Toyota Prius Problems by Year
Years with far more complaints than usual:
NHTSA has 12,517 owner complaints and 35 safety recalls on file for the Toyota Prius, across 27 model years (2000–2026). The 2010 model year has the most complaints (2,823). The most reported problem area overall is exterior lighting.
Toyota Prius years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Prius year: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 2010 Prius: 2,823 complaints, 10 recalls
- 2007 Prius: 2,003 complaints, 4 recalls
- 2008 Prius: 1,497 complaints, 4 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 2000 Prius: 4 complaints, 0 recalls
- 2021 Prius: 6 complaints, 0 recalls
- 2026 Prius: 6 complaints, 1 recall
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common Toyota Prius problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting problems | 3,505 | 22 | 20 |
| Service Brakes problems | 2,039 | 25 | 207 |
| Electrical System problems | 1,595 | 26 | 51 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 1,594 | 18 | 169 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 1,050 | 24 | 277 |
| Service Brakes, Electric problems | 817 | 10 | 66 |
| Engine problems | 479 | 20 | 20 |
| Structure problems | 428 | 23 | 61 |
| Air Bags problems | 426 | 23 | 273 |
| Power Train problems | 415 | 24 | 40 |
| Steering problems | 379 | 19 | 38 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 299 | 17 | 10 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) problems | 233 | 18 | 19 |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 206 | 22 | 15 |
| Traction Control System problems | 182 | 12 | 15 |
| Visibility/wiper problems | 151 | 20 | 0 |
| Tires problems | 150 | 23 | 9 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 99 | 10 | 5 |
| Visibility | 96 | 15 | 3 |
| Seat Belts | 91 | 20 | 46 |
| Suspension | 87 | 18 | 15 |
| Equipment | 78 | 14 | 2 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 75 | 19 | 6 |
| Wheels | 75 | 22 | 17 |
| Hybrid Propulsion System | 74 | 13 | 3 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 74 | 10 | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 50 | 13 | 4 |
| Seats | 49 | 16 | 15 |
| Fuel System, Other | 35 | 11 | 1 |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 28 | 11 | 4 |
| Parking Brake | 16 | 7 | 3 |
| Interior Lighting | 11 | 7 | 2 |
| Back Over Prevention | 9 | 9 | 3 |
| Child Seat | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Lane Departure | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Insert, Padding | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Toyota Prius problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2015: service brakes (89)
- 2014: service brakes (94)
- 2013: service brakes (231) · electrical system (52)
- 2012: service brakes (184) · electrical system (52)
- 2011: service brakes (264) · electrical system (68)
- 2010: service brakes, hydraulic (849) · service brakes (593) · service brakes, electric (502) · vehicle speed control (287) · electrical system (192) · exterior lighting (149) · engine (140) · air bags (84) · power train (79) · fuel/propulsion system (60) · electronic stability control (esc) (58)
- 2009: exterior lighting (111) · service brakes, hydraulic (91) · vehicle speed control (71) · service brakes (63) · electrical system (60)
- 2008: exterior lighting (579) · electrical system (235) · service brakes, hydraulic (171) · vehicle speed control (156) · service brakes (145) · service brakes, electric (77) · structure (68) · power train (54)
- 2007: exterior lighting (1,060) · electrical system (248) · structure (184) · service brakes, hydraulic (145) · service brakes (127) · vehicle speed control (124) · service brakes, electric (59) · air bags (50)
- 2006: exterior lighting (941) · electrical system (152) · service brakes, hydraulic (94) · vehicle speed control (84) · service brakes (73)
- 2005: exterior lighting (346) · electrical system (178) · service brakes, hydraulic (128) · vehicle speed control (109) · service brakes (82) · service brakes, electric (68) · engine and engine cooling (64)
- 2004: exterior lighting (184) · electrical system (177) · engine and engine cooling (89) · vehicle speed control (52)
- 2002: steering (80)
All Toyota Prius model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Prius | 6 | 1 | 5★ | Electrical System | |
| 2025 Prius | 16 | 2 | 5★ | Electrical System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2024 Prius | 27 | 4 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2023 Prius | 20 | 4 | 5★ | Electrical System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2022 Prius | 24 | 1 | 5★ | Electrical System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2021 Prius | 6 | 0 | 5★ | Engine | |
| 2020 Prius | 14 | 0 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2019 Prius | 30 | 3 | 5★ | Service Brakes | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2018 Prius | 37 | 1 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2017 Prius | 91 | 3 | 5★ | Visibility/wiper | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2016 Prius | 155 | 5 | 5★ | Visibility/wiper | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2015 Prius | 166 | 1 | 4★ | Service Brakes | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2014 Prius | 208 | 3 | 4★ | Service Brakes | More complaints than other years |
| 2013 Prius | 412 | 3 | 5★ | Service Brakes | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2012 Prius | 424 | 6 | 5★ | Service Brakes | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2011 Prius | 521 | 6 | 5★ | Service Brakes | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2010 Prius | 2,823 | 10 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2009 Prius | 502 | 6 | — | Exterior Lighting | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2008 Prius | 1,497 | 4 | — | Exterior Lighting | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2007 Prius | 2,003 | 4 | — | Exterior Lighting | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2006 Prius | 1,439 | 6 | — | Exterior Lighting | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2005 Prius | 1,051 | 6 | — | Exterior Lighting | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2004 Prius | 610 | 6 | — | Exterior Lighting | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2003 Prius | 99 | 1 | — | Steering | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2002 Prius | 167 | 2 | — | Steering | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2001 Prius | 165 | 3 | — | Steering | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2000 Prius | 4 | 0 | — | Exterior Lighting |
More from Toyota: all Toyota models · Toyota VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which Toyota Prius years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 2004 (610), 2005 (1,051), 2006 (1,439), 2007 (2,003), 2008 (1,497), 2009 (502), 2010 (2,823), 2011 (521), 2012 (424), 2013 (412) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Prius year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the Toyota Prius?
Exterior Lighting, with 3,505 complaints across 22 model years.
How many recalls does the Toyota Prius have?
35 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.