2016 Toyota Prius Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Prius years
- About as many complaints as other years 15th of 27 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 155 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Toyota Prius. That ranks 15th out of 27 Prius model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is visibility/wiper (40 complaints, 26%), typically at around 17,900 miles. Complaints mention 8 crashes, 6 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 155owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 8complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility/wiper | 40 | 26% | 17,900 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 30 | 19% | 9,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 20 | 13% | 25,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 18 | 12% | 7,193 | — | — |
| Engine | 17 | 11% | 40,100 | — | — |
| Power Train | 15 | 10% | 24,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 14 | 9% | 13,250 | — | — |
| Structure | 11 | 7% | 17,658 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 7 | 5% | 6,250 | — | — |
| Tires | 7 | 5% | 17,950 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 4% | 40,100 | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 3% | 37,993 | — | — |
| Wheels | 4 | 3% | 14,101 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 2% | 31,200 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 2% | 50 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% | 17,255 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 1% | 50,600 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 1% | 6,300 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 1% | 31,200 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 1% | 223,601 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | 3,875 | — | — |
| Hybrid Propulsion System | 1 | 1% | 159,141 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 1% | 100,028 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 1% | 100,028 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 Toyota Prius recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:wiring
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Toyota Prius vehicles. A portion of the engine wire harness connected to the hybrid Power Control Unit (PCU), could contact the cover at this connection and wear, causing an electrical short circuit.
Risk: An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine wire harness assembly and replace it if damage is found. A protective sleeve or protective tape will be included to prevent any future damage. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0T.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive; air bags:side/window
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016 Toyota Prius and Lexus RX 350, RX 350 F Sport, RX 450h F Sport and RX 450h vehicles and 2015-2016 Lexus NX 200T, NX Turbo and NX 300h vehicles. The air bag pressure sensors and/or the acceleration sensors may fail causing the side/curtain shield air bags and/or the front air bags to not deploy in the event of a crash.
Risk: If the air bags fail to deploy in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sensors as necessary based on their serial numbers, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 12, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are JLA, J0F.
Hybrid propulsion system: inverter
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016 Prius vehicles. A capacitor within the hybrid system may not have been properly bolted to the inverter housing.
Risk: If the capacitor was not properly secured, vibrations from driving the vehicle may damage the capacitor, shutting down the hybrid system, causing a loss of motive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inverter, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin by early December 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0U.
Parking brake
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2015, to October 3, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with a foot-operated parking brake system that has a parking brake cable that may disengage.
Risk: If the parking brake cable disengages from the mechanism and the transmission is left in a gear other than 'Park' while the ignition is on and the driver leaves the vehicle, the vehicle may roll unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a clip at the parking brake cable end to prevent the cable from disengaging, free of charge. The recall began November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is G01.
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Prius vehicles manufactured November 30, 2015, to June 14, 2016. An air bag inflator manufacturing error may result in the inadvertent partial inflation of the front passenger air bag.
Risk: A front passenger air bag that unintentionally inflates can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0W.
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 turned on my car in a flat parking lot, reversed out of my spot, and drove up to a traffic light to exit the parking lot. When the light turned green, I took my foot off the brake and tried to accelerate, but nothing happened. After a few seconds, my car lurched forward with a sudden jerk, and I…
The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while the vehicle was on and running, the ABS and traction control warning lights illuminated, and the messages "Braking Power Low - Stop in a Safe Placeâ, âSee Owner's Manual", "Braking Power Low - Visit the Dealer", and "ABS…
Second time !!!! during ownership of car that brakes fail. Same problem as before Brake Actuator/Booster Failures: Multiple reports indicate issues with the ABS actuator or brake booster pump, leading to warning lights ("Braking power low", "ABS system malfunction").
The car has a very strong gas smell, especially when full.
Found coolant leak from heat exchanger into exhaust pipe. Looks like, T-SB-0135-19.
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 | 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 Prius | 165 | 3 |
| 2000 Prius | 4 | 0 |
See all Toyota Prius 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 2016 Toyota Prius?
Owners most often report visibility/wiper, unknown or other, electrical system problems. The top one, visibility/wiper, accounts for 40 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Toyota Prius?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 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 2016 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.