Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Toyota Prius owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On 9/12/21, I was driving 25-30mph when the SUV in front of me stopped on the freeway interchange suddenly and unexpectedly (other cars were not around us). I hit the breaks very hard and fast but could not stop and collided with the SUV. The front end of the Prius lodged under the back end of the SUV and the impact was enough to wreck the Prius. During that collision, the driver side seatbelt engaged, but the passenger side seatbelt did not. My preteen hit his forehead on the dashboard very hard. Additionally, the airbags failed to deploy. I could smell an odor from the dust from the airbags. The car is at a repair shop waiting for insurance adjuster to inspect. There were no warning lamps or other messages of the problem prior to the failure.
Vehicle: 2005 Toyota Prius VIN: [redacted] Date of Incident: April 2024 Location: Citrus Heights, California Incident Summary: In April 2024, I was involved in a front-end collision while driving my 2005 Toyota Prius. I rear-ended another vehicle at moderate to high speed. Despite the severity of the impact, the driver-side airbag failed to deploy. As a result, I was thrown forward and hit my head on the windshield, suffering lacerations and head trauma. After being evaluated by emergency responders and undergoing a hospital visit (MRI included), I was told I had not sustained any life-threatening injuries. However, since the crash, I have experienced severe cognitive symptoms, including confusion, chronic fatigue, sudden drowsiness, memory loss, and extreme mood swings. These symptoms are ongoing and have made daily life extremely difficult. …
I had lost functionality for some buttons on the steering wheel that didn't directly impact safety. On replacing the clockspring mechanism inside the whweel I decided to inspect the old unit. Four of the lines in the flex cable are impacted by corrosion, three have already failed. The fourth line is one of the airbag's electrical lines. I'm filing an issue report because the airbag would be next impacted by this failure and I believe there's a fair chance the corroded line could fail during the vehicle's attempt to fire the airbag on the wheel.
I'm concerned because my vehicle's airbags did not deploy during a crash wherein I collided with a car turning left in front of me at approximately 35-40 MPH. The front end crumpled and my driver and passenger doors do not fully open due to the damage to the frame of the car. The car is currently being inspected with regard to determination of a likely total loss. While I understand airbags don't always deploy, I felt that this might be a case where they should have deployed.
Tl* the contact owned a 2005 Toyota Prius. After the vehicle was parked and turned off, it suddenly accelerated to 65 MPH without warning and crashed into a retention wall. The front air bags did not deploy. No injuries were reported and a police report was not filed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to the contact's residence. The approximate failure mileage was 280,000.
Stopped at a stop sign. Pulled into intersection of arterial. Didn't see crossing traffic. Collided with crossing vehicle. Entire front end of Prius hit rear quarter panel of pickup truck. The front end of the Prius was completely destroyed. Any and all airbags failed to deploy in Prius.
On 3/1/08 I was involved in an auto accident whereby I broadsided a public bus at an approximate angle of 45 degrees. The whole front of the car from the center to the driver's side was completely smashed and neither the driver's side airbag or passenger's side air bag deployed. As a result I, the driver, incurred whip lash injuries and the front passenger hit the front windshield and cracked it as the seatbelt on that side did not work either. Toyota was contacted and their claim is that the front seat belt functioned properly but they could not explain how the front passenger was not restrained from hitting the front windshield. As to the airbags, they claim that, despite knowing the car was doing between 40-45 MPH upon impact, that due to the angle of the collision the airbags would not deploy. Could you please tell me if this is true. …
I was involved in a low-speed accident in which the brakes in my car (2005 Toyota Prius) did not slow or stop the car and caused me to run into the back of another vehicle. No one was injured, the airbags did not deploy and there was no damage to the vehicle my car collided with. The exterior damage to my car was estimated approximately $6700. Soon after, I was notified by the insurance company that my car was totaled due to damage sustained to the hybrid system. I requested that the event data recorder be downloaded to determine if there had been a failure in the brake system. My insurance company refused and Toyota appears to have ignored my request. I also find it disturbing and curious that the front end and hence the hybrid system was destroyed beyond repair in an accident so minor that the police would not even give it a report number.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 20 MPH in the rain with leaves on the road, the vehicle slid off the road and impacted a 20 inch tree, on the front right side. The headlight and bumper, toward the center of the front end, sustained the impact. As the contact was not wearing a seatbelt, and the frontal airbags failed to deploy, the 38 year old driver received a small laceration to the top of the head, where impact was made with the windshield and a small cut to the right cheek. The vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop. The service dealer and manufacturer were contacted and informed the contact to get an estimate, and then call back. The manufacturer informed the contact that because the insurer removed the bumper, a technician would no longer be sent to investigate.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the brakes were depressed and failed to respond. The contact crashed into the rear end of another vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the chest, a leg gash and a pulled muscle in the back. The front passenger sustained whiplash. Both the contact and the front passenger required medical attention. A police report was filed. Additionally, the contact stated that the flat surface warning indicator illuminated intermittently as a result the contact had to restart the vehicle on multiple occasions. The key failed to exit the ignition switch on multiple occasions. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.
Related recalls
Air bags
On certain vehicles, due to improper assembly of the air bag inflator, which is used in the side air bag, the curtain shield air bag, and the knee air bag assembly, some inflators were produced with an insufficient amount of the heating agents necessary for proper air bag deployment.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the specific SRS air bag. The recall began on April 6, 2006. Owners May contact Toyota at 1-888-270-9371, Scion at 1-866-548-1851, or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
Airbag complaints in other Prius years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2005 Toyota Prius?
NHTSA has 44 complaints about the air bags of the 2005 Toyota Prius, 4% of the model year's 1,051 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Toyota Prius airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 06V-096 (air bags, Apr 3, 2006). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2005 Toyota Prius airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 29 crashes, 0 fires and 33 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.