Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Toyota Prius owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that she was hit by another vehicle while turning left onto a highway at 5 MPH. The contact was hit on her driver-side door at approximately 60 MPH and the airbags did not deploy upon impact. The contact stated that the driver seat had collapsed backward onto the rear driver seat which sent her over the steering wheel and into the windshield. The contact lost consciousness upon impact and when she came to, her hands were dangling over the steering wheel with her head pinned to the windshield glass. The contact was removed from her vehicle by authorities and was transported to the hospital by ambulance. The contact was treated for a broken sternum, four broken ribs, two on both the left and right side of her body, and severe bruising on both the left and right side of her entire body. …
The contact owned a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed in an intersection, a Ford F-150 vehicle crashed into the front driver's side of the vehicle. The contact stated he was pinned between the door and the infotainment system. The airbags failed to deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was taken to the local hospital by a friend in a private vehicle, and the contact received medical assistance. The contact sustained internal bruising and external bruising and cuts. Additionally, the contact sustained a major injury was on the neck, on the laryngeal prominence area of the neck and on the collar bone. The medical Doctor informed the contact that the major injury could heal in 4 weeks, or in 7-8 months. …
ON Sept 9th, 2022, I was involved in a collision, traveling approximately 30 - 40 MPH and struck a vehicle that pulled into my path. I struck the other vehicle perpendicularly (T-Boned). My vehicle impacted on the front, initially, and then on the driver's side at full force. The result of the accident caused the front bumper to be damaged and the entire left side of the car was crushed. The force of the accident caused the driver's window and port-hole to shatter. The AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. None of the air bags deployed. The vehicle is still in the auto repair lot and has yet to be inspected by anyone. There we NO prior indicators of any problems with the airbag system.
On Friday June 9, 2023 we drove the 2011 Prius on our daily travels. This was uneventful. Parked the vehicle around 10pm that same night. We drove it on the following Saturday around noon on a very short errand, maybe 30 minutes. Parked it again a little after noon. On Sunday morning around 730am, we discovered the side curtain airbag on the passenger side was deployed. There in no external damage and the vehicle was still locked. Upon starting it, the airbag systems check light illuminated for about three seconds then went out. Although the airbag is currently deployed, the airbag dash light does not stay lit indicating a problem. In order to determine if this was a soft code, we started it, drove it around the block, and shut it off. We did this a few times. The airbag light always lit for about three seconds then went out. The airbag has "PA66, VMQ" stamped on it.
Tl* the contact owned a 2011 Toyota Prius. While driving 40 MPH, the vehicle lost power without warning. As a result, the contact crashed into a tree and a cement barrier. The air bag failed to deploy. The vehicle was restarted and was able to be driven to the contact's residence. The contact sustained back, neck, and chest injuries that did not require medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was later deemed destroyed. The contact stated that the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 18V684000 (hybrid propulsion system). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided a case number. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.
On Friday, jan. 16, 2014 my husband made a right had turn from a stop sign onto a road in toledo, oh. An oncoming vehicle did not see him and turned into the front drives side smashing the door into my husband. His head went through the window and the side air bags did not deploy. Our frame was smashed, door smashed, front tire bent in, dashboard was bowed and broken, front, small side, and main drivers side windows broken. The car was found to be a total lose, my husband had to seek medical attention, but my main questions is why did the side air bag not deploy 02/05/15 updated 6/9/2015
Tl* the contact owned a 2011 Toyota Prius. While the contact's brother in-law was driving approximately 30 MPH, the rear passenger side of the contact's vehicle was struck by another vehicle. The contact's vehicle spun around and crashed into a guardrail. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The insurance company declared the vehicle totalled. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,290.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Toyota Prius. While attempting to park, the driver depressed the brake pedal and suddenly the vehicle accelerated forward and crashed into a pole. During the crash, the front end sustained significant damage. The air bags did not deploy. No injuries were reported and a police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 21,000.
My wife was driving our 2011 Prius during stop and go traffic. She said the car just took off on her on it's own she tried to brake but it wouldn't stop. It crashed into the motorhome that I was driving. The air bags never deployed. The car was totaled due to the extensive damage.
Got hit on the front left side of veh. Not at fault and I believe the other party might have provided false papers. But the reason for the complaint is my airbags didnt deploy??? Front bumper cover bumper and radi. Had damages. In my nonenexpert opinion enough to cause it to eeploy
Related recalls
Air bags › Side/window
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Toyota Prius, 2010 and 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, and 2011-2012 Lexus CT200h vehicles. A weld in the curtain shield air bag inflator may crack causing one or both portions of the inflator to eject into the passenger cabin.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install retention brackets to the curtain shield air bags, free of charge. The recall began on October 17, 2016.
Airbag complaints in other Prius years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2011 Toyota Prius?
NHTSA has 46 complaints about the air bags of the 2011 Toyota Prius, 9% of the model year's 521 complaints. The component named most often is frontal › driver clockspring/spiral cassette (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Toyota Prius airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 16V-487 (side/window, Jun 30, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2011 Toyota Prius airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 24% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 18 crashes, 0 fires and 12 injuries to air bags 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.