Acceleration complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 6% | — |
| 2024 | 2 | 7% | 3,000 miles |
| 2022 | 1 | 4% | 25,000 miles |
| 2021 | 1 | 17% | 56,000 miles |
| 2020 | 1 | 7% | 16,000 miles |
| 2019 | 4 | 13% | 1,000 miles |
| 2018 | 4 | 11% | 8,000 miles |
| 2017 | 13 | 14% | 14,000 miles |
| 2016 | 14 | 9% | 15,000 miles |
| 2015 | 7 | 4% | 3,000 miles |
| 2014 | 14 | 7% | 12,000 miles |
| 2013 | 22 | 5% | 12,000 miles |
| 2012 | 13 | 3% | 22,000 miles |
| 2011 | 28 | 5% | 21,000 miles |
| 2010 | 287 | 10% | 4,000 miles |
| 2009 | 71 | 14% | 10,000 miles |
| 2008 | 156 | 10% | 29,000 miles |
| 2007 | 124 | 6% | 37,000 miles |
| 2006 | 84 | 6% | 45,000 miles |
| 2005 | 109 | 10% | 50,000 miles |
| 2004 | 52 | 9% | 62,000 miles |
| 2003 | 5 | 5% | 44,000 miles |
| 2002 | 12 | 7% | 42,000 miles |
| 2001 | 25 | 15% | 60,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while at a complete stop, another vehicle crashed into the rear of the vehicle and the vehicle began to accelerate unintendedly. The air bags failed to deploy. The brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond. The contact stated that he was able to prevent a crash by avoiding several vehicles while continuously depressing the brake pedal. The brake pedal responded; however, there was 62-100 ft. stopping distance delay. The contact veered to the side of the road for a moment. The contact stated that as he restarted the vehicle, the vehicle operated as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. There was no police report filed. There was no injury sustained. The contact was able to drive to his workplace. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …
* I was pulling into a parking space at a slow speed. When I applied the brake the car accelerated causing the car to scrape the car next to the space. The car then stopped. * The acceleration was out of my control and the brakes did not stop it. Fortunately there was no person in front of me. * The Tow truck operator who came to get the car experienced the same issue when pulling into the bay at the dealer. I do not know about the manufacturer during their inspection as they did not provide me with that information. * Toyota had an inspection performed and that report was submitted to Toyota on August 20. We just received notification from Toyota that they found no problem with the car. * No warning lights noted.
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while in bumper-to-bumper traffic, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The brake pedal was applied but failed to respond. The driver crashed into the front passenger side of the Lexus. The vehicle continuously moved forward. The contact was eventually able to pull over safely. The pre-collision malfunction warning light illuminated. The brake malfunction light was flashing. The air bags did not deploy. There was no reported fire or injury. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who could not determine the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was then towed to an autobody center where it remained. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 39,000.
Stopped at red light, then the car didn't accelerate when hitting gas. Engine revs but the car does not accelerate. It happened multiple time when the car was out in sun with full ac on(100f). Happened once in intersection and almost got hit head on
For the second time (first in 2019) I was seconds and maybe two feet from stopping the car to park when, with my foot on the brake, the car suddenly and without warning lunged forward at what seemed like full throttle. The first "crash" was in my driveway. The force was shocking and took off the front of the car. I insisted Toyota investigate and they ultimately denied any liability. After the car was allegedly repaired, I started noticing another phenomenon: every time I would slow down to brake--approaching an intersection or stop sign, etc.--the car would briefly lunge forward before the brakes engaged to stop the car. I reported this to the dealer 2-3 times and each time I was assured that this was "normal" for a hybrid transitioning from gas to electric at a lower speed. …
On 10/16/23 I was turning slowly into a parking spot and my car suddenly accelerated without my pressing the accelerator. I slammed on the break and the car stopped. It was frightening because I could have hit someone or something but luckily the car stopped before that happened. I believe that this was a malfunction of the accelerator. This has not been checked or reported to anyone yet but I will be calling Toyota to have it checked. There have been no warning messages.
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. …
I turned on my car in a flat parking lot, reversed out of my spot, and drove up to a traffic light to exit the parking lot. When the light turned green, I took my foot off the brake and tried to accelerate, but nothing happened. After a few seconds, my car lurched forward with a sudden jerk, and I was able to exit, but this behavior (no movement, then sudden jerk) continued to happen. I was scared that I would get into an accident, so I pulled over and turned the car off and on. The behavior continued. I drove to a safe location, and parked the car. I noticed the engine kept revving up and down, even though I was parked, and the hybrid battery indicator showed no charge. I turned off the car, and had dinner for about an hour. …
Related recalls (1)
Vehicle speed control › Accelerator pedal
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2010 passenger vehicles. The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.
Remedy: Toyota filed an amended defect report on November 25, 2009, stating that dealers will modify the accelerator pedal and, on certain vehicles, alter the shape of the floor surface under the pedal.
Frequently asked questions
Which Toyota Prius years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2010 (287), 2008 (156), 2007 (124), 2005 (109) and 2006 (84) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 10% of all complaints for the 2010.
Is there a recall for Toyota Prius acceleration problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 09V-388 (accelerator pedal, Oct 5, 2009). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Toyota Prius acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 26,000 miles; 73% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the accelerator pedal (50 mentions), followed by the cruise control (9).
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.