2012 Toyota Prius V Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Prius V years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 8 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 218 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Toyota Prius V. That is the most of any Prius V model year in the database (8 years). The most reported problem area is service brakes (124 complaints, 57%), typically at around 68,000 miles. Complaints mention 19 crashes, 2 fires, 10 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 218owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 19complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 Toyota Prius V problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes problems | 124 | 57% | 68,000 | “brake booster” (31%) | $4,250 |
| Engine | 36 | 17% | 120,570 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 24 | 11% | 76,217 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 15 | 7% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 15 | 7% | 16,004 | — | — |
| Steering | 11 | 5% | 66,028 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 8 | 4% | 24,726 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 7 | 3% | 98,611 | — | — |
| Power Train | 7 | 3% | 8,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 3% | 153,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 6 | 3% | 173,943 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 2% | 111,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 2% | 13,252 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 1% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Hybrid Propulsion System | 3 | 1% | 200,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 1% | 200 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 31,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 124,126 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0% | 173,943 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 0% | 3,300 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | 160,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | 160,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 0% | 3,300 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Toyota Prius V recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Hybrid propulsion system
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Toyota Prius and 2012-2014 Toyota Prius V vehicles. Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) within the inverter may cause the hybrid system to shut down, causing the vehicle to stall while being driven.
Risk: If the hybrid system shuts down unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 22, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0V. Note: The software updates in this recall are needed even if the vehicle had the software previously updated under recalls 14V-053 or 15V-449.
Hybrid propulsion system: inverter
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Prius V vehicles manufactured August 22, 2011, to June 30, 2014. A component within the hybrid inverter assembly may overheat, causing the hybrid system to reduce output power allowing the vehicle to only drive a short distance. In some circumstances, the hybrid system may shut down causing the vehicle to stop while being driven.
Risk: The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. The hybrid system could also shut down completely resulting in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the motor/generator control electronic control unti (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU, free of charge. The recall began on July 30, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
Seats; air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.
Risk: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Brake Actuator Valve Wear (DP23005) — opened Nov 22, 2023, still open.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH and depressing the brake pedal there was a buzzing sound coming from the vehicle and the brake warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after inspecting the vehicle, the brake fluid level was very low. The…
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius V. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, brake fluid was leaking from the vehicle. While driving over 45 MPH, the brake pedal became firm, requiring the driver to exert extra force while depressing the brake pedal; the brakes failed to respond as…
2012 Toyota Prius v with 89,662 miles. Multiple brake warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle stored diagnostic trouble code C1391, âAbnormal Leak in Accumulator.â The brake booster/accumulator pump is also cycling about every 13 seconds, even when the brake pedal is not being applied. The…
Brake actuator assembly failure on a vehicle with 99,818 miles. Whirring sound when braking followed by lighting of several brake alert lights on dash including PCS and ABS and others. The whirring noise has occured for several weeks, but the light indicators happened on 6/28/26. Toyota has an…
Driving down the highway, the engine suddenly threw a rod, causing a terrible jolt, after which the engine burst into flames. There had been no warning lights.
Other Toyota Prius V years
← 2011 Prius V · 2013 Prius V →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 Prius V | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 Prius V | 12 | 1 |
| 2016 Prius V | 16 | 1 |
| 2015 Prius V | 24 | 2 |
| 2014 Prius V | 82 | 4 |
| 2013 Prius V | 125 | 2 |
| 2012 | 218 | 3 |
| 2011 Prius V | 1 | 0 |
See all Toyota Prius V problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Toyota Prius V?
Owners most often report service brakes, engine, electrical system problems. The top one, service brakes, accounts for 124 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Toyota Prius V?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 Toyota Prius V a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Prius V model years, the 2012 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.