Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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).
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH downhill on a mountain and depressing the accelerator pedal, the pedal travelled down to the floorboard, but the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle several times, the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated that the failure recurred after making a turn at 3-4 MPH downhill. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 194,000.
Traveling at freeway speed just after midnight, the "check engine" light came on. Less than one minute later, the "check hybrid system" alert came on, with an exclamation mark inside of a yellow triangle symbol displayed. The vehicle instantly had no power when the accelerator was depressed. The vehicle coasted to a stop and would not shift into drive. The vehicle was towed to our home. Upon delivering the vehicle to our home, the tow driver used an emergency battery jump start device and the vehicle was able to shift into drive and be driven into the garage. The 12 volt battery was replaced the next day and the vehicle no longer exhibited any disfunction. This was an unexpected event with no warning that the 12 volt battery was in need of replacement. …
Purchased new a 2010 Toyota Prius third generation level 4 in July of 2009. Hybrid battery pack failed just after 150,000 warranty lapsed at 155,000 miles. January 2023 floods in Merced, CA damaged one of blocks in Hybrid battery pack driving through waters at 191000 miles on odometer. This threw DTC POA 080 'Check Hybrid System' message. The following month February 2023 at 191500 miles I notice loud cooling fan for hybrid battery operating for the first time ever! Fan is located in rear seat behind front passenger. Air vent is clearly visible. I believe defective fan led to overheating of hybrid battery premature failure at 155,000 miles.
While driving through the mountains, the ABS, Brake, and Slippery (traction control) warning lights all suddenly illuminated on the dashboard. This happened without any noticeable trigger, and the warning lights remained on for the duration of the drive. I'm concerned about potential issues with the braking or stability systems and request a diagnostic check to ensure everything is functioning properly. Also I am aware that there was recall on Prius 2010 related to ABS system. My VIN was not included in that but seems like similar issue
I had just pulled into the garage and was at a complete stop when the car surged forward and slammed into to the back of the garage, I would tip overattempted to stop the car with the brakes and they were not working so I shifted the car to reverse and it speed out of the garage up an embankment into a fence. It. Was up on it's side and I was afraid that it would tip over so in an attempt to bring it down level I shifted to drive and it speed off forward it then jumped a row of bushes into the front yard and did a large circle in the front yard missing three large pine trees and hitting a small tree that ended up stopping the car and deployed the air bag.
Car in two accidents over two years body was not properly welded back to the frame! Brakes were not properly realigned neither was the steering column transmission bands were not operating and would not shift and numerous other parts for leakage from brake lines to transmission lines all lines were broken and so are the seals on them!
Car would not drive, or reverse it shifts to neutral since first week I bought the car in aug 2010. I bought a Toyota Prius III 2010 (from the dealership Toyota of kearney mesa in san diego) in 2010. The car from the beginning would shift back to neutral when I set it to drive or reverse. I bought the car and am the only owner). After I encounter this, within the week I took it to the dealership where I bought it (san diego kearny mesa) and they told me that it was not a problem. Yes, it was a problem and they refused to fix it. This has happen to my car from week 1. Now 5 years later, today, the car would not engage in "d" or reverse. I tried at least for 10 minutes. I called a dealership now in seattle (since I take my car here for service) and I was told that they never heard about it. I searched online and I found that this problem/bug does happen. …
I've had two Toyota Prius in my lifetime, a 2005 and a 2010 Toyota Prius, both have had the same issue where the engine would eat up all of my oil, I would have an oil change done and less than 2 weeks later I would have to check the oil gauge rod and find that the oil levels were below the bottom line, almost empty! The engine would be burning oil at such an alarming rate that I would repeatedly bring the vehicle to Toyota for oil changes. I'm very unsatisfied with my Toyota priuses. My car is currently at 166,384 miles and the engine cylinder has now given way and also the hybrid battery. I've gone only to Toyota dealerships to have pristine consecutive service and no third party repair facilities have provided service. I am located in souther california in san diego. …
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). …
My 2010 Toyota Prius would not start after a brief 45 minute lunch with friends. When I released the parking brake and let off the brake pedal I didn't know the car was stuck in neutral. This error was on the dashboard "malfunction when parking, park in a flat place and apply parking brake securely". When I let off the brake the car rolled back into the middle of the parking lot. I had two coworkers in the car with me; they got out and pushed the car out of the way to a flat location. Car still was disabled. I called Toyota roadside assistance and waited an hour for a tow truck; after about 45-50 minutes of waiting I was hit by a woman that wasn't paying attention; she backed into the side of my disabled car. I was pressing on the horn and she didn't hear. …
Transmission complaints in other Prius years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2010 Toyota Prius?
NHTSA has 79 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2010 Toyota Prius, 3% of the model year's 2,823 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (17 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Toyota Prius transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 10,000 miles, and 59% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 9 crashes, 1 fire and 4 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.