Toyota Prius Fuel/propulsion System Problems
Owners have filed 206 complaints with NHTSA about fuel/propulsion system problems on the Toyota Prius across 22 model years. The 2010 model year has the most (60). The words owners use most often: “check hybrid” (14% of reports).
- 206fuel/propulsion system complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 15mention a crash
- 8mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,000typical repair cost reported by owners
- 34%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.
- Check hybrid: mentioned in 28 of 206 complaints (14%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical fuel/propulsion system repair on the Toyota Prius at $2,000, and half of them between $410 and $2,800.
Based on 8 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2014–2023), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do fuel/propulsion system problems happen?
Based on 147 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 206 complaints, 15 mention a crash, 4 a fire, 8 an injury.
Toyota Prius fuel/propulsion system complaints by model year
| Model year | Fuel/propulsion System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Prius | 1 | 6% | — |
| 2021 Prius | 2 | 33% | 5,200 |
| 2020 Prius | 1 | 7% | — |
| 2019 Prius | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2018 Prius | 2 | 5% | — |
| 2017 Prius | 12 | 13% | 14,282 |
| 2016 Prius | 6 | 4% | 40,100 |
| 2015 Prius | 6 | 4% | 97,501 |
| 2014 Prius | 5 | 2% | 37,200 |
| 2013 Prius | 16 | 4% | 40,000 |
| 2012 Prius | 9 | 2% | 20,500 |
| 2011 Prius | 11 | 2% | 115,000 |
| 2010 Prius | 60 | 2% | 116,373 |
| 2009 Prius | 8 | 2% | 78,886 |
| 2008 Prius | 27 | 2% | 95,000 |
| 2007 Prius | 11 | 1% | 100,000 |
| 2006 Prius | 10 | 1% | 111,500 |
| 2005 Prius | 10 | 1% | 80,000 |
| 2004 Prius | 4 | 1% | 109,500 |
| 2003 Prius | 1 | 1% | 123,200 |
| 2002 Prius | 1 | 1% | 166,914 |
| 2001 Prius | 2 | 1% | 154,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists fuel/propulsion system for the 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.
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 catalytic converter heat exchanger failed internally, causing coolant to leak into the exhaust system. Symptoms included white smoke from exhaust and coolant loss with no visible ground leak. This is a documented factory defect per Toyota Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0135-19 affecting…
The car has a very strong gas smell, especially when full.
For the last 14 years, a check engine light has been coming on telling me that I have a fuel canister emissions leak because the canister is cracked. In 2016 2.87 million Toyota Priuses were recalled with the fuel canister crack issue. For unknown reasons Toyota has refused to fix this dangerous…
When i am going down it's charging when the charge reaches 6 from 8 the engine starts working and stop changing at that point and the power continues comes from engine only without the hybrid battery and there are no codes
Frequently asked questions
Do all Toyota Priuss have fuel/propulsion system problems?
No. NHTSA has 206 owner complaints about fuel/propulsion system for the Toyota Prius. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Toyota Prius fuel/propulsion system?
No recall currently lists fuel/propulsion system for this vehicle.
How much does it cost to fix fuel/propulsion system problems on the Toyota Prius?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,000 (half paid between $410 and $2,800), from 8 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about fuel/propulsion system problems on the Toyota Prius?
The most frequent phrase is “check hybrid”, in 28 of 206 complaints.
Other Toyota Prius problems
- Exterior Lighting problems (3,505)
- Service Brakes problems (2,039)
- Electrical System problems (1,595)
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (1,594)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (1,050)
- Service Brakes, Electric problems (817)
- Engine problems (479)
- Structure problems (428)
See all Toyota Prius problems.