Toyota Prius
Owners filed 12,499 complaints across 27 model years of the Toyota Prius. The 2010 drew the most (2,822); the 2000 the fewest (4).
Model years27
Complaints12,499
Recalls91
Fires66
Deaths23
Every Toyota Prius model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | 1 | — | 1 | Exterior Lighting | Routine | |
| 2025 | 16 | 2 | — | 1 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2024 | 24 | 4 | — | 4 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2023 | 19 | 4 | — | 1 | Electrical System | Fatalities reported | |
| 2022 | 24 | 1 | — | 4 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2021 | 6 | 0 | — | 1 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2020 | 14 | 0 | — | 6 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2019 | 30 | 3 | — | 7 | Service Brakes | Routine | |
| 2018 | 36 | 1 | — | 5 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2017 | 91 | 3 | 2 | 12 | Visibility/Wiper | Routine | |
| 2016 | 154 | 5 | — | 8 | Visibility/Wiper | Routine | |
| 2015 | 165 | 1 | 1 | 29 | Service Brakes | Fatalities reported | |
| 2014 | 207 | 3 | 1 | 25 | Service Brakes | Above average | |
| 2013 | 409 | 3 | 3 | 39 | Service Brakes | Above average | |
| 2012 | 422 | 6 | 2 | 46 | Service Brakes | Above average | |
| 2011 | 518 | 6 | 7 | 37 | Service Brakes | Above average | |
| 2010 | 2,822 | 10 | 13 | 183 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | Fatalities reported | |
| 2009 | 502 | 6 | 4 | 64 | Exterior Lighting | Fatalities reported | |
| 2008 | 1,497 | 4 | 6 | 152 | Exterior Lighting | Fatalities reported | |
| 2007 | 2,003 | 4 | 9 | 124 | Exterior Lighting | Fatalities reported | |
| 2006 | 1,439 | 6 | 5 | 82 | Exterior Lighting | Fatalities reported | |
| 2005 | 1,051 | 6 | 4 | 102 | Exterior Lighting | Fatalities reported | |
| 2004 | 610 | 6 | 2 | 38 | Exterior Lighting | Above average | |
| 2003 | 99 | 1 | — | 5 | Steering | Routine | |
| 2002 | 167 | 2 | 4 | 12 | Steering | Fatalities reported | |
| 2001 | 165 | 3 | 3 | 13 | Steering | Routine | |
| 2000 | 4 | 0 | — | — | Exterior Lighting | Routine |
Which Toyota Prius years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2010 is the weakest year on record, with 2,822 complaints concentrated in the service brakes, hydraulic. It carries 10 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.