2018 TOYOTA PRIUS

What owners reported to NHTSA, ranked by how often and how seriously.

This is complaint data, not a random sample.

It only includes owners who chose to file a federal complaint, so it over-represents dramatic and safety-related problems and under-represents minor issues an owner just had fixed without reporting. Read this as what NHTSA complainants report most, not as this vehicle's true failure rate. Full methodology.

Component ranking

  1. #1

    glass and windshield

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "I OWNED A 2008 PRIUS WITH 273,453 MILES WHEN I TRADED IT FOR A 2018 PRIUS ON 3/15/18. MY 2008 NEVER HAD THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED; MEANWHILE, THE 2018 HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE AND THE 2ND IS NOW CRACKED WITHIN 2 MONTHS OF REPLACEMENT. ON 8/7/18 I WAS DRIVING IN…"~10,000 mi, complaint #1559603
    • "LAST YEAR,JUNE 2017, WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED WE NOTICED THERE WAS A HAIRLINE CRACK ON THE WINDSHIELD. WE RECEIVED SOME QUOTES SAYING IT WOULD BE ABOUT $900 TO FIX. SO WE DECIDED TO GO WITH AN ADHESIVE INJECTION AND PAID ABOUT $50 FOR SOMEONE TO COME FIX IT.…"~22,000 mi, complaint #1504505
    • "MY WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED TWICE WITHOUT BEING STRUCK BY AN OBJECT AND WITHOUT BEING NEAR ANOTHER VEHICLE. BOTH INCIDENTS OCCURRED DURING NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING. I WAS NOT SPEEDING OR DRIVING RECKLESSLY. BOTH TIMES REQUIRED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD AS…"~29,500 mi, complaint #1731125
  2. #2

    lighting exterior

    2 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "AUTO HIGH BEAM FEATURE INTERMITTENTLY CUTS OUT AND THEN RESUMES, ESPECIALLY FREQUENTLY IN RAINY WEATHER. WHILE OFF, I CANNOT ENGAGE THE HIGH BEAM WITHOUT FIRST SHUTTING OFF THE AHB FEATURE. MANY SIMILAR REPORTS REGARDING TOYOTA VEHICLES; SEE HTTPS://WWW.RAV4W…"~16,000 mi, complaint #1627723
    • "AUTOMATIC HIGH BEAMS DIM AND THEN FAIL TO BRIGHTEN INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN DRIVING, AUTOMATIC HIGH BEAMS FUNCTION AS INTENDED THEN THE DASH INDICATOR SPONTANEOUSLY TURNS OFF AND THE HEADLIGHTS FAIL TO BRIGHTEN. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTM…"~25,000 mi, complaint #1618964
  3. #3

    engine cooling

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while having a routine oil change, the contact was made aware that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was constantly adding coolant to the…"~89,100 mi, complaint #2236196
    • "The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine constantly overheated. An unidentified warning light was flashing on the instrument panel. An independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and became…"~188,000 mi, complaint #2220172
  4. #4

    hv system fault reduced power

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED AND EVERYTHING IN THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND LOST POWER. WHILE THE VEHICLE COASTED, THE ENGINE RESTARTED ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO…"~8,600 mi, complaint #1582648
  5. #5

    other

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "BACK UP ALARM TOO LOUD, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. FACT IT IS SO LOUD YOU CAN NOT HEAR THE REAR CROSS-TRAFFIC ALERT OR ANY PERSON OUTSIDE THE CAR YELLING. TOYOTA NEEDS TO EITHER DEVELOP A METHOD SO THE OWNER CAN ADJUST THE BACKUP ALARM VOLUME OR HAVE THE DEALER…"~590 mi, complaint #1477608
  6. #6

    unintended acceleration

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE THE VEHICLE HAD EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND CRASHED INTO A SECOND PARKED VEHICLE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE V…"~6,000 mi, complaint #1598773
    • "I STARTED MY CAR, PUT IT IN DRIVE AND BEGAN TO MAKE A U TURN OUT OF A PARKING LOT WHEN IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. I HAD THREE TURNS I HAD TO MAKE IN QUICK SUCCESSION (U TURN, LEFT ON PUBLIC DRIVEWAY, RIGHT ON MAIN ROAD) TO GET ON TO THE MAIN ROAD, AND…"~7,500 mi, complaint #1574937
  7. #7

    adas collision warning

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while in bumper-to-bumper traffic, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The brake pedal was applied but failed to respond. The driver crashed into the front passenger side of the Lexus. The vehicle con…"~39,000 mi, complaint #2045762
  8. #8

    airbag system

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE PULLED INTO THE HIGHWAY, WITHOUT STOPPING, AND CRASHED INTO THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE FENDER OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NONE OF T…"~70,000 mi, complaint #1662950
  9. #9

    battery and charging

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "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…"~19,100 mi, complaint #1633919
  10. #10

    brake booster

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "THIS IS A BRAND NEW CAR I PURCHASED. THERE IS A HIGH-PITCHED NOISE THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL MAKES WHEN YOU DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL. I THOUGHT THIS WAS PART OF THE BEEPS THE CAR MAKES, BUT IT'S NOT. THE BRAKE BOOSTER WAS REPLACED, BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL CONTINUES T…"complaint #1478219
  11. #11

    brake hydraulics

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "I WAS DRIVING UP TO MY GARAGE ON THE SIDE OF MY HOUSE ON A CLEAR DAY, EARLY AFTERNOON. I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 3 MPH AND TRIED TO STOP TO PARK IN FRONT OF THE GARAGE DOOR. I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT DID NOT ENGAGE, BUT LURCHED FORWARD INTO THE GARAGE, CR…"~4,500 mi, complaint #1615554
  12. #12

    catalytic converter

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed heat exchanger, catalytic converter, and exhaus…"~89,682 mi, complaint #2077342
  13. #13

    engine stall or no start

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "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…"complaint #1820753
  14. #14

    exhaust system

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "THE HEAT SHIELD ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR, BY THE STORAGE BATTERY CAME LOSE WHILE DRIVING AND WAS DAMAGED. IT IS HELD IN PLACE BY ONLY FOUR PLASTIC PINS. THE CAR IS SO LOW TO THE GROUND THAT IT IS HARD TO CLEAR NORMAL SPEED BUMPS LET ALONE OLDER LARGER ONES.…"~3,000 mi, complaint #1611472
  15. #15

    infotainment head unit

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "CONNECT THE PHONE TO STEREO, ACTIVATE DEVICE ASSISTANT, PHONE CALL OR PLAY AUDIO FROM THE DEVICE THROUGH STEREO. THE STEREO WILL REBOOT. THIS HAS OCCURRED A NUMBER OF TIMES DURING THE FIRST COUPLE WEEKS OF OWNERSHIP. DOESN'T MATTER IF VEHICLE IS IN MOTION OR N…"complaint #1481739
  16. #16

    mirror

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Was driving around 35 mph and my right side mirror blew up. The back blew off and the mirror was shattered and hanging. Nothing hit it. Contacted Toyota and the parts have been on a stop, but there is no recall. It has been 4 months."complaint #2085453
  17. #17

    phone connectivity

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "WHEN USING IPHONE WITH BLUETOOTH RANDOM SONGS PLAY WHILE DIRECTIONAL NAVIGATION PROMPTS PLAY (SEE HTTP://OSXDAILY.COM/2017/07/29/STOP-AUTOPLAYING-MUSIC-IPHONE-CAR-BLUETOOTH/). THIS CREATES DRIVER DISTRACTION. THE PROBLEM IS MORE-SO WITH APPLE IOS RATHER THAN T…"complaint #1453659
  18. #18

    power windows and locks

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Driver door lock actuator not working. This seems to be a common problem for Toyota over the last decade, but they yet to put more vehicles to their recall list. Actuator just stopped working. I have to use key out of FOB to manually open. This is a safety iss…"complaint #2124393
  19. #19

    seat mechanism

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Someone rear-ended my Prius and they were driving a Ford 250 truck pulling a large flatbed truck that had a huge box on it. My seat went forward and backwards - I slammed my knee under the dashboard and then slammed by head into the headrest and I could not r…"complaint #1939817
  20. #20

    seatbelt and pretensioner

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The Airbag lights were lit, the person sitting with seatbelt on (flashing) and the person sitting with an inflated airbag in front of them. I ran an OBD2 scan on SRS and got code B1656. Driver seat belt buckle Left Hand. I Investigated the latch and found one…"complaint #1971963
  21. #21

    software or update

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The automatic high beams will occasionally fail to operate and are stuck in low beams until about 2 minutes have passed, or until the automatic high beams switch is turned off to disable the system. This seems to be a software issue, as it seems to occur when…"complaint #1879101
  22. #22

    sunroof

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "ON DEC 2, 2020 WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 45-50 MPH OUR SUNROOF EXPLODED CAUSING US TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE SHADE WAS CLOSED WHICH SAVED US FROM EXPLODING GLASS. THERE WERE NO ROAD HAZARDS, NO ISSUES OTHER THAN A SPONTANEOUS EXPLODING OF…"~6,800 mi, complaint #1728552
  23. #23

    tire failure

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "NEW CAR JUST OVER 1000 MILES. REAR TIRE BLOWS ON FREEWAY, NO POTHOLE OR ANYTHING HIT. SINCE OWNING THE CAR I'VE HEARD A FAINT THUDDING WHEN GOING OVER 65 MILES AN HOUR. NO INDICATOR LIGHT AND THE TIRES FELT HARD, NOT DEFLATED WHEN I CHECKED. SO I THOUGHT IT M…"~1,020 mi, complaint #1523847
  24. #24

    transmission automatic

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "THE GEAR WOULD SHIFT EITHER FROM 'DRIVE TO NEUTRAL' OR 'REVERSE TO NEUTRAL' THIS HAPPENED MORE THAN 10 TIMES WHEN I HAD MY SISTER, MOTHER, AND FATHER IN THE CAR. 1) IT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS PULLING OUT OF THE GARAGE (ABOUT 20 DEGREE ANGEL) GOING UP THE HILL. I…"~590 mi, complaint #1449836
  25. #25

    trunk or liftgate

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Prius. The contact stated the trunk opened at a slow speed and failed to remain open. The dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be taken in to be inspected. T…"~160,000 mi, complaint #2106014
  26. #26

    wiper and washer

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "THE CAR IS INADEQUATE IN THE WINTER. WHEN IT SNOWS I CAN'T KEEP THE WINDOWS CLEAN. THEY CHANGED THE FITTINGS AND I CAN'T EVEN PUT WINTER BLADES ON THE CAR. ALSO, AND THIS APPLIES TO ALMOST ALL NEW CARS AS WELL, THE LED LIGHTS FREEZE OVER. IT'S A SAFETY HAZA…"~26,000 mi, complaint #1619262

NHTSA investigations

Search NHTSA's own recall and complaint database for TOYOTA PRIUS directly.