2005 Toyota Prius Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 178 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2005 Toyota Prius, 17% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 100,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “turn off” (16% of reports).
- 178electrical system complaints
- 100,000median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 5mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 48%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Turn off: mentioned in 28 of 178 complaints (16%)
- Combination meter: mentioned in 11 of 178 complaints (6%)
- Both headlights: mentioned in 10 of 178 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 153 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 178 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 5 an injury.
Toyota Prius electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Prius | 2 | 33% | — |
| 2025 Prius | 6 | 38% | 12,450 |
| 2024 Prius | 4 | 15% | — |
| 2023 Prius | 5 | 25% | — |
| 2022 Prius | 6 | 25% | 114,000 |
| 2021 Prius | 1 | 17% | — |
| 2020 Prius | 2 | 14% | 1,325 |
| 2019 Prius | 4 | 13% | — |
| 2018 Prius | 2 | 5% | 19,100 |
| 2017 Prius | 11 | 12% | 5,000 |
| 2016 Prius | 20 | 13% | 25,500 |
| 2015 Prius | 27 | 16% | 21,000 |
| 2014 Prius | 33 | 16% | 19,483 |
| 2013 Prius | 52 | 13% | 65,000 |
| 2012 Prius | 52 | 12% | 36,600 |
| 2011 Prius | 68 | 13% | 81,482 |
| 2010 Prius | 192 | 7% | 65,000 |
| 2009 Prius | 60 | 12% | 89,761 |
| 2008 Prius | 235 | 16% | 81,500 |
| 2007 Prius | 248 | 12% | 66,945 |
| 2006 Prius | 152 | 11% | 61,500 |
| 2005 Prius | 178 | 17% | 100,000 |
| 2004 Prius | 177 | 29% | 30,000 |
| 2003 Prius | 13 | 13% | 108,000 |
| 2002 Prius | 18 | 11% | 88,500 |
| 2001 Prius | 27 | 16% | 61,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists electrical system for the 2005 Toyota Prius. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the left turn signal was activated, however, the left turn signal failed to function as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the four-way flashers failed to function as intended. The…
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes seized. In addition, the contact heard a squealing sound and the ABS warning light illuminated. The contact used the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or…
I had lost functionality for some buttons on the steering wheel that didn't directly impact safety. On replacing the clockspring mechanism inside the whweel I decided to inspect the old unit. Four of the lines in the flex cable are impacted by corrosion, three have already failed. The fourth line…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2005 Toyota Priuss have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 178 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2005 Toyota Prius (17% of the 1,051 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Toyota Prius electrical system?
No recall currently lists electrical system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 100,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2005 Toyota Prius?
The most frequent phrase is “turn off”, in 28 of 178 complaints, followed by “combination meter” (11).
Other 2005 Toyota Prius problems
See all 2005 Toyota Prius problems or electrical system problems across all Prius years.