2003 Toyota Prius Equipment Problems
- Complaints
- 4about this part
- Share
- 4%of 99 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 90,814miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the equipment of the 2003 Toyota Prius, 4% of the 99 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 90,814 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“My 2003 Prius (first gen, from japan), has been thru a few recalls - 1 was to seal the battery better early on (04ish), then it was given new pinion shaft nuts. Latest issue has been an issue all along, just not diagnosed/fixed til now. Sometimes the 'check engine' light would come on, with the car/! /triangle graphic on touch screen. This time it didn't go away. Long story short, it was the electric water pump that needed to be replaced. …”
NHTSA complaint #10537480, filed 2013-08, 115,000 miles“2203 Toyota Prius cst brake light goes on intermittently had brakes replaced by dealer. Brakes did not feel ok but told this was normal. Brake pedal went to floor intermittently but no brake light came on. After car slid thru red light at intersection, car was brought back to dealer. Replaced master cylinder. Brakes still did not work. Dealer said brake hoses were soft & swollen and brake controller sticking. Replaced brake hoses, flushed lines cap. Bleeder plug actuator assy. Car has 67,000 miles.”
NHTSA complaint #10306335, filed 2010-02, 66,627 miles“Toyota consumer safety advisory potential floor mat interference with accelerator pedal. I've had issues with the floor mats in my 2003 Prius almost from the beginning of owning my car. When I looked at the illustrations on the Toyota web site it was clear that the retaining mechanism it identical to that of the 2004 Prius. Yet the model is not being covered by the recall. Please consider expanding the recall to all affected models and model years.”
NHTSA complaint #10285859, filed 2009-09“Consumer 2003 Prius passenger side tire blew out. The consumer thoroughly read the owner's manual on hold to change the tire. The supplied jack was used to raise the car. When the vehicle was raised a short distance the jack slid forward and the car dropped to the ground. The consumer attempted to raise the vehicle three more times with the same result.”
NHTSA complaint #10171179, filed 2006-10Related service bulletins
- 10251070Jan 22, 2024OBSOLETE NOTICE January 22, 2024: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0057-18.
- 10244113Aug 17, 2023TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most…
- 10238157May 30, 2023TSB: The Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset is a feature that allows the registration of new keys when all master keys are lost. Once the system is reset, all previously registered…
- 10213902May 31, 2022TSB: This bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge on Ni-MH high voltage (HV) batteries. This bulletin should be used in conjunction with the applicable…
- 10207946Jan 12, 2022POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Toyota. This information must be kept…
- 10188913Feb 3, 2021TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most…
- 10179698Aug 5, 2020TSB: Some 2003 ? 2020 model year Prius, Prius C, Prius V; 2006 ? 2019 model year Highlander Hybrid Vehicle; 2007 ? 2020 Camry Hybrid Vehicle; 2013 ? 2020 model year Avalon Hybrid…
- 10174891Apr 7, 2020TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE April 07, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0032-20. Replacement Certification Labels and VIN Plates
- 10174890Apr 6, 2020TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. PG021-88, PG015-89, PG0015-90, PG002-91, PG002-93, PG005-97, PG007-01…
- 10171405Jan 27, 2020TSB: Vehicles may display evidence of a fluid leak or fluid seep from powertrain components. This bulletin explains how to determine the differences between a fluid leak versus a…
Equipment: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 | 1% |
| 2014 | 1 | 0% |
| 2013 | 2 | 0% |
| 2012 | 4 | 1% |
| 2011 | 4 | 1% |
| 2010 | 15 | 1% |
| 2009 | 7 | 1% |
| 2008 | 8 | 1% |
| 2007 | 22 | 1% |
| 2006 | 18 | 1% |
| 2005 | 8 | 1% |
| 2004 | 7 | 1% |
| 2003 | 4 | 4% |
| 2001 | 4 | 2% |
Other parts of the 2003 Toyota Prius
39 complaintsBrakes
16 complaintsElectrical system
13 complaintsEngine cooling
11 complaintsTires
11 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
5 complaintsVehicle speed control
5 complaintsFuel system
4 complaintsOther or unknown
3 complaintsElectronic stability control
2 complaintsSuspension
2 complaintsAir bags
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2003 Toyota Prius
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology