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Toyota · NHTSA safety record

2016 Toyota Prius

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

154

Complaints

8

Crashes

0

Fires

6

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2016 Toyota Prius have filed 154 safety complaints with NHTSA between February 2016 and June 2026. The most complained-about system is visibility and the wipers, named in 40 of them (26%). The typical failure was reported at 19,600 miles, the median across the 100 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 5 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (5)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

18V579000 · September 5, 2018

The defect
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.
The risk
An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.
The 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. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0T.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 192,347 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

18V085000 · January 31, 2018

The defect
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. The air bag pressure sensors and/or the acceleration sensors may fail causing the side/curtain shield air bags and/or the front air bags to not deploy in the event of a crash.
The risk
If the air bags fail to deploy in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
The 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. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are JLA, J0F.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 48,672 vehicles across all model years covered

HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM: INVERTER

17V658000 · October 18, 2017

The defect
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.
The risk
If the capacitor was not properly secured, vibrations from driving the vehicle may damage the capacitor, shutting down the hybrid system, causing a loss of motive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
The 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. Toyota's number for this recall is H0U.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 6 vehicles across all model years covered

PARKING BRAKE

16V741000 · October 14, 2016

The defect
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2015, to October 3, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with a foot-operated parking brake system that has a parking brake cable that may disengage.
The risk
If the parking brake cable disengages from the mechanism and the transmission is left in a gear other than 'Park' while the ignition is on and the driver leaves the vehicle, the vehicle may roll unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a clip at the parking brake cable end to prevent the cable from disengaging, free of charge. The recall began November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is G01.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 91,585 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

16V672000 · September 16, 2016

The defect
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.
The risk
A front passenger air bag that unintentionally inflates can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
The 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. Toyota's number for this recall is G0W.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 7,817 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations (1)

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Pedestrian alert sounds

DP22005

Closed defect petition · opened January 27, 2023 · closed August 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000

the electrical system

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. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 154.

VISIBILITY/WIPER 40 26%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 30 19%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 20 13%
SERVICE BRAKES 18 12%
ENGINE 17 11%
POWER TRAIN 14 9%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 13 8%
STRUCTURE 11 7%
AIR BAGS 7 5%
TIRES 7 5%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 5 3%
SUSPENSION 5 3%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2017 at 40.

2016 2017 2026
2016 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed · 4,100 miles

WE WERE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 70MILES AN HOUR ON A DIVIDED HIGHWAY. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ACTIVATED. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING, I WAS THE PASSENGER. WE BOTH WERE WEARING OUR SEAT BELTS. MY HUSBAND SUFFERED SOME SORT OF MEDICAL INCIDENT CAUSING HIM TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. WE CROSSED THROUGH THE MEDIAN, BECAME AIRBORNE, CROSSED TWO LANES OF OPPOSING TRAFFIC AND HEADED UP A STEEP INCLINE. THE CAR CAME TO REST ON A PILE OF DEBRIS AND HUNG UP ON A WIRE FENCE. MY HUSBAND SUFFERED A SUBARACHNOID HEMORRHAGE FROM STRIKING SOMETHING ON THE DASH OF THE CAR. WHEN THE CAR STOPPED HE WAS SLUMPED OVER THE WHEEL BLEEDING.. HE ALSO SUFFERED A MILD L4 COMPRESSION FRACTURE. AT THE TIME OF THE

NHTSA complaint 10911046, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

2 injured · 19,700 miles

FEBRUARY 7, 2018 !01 FRWY NORTH APPROACHING SANTA ROSA/ PLEASANT VALLEY OFF RAMP ON THE DOWNGRADE OUT OF NEWBURY PARK AT 25 MPH IN THE RIGHT LANE. A.BRAKE LIGHTS ARE SEEN IN CAR AHEAD. B.THE DASH BOARD LIGHTS UP RED WITH THE WORD BRAKE IN RED C.A LOUD PULSATING AUDIO NOISE CAN BE HEARD COMING FROM THE SPEAKERS. D.THE DRIVER TOUCHES THE BRAKES AND THE CAR GOES INTO FULL ABS EMERGENCY BRAKING REDUCING SPEED FROM 25 MPH TO 12 MPH IN LESS THAN 1/2 SECOND E.THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGERS EXPERIENCE A VIOLENT LURCH WHICH PRODUCES WHIP LASH. F.THE SEAT BELTS ENGAGE CAUSING PAIN TO THE SHOULDERS. G.THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT 25 MPH. THIS HAS OCCURRED OVER 6 TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR. A PDF IS ATTACHED OF

NHTSA complaint 11072993, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 45,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT A VERY LOW SPEED A SECOND VEHICLE SUDDENLY CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE PUSHING IT INTO THE REAR END OF A THIRD VEHICLE POSITIONED AHEAD. DURING THE INCIDENT THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END AND WAS DESTROYED BUT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE FRONT PASSENGER SUSTAINED NECK AND BACK INJURIES WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL TREATMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AT THE SCENE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AWAY. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

NHTSA complaint 11385206. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEATS

1 injured · crash · towed · 88,000 miles

The contact owned a 2016 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while switching lanes, the vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle driving at 30 MPH. The contact's front driver's side seat backrest inadvertently moved backward, which caused her shins to hit the dashboard under the steering wheel during impact. None of the air bags deploy upon impact. The contact later received medical attention at the hospital for injuries to her shins. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

NHTSA complaint 11442846. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM

100,028 miles

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while the vehicle was on and running, the ABS and traction control warning lights illuminated, and the messages "Braking Power Low - Stop in a Safe Place”, “See Owner's Manual", "Braking Power Low - Visit the Dealer", and "ABS Malfunction - See Dealer" were displayed. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal was firm. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and DTC: C14B6 was retrieved, indicating that the brake booster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired; however, the code was cleared. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where the

NHTSA complaint 11747244, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
Second time !!!! during ownership of car that brakes fail. Same problem as before Brake Actuator/Booster Failures: Multiple reports indicate issues with the ABS actuator or brake booster pump, leading to warning lights ("Braking power low", "ABS system malfunction").

NHTSA complaint 11737281. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The car has a very strong gas smell, especially when full.

NHTSA complaint 11732860. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Found coolant leak from heat exchanger into exhaust pipe. Looks like, T-SB-0135-19.

NHTSA complaint 11678347. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The headlights are either too bright or aimed poorly that it blinds oncoming traffic, who frequently flash their high beams at me. This occurs without any load in back and without me using the high beams. Can Toyota either adjust the bulbs or place a film on the headlights to prevent blinding oncoming traffic? Thank you!

NHTSA complaint 11654206. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Water pump failed without warning and caused irreparable damage to the engine ("blown" engine requiring replacement). Vehicle began to stall and not respond to attempted acceleration while traveling on 4 lane divided highway, 55 mph speed limit. One "Maintenance Required" message was received the previous week, but disappeared. This is the same message that appears for routine oil changes. No other warning messages were noted at the time of the incident, no unusual noises, and no smoke or other sign of overheating. Driver was able to steer vehicle to safety, but this failure could result in stranding on a busy, dangerous interstate highway. For such a critical piece of the vehicle (i.e.,

NHTSA complaint 11648235, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Toyota Prius

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 15 2 —
2024 22 4 —
2023 19 4 1
2022 24 1 —
2020 14 0 —
2019 29 3 —
2018 35 1 —
2017 91 3 —
2015 162 1 3
2014 205 3 —
2013 404 3 —
2012 421 6 —
2011 517 6 —
2010 2,819 10 2

Other 2016 Toyota models

Tacoma 323 RAV4 236 Corolla 212 Camry 180 Tundra 119 Highlander 109 4Runner 78 Sienna 75

Every Toyota on this site — 272 vehicles, 370 recall campaigns and 3 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst