Fuel System complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 6% | — |
| 2022 | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2021 | 2 | 33% | 5,000 miles |
| 2020 | 1 | 7% | — |
| 2019 | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2018 | 2 | 5% | — |
| 2017 | 12 | 13% | 16,000 miles |
| 2016 | 7 | 5% | 81,000 miles |
| 2015 | 9 | 5% | 95,000 miles |
| 2014 | 10 | 5% | 53,000 miles |
| 2013 | 24 | 6% | 40,000 miles |
| 2012 | 17 | 4% | 45,000 miles |
| 2011 | 21 | 4% | 116,000 miles |
| 2010 | 99 | 4% | 106,000 miles |
| 2009 | 24 | 5% | 22,000 miles |
| 2008 | 58 | 4% | 56,000 miles |
| 2007 | 30 | 1% | 45,000 miles |
| 2006 | 21 | 1% | 100,000 miles |
| 2005 | 31 | 3% | 76,000 miles |
| 2004 | 13 | 2% | 45,000 miles |
| 2003 | 4 | 4% | 123,000 miles |
| 2002 | 5 | 3% | 27,000 miles |
| 2001 | 13 | 8% | 48,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Dear NHTSA, I am seeking assistance and compensation for ongoing warranty and repair issues with my Toyota Prius. Key Incident Timeline: March 21, 2024: Dashboard message "Grille Shutter Inoperable" March 25, 2024: Toyota of Glendale visit Charged $220 for diagnostics Refused to honor service bulletin Vehicle mileage: 149,217 Customer Service Interactions: April 9, 2024: Contacted Toyota customer service Confirmed CA emissions coverage to 150,000 miles Discovered extended warranty unexpectedly canceled Brand Engagement Claim: April 9, 2024: Filed claim with Toyota's Brand Engagement line June 26, 2024: Claim denied, dealership's decision upheld Repair Challenges: July 5, 2024: Wondries Toyota diagnostic visit Charged $200 for diagnostics Confirmed active service bulletins would have covered repairs Repair Management: Northeast Mechanic has handled all subsequent repairs due to Toyota's …
Dashboard pop up came up saying that the grille shutter is inoperable to visit a dealer. Went online and noticed there were recalls for my Prius year and because emissions is affected I contacted Toyota financial customer service who said to go to a dealer and that they would fix no charge. Went three times to the dealer and they did not want to honor the recall. Charged me $200 to run diagnostics on the vehicle and confirmed that the code that was being recalled matched. They made excuses and in the end did not fix. The pop up appeared March 2024 and since then I now have another pop up appear about the hybrid system overheating due to them not fixing. I went to a local mechanic who said it was the dealers responsibility since there are service bulletins but they do not want to help. The car has stalled out on the freeway almost leaving me to get hit and my fuel has gotten worse.
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.
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. …
The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the brake, check engine, and ABS warning lights illuminated. The "Check Hybrid System - Stop Vehicle in A Safe Place" messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer where an unknown repair was completed; however, the failure recurred while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 25-45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V369000 (Hybrid Propulsion System). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist. …
The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH, the vehicle began to die as the "check hybrid system, stop the vehicle in a safe place" warning message illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact was able to barely pull off to the side and called the police for assistance. The police were able to move the vehicle to the side of the road and a tow truck was called for assistance. A police report was filed. The vehicle was initially towed to a gas station but the contact then had the vehicle towed to a dealer. While there, she discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V369000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM), which she linked to her failure; however, her VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was 45,000
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Prius. The contact stated was unable to start the vehicle. Additionally, the hybrid system warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the inverter assembly to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V369000 (Hybrid Propulsion System). The manufacturer was informed of the failure and the contact was informed that the recall repair had been performed on August 20, 2020. The failure mileage was approximately 86,500.
While I was doing a slow turn in a driveway, my brake failed and the car continued to accelerate in a forward motion. When I shifted into reverse, the car revved and roared accelerating at full tilt. It raced across a road into another driveway only stopping when wedged between a garage door and a tree. Toyota took the totaled car and had it inspected by engineering associates and insurance auto auctions. Their response is that "there was no serious defects identified." obviously, the momentary mechanical or electronic failure of my car could never be detected, so according to Toyota, there was nothing to cause the failure. I feel totally victimized and believe Toyota should take responsibility and compensate me for the loss of my car.
Related recalls (4)
Hybrid propulsion system › Inverter
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Prius and 2014-2017 Prius V vehicles not included in recall 18V-684. Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) within the inverter may cause the hybrid system to shut down, causing the vehicle to stall while being driven.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will perform a software update for the hybrid system. If the vehicle has experienced an inverter failure with certain hybrid system faults related to this condition, the inverter…
Hybrid propulsion system
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Toyota Prius and 2012-2014 Toyota Prius V vehicles. Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) within the inverter may cause the hybrid system to shut down, causing the vehicle to stall while being driven.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 22, 2019.
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.
Hybrid propulsion system › Inverter
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2003, through March 30, 2009 and FCHV-adv vehicles manufactured December 12, 2008, through September 13, 2011. During manufacturing, a scratch may have occurred inside of the electrically driven water pump at the coil wire.
Remedy: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will replace the electric water pump, free of charge. The recall began on January 17, 2013.
Frequently asked questions
Which Toyota Prius years have fuel system problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2010 (99), 2008 (58), 2005 (31), 2007 (30) and 2009 (24) model years. Fuel System complaints make up 4% of all complaints for the 2010.
Is there a recall for Toyota Prius fuel system problems?
Yes — 4 recalls, including 20V-369 (inverter, Jun 24, 2020); 18V-684 (hybrid propulsion system, Oct 4, 2018); 17V-658 (inverter, Oct 18, 2017). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Toyota Prius fuel system problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles; 41% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the inverter (29 mentions), followed by the storage › tank assembly (14).
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.