2019 Toyota Prius Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Prius years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 19th of 27 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 30 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Toyota Prius. That ranks 19th out of 27 Prius model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes (9 complaints, 30%), typically at around 3,498 miles. Complaints mention 7 crashes, 2 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 30owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 7complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2019 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 9 | 30% | 3,498 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 8 | 27% | 4,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 6 | 20% | 61 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 13% | 16,443 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 13% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 4 | 13% | 16,443 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 13% | 1,495 | — | — |
| Power Train | 2 | 7% | 4,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 3% | 52 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 3% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 3% | 11,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 3% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2019 Toyota Prius recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 Prius vehicles. An electrical short circuit in the combination meter could occur, causing the speedometer, the odometer, and the fuel gauge to go blank. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays."
Risk: A blank main display will not show important information like vehicle speed or fuel level. Driving with an inoperative display can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the flash memory chip (ROM) production date, and if necessary, replace it along with the combination meter circuit board, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 19TA21 and 19TB21.
Service brakes; electronic stability control (esc)
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 Lexus LS500, LC500, ES300h, UX250h, LS500h, Toyota Prius, RAV4 HV, 2019-2020 Toyota Prius Prime, and 2020 Corolla HV vehicles. The brake booster pump may fail causing a deactivation of the Vehicle Stability Control system and a loss of braking assist. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Risk: Deactivation of the vehicle stability control system or a loss of braking assist increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake booster pump, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2019. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 and Lexus owners may contact Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are K1L/K0L. Lexus' numbers for this recall are K2F/KLF.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling certain 2019 C-HR, 4Runner, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Prius, RAV4, Sequoia, Tacoma, Sienna, Tundra and Yaris vehicles. The text on the load capacity label may become illegible. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: If the driver cannot read the label, they may unknowingly overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GST will notify owners, and dealers will provide corrected load carrying capacity modification labels, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2019. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 19R1.
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.
Coolant is leaking into the catalytic converter. This seems to be a common issue. Toyota issued a technical service bulletin on XXX covering this exactly. Some 2016â2019 Prius and 2017â2019 Prius Prime vehicles may exhibit low coolant level, MIL on with DTC P148F00, and/or poor heater…
Frequency when I start car makes a very loud , painful high pitch noise for anywhere from 5-15 seconds
Body of car has rust perforation starting from the inside working out. This is on the roof, so water incursion will effect airbags and electrical system. FIrst noticed rust bubbles a few years ago, but did not think much of it. Now two body shops have said roof panel needs to be replaced. This is…
See Attachment
Since October 2023, my 2019 Toyota Prius has developed severe and unpredictable driving behavior after a regular brake service, which may have triggered or coincided with a software or ECU update. The car, which had been driving smoothly since I bought it in 2021, suddenly began showing false…
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 | 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 Prius | 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 2019 Toyota Prius?
Owners most often report service brakes, unknown or other, engine problems. The top one, service brakes, accounts for 9 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2019 Toyota Prius?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2019 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 2019 has far fewer complaints than most years, 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.