2010 Toyota Prius Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 79about this part
- Share
- 3%of 2,823 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 9,800miles
- Trend
- FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 79 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2010 Toyota Prius, 3% of the 2,823 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 9,800 miles. 9 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“My car completely shut down in traffic, engine, steering, transmission all quit and I was almost in a horrific accident as I could not control the car or get out of anyone's way. The check hybrid warning light was also on. It was towed and the garage said it was a software update that I was not made aware of that caused complete failure.”
NHTSA complaint #11076761, filed 2018-03, 110,000 miles“Our Prius has been losing power. It has 68k miles and we are the original owners. Driving at hwy speeds we noticed we have to push hard down on the gas just to get the car to maintain highway speeds. Hills are even worse. We are also still waiting on the parts to fix our headlights. Over the years I have changed the low beam bulbs at least 6 times! When are the parts coming?”
NHTSA complaint #11074952, filed 2018-02, 68,000 miles“Had recently purchased this vehicle used.. Vehicle suddenly was powerless in the middle of the highway. Struggled to coast to side of the road. Barely being rear ended by traffic approaching from behind. Over heated inverter replaced at no charge by Toyota dealership. Then dealership tried to tell me the car needed $5200 in additional work. I am in disbelieve I was able to purchase a car with out this work being done to it.”
NHTSA complaint #11090055, filed 2018-04, 139,800 miles“I have a 2010 Toyota Prius version 3. When I push the dash button to put the vehicle in park, the car sometimes will roll 1-2 inches forward before engaging in park. The dealer was able to duplicate the problem on 01/04/2011, but stated that this was normal because when engaging the vehicle may not have been in the right position for go right into park vs. Needing to move a little bit so it engages properly.”
NHTSA complaint #10374675, filed 2011-01, 11,500 miles“I had been driving the car and had experienced the loss of power described in recent articles as being an inverter problem (that was the subject of a software update by Toyota that may not have fixed the issue). After experiencing this issue several times, my autobody shop recommended replacing the throttle body as the diagnostic codes were not 100% clear what the problem was. I have replaced the throttle body and not had the issue since, but I thought I would report this just in case this is related to the inverter issue. …”
NHTSA complaint #11093278, filed 2018-05, 120,308 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10240056Jun 7, 2023DP: The Customer Confidence Program is a component of a class action settlement that includes several elements of coverage. The Customer Confidence Program provides coverage as…
- 10164330Jul 1, 2019TSB: REVISION NOTICE July 01, 2019 Rev2: ? Applicability has been updated to 2019 ? 2020 model year Toyota vehicles. ? The Techstream Preparation and Process Overview sections…
- 10145758Sep 26, 2018Warranty Policy Bulletin: Toyota has received some reports indicating the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) located inside the inverter assembly of the hybrid system may fail. This…
- 10132899Nov 10, 2016Warranty Policy Bulletin: Toyota has received some reports indicating the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) located inside the inverter assembly of the hybrid system may fail.
- 10132898Nov 9, 2016Warranty Dealer Package: Warranty Enhancement Program to extend the warranty coverage for repairs related failure of the Intelligent Power Module (IPM). The vehicles covered…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 13% |
| 2024 | 1 | 4% |
| 2023 | 3 | 14% |
| 2022 | 1 | 4% |
| 2020 | 1 | 7% |
| 2019 | 2 | 7% |
| 2018 | 2 | 5% |
| 2017 | 4 | 4% |
| 2016 | 15 | 10% |
| 2015 | 13 | 8% |
| 2014 | 6 | 3% |
| 2013 | 14 | 3% |
| 2012 | 21 | 5% |
| 2011 | 18 | 3% |
| 2010 | 79 | 3% |
| 2009 | 22 | 4% |
| 2008 | 54 | 4% |
| 2007 | 41 | 2% |
| 2006 | 22 | 2% |
| 2005 | 41 | 4% |
| 2004 | 34 | 6% |
| 2003 | 5 | 5% |
| 2002 | 9 | 5% |
| 2001 | 5 | 3% |
Other parts of the 2010 Toyota Prius
1,945 complaintsVehicle speed control
287 complaintsElectrical system
192 complaintsExterior lighting
149 complaintsOther or unknown
148 complaintsEngine
140 complaintsAir bags
84 complaintsFuel system
71 complaintsElectronic stability control
58 complaintsBody and structure
35 complaintsEngine cooling
33 complaintsHybrid propulsion system
30 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2010 Toyota Prius
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.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology