Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
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).
Fuel pump malfunctioned. The vehicle stalled at low speeds while driving on an incline and gave a large red exclamation error sign on the dashboard. It stopped accelerating and came to a stop. Afterwards the engine will not start anymore. The car was towed to a garage and they found the fuel pump to be faulty.
As the hybrid battery for my 2005 Toyota Prius began to fail, I noticed a degradation in my braking ability. My brakes would slip out on me unless the gas engine was running' in driving that relied on the battery, I essentially had non working brakes. When I had the hybrid battery replaced, a multi-point inspection revealed my front brake linings at 8.9mm and my rear drum linings at 3mm (which is still in excellent range). This was clearly not a case of worn out brake pads; and replacing the hybrid battery restored my braking function when running on battery power.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Toyota Prius. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled and all the warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with an inverter water pump failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 12V563000 (engine and engine cooling, hybrid propulsion system). The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
I tested fuel tank capacity since driving range has substantially decreased from new car status. Fuel capacity now 9.2 gal, versus 12.4 at purchase. The fuel bladder has shrunk, substantially reducing driving range. This shrinkage occurred between 10/15/2005 and 2/24/2011 when I tested it. I am informed by Toyota that replacement fuel bladders will also gradually shrink. No metal fuel tank is available as a replacement. This is unacceptable.
My vehicle will not go but about 30 or 40 maybe 50 on highway after very slow exelaration I'm almost killed every time I get on the highway highway and reg streets to excearate it very very slow to start then I have to pull over and kill it start over not using het or air now it just won't start have not had it checked can't afford it
Monitored the fuel gauge on the dashboard of 2005, Toyota Prius in order to know when was running low on fuel. Has been keeping a log of fuel consumption, mpg and miles driven. Typically, ihe filled up the tank when the display showed only 2 or 3 bars remaining out of 10 bars when full. Based on the cars 11.9 gallon capacity each bar should indicate approximately 1.19 gallons of fuel. In the past it has taken 7-8 gallons to fill up the tank when the display got down to 2 or 3 bars. However, there have been several occasions where it has only taken 4.5 gallons to fill it up. Also there were 4 instances when attempting to fill tank up after the display showed 2 bars remaining, and it only allowed me to pump 3 gallons of fuel before the pump shut off. As much as I tried could not get any more fuel to go into the tank. When I started the car it only showed 6 bars on the display. …
Driving north on i75 at approximately 65 MPH. The gas gauge had 3 bars illuminated. The vsc warning light and the red triangle with the exclamation point came on. I lost the ability to accelerate and the car suddenly went dead. Luckily I was able to make to relative safety on the side to interstate. The car was towed to a dealer who said the car ran out gas! They also said that the "fuel register unit was operating as designed." how was that possible? The charge? Over $1200! According to Toyota corporate and the dealership, repeated unsuccessful attempts to start the car will, by design, cause irreparable damage to the ECU code id box which can cost $1200 - $1800 to replace. This "design" is apparently in the name of anti-theft protection. …
While driving in the rain on the freeway, the car de-accelerated suddenly after all the lights lit up on the dash board. I could not make the car go. I managed to maneuver it close to an offramp(dec 2013). Towed to north hollywood Toyota, paid over $800 to fix items I was told would fix problem. It did not!!! 4 months later on the freeway again, same thing happened. I cost off ramp and had the car towed to another dealer.(March-April 1014) left it for a week, they said it runs, cant find a thing. Less than 2 months later, on the freeway again, same thing happens, I coast to the side difficultly. Called for a tow to my house 50 miles away. …
Bought one-owner 2005 Prius 11-26-2014 after paying for a pre-purchase inspection at a Toyota dealer showing complete service record including all recall campaigns. 4-19-2015 without warning on the expressway, the entire 'combination meter display' simply turned off, leaving the car running in the blind, no gauges/meters/guidance of any kind. The car continued to operate and I drove directly home and parked it. Internet search revealed that this as a known safety issue by Toyota affecting 2004-2009 Prius models. Toyota issued a 'warranty enhancement-ztv' and warranty policy bulletin (bulletin no. Pol12-05) to effect the necessary safety repairs, but only applies if one discovers (meaning suffer the panic of having the entire panel go blank) the issue before either '9 years with no mileage limitation or before September 30, 2013', whichever is longer. …
2005 Toyota Prius--experiences braking and handling failures when braking on uneven or wet surfaces. When we are braking and hit a pothole, gravel, railroad tracks or wet surfaces, the car feels as if we are losing control of it, and braking seems to temporarily stop. The "skid danger" light comes on, even at very low speeds. This happens nearly every time we brake under these conditions. Also, at idle (ie. Stoplights), the car will frequently lurch forward slightly, even with the brake pedal fully depressed, especially when engine transfers from electric to gas. We were told early in our ownership that this is normal "dieseling". …
Related recalls
Hybrid propulsion system › Inverter
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2003, through March 30, 2009 and FCHV-adv vehicles manufactured December 12, 2008, through September 13, 2011. During manufacturing, a scratch may have occurred inside of the electrically driven water pump at the coil wire.
Remedy: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will replace the electric water pump, free of charge. The recall began on January 17, 2013.
Fuel System complaints in other Prius years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2005 Toyota Prius?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2005 Toyota Prius, 3% of the model year's 1,051 complaints. The component named most often is storage › tank assembly (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Toyota Prius fuel system problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 12V-536 (inverter, Nov 14, 2012). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2005 Toyota Prius fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 76,000 miles, and 19% before 25,000 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.