2017 Toyota Prius Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2017 Prius most often write about windshields that crack or spread rapidly from small impacts, followed by brake complaints where the pedal feels like it slips or the car does not stop as expected. A further cluster of complaints describes slow, delayed or briefly absent acceleration when pulling away, and a smaller group concerns coolant loss from the exhaust heat exchanger. Many reports come at low mileage, often within the first year of ownership.

1. 1
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield cracks and spreads from small impacts

   • 17 complaints (19%)
   • median 10,000 mi at 1.3 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • filed 2017–2021

   Complaints describe windshields cracking from small stones or debris, with the crack spreading across the glass within minutes or hours. Several owners say they found a crack with no chip or impact mark at all, sometimes after the car sat parked in sun or cold. A few report wiper blades detaching in rain. Owners who contacted the dealer say they were told it was not covered as a defect, and some note replacement glass was in short supply. Mostly reported under 15,000 miles, often within the first year and sometimes after cold nights or hot parked conditions.

   What to check: Inspect the windshield edges and the area above the defroster vents for chips, hairline cracks or repair marks, and ask whether the glass has been replaced. Recalibration of the forward camera is needed after replacement, so ask for that paperwork.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Just bought my 2017 Toyota Prius not over 4 months and my windshield have 1 large cracked and a tinny chipped on it. As I was driving on the highway cracked when a tiny rock hit the upper right side I could see the crack getting longer until it nearly reached the middle. I am very worry about the quality of the windshield by the 2017 Toyota Prius.”

   NHTSA complaint #11022173, filed 2017-09, 7,000 miles

   “A small pebble hit my windshield below the inspection sticker. Within seconds a crack starting developing. Within two minutes it reached almost halfway across the windshield. I have read many complaints about fragile and vulnerable Prius windshields. I believe Toyota needs to correct this defect, repair my windshield and perform any necessary re-calibration. I have uploaded two pictures.”

   NHTSA complaint #11021391, filed 2017-09, 6,800 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Brake pedal feels like it slips or fails to stop

   Mentioned in 11 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the brake pedal feeling soft, slipping, or requiring extra travel when coming to a stop, sometimes with a traction or brake warning light. Some reports involve the car not stopping and striking an object or another vehicle. Several say dealers could not reproduce the condition or found no stored fault, though one owner was told at a routine service that the front and rear rotors needed replacement at low mileage. Reported from a few thousand miles up to about 28,000 miles, in wet and dry conditions and at both low and highway speeds.

   Recall 16V7410004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test braking from low and highway speed on a wet day if possible, listen for groans or squeaks, and have the rotors and pads measured. Ask whether the parking brake recall 16V741000 was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Please note: that I have owned a previous generation Prius - a 2011 - and I am more than aware that regenerative braking works entirely differently than a conventional braking system. So in no way am I referring to the usual noises that come from regenerative braking. Please see attached document for explanation of life and safety issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #11003217, filed 2017-07, 8,800 miles

   “I had an sua (sudden unintended acceleration). I drove up an incline into the driveway of the holiday in in downtown san diego, pulled up into a small circular area/driveway where you can register for your room or pick up or drop off people. My foot was on the brake, I was stopping the car to pick up my daughter and her boyfriend. And the car took off on it's own. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11279629, filed 2019-11, 17,000 miles
3. 3
   Fuel system

   Delayed or missing acceleration when pulling away

   • 12 complaints (13%)
   • median 24,912 mi at 2.9 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2017–2025

   Complaints describe pressing the accelerator at a stop or when turning onto a road and getting little or no response for several seconds before the car moves, sometimes with the engine not revving and the car staying in electric mode. Some owners report the car stalling or jerking, and a few describe unintended acceleration or the car moving while parked. Dealers reportedly could not duplicate the problem or found nothing stored. Mostly reported between about 5,000 and 40,000 miles, often at low speed from a stop or during a turn.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether any throttle-related diagnostic trouble codes or software updates were applied, and drive the car through several stops and slow turns to feel for hesitation.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The vehicle started normally but when I reached about two blocks from my house, the Prius started to act as if the electric motors were not engaging. The engine did not engage either and the gas pedal was unresponsive. The first time this occurred, I was stuck in the middle of a 4-way intersection until I shut down the vehicle and restarted it. After I restarted the Prius, it continued behaving erratically. It sounded and felt like the gas motor had engaged but the electric motor had not. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11118193, filed 2018-08, 12,240 miles

   “The vehicle was running and stopped at a stop light. When accelerating to proceed from the stop light the vehicle would barely accelerate no matter how far we pressed the gas pedal down. The engine was not revving faster it just appeared to stay in EV mode with very little acceleration. Finally after about 5-10 seconds the car starts accelerating. We are very concerned that if this occurs at a turn onto a busy road we could be in a position where we are stuck in the middle of oncoming cross traffic. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11415656, filed 2021-05, 40,000 miles
4. 4
   Vehicle speed control

   Adaptive cruise control accelerates or disengages

   Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the radar cruise control speeding up toward a slower vehicle ahead or continuing at the set speed in rain, requiring manual braking. Others report the system dropping out on its own, sometimes with a rapid deceleration, or giving false collision and sonar warnings in wet weather. Complaints say dealers did not offer a fix beyond explaining how the system works. Reported from very low mileage up to about 27,000 miles, typically on the highway in rain or moderate to heavy traffic.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Try the cruise control and forward collision warnings in varied traffic and weather, and ask whether the forward camera and radar have been recalibrated after any windshield work, since alignment affects these systems.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “In moderate to heavy rain with the Toyota dynamic cruise control engaged on the highway between 55 and 70 MPH, the Prius has dangerously accelerated itself towards a car immediately in front of my car and would have created a front-to-rear collision if I was not extremely vigilant and manually braked and canceled the adaptive cruise system within 10-20 feet of the car in front of me. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11098247, filed 2018-05, 7,400 miles

   “When driving on the highway during rain the adaptive cruise control spontaneously stops and lashes on the dash display that it is no longer set, the car decelerates rapidly, leaving the driver scrambling to determine what has happened. The systems involved are the adaptive cruise control and Toyota safety sense.”

   NHTSA complaint #11170968, filed 2019-01, 27,000 miles
5. 5
   Engine

   Coolant loss from the exhaust heat exchanger

   • 10 complaints (11%)
   • median 25,825 mi at 2.9 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Complaints describe needing to top up the coolant reservoir every few days, a check engine light, and the heater blowing cold. Owners say the dealer traced the loss to coolant leaking into the front exhaust pipe and recommended replacing that pipe. A separate report describes a head gasket failure at higher mileage with loss of power and abnormal noise. Reported mostly between about 25,000 and 80,000 miles, with one case near 81,700 miles.

   Recall 18V5790002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the coolant level and look for residue or a sweet smell around the front exhaust pipe area, and ask whether the heat exchanger or exhaust front pipe has been replaced. Have the hybrid system inspected for the engine wire harness recall 18V579000.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This is for 2017 Toyota Prius prime, but there is no option. While taking my kid to enroll in swimming class, while taking turn into the facility the brakes stopped working and the car wouldn't stop, some how I drove into parking lot (I am not sure how I did it in that tense situation) none of the buttons were working, the car was beeping showing every thing failed and by gods grace the hand brake worked and finally the car stopped. Now I am scared as this happened with my kid in the car. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11234809, filed 2019-07, 15,140 miles

   “The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25-30 MPH, the vents were blowing out cold air. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was adding coolant to the coolant reservoir every three to four days. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the coolant was leaking into the exhaust pipe. The dealer recommended that the exhaust system front pipe be replaced. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11645348, filed 2025-02, 81,700 miles

Buying note. Check the windshield closely, confirm any open recalls on this model year were completed, and have a hybrid-trained shop look at the brakes and cooling system before purchase. Service records showing regular coolant checks and any throttle or cruise-control updates are worth asking for.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.