Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Toyota Prius owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
About 3 years ago we started getting the red triangle of death with 2 amber lights on display the vsc and the round circle with the exclamation point in the center. This could happen in 500 miles or it could happen tomorrow. When this happens I loose all exceleration and air conditioning and a orange car emblem with an exclamation point in it on the display screen. Once safely off road press power button off and back on and everything is back to normal except red triangle and car on display screen car is then drivable again. Using a code reader to check codes no codes appear but still have red triangle. Leaving car set for a period of time and restarting car and red triangle is extinguished. Have to drive in right lane on freeway in case it wants to quit. …
My name is [redacted] ,i am filing this report on behalf of My daughter [redacted] the driver of the vehicle that involved with the unintended acceleration on the 2009 Toyota Prius .On a good clear morning on [redacted] . My daughter drove the 2009 Toyota Prius to work- when she enter to the parking lot at the speed round 5 mile/hour . Just when she was making a left turn on to the entrance gate with her left foot on the brake pedal . On a sudden the vehicle RPM unintended rev up too high and the vehicle had an unintended accelerating to move forward aggressively causing lose control of the steering . Also she could not brake even though her left foot was on the brake pedal and pressing hard to try to stop the vehicle . . This dangerous incident causing her Prius to bumped into the electrical gate panel control box . …
Hello. My 2008 Toyota Prius had a malfunction with the "combination meter" which caused the vehicle dashboard to turn off completely, and we could not turn off the engine at times when stopped and parked. The dealer fixed the problem at a cost of $1580, and both the dealer and Toyota corporate through their brand engagement advocate acknowledged a long term problem with the combination meter. They had extended the warranty coverage for owners for this specific problem for about 10 years but not for owners like me with a vehicle 15 years old. I believe Toyota should cover and reimburse owners for this problem, which is potentially dangerous, no matter the age of the vehicle, especially for long term, loyal owners. There are many of these vehicles still on the road. Thank you. [redacted] .
While driving the 2008 Prius with approximately 107,219 miles for approximately 15 miles, all the RED LIGHTS appeared on the dashboard. The air condition stopped working with only hot air blowing. I immediately took the 2008 Prius to the Toyota dealer. This is the following repairs as follows: "A CEL ON, MULTIPLE WARNINGS: CS20 INVERTOR WATER PUMP - 7521 CT $300.98 Labor 1 04000 - 32528 HV ELECTRIC WATER PU $169.35 Part 1 00272 - SLLC2 SUPER LONG LIFE COOL $ 23.43 MISC. CHARGES $ 53.32 TOTAL CHARGES $547.08
Water pump failed after replacement in 2013 with 30k miles, car had only 93k miles when failed again in 2016. The potentiometer part failed, there is corrosion in the part. Was in freeway when it failed. I have reported this to different representatives. I was charged more 1.5k for a replacement of a faulty part that should last more than 50k miles.
Toyota Prius (2008) - fire after minor accident (battery fire) after a fairly standard rear end collision (25-30 MPH), my Toyota Prius caught fire and burst into flames. I was stopped at a red light on a city street in chicago, il when the accident occurred, my vehicle was not in motion. Within minutes of impact (to right rear of car), the responding police officer saw fire under the car (began in rear) and the fire dept was called. The fire travelled to the front of the car and the car has been deemed a total loss. The police and tow company believe this was caused by the Prius battery and these cars are very unsafe to be on the road with this condition. There has been no related recall on this vehicle, but it's incredibly unsafe and I'm very happy I was not traveling with my children at time of accident. …
My car had performed perfectly for the first 100K miles. By 112K miles the oil was very low, no oil on the dip stick when I went in to have the oil change. Yet there was no low oil light or engine light to warn me. This was a complete surprise to me since that had never happened before and the usage had been at a normal rate up until then. I began looking for leaks, etc with no evidence of that. The next service it was again extremely low. I now know that I must add about a quart every 1000 miles to keep up with its demand. The dealer and other mechanics all tell me the only solution is a new engine. Some suggest a used or rebuilt one though they are still many thousands of dollars. This problem, they say, will only get worse, clogging the spark plugs and potentially having an incident of engine stalling or shutting totally down while driving. …
I was driving my Prius up mauna kea summit access road on the big island (hawaii) today when the power stalled. I was already at the visitor center (elv. 9,000 ft) so I steered off the road, sat for awhile, then started up the car. It started up but the power seemed off and on. I turned around and headed down the mountain. By the time I got to the bottom of the access road, I had no power and a red triangle light with an exclamation mark came on. Of course I was out in the middle of nowhere, 40 miles from any homes, so I coasted 43 miles down the mountain until I reached hilo town and steered into a gas station. I asked the owner if I could leave the Prius there while I called a tow truck. She said I had to move my Prius into a parking stall. I thought maybe we could push it into the stall. I tried starting the car and the power came on, just like that. …
While driving down the road the instrument panel went black. I could not see driving speed or remaining fuel. I drove to Toyota dealer and could not shut down the engine upon arrival nor remove my key from the key slot. There are numerous online complaints about "Prius instrument cluster not working". Toyota quietly agreed to extend warranty coverage for 9 years from date of first use or until 2013. Https://www.toyoheadquarters.com/threads/2004-2009-Toyota-Prius-combination-meter-warranty-extension-ztv.174/ I believe this should have been a safety recall as it is unsafe to operate a motor vehicle under these conditions and the operator might not be able to shut off their vehicle or remove the ignition key. There are almost 700,000 affected vehicles in the class. Repair costs $925 or more for affected owners. …
I have had my 2008 Prius since it was new and I have taken meticulous care of the vehicle with documentation to prove it. The vehicle is burning oil to the extent that I have to put a quart of oil in every 700 miles. My local dealership confirmed it is an issue with the vehicle but Toyota USA said they won't do anything about it because there "has not been enough complaints". However, the Toyota Prius chat website has numerous complaints about oil consumption. Toyota did an extended warranty for the corolla and camry but refuses to do anything for the Prius. Numerous attempts have been made with Toyota USA to correct this issue but they refuse to do so. They did say they corrected the issue in the newer models . . .but yet don't want to acknowledge that is it an issue! So, they corrected an issue that they currently don't acknowledge is an issue!! …
Engine complaints in other Prius years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2008 Toyota Prius?
NHTSA has 65 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2008 Toyota Prius, 4% of the model year's 1,497 complaints. The component named most often is cooling system (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Toyota Prius engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2008 Toyota Prius, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2008 Toyota Prius engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 95,000 miles, and 16% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 2 fires and 2 injuries to engine & cooling 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.