Transmission complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 13% | — |
| 2024 | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2023 | 3 | 14% | 35,000 miles |
| 2022 | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2020 | 1 | 7% | — |
| 2019 | 2 | 7% | 5,000 miles |
| 2018 | 2 | 5% | 1,000 miles |
| 2017 | 4 | 4% | 24,000 miles |
| 2016 | 15 | 10% | 24,000 miles |
| 2015 | 13 | 8% | 22,000 miles |
| 2014 | 6 | 3% | 15,000 miles |
| 2013 | 14 | 3% | 42,000 miles |
| 2012 | 21 | 5% | 25,000 miles |
| 2011 | 18 | 3% | 60,000 miles |
| 2010 | 79 | 3% | 10,000 miles |
| 2009 | 22 | 4% | 20,000 miles |
| 2008 | 54 | 4% | 67,000 miles |
| 2007 | 41 | 2% | 57,000 miles |
| 2006 | 22 | 2% | 82,000 miles |
| 2005 | 41 | 4% | 76,000 miles |
| 2004 | 34 | 6% | 78,000 miles |
| 2003 | 5 | 5% | 85,000 miles |
| 2002 | 9 | 5% | 69,000 miles |
| 2001 | 5 | 3% | 109,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The failure was a persistent failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,050.
I purchased my 2023 Prius new which comes with a 5 year 60k mile powertrain warranty. My car, at 42.2k miles, has developed a clicking sound when the steering wheel is fully turned to the left and the vehicle is moving slowly. I brought it to the dealer today Oct 2, 2026 and their technician was able to reproduce my concern. However I came across two problems: 1) Their technician claims it is a "suspension" issue and 2) I was told even if it were CV related it would not be covered under warranty. Toyota is aware of this clicking sound and even has multiple bulletins about this exact same issue on their other vehicle models, all of which are covered under the 5 year 60k mile warranty. …
The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed. The accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled and jerked. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that the battery indicator did not look as if the battery was charging. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics; however, the failure was not duplicated. In addition, the vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact stated that the failure had become persistent. The contact stated that during one failure his wife was driving, and the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 Toyota Prius. While the vehicle was parked, it rolled without warning. The contact was able to catch up with the vehicle before it struck a police vehicle. The officer gave the contact a warning. In addition, the vehicle accelerated on its own intermittently. The local dealer (elmore Toyota, 15300 beach blvd, westminister, ca, 92683) informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 16V741000 (service brakes), and recommended he schedule an appointment for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed due to the diagnostic fee. The manufacturer was contacted and provided case number: 1709193209. The manufacturer confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the recall, and that there would be a diagnostic charge. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
Over the course of the last year, I have noticed an increasingly louder clicking noise coming from the front left (driver side) wheel area upon breaking. The noise goes away if I shift into neutral, so I'm nearly positive that this is related to the axle/CV joint. I've also conducted extensive research on this issue and it is a common problem encountered by other Gen4 Prius owners. Toyota even issued a TSB for this issue in December of 2018 (T-SB-0157-18), NHTSA No. 10153229. My car had its powertrain warranty lapse earlier this year, but I know for a fact that this has been covered out of warranty because I've corresponded with other Prius owners who had Toyota cover the repair of this defect/glitch. …
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. …
My mom was involved in an accident in her 2015 Toyota Prius on April 19, 2022, which she advised lurched forward at a stop and when applying the brakes to stop the vehicle, she said was unresponsive, causing her to clip a vehicle and sending her vehicle into a ditch totaling her car and injuring her passenger and her. I would like to have this investigated and hold Toyota responsible. This could have been much worse and lives could have been lost. She is now without means of transportation, and she is now possibly responsible for damages to property and bodily injury because of this. Through my research I have discovered multiple class action lawsuits brought against Toyota for the same exact models. I asked the police officer to run a scan on the computer, but he advised it was only for serious accidents. There was no indication of the problem or messages.
When I looked up my car on Kelly Blue Book for pricing, it said that it has been recalled as of 2020. I was not aware of this at all and could have got into a serious accident. I recently purchased a 2015 Toyota Prius Hybrid in February and not even my saleswoman told me that it has been recalled. It has a sleuth of issues that came with it.
Frequently asked questions
Which Toyota Prius years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2010 (79), 2008 (54), 2005 (41), 2007 (41) and 2004 (34) model years. Transmission complaints make up 3% of all complaints for the 2010.
Is there a recall for Toyota Prius transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for any Toyota Prius model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Toyota Prius transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 48,000 miles; 49% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic transmission (76 mentions), followed by the driveline (7).
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.