2001 Toyota Prius Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Prius years
- About as many complaints as other years 14th of 27 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 165 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 Toyota Prius. That ranks 14th out of 27 Prius model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (45 complaints, 27%), typically at around 67,520 miles. Complaints mention 13 crashes, 3 fires, 6 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 165owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 13complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2001 Toyota Prius 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 45 | 27% | 67,520 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 27 | 16% | 61,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 27 | 16% | 32,994 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 25 | 15% | 60,189 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 18 | 11% | 37,700 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 9 | 5% | 38,850 | — | — |
| Suspension | 9 | 5% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 5% | 100,816 | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 3% | 106,272 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 3% | 125,225 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 3% | 50,226 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 2% | 52,987 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 3 | 2% | 116,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 2% | 42,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 2% | 80,916 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 1% | 160,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 1% | 154,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 1% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 1% | 21,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1% | 230,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Hybrid Propulsion System | 1 | 1% | 159,700 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2001 Toyota Prius recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Steering:electric power assist system
Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2001 through 2003 prius passenger cars manufactured from january 28, 2000, through may 30, 2003. The steering linkage may loosen, resulting in reduced electric steering assistance when making a left turn.
Risk: Loss of power steering, particularly when an operator is actively intending to steer the vehicle, may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners and dealers will replace the nuts in the steering linkage free of charge. The safety recall began on july 8, 2011. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Engine and engine cooling
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, due to improper molding of the resin body of the crankshaft position senor installed on the engine block, engine oil may penetrate the seal and enter the sensor wiring connector. The wire harness connector may not be sufficiently attached to the locking tab of the sensor wiring connector.
Risk: Engine oil inside the sensor wiring connector could cause expansion due to the heat of the engine and could deform the sensor wiring connector. The connector may become disconnected, which could cause the engine to stall while driving and not be able to be restarted increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the crankshaft position sensor free of charge. The recall began on july 26, 2006. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Steering:gear box (other than rack and pinion)
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Insufficient electrical contact can occur in the torque sensor that controls the power assist operation of the electric power steering gear box. The torque sensor could send improper electrical signals.
Risk: If this occurs, the power steering warning icon will be displayed on the center panel, and the driver could experience higher than normal steering effort depending upon vehicle speed.
Fix: Dealers will repair the electric steering gear box.
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
- Pedestrian alert sounds (DP22005) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V063000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I was getting off the freeway and driving 40 mph on the off ramp, when the 2001 toyota prius did a unwanted left turn of the steering wheel, i tried to turn the steering wheel back to correct the car angle, but he steering force was too strong for me to correct back to straight ahead, the left…
Steering recall i called toyota they said they couldn't do it and it says online it's good for 10 years after recall date.
The car accelerated without warning at high speed on it's own in a parking lot and rammed itself into the wall deploying airbags. My mother was driving and was sent to the e.r. She was slowly backing up when the car accelerated first in reverse hitting a wall and then switched in drive on it's own…
My car is experiencing what is known onlline as "the big hand syndrom". While driving, the accelerator pedal changes resistance and it feels like someone grabs the car and it dramatically slows. You then have to press harder on the accelerator pedal to maintain speed. Well one day, the car stopped…
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota prius. While driving 20 mph, the vehicle lost complete power and braking ability without warning. As a result, the contact drove over the median aand crashed into a pole. The air bags deployed. A police report was filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was…
Other Toyota Prius years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Prius | 6 | 1 |
| 2025 Prius | 16 | 2 |
| 2024 Prius | 27 | 4 |
| 2023 Prius | 20 | 4 |
| 2022 Prius | 24 | 1 |
| 2021 Prius | 6 | 0 |
| 2020 Prius | 14 | 0 |
| 2019 Prius | 30 | 3 |
| 2018 Prius | 37 | 1 |
| 2017 Prius | 91 | 3 |
| 2016 Prius | 155 | 5 |
| 2015 Prius | 166 | 1 |
| 2014 Prius | 208 | 3 |
| 2013 Prius | 412 | 3 |
| 2012 Prius | 424 | 6 |
| 2011 Prius | 521 | 6 |
| 2010 Prius | 2,823 | 10 |
| 2009 Prius | 502 | 6 |
| 2008 Prius | 1,497 | 4 |
| 2007 Prius | 2,003 | 4 |
| 2006 Prius | 1,439 | 6 |
| 2005 Prius | 1,051 | 6 |
| 2004 Prius | 610 | 6 |
| 2003 Prius | 99 | 1 |
| 2002 Prius | 167 | 2 |
| 2001 | 165 | 3 |
| 2000 Prius | 4 | 0 |
See all Toyota Prius problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
Similar Toyota models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Toyota Prius?
Owners most often report steering, electrical system, tires problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 45 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2001 Toyota Prius?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2001 Toyota Prius a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Prius model years, the 2001 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.