Airbag complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 17% | — |
| 2024 | 3 | 11% | 3,000 miles |
| 2022 | 3 | 13% | — |
| 2020 | 1 | 7% | — |
| 2019 | 4 | 13% | 16,000 miles |
| 2018 | 3 | 8% | 70,000 miles |
| 2017 | 3 | 3% | 21,000 miles |
| 2016 | 7 | 5% | 8,000 miles |
| 2015 | 6 | 4% | 26,000 miles |
| 2014 | 14 | 7% | 23,000 miles |
| 2013 | 18 | 4% | 18,000 miles |
| 2012 | 28 | 7% | 30,000 miles |
| 2011 | 46 | 9% | 65,000 miles |
| 2010 | 84 | 3% | 61,000 miles |
| 2009 | 17 | 3% | 81,000 miles |
| 2008 | 41 | 3% | 66,000 miles |
| 2007 | 50 | 2% | 85,000 miles |
| 2006 | 30 | 2% | 71,000 miles |
| 2005 | 44 | 4% | 65,000 miles |
| 2004 | 18 | 3% | 74,000 miles |
| 2003 | 1 | 1% | 160,000 miles |
| 2002 | 3 | 2% | 11,000 miles |
| 2001 | 1 | 1% | 84,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while parallel parking and straightening the vehicle, he tapped the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle suddenly accelerated aggressively and crashed into a stoop. While reversing previously on three occasions, the vehicle braked suddenly without application with no object in the surrounding area. There were no reported injuries. The air bag deployed. There was smoke detected from the engine. There was no reported fire. A police report was filed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.
I was driving my 2024 Toyota Prius and was involved in a front-end collision. The impact was strong enough to cause significant front-end damage, but the front airbag did NOT deploy. I was wearing my seatbelt at the time. This is a serious safety concern because the airbag should have deployed in this type of frontal impact. If the crash had been worse, I could have been seriously injured. I believe this may be a safety defect in the airbag system.
My husband and I rented a car from Avis on June 19, 2023. THe car they we selected was not available so they picked a prius out of the lot and gave it to us. On the morning of June 20, I was slowly turning into the driveway at [redacted] , my foot on the brake the whole time to slow to a stop so I could park parallel to my realtor's car. My realtor, [redacted] , witnessed the slow speed, as did many of the neighbors, as it was a quiet residential street. I continued to depress the brake but instead of stopping, our rental car, a Toyota Prius, suddenly lurched forward through the garage door! At no time did I lift my foot from the brake from the time I slowed the vehicle to enter the driveway. My husband can attest to this. In fact, he told me he was about to remove his seat belt, as he expected we would come to a stop. …
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. …
Vehicle involved in a accident. Vehicle brake system did not work. Driver had foot on brake pedal. Anti collision break system did not work, vehicle slid for 20ft into a stopped for. 2019 Prius was going 35 MPH before risk of collision was realized. Significant damage done on passenger side bumper. No air bags deployed.
The Airbag lights were lit, the person sitting with seatbelt on (flashing) and the person sitting with an inflated airbag in front of them. I ran an OBD2 scan on SRS and got code B1656. Driver seat belt buckle Left Hand. I Investigated the latch and found one wire was snapped off and a couple of inches shorter that the wire that was still connected. I have included 2 pictures of the back end of the seat belt latch. You can see the broken wire and where it use to be connected.
Tl* the contact owns a 2018 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving about 65 MPH, another vehicle pulled into the highway, without stopping, and crashed into the front driver's side fender of the contact's vehicle. The contact stated that none of the air bags deployed. There was no warning lights illuminated. The contact sustained injuries that required medical attention, including back, neck, ankle and head injuries. He also stated that he ripped the tendon on the ring finger. A police report was filed. The vehicle was totaled and was towed to a tow yard. The dealer was not called. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 Toyota Prius. While the brake pedal was depressed, the rear wheels seized. As a result, the contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a ditch. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to a body shop and the body damages were repaired so that the vehicle could be driven. The vehicle was taken to kalispell Toyota (2845 U.S. 93 s, kalispell, mt 59901) for diagnostic testing, but the cause of the failure was undetermined. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 7,000.
Related recalls (4)
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.
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.
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.
Air bags
On certain vehicles, due to improper assembly of the air bag inflator, which is used in the side air bag, the curtain shield air bag, and the knee air bag assembly, some inflators were produced with an insufficient amount of the heating agents necessary for proper air bag deployment.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the specific SRS air bag. The recall began on April 6, 2006. Owners May contact Toyota at 1-888-270-9371, Scion at 1-866-548-1851, or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
Frequently asked questions
Which Toyota Prius years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2010 (84), 2007 (50), 2011 (46), 2005 (44) and 2008 (41) model years. Airbag complaints make up 3% of all complaints for the 2010.
Is there a recall for Toyota Prius airbag problems?
Yes — 4 recalls, including 18V-085 (side/window, Jan 31, 2018); 16V-672 (inflator module, Sep 16, 2016); 16V-487 (side/window, Jun 30, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Toyota Prius airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles; 41% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal (31 mentions), followed by the side/window (11).
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.