Toyota Prius 2016–2022 problems by year and mileage
4th generation (XW50)
NHTSA data through 18 October 2026458 complaints, 268 with mileageMethod
Which year is yours? Tap it to see what breaks on it.
The 2016 Toyota Prius
Close- Median failure report
- 20,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 155
- Recalls naming this year
- 5
Most reported on the 2016
- Visibility/wiper40 reports · median 18,000 mi
- Problems owners could not categorise30 reports
- Electrical system20 reports
Recall areas Electrical system — wiring · Air bags — side/window · Hybrid propulsion system — inverter
Check the VIN at NHTSA
The 2017 Toyota Prius
Close- Median failure report
- 10,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 133
- Recalls naming this year
- 3
Most reported on the 2017
- Visibility/wiper26 reports
- Electrical system18 reports
- Brakes18 reports
Recall areas Electrical system — wiring · Tires — temporary/emergency spare tire · Parking brake
Check the VIN at NHTSA
The 2018 Toyota Prius
Close- Median failure report
- 15,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 53
- Recalls naming this year
- 1
† This median likely runs low (why).
Most reported on the 2018
- Problems owners could not categorise9 reports
- Exterior lighting6 reports
- Visibility/wiper6 reports
Recall areas Electrical system — wiring
Check the VIN at NHTSA
The 2019 Toyota Prius
Close- Median failure report
- too few reports to time
- Complaints filed
- 39
- Recalls naming this year
- 3
Most reported on the 2019
- Brakes10 reports
- Problems owners could not categorise9 reports
- Electrical system6 reports
Recall areas Electrical system — instrument cluster/panel · Service brakes · Equipment — other
Check the VIN at NHTSA
The 2020 Toyota Prius
Close- Median failure report
- too few reports to time
- Complaints filed
- 30
- Recalls naming this year
- 1
Most reported on the 2020
- Electrical system5 reports
- Brakes5 reports
- Problems owners could not categorise5 reports
Recall areas Service brakes
Check the VIN at NHTSA
The 2021 Toyota Prius
Close- Median failure report
- too few reports to time
- Complaints filed
- 16
- Recalls naming this year
- 0
Most reported on the 2021
- Electrical system5 reports
- Fuel and propulsion system4 reports
- Engine3 reports
The 2022 Toyota Prius
Close- Median failure report
- too few reports to time
- Complaints filed
- 32
- Recalls naming this year
- 1
Most reported on the 2022
- Electrical system7 reports
- Problems owners could not categorise6 reports
- Brakes5 reports
Recall areas Hybrid propulsion system
Check the VIN at NHTSA
Tiles: each year’s median failure mileage. † Median likely runs low (complaints filed after 2020). Latest: the 2016; earliest: the 2017, and the 2016 is 1 year older (part of the gap is age). 4 of these years carry fewer than 30 reports with an odometer reading and show no median at all, rather than one computed from a handful.
The short answer
“Is the 2016–2022 Toyota Prius reliable?”
- Median of reported failures
- 15,000 mi
- 90% of reports came by
- 70,000 mi
- Reports with mileage
- 268
- Recalls
- 10
At least 40% of this generation’s complaints came after 2020, so its median likely runs low (why).
Most reported
- Visibility/wiper17.7% of complaints · median 13,000 mi
- Problems owners could not categorise16.8% of complaints · median 5,000 mi
- Electrical system14.0% of complaints · median 17,000 mi
Documented problems
- Wiring Harness (engine Compartment)2016–2018
- Parking Brake2016–2018
- Inverter / Hybrid Control2016–2018
Owners filed 458 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016–2022 Toyota Prius; visibility/wiper leads with 17.7% of them, and half of the 268 that record an odometer reading came by 15,000 miles — complaints, not a failure rate.
46% of complaints that record mileage fall within the first 12,000 miles, against 1.4 reports per 1,000 miles between 20,000 and 80,000. Failures clustered that early usually indicate a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear.
Before-you-buy checklist ↓At your mileage ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
How many miles does a 2016–2022 Toyota Prius last?
On the 2016–2022 Toyota Prius, half of the 268 complaints that record an odometer reading were filed by 15,000 miles and 90% by 70,000 miles (why that is not a lifespan).
8 reports came in past 150,000 miles and 3 past 200,000 — each one proof that a Prius reached that mileage, not that it failed there.
Figure 1 · Toyota Prius 2016–2022 · 268 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
20,000-mile bins, 0 to 200,000 miles, linear scale; tallest bar 164 complaints
- First 12,000 miles — 46% of all failures
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 3 complaints (1.1%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 500
- 25%
- 4,500
- Median
- 15,000
- 75%
- 30,000
- 90%
- 70,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–20,000 | 164 | 61.2% |
| 20,000–40,000 | 55 | 20.5% |
| 40,000–60,000 | 16 | 6.0% |
| 60,000–80,000 | 12 | 4.5% |
| 80,000–100,000 | 11 | 4.1% |
| 100,000–120,000 | 1 | 0.4% |
| 120,000–140,000 | 1 | 0.4% |
| 140,000–160,000 | 2 | 0.7% |
| 160,000–180,000 | 2 | 0.7% |
| 180,000–200,000 | 1 | 0.4% |
| 200,000+ | 3 | 1.1% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
Common Prius problems, and when they happen
Figure 2 · Toyota Prius 2016–2022
When each system fails
Bar: middle half of reports · notch: median · proportional (log) scale (how to read it)
- Problems owners could not categorise77 reportsmedian 5,000middle half 1,000–18,000
- Brakes63 reportsmedian 10,000middle half 2,000–20,000
- Visibility/wiper81 reportsmedian 13,000middle half 7,000–23,000
- Throttle and speed control46 reportsmedian 14,000middle half 6,000–28,000
- Engine49 reportsmedian 15,000middle half 61–71,000
- Electrical system64 reportsmedian 17,000middle half 2,000–55,000
- Transmission and driveline36 reportsmedian 22,000middle half 6,000–40,000
- Your odometer, once entered below
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first.
All systems in a table
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility/wiper | 81 | 17.7% | 13,000 | 7,000–23,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 77 | 16.8% | 5,000 | 1,000–18,000 |
| Electrical system | 64 | 14.0% | 17,000 | 2,000–55,000 |
| Brakes | 63 | 13.8% | 10,000 | 2,000–20,000 |
| Engine | 49 | 10.7% | 15,000 | 61–71,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 46 | 10.0% | 14,000 | 6,000–28,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 36 | 7.9% | 22,000 | 6,000–40,000 |
| Fuel and propulsion system | 31 | 6.8% | 16,000 | 5,000–39,000 |
| Body structure | 28 | 6.1% | 7,000 | 3,000–18,000 |
| Airbag system | 27 | 5.9% | 16,000 | 7,000–45,000 |
Known problems with the 2016–2022 Prius
Wiring Harness (engine Compartment) 2016–2018
Engine-compartment wire harness connected to the hybrid power control unit can chafe against the housing, wear through insulation and short, producing smoke or fire; large Toyota recall covering the early years of the generation.
Parking Brake 2016–2018
Parking brake cable can fail to engage properly, allowing the vehicle to roll away when parked without the transmission in Park; NHTSA recall.
Inverter / Hybrid Control 2016–2018
Inverter and hybrid system control software fault could cause the hybrid system to shut down and the vehicle to lose power while driving; recall issued.
Before you buy a 2016–2022 Prius: the 3-minute check
Generated from 268 mileage-tagged complaints, 10 recall campaigns, 3 documented problem areas.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 10 campaigns cover this generation.
- Ask for problems owners could not categorise repair records. Reports on this area come at a median of 5,000 miles — a newer example may not have reached that mileage yet, so ask what was repaired under warranty and what the warranty still covers.
- Ask for brakes repair records. Same question here: a median of 10,000 miles.
- Check wiring harness (engine compartment) on 2016–2018 cars. What each looks like: Known problems.
- Check parking brake on 2016–2018 cars.
- Check inverter / hybrid control on 2016–2018 cars.
- Years differ here: from 16 to 155 complaints a year — compare them by model year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car.
Prius problems by mileage: where your car sits
Type your odometer, or read the table.
| System | Middle half of reports, mi | At 60k mi88% below | At 90k mi95% below | At 120k mi97% below | At 150k mi97% below | At 200k mi99% below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility/wiper | 7,000–23,000 | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 1,000–18,000 | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Electrical system | 2,000–55,000 | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Brakes | 2,000–20,000 | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Engine | 61–71,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Throttle and speed control | 6,000–28,000 | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Transmission and driveline | 6,000–40,000 | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
Figure 3 · Toyota Prius 2016–2022 · 268 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Steps at bin edges (how to read it)
- 60,000 mi — 88% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 97% of reports below
- 200,000 mi — 99% of reports below
- Median (the 50% line)
- Your odometer, once entered
Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
2016–2022 Toyota Prius recalls (10)
NHTSA records 10 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation (what a recall is).
The campaigns cluster around the hybrid propulsion system (2), the electrical system (2), the airbag system (2) (why one area can repeat).
Sep 2021 · 2022 · Hybrid Propulsion SystemA loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
The defect. 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.
What can happen. A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Dealers will update the ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 18, 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this…
Dec 2019 · 2019 · Electrical SystemA blank main display will not show important information like vehicle speed or fuel level.
The defect. 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…
What can happen. 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.
The free 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…
Jul 2019 · 2019–2020 · Service BrakesDeactivation of the vehicle stability control system or a loss of braking assist increases the risk of a…
The defect. 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…
What can happen. Deactivation of the vehicle stability control system or a loss of braking assist increases the risk of a crash.
The free 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…
Mar 2019 · 2019 · EquipmentIf the driver cannot read the label, they may unknowingly overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a…
The defect. 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.…
What can happen. If the driver cannot read the label, they may unknowingly overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The free 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…
Sep 2018 · 2016–2018 · Electrical SystemAn electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.
The defect. 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…
What can happen. An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.
The free fix. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine wire harness assembly and replace it if damage is found. A protective sleeve or protective tape will be included to prevent any future…
Jan 2018 · 2016 · Air BagsIf the air bags fail to deploy in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
The defect. 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…
What can happen. If the air bags fail to deploy in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
The free fix. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sensors as necessary based on their serial numbers, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 12, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota…
Oct 2017 · 2016 · Hybrid Propulsion SystemIf the capacitor was not properly secured, vibrations from driving the vehicle may damage the capacitor…
The defect. 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.
What can happen. 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…
The free fix. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inverter, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin by early December 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.…
May 2017 · 2017 · TiresA spare tire that is not inflated to the proper value may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of a…
The defect. 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…
What can happen. A spare tire that is not inflated to the proper value may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Gulf States will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the spare tires, adjusting their pressure as necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 15, 2017. Owners may contact Gulf States…
Oct 2016 · 2016–2017 · Parking BrakeIf the parking brake cable disengages from the mechanism and the transmission is left in a gear other than…
The defect. 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…
What can happen. If the parking brake cable disengages from the mechanism and the transmission is left in a gear other than 'Park' while the ignition is on and the driver leaves the vehicle, the vehicle may roll…
The free fix. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a clip at the parking brake cable end to prevent the cable from disengaging, free of charge. The recall began November 10, 2016. Owners may contact…
Sep 2016 · 2016 · Air BagsA front passenger air bag that unintentionally inflates can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
The defect. 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…
What can happen. A front passenger air bag that unintentionally inflates can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
The free fix. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at…
Crashes, fires and injuries owners reported
Out of 458 complaints against this generation, owners also reported:
- Crashes
- 64 (14.0%)
- Fires
- 2
- Injury reports
- 26
- Fatality reports
- 0
Prius problems by model year
The 2016 drew the most complaints of this generation, 155, most of them about visibility/wiper, and the 2020 the fewest among the 6 years with at least 20 complaints, 30. A typical year drew about 46.
That makes the 2016 stand out at roughly 3.4 times a typical year (what a yearly count can and cannot say).
| Year | Complaints | With mileage | Median miles | Most reported | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 155 | 100 | 20,000 | Visibility/wiper (40) | 5 |
| 2017 | 133 | 85 | 10,000 | Visibility/wiper (26) | 3 |
| 2018 | 53 | 32 | 15,000† | Problems owners could not categorise (9) | 1 |
| 2019 | 39 | 17 | under 30 reports | Brakes (10) | 3 |
| 2020 | 30 | 17 | under 30 reports | Electrical system (5) | 1 |
| 2021 | 16 | 8 | under 30 reports | Electrical system (5) | 0 |
| 2022 | 32 | 9 | under 30 reports | Electrical system (7) | 1 |
What Prius owners reported
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 coolant reservoir; however, the following day the coolant…
2018 · 89,000 miles · Engine and its cooling system
The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while the vehicle was on and running, the ABS and traction control warning lights illuminated, and the messages "Braking Power Low - Stop in a Safe Place”, “See Owner's Manual", "Braking Power Low - Visit the Dealer", and "ABS Malfunction - See Dealer" were…
2016 · 100,000 miles · Hydraulic brake circuit
The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Prius Prime. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle started. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an…
2017 · 90,000 miles · Engine
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 aware that the coolant reservoir was empty. One month…
2018 · 188,000 miles · Engine and its cooling system
Built from 268 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-10-20 · open data · how it is built
Other Prius generations
- Prius 2001–2003 317 reports with mileage, most about the steering
- Prius 2004–2009 5,987 reports with mileage, most about the exterior lighting
- Prius 2010–2015 3,205 reports with mileage, most about the brakes