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Toyota Prius PrimeModel year report

2018 Toyota Prius Prime Problems

Complaints
16filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
15,000miles, 7 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
54 mpgcombined (gas only), 1.8L 4-cyl · plug-in hybrid FWD · 55 city / 53 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2018 Toyota Prius Prime (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 16 consumer complaints for the 2018 Toyota Prius Prime. The part named most often is other or unknown, with 3 complaints (19% of the total), followed by air bags (2) and fuel system (2). 7 of the complaints include a mileage, and 100% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 15,000 miles. Of all complaints, 4 involved a crash, 3 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 98 technical service bulletins for this model year. Other or unknown complaints overlap with 3 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Air bags complaints overlap with 3 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Forward collision avoidance (1), Latches, locks and linkages (1), Body and structure (1), Vehicle speed control (1).

Example complaints

Other or unknown: “After starting from a stop after the traffic light turned green, the car in front of me pulled ahead as they accelerated faster than me. When the car in front of me was about 50 yards in front of me, and I had reached about 25 miles per hour the car's collision avoidance system engaged and slammed on the brakes and brought me to a full stop. The car in front of me had not applied their brakes or slowed at all, and there were no visible obstacles. …”

NHTSA complaint #11307431, filed 2020-02, 22,500 miles

Air bags: “Airbags deployed prematurely as I was parking my car in a doctor's office parking lot. The car was going less than 5 mph and I did not hit anything. The premature deployment of the airbag startled me and caused me to hit the accelerator instead of the brake and I ended up crashing my car into a nearby pole and another .automobile. The accident resulted in a soft tissue injury for my daughter and I'm experiencing lower back pains. The air bag caused burns on my nose and arms. My daughter has bruising on the arms from the air bag deployment”

NHTSA complaint #11538765, filed 2023-08

Fuel system: “'hybrid system failure' appeared on dash display during a long (120 mile) drive at highway speed on september 24. After driving about 40 miles further, the 'check engine light' came on and the display said to pull over immediately. As I pulled off the freeway, messages told me the power steering and power brakes were shutting off and left me in fear the car would die on the freeway ramp before I could pull over. Towed car to dealer who fixed a loose cable. This week (11/10) the display showed the same message. This is now a recurring problem with this model.”

NHTSA complaint #11374200, filed 2020-11, 15,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “On at least 4 occasions when the EV battery becomes depleted while driving at highway speeds and the car is switching to gas, the engine completely loses all power. This has lasted from 10-30 seconds. The dealership said a small battery needed to be replaced, and replaced that, but this recurred within a month of replacement.”

NHTSA complaint #11723385, filed 2026-03

Mileage when problems were reported

100% of the 7 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 15,000 and 22,500 miles.

29%0–1043%10–2529%25–500%50–750%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (7 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 15,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

201820202021202220234202420252026
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2018 Toyota Prius Prime version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving); plug-in hybrid figures are for gasoline-only (hybrid mode) driving, so no annual cost is shown.

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Prius Prime FWD1.8L 4-cyl · plug-in hybridCVT555354 gas only—

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2018 Toyota Prius Prime in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 98 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 98 bulletins →

Other model years of the Toyota Prius Prime

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2024157,0004552—Too new
202368,5484552—Too new
202286,3501554—Not enough data
20211034,0000554—Not enough data
2020169,2501—54—Falling
201999,0141—54—Not enough data
20181615,0000—54—Stable
2017426,5000—54Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Stable

All Toyota Prius Prime model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2018 Toyota Prius Prime have?

NHTSA recorded 16 consumer complaints for the 2018 Toyota Prius Prime as of Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2018 Toyota Prius Prime is reported most often?

Other or unknown is named most often, in 3 complaints (19% of the total), followed by air bags with 2.

Has the 2018 Toyota Prius Prime been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2018 Toyota Prius Prime get?

The EPA rates the 2018 Toyota Prius Prime (Prius Prime, 1.8L 4-cyl · plug-in hybrid) at 54 mpg combined, 55 city and 53 highway when running on gasoline in hybrid mode. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2018 Toyota Prius Prime reported?

Among the 7 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 15,000 miles and the middle half falls between 15,000 and 22,500 miles; 100% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.