Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Toyota Prius owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Our 2009 Toyota Prius is known as a Gen 2 Prius (model years 2004 -2009). All Gen 2 Priuses has a bladder inside their fuel tank. Over time, these bladders are known to deteriorate. In our case, the fuel tank capacity is shrinking and fuel can be difficult to add to the tank (pumps click off repeatedly and occasionally, fuel splashes back out of the tank). Additionally, the fuel gauge reports unreliable statuses and drops or adds multiple "bars" at a time yet fuel, when added, and tank status as reported by the gauge, are inconsistent with one another. Thus, we, the drivers, don't know how much fuel is in the tank and may consider carrying a full gas can to avoid being stranded along the roadside. We believe Toyota knew about this Gen 2 defect at the time we purchased our 2009 Prius, which was in March, 2009. …
My 2009 Toyota Prius abruptly lost power while driving. The electrical system turned off and the vehicle stalled while going 50 mph on a 2-lane parkway. While I was able to put my hazard lights on and steer the vehicle, I had no other control and was at a high risk of a crash. There's no emergency lane and few areas wide enough to pull over on the parkway. I was forced to coast the vehicle until I could pull off the parkway onto a patch of grass off the busy road. There were no warnings, messages, or other symptoms of the problems prior to failure. I had plenty of gasoline in the tank, so it wasn't due to a lack of fuel. The car would not start after pulling over and I had to get towed. …
Tl* the contact owned a 2009 Toyota Prius. While driving 30 MPH, the rear passenger side of the vehicle caught fire. There were no injuries. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to the impound lot. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000. The VIN was not available.
I just bought a 2009 Prius & there are so many issues with unexpected acceleration & vehicle not going into park or reverse just stops in neutral, I was at a heb sore trying to park, all of a sudden my car sped up an hit a pole in front of me, I was trying to park, with my foot on break, so as to slow down, yesterday I had my wife drive the Prius & the car suddenly stopped would not go into reverse or drive, that was very dangerous then they pull into a target parking lot I had to drive out there to meet them, it took almost 1hr & 3mins to get the car in reverse, off course I called my Toyota sales guy this being the third time I have reported this incident & the keep down playing it saying there is nothing wrong, not really looking into it.
I have written Toyota on several occasions and they have failed to respond. I own a 2009 Prius. First,navigation system is very poor and sends you to wrong addresses. On aug 17,2009,the fuel gauge was at one bar and a red triangle came on dash and car started pulling and dragging. I pulled off of the road on the shoulder and tried to restart car. It started again and then it pulled and dragged and I got back on the shoulder. It would not move.I tried to place the vehicle in neutral but it would only stay in park. This created a dangerous problem especially not being able to move the car and then the tow truck had to make arrangements because car would not leave park. As I waited for 2 hours for the tow truck,the hazard warning lights I turned on and then they only would blink on the right side of the vehicle. This is very dangerous since it was my left side that was exposed to traffic. …
A year ago, upon taking off from a stop my car began to stall. I drive two blocks it continues to putt along and stall, then after less than a mile it starts to run as normal. I take my car in to be told it is out of gas, which it did not indicate low fuel, it had over a quarter of a tank. I insist they continue to check my car over days of them driving it, after a week they experience something similar and replace my junction box. Since then I've replace the water pump, taken my car in for a steering recall. Also, there are instances where my car upon take off stalls, but nothing severe, just something you feel when accelerating. Recently, 6/5/14, I experienced the same issue, but this time I immediately put gas into my car even though my indicator panel shows I have fuel. …
Car exhibits symptoms consistent with fuel tank bladder collapse. Have observed widely erratic fuel gauge indications and difficulty adding fuel - particularly in colder weather, (temperatures below approximately 45 degrees f). On occasion it has almost impossible to add gas to a nearly empty tank even at a trickle as the fuel filler auto shutoff keeps tripping. Attempts to add even small amounts of gas can result in gas spewing back out the filling accompanied by belching sounds coming from the tank. Often the tank cannot be filled to the advertised capacity even in warmer weather. Toyota dealer service denies ever having heard of this problem and has offered no credible solution. …
Unable to add any gas to the fuel tank even when tank is near empty. Gas just spurts back out of the filler neck. Over time we have learned that this is temperature related. At or near freezing temperatures and colder it becomes impossible at times to add any gas to the tank. The only way to add fuel is to get the car to a warmer location and let it sit for a few hours. We have detailed records documenting several instances where we could add no fuel and many instances where a near empty tank will take only 1-2 gallons. The car has been seen by two different Toyota service centers but they claim they can find nothing wrong. Toyota USA has stopped responding to our requests for help. We are unable to trust the car for extended trips in the winter due to fears of getting stuck with an empty gas tank. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the fuel gauge would provide inaccurate readings of fuel levels. While driving 20 MPH, the vehicle completely shut down without warning due to a bladder fuel tank problem. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who replaced the bladder fuel tank under warranty. The manufacturer was contacted who offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 43,000. The consumer stated Toyota paid for the repair. However, the gas gauge continues to be inaccurate and the consumer is unable to put no more than six gallons of gas in the vehicle. Also, at times, the vehicle would not shift into gear. Updated 06/30/11
Tl contact owns a 2009 Toyota Prius. During the winter months, the vehicle became difficult to add fuel. The dealer has provided the contact with several options to avoid this problem which included turning the nozzle sideways and taking the nozzle out from time to time while adding fuel. The contact found that these techniques are difficult to perform. She also stated that the safety risk is higher since the limited amount of gas could cause the engine to shut off without warning. The current mileage was 9000 and the failure mileage was 320. Updated 09/08/09 updated 09/29/09.
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 2009 Toyota Prius?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2009 Toyota Prius, 5% of the model year's 502 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2009 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 2009 Toyota Prius fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 22,000 miles, and 55% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries to fuel & propulsion system 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.