Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Toyota Prius owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Have multiple warning lamps that light up on and off and the brakes in my car get spongy making the braking unsafe. The lights that turn on are the steering/ traction , brake, and abs light. There are multiple complaints online on YouTube from similar issues ongoing and no recall made. My mechanic says it indicates a leak however there is no brake fluid missing and on YouTube there's work arounds because people keep getting the same message, yet no recall has been made. This can affect steering and cause an accident. Please recall soon. Including YouTube link so you can see all the comments and issues from thousands that don't know how to report but view to fix temporarily. [redacted]
Hello there, my name is Lashyrah and I do not know much about cars so most of this is unknown. The person I bought my vehicle from did not give me much information and I was desperate at the time so I bought it. Most of the lights on the dashboard are on: ABS, Brake system, Engine, Tire/Safety Alert, Fuel pump reset warning, and Stability control are lights that come and go. I have used the code system to try to reset these things and they go away then pop back up. Sometimes while I am driving, all the dashboard lights disappear and the breaks start getting really touchy and it feels completely different driving until the previous lights all come back on. This has been an issue before and when I last went to Toyota to get my car serviced, I asked them to check the lights and system, and if they could do a multi-point inspection. …
Tl* the contact owned a 2010 Toyota Prius. While driving 60 MPH, the front wheels shook and the contact lost control of the steering wheel. The contact crashed into anther vehicle, which then caused the other vehicle to crash head on into a median. The air bags deployed. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was deemed totaled and was towed to the contact's home, awaiting an investigation. The cause of the failure was not determined. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 18V684000 (hybrid propulsion system). The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
I had been driving the car and had experienced the loss of power described in recent articles as being an inverter problem (that was the subject of a software update by Toyota that May not have fixed the issue). After experiencing this issue several times, my autobody shop recommended replacing the throttle body as the diagnostic codes were not 100% clear what the problem was. I have replaced the throttle body and not had the issue since, but I thought I would report this just in case this is related to the inverter issue. The issue I had was exactly as described -- driving the car, then suddenly losing power and practically unable to move the vehicle (I was able to drive it maybe 3 MPH with no power steering, barely got out of an intersection in front of oncoming traffic one time it happened). …
About a mile after having entered the freeway as I was merging towards the carpool lane the car shut off in the number three lane.the dashboard displayed the message, "check hybrid system", and would not respond. My speed was approximately 65 MPH when this occurred. I immediately pressed on the brake but the car was not slowing down as it normally does. When I finally got over to the number 1 lane, I entered the emergency lane but was still having trouble coming to a stop. I brushed up against the freeway wall in order to come to a complete stop. After switching the car off and attempting to restart it, I would get no respond and all the dashboard indicators would remain on with the "check hybrid system" displayed. This incident was terrifying as I was driving with my two year old daughter and two other occupants. The car should have displayed a warning and not simply stalled out. …
The vehicle was having issue with the steering locked up when turning with motion about 20+MPH. The hybrid system is not as advertised the 50mpg in any way as it only gets average about 35mpg. The vehicle has 87000 miles and the old symptoms from second generation followed suit with it. The dash went totally off when weather is cold and suddenly turned back on when it gets warm. I had driven a few miles without the dash on and it was a bad experience since I cannot figure out the speed or what is going on. The steering is the major issue as we dare not to drive the car and the technicians from the dealer said nothing wrong with the vehicle but third party technicians recommend to take to Toyota for recall.u turns are the worse that locked the steering and the car almost come to a stop with beeping alarms.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the vehicle stability control light began flashing ashe was driving and the contact started to feel a disconnection with the steering causing him to crash into a median. The contact was only able to accelerate forward and backwards after the failure without attempting any turns because the steering was no longer operable. The vehicle was towed and the towing company discovered that the front driver side wheel was facing straight and the front passenger side wheel was facing at a 45 degree angle. The failure and current mileage was 31,634. Updated 05/04/11 updated 2/1/12
Tl contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving approximately 43 to 45 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering, rolled into a ditch, and landed on it's side. The passenger sustained injuries to her sternum, ribs, and finger. The passenger was transported to the hospital via ambulance. A police report was filed. The vehicle was inspected by the insurance company and declared a total loss.the manufacturer was notified and they have not followed up with the contact. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000. Updated 03/15/11 the consumer stated there were two injuries. Updated 06/06/11
My car got stall on the road, it had a problem related with the hybred system. I took it to the Toyota dealer and they said it was in a recall list. So they fixed but they damaged the suspension of my car and now they don't want to fix it. My car is making a noise when I move the steering wheel and also when I brake. My car wasn't making such noise before the stall on the road. I am frustrated with all this problems in my car.
Driving on a extremely rough street, my car jerked to the left. I tried braking, but unmovable objects (street sign and phone junction box) provided the stop. Airbags did not deploy, but force of car pushed me hard into the steering wheel. I had my safety belt on, plus back brace. Emts noted 60% o2, in icu on respirator for a week, hospital for 2 wks. Distinctly, I remember the steering wheel jerked to the left.
Steering complaints in other Prius years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2010 Toyota Prius?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the steering of the 2010 Toyota Prius, 1% of the model year's 2,823 complaints. The component named most often is column (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Toyota Prius steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2010 Toyota Prius, though it has 10 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 2010 Toyota Prius steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 32,000 miles, and 50% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to steering 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.