Toyota Prius Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 12,519 consumer complaints across the 26 model years of the Toyota Prius (2001–2026) that have at least 5 complaints. 2010 has the most, with 2,823. Across all years, the part named most often is brakes (4,465 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All Prius model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 6 | 1,100 | 1 | 25 | — | Too new |
| 2025 | 16 | 12,450 | 2 | 40 | — | Too new |
| 2024 | 27 | 3,000 | 4 | 101 | Too new to compare | Too new |
| 2023 | 21 | 15,205 | 4 | 118 | — | Too new |
| 2022 | 24 | 34,600 | 1 | 131 | — | Rising |
| 2021 | 6 | 5,200 | 0 | 118 | — | Not enough data |
| 2020 | 14 | 12,850 | 0 | 147 | — | Not enough data |
| 2019 | 30 | 5,500 | 3 | 140 | 0 · Fewer | Rising |
| 2018 | 37 | 10,000 | 1 | 201 | 0 · Fewer | Rising |
| 2017 | 91 | 14,000 | 3 | 246 | 28 · Fewer | Stable |
| 2016 | 155 | 19,600 | 5 | 302 | 55 · Typical | Falling |
| 2015 | 166 | 30,000 | 1 | 324 | 8 · Fewer | Rising |
| 2014 | 210 | 27,000 | 3 | 427 | 34 · Fewer | Rising |
| 2013 | 414 | 54,425 | 3 | 466 | 44 · Typical | Rising |
| 2012 | 424 | 50,000 | 6 | 461 | 80 · More | Rising |
| 2011 | 521 | 76,000 | 6 | 359 | 72 · More | Stable |
| 2010 | 2,823 | 6,419 | 10 | 387 | 100 · More | Falling |
| 2009 | 502 | 30,000 | 6 | 225 | 100 · More | Stable |
| 2008 | 1,497 | 51,176 | 4 | 222 | 100 · More | Falling |
| 2007 | 2,004 | 50,050 | 4 | 219 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2006 | 1,439 | 50,000 | 6 | 210 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2005 | 1,051 | 76,854 | 6 | 215 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2004 | 610 | 72,436 | 6 | 208 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2003 | 99 | 71,000 | 1 | 123 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2002 | 167 | 70,200 | 2 | 119 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2001 | 165 | 60,574 | 3 | 115 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Brakes4,465 35%
- Exterior lighting3,502 28%
- Electrical system1,595 13%
- Vehicle speed control1,050 8.3%
- Other or unknown751 5.9%
- Engine479 3.8%
- Body and structure428 3.4%
- Air bags426 3.4%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2012: “Driving on Interstate and suddenly traction control light, brake Light, and ABS light came on. After this the brakes were not as affective at stopping the vehicle and felt sluggish. Found a lot of reports online about similar issue and even some when the vehicle brakes failed. My brakes allowed me to get home without incident.”
NHTSA complaint #11511346, filed 2023-03, 112,000 miles2011: “A check hybrid system alert came on and included lit break, check engine, steering, ABS, skid and yellow triangle with an ! Mark inside. The car stopped and I could not move it. Good thing I was on a side street with light traffic. This happened again after the inverter was replace; and it happened again after the 12 v battery was replaced.”
NHTSA complaint #11403403, filed 2021-03, 3 miles2007: “I own a Toyota Prius 2007 and I experiencing brakes not engaging as they should when applied. I notice my ABS vsc brake lights are on my dashboard. I took it in to a shop and was told I have a bad ABS actuator. I researched it on the recall list and it was listed but expired in dec 2017. Toyota should fix this problem. This was a known problem.”
NHTSA complaint #11377408, filed 2020-12, 5 milesOther Toyota models
18,207 complaintsToyota Corolla
11,738 complaintsToyota RAV4
9,401 complaintsToyota Sienna
8,831 complaintsToyota Tacoma
8,476 complaintsToyota Tundra
6,944 complaintsToyota 4RUNNER
5,900 complaintsToyota Highlander
5,780 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology