Engine complaints by model year
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Hi my name is [redacted]. Toyota headquarter case # [redacted] Incident day July 6, 2018 I had a big technical problem with my 2014 Toyota Prius V where it caught on fire because one of the valve lifters fell into the engine head and broke the engine block while driving. When that happened, the oil began to leak into the muffler and the engine and hybrid wiring immediately caught on fire. Many of my colleagues who also bought the same vehicle for Taxi business use in San Francisco all have a similar issue as mine. A few of theirs caught on fire, and a few others mentioned to me that the head gasket for their same Toyota vehicle blew out and each of them had to replace it at around 120,000 miles. I believe that's why they don't manufacture these same vehicles anymore because of the defectiveness in the engine. …
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Prius V. The contact's grandson stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate while the pedal was depressed. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the head gasket replaced however, the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 163,335.
On October 31, my wife and son were in the car approaching a parking space after completing a 360 degree turn into the parking space. Car suddenly accelerated and jumped a 7" high curb blowing out the right front tire and damaging the right rear tire. Car was towed to the team Toyota in glen mills who told me to notify Toyota of the incident. Toyota called me on November 2 and given a complete detailed account of the incident. On November 3, Toyota sent an authorization form to download the edr data which was returned along with diagrams of the incident. On November 4, Bosch contacted me requesting the information already sent to Toyota which was sent to them. On November 22, the Bosch representative went to the dealership and downloaded the edr data. On 11/26/16 - received report from eaa engineering analysis. Indicates that the car accelerated from 2.5 MPH to 7.5 MPH in 1.8 sec. …
I was leaving work and as I got on to the freeway, I noticed that when I pressed the acceleration, the car would rev and jerk. Didn't think much of it thinking I would make it home. By time I made it to the freeway, my car began to rev loudly and I noticed I was loosing acceleration. Around this time I was going almost 65mph. So I pulled off the freeway and inspected the engine, didn't see anything out of the ordinary so tried to crank it up again. Car crunk, 'ready' light came on and so did electric vehicle mode. As the car went start the engine, the loud rattle and shaking of the car could be hear and felt. I was able to drive another half a mile before the car just shut down. They car would not drive over 5 miles per hour. When it shut down the engine began to smoke so I knew that could not be good. …
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius V. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond. The contact veered to the side of the road and intentionally struck the curb to stop the vehicle. The vehicle failed to restart. The contact stated that the vehicle later restarted and was driven to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed that the ABS actuator had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because an unknown Toyota Courtesy Program issued for the failure had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius V. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle then stalled. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.
Frequently asked questions
Which Toyota Prius v years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2012 (37), 2013 (16) and 2014 (14) model years. Engine complaints make up 17% of all complaints for the 2012.
Is there a recall for Toyota Prius v engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for any Toyota Prius v model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Toyota Prius v engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 123,000 miles; 22% happened before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.