Prius (XW50)
NHTSA Safety Ratings About NHTSA ratings
Engine Reliability Ratings
1NZ-FXE+1LM
1.5L 4-cyl / 72 hpView details
Complaint Breakdown
Known Issues
2ZR-FXE+1NM
1.8L 4-cyl / 96 hpView details
Complaint Breakdown
Known Issues
2ZR-FXE,1NM
1.8L 4-cyl / 96 hpView details
Complaint Breakdown
Known Issues
2 additional engine variants with fewer than 10 complaints not shown.
Battery & Propulsion Reliability
Hybrid (HEV)
Battery & propulsion complaint analysis for the 2016-2022 Toyota Prius
That's near the typical rate for hybrids in this dataset (median 7.0 per year). Within the normal range for the category.
What kind of battery complaint?
Among the 56 battery-related complaints, here's the type mix. These percentages describe what the complaints are about — not how reliable the vehicle is overall.
Hybrid system warnings, eCVT, motor-generator, hybrid transaxle.
Loss of power, drive unit, inverter, traction motor, DC-DC converter.
Low-voltage battery deaths, common on EVs and hybrids that use a 12V for accessories.
Propulsion battery defects, capacity loss, BMS faults, replacement claims.
Battery fires, smoke, thermal runaway. Includes any complaint with fire reported.
Battery & propulsion recalls (4)
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.
Consequence: 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.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022 Prius and Prius Prime vehicles. The Engine Control Unit (ECU) software may falsely detect an error and shut down the hybrid system, causing a loss of drive power.
Consequence: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Prius C vehicles. The DC-DC converter may fail resulting in the auxiliary battery no longer receiving power from the converter, which may cause a loss of drive.
Consequence: A loss of drive increases the risk of crash.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Prius and 2014-2017 Prius V vehicles not included in recall 18V-684. Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) within the inverter may cause the hybrid system to shut down, causing the vehicle to stall while being driven.
Consequence: An unexpected hybrid power system shut down may increase the risk of a crash.
Sample complaint excerpts
Hybrid Drivetrain
- [2016] My car suddenly stopped in the middle of the road with message "Hybrid system stopped steering power low". Safety concern to this happen on the middle of road during rain or cold.
- [2016] Driving on the freeway the car stalled and was unable to accelerate. The issue seems identical to the 2020 recall. 2020-06-23 Recall no. 20V369000 Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Prius and 2014-2017 Prius V vehicles not included in recall 18V-684. Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) within the inverter may cause the hybrid system
- [2016] The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the steering wheel stopped operating and the vehicle began to shut down. The contact stated that a yellow blinking light and a hybrid system malfunction warning light illuminated the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the hybrid battery was low
Electric Propulsion
- [2016] Driving on the freeway the car stalled and was unable to accelerate. The issue seems identical to the 2020 recall. 2020-06-23 Recall no. 20V369000 Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Prius and 2014-2017 Prius V vehicles not included in recall 18V-684. Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) within the inverter may cause the hybrid system
- [2016] WHEN THE CAR IS IN DRIVE AND STATIONARY ON A HILL FACING UP WARDS (LIKE IN A DRIVEWAY) THE CAR STILL SENDS ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE ELECTRIC MOTOR AND TO THE WHEELS EVEN WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THIS ONLY HAPPENS WHEN FACING UP A HILL. ALL ELECTRICAL POWER IS SUPPOSE TO TURN OFF WHEN THE BRAKE IS PRESSED. THIS STARTED HAPPENING TWO WEEKS AGO AND THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THIS IS NORMAL BUT I
- [2016] WHEN COMES TO A STOP AND ON ACCELERATION VEHICLE WON'T MOVE ESPECIALLY AFTER RAIN AND CAR WASH. IT HAPPENED 10 TIMES SINCE JUNE 2017 AND ONCE A WEEK LATELY. EVERY TIME IT STARTS WITH LOUD NOISE FROM ENGINE,RIGHT AFTER THAT THE BATTERY BAR DROPPED FROM FULL BAR TO ONE BAR QUICKLY IN ONE SECOND. IF I HAVE TO STOP AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT WHEN THIS HAPPENS IT WON'T MOVE. EARLY THIS YEAR 01/12/2018,IT 'S
12V Auxiliary Battery
- [2016] WITH THE AUXILIARY BATTERY WELL CHARGED THE GAS ENGINE WILL TURN OFF WHEN VEHICLE COMES TO A STOP. IN ORDER TO TURN THE IGNITION KEY TO THE OFF POSITION AND REMOVE THE KEY IT IS NECESSARY TO MOVE THE SHIFT LEVER TO THE PARK POSITION. AT THE SAME TIME IT IS ADVISABLE TO SET THE PARKING BRAKE. IF DISTRACTED IT IS POSSIBLE TO OPEN THE DOOR AND LEAVE THE VEHICLE WITH THE ELECTRIC ENGINE STILL RUNNI
- [2018] UNKNOWN My car started stalling when it comes to a full stop. I.e. if I stop at a red light or stop sign, and I then press the gas, it stalls. It might inch forward, but it doesn’t really accelerate. This happened last year, and I took it to the dealer. They couldn’t reproduce the results, and they could only suggest changing my small 12V battery. Today, it stalled 8 times, between 2 short drive
- [2018] ERROR CODES P0113 AND P0102 AND WARNING MESSAGES FOR CHECK ENGINE AND ICS MALFUNCTION* LAPPEARED WHEN STARTING THE GARAGED VEHICLE IN APPROXIMATELY 55F ROOM TEMPERATURE. TOYOTA OF ESCONDIDO AND TOYOTA'S CUSTOMER CARE TELEPHONE CENTER EXPLAINED THAT THEY WILL NOT INSPECT (ALTHOUGH UNDER THE 3-YEAR/36,000 MILES WARRANTY) WITHOUT A SERVICE FEE. ONLINE, REPORTS THAT A FAILING 12V BATTERY MAY CAUSE M
High-Voltage Battery
- [2017] For the past year or so we have had issues with the vehicle not starting properly. If we leave the radio, wipers, heater, or air conditioner in the ON position when we shut the car off, or a window down a little on a hot day, a sensor triggers a Low Battery error code. We have had the battery checked and it is NOT low. When this happens to start the car we need to get a jumpstart from someone.
- [2017] For the past year or so we have had issues with the vehicle not starting properly. If we leave the radio, wipers, heater, or air conditioner in the ON position when we shut the car off, or a window down a little on a hot day, a sensor triggers a Low Battery error code. We have had the battery checked and it is NOT low. When this happens to start the car we need to get a jumpstart from someone.
- [2017] For the past year or so we have had issues with the vehicle not starting properly. If we leave the radio, wipers, heater, or air conditioner in the ON position when we shut the car off, or a window down a little on a hot day, a sensor triggers a Low Battery error code. We have had the battery checked and it is NOT low. When this happens to start the car we need to get a jumpstart from someone.
Thermal Events
- [2017] WE PURCHASED A 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS ON JANUARY 29TH 2017 AND ON MARCH 22ND 2017 THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE OUT OF NO WHERE. THE CAR WAS PARKED AND OFF WHEN SMOKE BEGAN TO COME OUT FROM THE AROUND THE SHIFT CHANGER AND THE TOUCH SCREEN AREA. AFTER A FEW SECONDS THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY ON FIRE.
- [2017] WE PURCHASED A 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS ON JANUARY 29TH 2017 AND ON MARCH 22ND 2017 THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE OUT OF NO WHERE. THE CAR WAS PARKED AND OFF WHEN SMOKE BEGAN TO COME OUT FROM THE AROUND THE SHIFT CHANGER AND THE TOUCH SCREEN AREA. AFTER A FEW SECONDS THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY ON FIRE.
- [2017] WE PURCHASED A 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS ON JANUARY 29TH 2017 AND ON MARCH 22ND 2017 THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE OUT OF NO WHERE. THE CAR WAS PARKED AND OFF WHEN SMOKE BEGAN TO COME OUT FROM THE AROUND THE SHIFT CHANGER AND THE TOUCH SCREEN AREA. AFTER A FEW SECONDS THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY ON FIRE.
Source: classified from NHTSA complaint and recall data. "Battery-related" includes high-voltage propulsion battery, charging system, hybrid drivetrain, electric propulsion, regenerative braking, 12V auxiliary battery, and thermal-event complaints. Other complaints (suspension, steering, brakes, infotainment) appear in the engine and vehicle-level sections. Rates are absolute counts, not normalized per-VIN — high-volume models naturally produce more raw complaints than low-volume ones. Self-reported death and injury counts are capped per complaint to limit form abuse.
Battery: Toyota Hybrid Gen4 NiMH
Pack overview
Known issues
How this pack ages (industry context)
Industry fleet aggregates: 2.3% average annual capacity loss across 22,700 EVs / 21 models (Geotab, 2026), and 95% range retention at 5 years on average across 30,000+ vehicles (Recurrent, 2026).
OEM warranty floor on this pack: 10 yr / 150k mi.
Public per-pack degradation curves are not available for most models. Individual results vary materially with climate, charging behavior, and DC fast-charge frequency.
Vehicle-Level Issues
These issues affect the Toyota Prius regardless of engine variant.
Recalls (10)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022 Prius and Prius Prime vehicles. The Engine Control Unit (ECU) software may falsely detect an error and shut down the hybrid system, causing a loss of drive power.
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."
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."
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."
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.
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.
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.
Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (Gulf States) is recalling certain 2017 4Runner , 86, Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, Corolla iM, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Prius C, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Sienna and Yaris vehicles. The spare tire air pressure was not adjusted to the proper pressure as stated on the Tire Pressure Label.
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.
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.
Alternatives in Compact Sedan
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common 2016-2022 Toyota Prius problems?
The 2016-2022 Toyota Prius has accumulated 1,115 NHTSA complaints. The most frequently reported problem areas are Electrical System, Brakes, Engine. As with any used vehicle, a pre-purchase inspection and vehicle history report are recommended.
Which Toyota Prius engine is most reliable?
The 2016-2022 Toyota Prius was offered with 5 engine options. Based on NHTSA complaint data, the 1.8L 4-cyl has the lowest complaint density and is considered the most reliable choice for buyers.
Is the 2016-2022 Toyota Prius a good used car?
The 2016-2022 Toyota Prius can be a solid used car purchase depending on trim, mileage, and maintenance history. With 1,115 total NHTSA complaints on record, prospective buyers should review the known problem areas and check for open recalls before buying.
How many NHTSA complaints does the 2016-2022 Toyota Prius have?
The 2016-2022 Toyota Prius has 1,115 complaints filed with NHTSA as of our latest data pull. Complaint counts reflect owner-reported issues and do not necessarily indicate defects or safety risks on their own.
What recalls affect the 2016-2022 Toyota Prius?
There are 10 NHTSA recalls affecting some 2016-2022 Toyota Prius vehicles. Recall status varies by VIN — check the NHTSA recall database at recalls.nhtsa.dot.gov with your specific VIN to confirm which campaigns apply.
What should I check before buying a used Toyota Prius?
Before buying a used Toyota Prius, verify all open recalls are completed via the NHTSA VIN lookup tool. Pay particular attention to Electrical System, Brakes, Engine, which are the most commonly reported problem areas. Request maintenance records, have an independent mechanic inspect the vehicle, and run a vehicle history report to check for prior accidents or title issues.
What are the NHTSA crash test ratings for the Prius?
The 2022 Toyota Prius received an overall 5-star safety rating from NHTSA. Frontal crash: 4 stars. Side crash: 5 stars. Rollover: 4 stars (10.7% rollover probability). Electronic Stability Control: Standard. Forward Collision Warning: Standard. Lane Departure Warning: Standard. These ratings are based on standardized crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Data from NHTSA federal complaints database. 1,115 complaints analyzed. Data confidence: high. Last updated: 2026-04-07.