Most common 2016 Toyota Prius problems
Share of the 155 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Toyota Prius complaints by model year
Best Prius years: 2021, 2020, 2018. Years to avoid: 2011, 2010, 2007, 2006, 2008. Compare all years →
2016 Toyota Prius recalls (5)
Electrical system › Wiring
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Toyota Prius vehicles. A portion of the engine wire harness connected to the hybrid Power Control Unit (PCU), could contact the cover at this connection and wear, causing an electrical short circuit.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine wire harness assembly and replace it if damage is found. A protective sleeve or protective tape will be included to prevent any future damage.
Air bags › Side/window
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016 Toyota Prius and Lexus RX 350, RX 350 F Sport, RX 450h F Sport and RX 450h vehicles and 2015-2016 Lexus NX 200T, NX Turbo and NX 300h vehicles.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sensors as necessary based on their serial numbers, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 12, 2018.
Hybrid propulsion system › Inverter
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016 Prius vehicles. A capacitor within the hybrid system may not have been properly bolted to the inverter housing.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inverter, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin by early December 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Parking brake
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2015, to October 3, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with a foot-operated parking brake system that has a parking brake cable that may disengage.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a clip at the parking brake cable end to prevent the cable from disengaging, free of charge. The recall began November 10, 2016.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Prius vehicles manufactured November 30, 2015, to June 14, 2016. An air bag inflator manufacturing error may result in the inadvertent partial inflation of the front passenger air bag.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2016 Toyota Prius:
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles.
What 2016 Toyota Prius owners say
Windows, wipers & sunroof all 41 →
I reported issues with this car in 2018. Clicking sounds under the car which is still happening, peeling paint on exterior and inside door areas, substandard windshield that spread in a very unusual pattern when hit by a small rock. The NHTSA ID Number that was assigned to these complaints is [redacted] . None of these problems have been addressed. There are other owners that have experienced the same problems, apparently their issues have not been addressed. These problems should have been sent by you to the Toyota Corporation, but apparently was not. I have owned many Toyota vehicles and have not experienced these problems. I also own a 2012 Toyota Prius which I drive when I when I am traveling on the interstate, because I feel that the clicking noises on the 2016 Toyota Prius is a safety issue that seems to be coming from the steering section underneath the car. …
Moments ago, I entered my 2016 Toyota Prius to find that my windshield had mysteriously cracked while parked over night. The crack was not present when I last drove the car last night. Based on some online research for windshield replacement cost, I've learned that Toyota was faced with a class action lawsuit regarding 2016-17 Toyota Prius containing defective windshields; in which these windshields are known to unexpectedly crack while parked or under ordinary driving conditions. Furthermore, my Toyota Prius is equipped with safety features (such as pre-collision system, lane departure alert with steering assist, automatic high beams and full-speed dynamic radar cruise control) that require a front camera to function properly. …
Brakes all 20 →
The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while the vehicle was on and running, the ABS and traction control warning lights illuminated, and the messages "Braking Power Low - Stop in a Safe Place", "See Owner's Manual", "Braking Power Low - Visit the Dealer", and "ABS Malfunction - See Dealer" were displayed. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal was firm. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and DTC: C14B6 was retrieved, indicating that the brake booster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired; however, the code was cleared. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where the information from the dealer was relayed that the brake booster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,028.
We were driving in San Diego and had driven oven a bit pothole. About 50 miles after driving over the pothole, the brakes stopped working. We were pressing down hard on the brake, but the brake was soft and did not do its job. We almost rear ended the car in front of us. We brought the car right away to a close by auto shop and they said there were no leaks as the brake fluid was still close to the max and they did not find any indication of a brake fluid leak and sent us on our way. We are still unsure as to why the brake from this vehicle stopped.
Electrical system all 20 →
The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the steering wheel stopped operating and the vehicle began to shut down. The contact stated that a yellow blinking light and a hybrid system malfunction warning light illuminated the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the hybrid battery was low and there was a failure of the engine wiring harness. The hybrid battery was able to recharge but the dealer stated that the electric wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,141.
When the battery cooling fan is running, the car is slow to accelerate or will not accelerate at all. The incident has happened multiple times over the past year when the temperatures are above 90. If at a complete stop, the car will not accelerate, it will only jerk forward. The car has to be turned off and restarted to be able to accelerate. If braking or reducing speed, the car will be sluggish, and I have not been able to get the speed over 40 mph. I have taken it to the dealership, but they said they could not recreate the issue, though I do not believe that they followed the directions I gave them to recreate the problem. No warning lights appear when the issue occurs, so they did not have an answer. The first time the incident occurred, I had just had the scheduled maintenance completed two days earlier and they did not find anything in the inspection that needed to be repaired. …
2016 Toyota Prius engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8L 4-cyl hybrid | CVT | FWD | 58 / 53 / 56 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2016 Toyota Prius a good car?
Based on 155 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2016 Prius rates better than average: 49% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Prius at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Toyota Prius?
The windows, wipers & sunroof — 41 complaints, 26% of all complaints for this model year, most often about rearview mirrors/devices › interior. Next are the brakes (20) and electrical system (20).
How many recalls does the 2016 Toyota Prius have?
There are 5 recalls for the 2016 Toyota Prius, the most recent from September 5, 2018 (wiring). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Toyota Prius?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2021, 2020 and 2018. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2011, 2010, 2007, 2006 and 2008. See the full Toyota Prius years comparison.
At what mileage do 2016 Toyota Prius problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 20,000 miles; 87% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.