T FIND IT. MOST WERE SUGGESTING NEW FRONT SUSPENSION COMPONENTS-STRUTS, TOWERS, LINKS, ETC. I REPLACED THE TWO FRONT STRUTS AND ALL OF THE EXTRA COMPONENTS-THE NOISE CONCERN IS STILL THERE. I AM VERY UPSET ABOUT THIS. THIRD ISSUE IS THE ICE-MOTOR. WHEN STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF, THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD AND MAKES A CREAKING SOUND. IT'S APPEARS THAT SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT. THE ENGINE SEEMS LIKE IT IS LOOSE. THE ENGINE ALSO MAKES RATTLING SOUND WHEN CRUISING LIGHTLY AT 15-25 MPH WITH THE ACCELERATOR PRESSED SLIGHTLY. THE SOUND IS COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE, UNDER THE DASHBOARD-GLOVE COMPARTMENT AREA. THIS IS A RATTLE SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I'VE HAD THIS LOOKED AT AS WELL AND THE DEALER STATES THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE IT. I HAVE RECORDED ALL SOUNDS RELATED TO THESE CONCERNS AND AM TAKING IT BACK TO THE DEALER THIS MONTH.

NHTSA ODI #10760730

208,000 miles · Jan 31, 2015

Engine

UPON START UP IN THE COLD THE ENGINE SHAKES VIOLENTLY FOR 15 SECONDS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10680247

43,800 miles · Feb 3, 2014

Engine

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ON JAN. 18TH, 2014 I WAS LEAVING FL TO RETURN TO NC, WHEN I STARTED UP MY PRIUS AND WAITED FOR THE GAS ENGINE TO START, IT DID NOT WANT TO START. IT SOUNDED LIKE A DIESEL ENGINE, MAKING A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE AND THE WHOLE CAR SHOOK. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND THEN RESTARTED IT A COUPLE OF TIMES, BUT DID NOT EXPERIENCE THE ISSUE AGAIN. I DROVE BACK TO NC AND DID NOT EXPERIENCE THE ISSUE AT ALL. THE CAR WAS DUE FOR MAINTENANCE, SO B-4 TAKING IT IN, I RESEARCHED THE ISSUE ONLINE. I FOUND NUMEROUS PEOPLE THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE "PRIUSCHAT.COM" WEB SITE, THERE WERE ALSO LINKS TO YOUTUBE VIDS THAT SHOWED THE SAME PROBLEM. I ALSO FOUND THAT THERE IS A TSB OUT FOR THIS ISSUE, BUT IT ONLY COVERS CERTAIN VINS AND THE DEALERS USUALLY REQUIRE THAT THEY CAN DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM B-4 THEY WILL PERFORM THE TSB. THE REPAIR IS TO REPLACE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD, BUT THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE RESOLVING THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO HAVE STARTED WITH THE 2010 MODEL WITH THE 1.8L MOTOR AND HAS YET TO BE RESOLVED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10562720

20,000 miles · Oct 15, 2012

Engine

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE NOTICED A LEAK COMING FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WERE SPIDERS IN THE HVAC DRAINAGE HOSE AND THE SPIDERS HAD CREATED A NEST EGG IN THE HOSE, WHICH CAUSED THE LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER HER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 20,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #10480584

3,500 miles · May 2, 2012

Engine

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STARTED CAR AFTER PROLONGED PERIOD OF COLD SOAK (PARKED FOR ONE WEEK OUTSIDE IN TEMPERATURES AROUND THE FREEZING MARK). ENGINE EXHIBITED A LOUD KNOCK/RATTLE AND HAD A DELAYED THROTTLE RESPONSE AS I WAS PULLING OUT ONTO THE STREET. HAD TO SHUT ENGINE DOWN (WITH VEHICLE LOCATED IN STREET, SAFETY CONCERN) TO STOP LOUD KNOCK AND RE-START ENGINE. RATTLE/KNOCK HAD DISAPPEARED. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHEN PRESENTED WITH ISSUE AND TOYOTA ISSUED TSB (T-SB 0012-10) ON THIS VERY ISSUE DECLINED TO PERFORM NECESSARY WORK SINCE THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO "RECREATE" THE ISSUE. I EXPLAINED THAT THIS ONLY HAPPENED ONCE AND TO REPLICATE THEY WOULD NEED TO PARK IT IN THE SAME CONDITIONS FOR A WEEK. I CANNOT LEAVE MY CAR WITH THEM FOR THIS LONG AND THEREFORE THIS IS AN UNREASONABLE REQUEST. MULTIPLE OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM (AS A QUICK SEARCH ON YOUTUBE WILL CONFIRM) YET TOYOTA IS DENYING TO FIX THIS. *JS

NHTSA ODI #10457152

Official recalls

18V684000 · Hybrid Propulsion System

Oct 4, 2018

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Toyota Prius and 2012-2014 Toyota Prius V vehicles. Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) within the inverter may cause the hybrid system to shut down, causing the vehicle to stall while being driven.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the hybrid system shuts down unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 22, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0V. Note: The software updates in this recall are needed even if the vehicle had the software previously updated under recalls 14V-053 or 15V-449.

16V487000 · Air Bags:side/window

Jun 30, 2016

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Toyota Prius, 2010 and 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, and 2011-2012 Lexus CT200h vehicles. A weld in the curtain shield air bag inflator may crack causing one or both portions of the inflator to eject into the passenger cabin.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If either portion of the curtain shield air bag inflator ejects into the passenger cabin, there is an increased risk of injury to vehicle occupants.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install retention brackets to the curtain shield air bags, free of charge. The recall began on October 17, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota Customer Service Department at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is Toyota G0U, and Lexus GLJ.

16V396000 · Seats:front Assembly:seat Heater/cooler

Jun 2, 2016

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.

14V743000 · Seats:front Assembly:seat Heater/cooler

Nov 19, 2014

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.

Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.

14V053000 · Electrical System:software; Hybrid Propulsion System: Inverter

Feb 12, 2014

Toyota is recalling certain model year 2010 through 2014 Prius vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) inside the inverter module (a component of the hybrid system) contains transistors that may become damaged from high operating temperatures. If this occurs, various warning lamps will be illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle will have reduced power allowing it to only drive a short distance.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. The hybrid system could also shut down completely resulting in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners and dealers will update the software for both the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU, free of charge. If an owner experiences a failure of the inverter before the vehicle receives updated software, the dealer will repair or replace the inverter assembly with a new one at no charge. The recall began on March 21, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Hybrid Propulsion System: Inverter

Consequence: The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. The hybrid system could also shut down completely resulting in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners and dealers will update the software for both the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU, free of charge. If an owner experiences a failure of the inverter before the vehicle receives updated software, the dealer will repair or replace the inverter assembly with a new one at no charge. The recall began on March 21, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Electrical System:software

13V014000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE ; Seats

Jan 16, 2013

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.

Remedy: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Seats

Consequence: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.

Remedy: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

DP23005 · Brake Actuator Valve Wear

Opened Nov 22, 2023 · No close date supplied

Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received a petition dated September 19, 2023 from the owner of a 2012 Toyota Prius V requesting that ODI reevaluate its decision to deny DP19-004. In the letter, the petitioner reported experiencing an unexpected and complete loss of brake power while driving, accompanied by multiple dashboard warning lights. This petition is based on the petitioner's direct experience and assessment that ODI closed DP19-004 because its prompting petition was withdrawn by that petitioner. ODI will review the work conducted during DP19-004 and a review of any additional related complaints and crashes via a new defect petition The petition and related materials can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under the following ODI number:11553736.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist

DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

DP19004 · Brake Actuator Valve Wear

Opened Sep 30, 2019 · Closed Jan 21, 2021

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist

On September 19, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a defect petition from Mr. Roger Hogan requesting that the Agency investigate and recall certain Toyota Prius, Prius PHV, Camry Hybrid and Avalon Hybrid vehicles for a brake actuator valve wear condition covered under Toyota Customer Support Programs ZJB and ZKK (subject CSP?s). In support of his request, the petitioner identified 117 NHTSA complaints allegedly related to the subject CSP condition, including 60 reporting crashes. On September 30, 2019, ODI opened Defect Petition DP19-004 to evaluate the petitioner?s request for an investigation. In August 2020, the petitioner notified the Agency that he was withdrawing his petition. Because the petitioner has withdrawn the petition, we are denying the petition as moot and no further analysis of this petition is necessary.NHTSA is authorized to issue an order requiring notification and remedy of a defect if the Agency?s investigation shows a defect in the design, construction, or performance of a motor vehicle that presents an unreasonable risk to safety. 49 U.S.C. ?? 30102(a)(9), 30118. Because the petitioner has with withdrawn the petition, the petition is denied as moot. This action does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency notes that it is not required to receive a defect petition prior to opening a defect investigation and will take further action if warranted by future circumstances.