Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Toyota Prius owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
During summer months when temperatures are above 100 degrees when accelerating from a complete stop I can hear the engine rev and the RPMs increase but the vehicle will move at 1-2 mph. Even if the accelerator is to the floor. After 3-4 seconds the tires will squeal and the vehicle will be jolted forward then it will slowly accelerate. This happens occasionally and I have taken it to a Toyota dealership and a chain mechanic shop, neither have been able to recreate the problem. There are no warnings and no error codes. I have been stuck in the middle of intersections trying to turn left, I have not been hit, but I fear it will happen. There is a recall out for this issue on other Priuses and I believe the issue needs to be investigated further as there is another complaint on this site for the same issue and I have found it on other sites. …
Vehicle stalls for 5-10 seconds when stopped at a red light. Seems to happen sporadically and is difficult to reproduce. There have been other reports of it online here: https://priuschat.com/threads/tsb-nimh-only-reduced-power-when-accelerating-from-a-stop.187455/ https://priuschat.com/threads/2017-prius-2-no-acceleration-movement-from-full-stop.209317/ https://priuschat.com/threads/2016-prius-2-stalling.200606/
While driving vehicle on the freeway it stated braking power low, stop in a safe place, antilock brake system malfunction, pre-collision system malfunction, lane departure alert malfunction. I was almost in a major scary accident.
When the car is in drive and stationary on a hill facing up wards (like in a driveway) the car still sends electrical power to the electric motor and to the wheels even when the brakes are applied. This only happens when facing up a hill. All electrical power is suppose to turn off when the brake is pressed. This started happening two weeks ago and the dealership said that this is normal but it is not normal as it never did this before. It does not happen when on flat ground or when facing down hill. Dealership claimed that this is the hill assist feature holding the car but that's a lie as the hill assist utilizes the brakes and not the motor. Dealership could not find any error codes and refused to dig further into the issue and made up lies about it.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Toyota Prius. While driving 66 MPH, the vehicle decelerated and lost power in the middle of traffic. The contact attempted to place the vehicle into neutral, but was unsuccessful. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and then towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed that a fuse was blown and a new water pump needed to be installed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not assist. The dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 223,601. The VIN was unknown.
When starting the car the electronic dashboard was black with no info on speed. We drove it 70 miles home guessing at the speed. We turned if off and restarted it with the same result. Then we got home, turned it off, restarted it and the dashboard was back, working normally. Wtf? Not having a speedometer is a huge safety hazard. There should be a fallback for this. We cant trust this car and likely will trade it in soon for something else.
While driving on hwy 14 at approximately 1100 am, my son's vehicle left rear tire blew off. He summoned assistance to aaa who came and put the spare tire in, he subsequently drove the car to sierra Toyota in lancaster ca and chanin yescas service dept mgr assisted with having the car check. I am concerned with this vehicle it is the 2nd incident with have had with the vehicle within a week. Please assist asap.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the speedometer gauge did not allow the ability to switch from miles per hour to kilometers. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was unable to be diagnosed or repaired due to n manufacturer default. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 1,500. ....updated 02/06/17
Related recalls
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.
NHTSA investigations
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.
Electrical complaints in other Prius years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2016 Toyota Prius?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the electrical system of the 2016 Toyota Prius, 13% of the model year's 155 complaints. The component named most often is 12v/24v/48v battery (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Toyota Prius electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 18V-579 (wiring, Sep 5, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2016 Toyota Prius electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 31,000 miles, and 50% before 25,000 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.