Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 14 safety complaints
about the 2020 Toyota Prius with the US government. Of those, 6 describe a crash, 6 people were injured and no death is recorded. No recall campaign has been matched to this year, make and model.
The most complained-about system is the brakes,
named in 4 complaints, 29% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 12,850 miles,
the median across the 5
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers March 2020 to September 2025 · How this is counted
What is on file
14 complaints on file
14
Complaints
6
Describe a crash
0
Mention fire
6
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not
the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production
ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 5 · 36%
5 36%
SERVICE BRAKES 4 · 29%
4 29%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2 · 14%
2 14%
TIRES 2 · 14%
2 14%
AIR BAGS 1 · 7%
1 7%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 · 7%
1 7%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 · 7%
1 7%
ENGINE 1 · 7%
1 7%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 · 7%
1 7%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 · 7%
1 7%
POWER TRAIN 1 · 7%
1 7%
STRUCTURE 1 · 7%
1 7%
048
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 14.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2020 at 5.
8 6 4 2
202020212021222022232023242024252025
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2020 to 2025.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what
happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2020 Toyota PRIUS, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
5 HB AWD
5 HB FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover
10.7%
10.7%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed.
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
Defect investigations
1 on file
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.
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
SERVICE BRAKES
2 injured · crash · towed · 700 miles
MY DAD WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. HE SAID THAT HE STEPPED ON THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. HE GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE ALL AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED AND THE CAR WAS TOTALED. THE CAR ONLY HAD 700 MILES. I BELIEVE THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT MY DAD DROVE THIS CAR ON THE HIGHWAY. MY MOM, WHO WAS A PASSENGER, SAID THAT THE CAR ACCELERATED VERY QUICKLY. PRIOR TO PURCHASING THIS CAR, MY DAD HAD DRIVEN A PRIUS (2010 - 2012?), SO HE WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE FEEL OF THE PRIUS. THE CLAIM # IS [XXX]. ATTACHED PLEASE FIND THE POLICE REPORT AS WELL AS A PICTURE OF THE TOTALED CAR. PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT ON BEHALF OF MY PARENTS.*DT CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED …
NHTSA complaint 11348886, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
2 injured · crash · towed
I was the victim of an accident on [XXX]. The person of the other vehicle that collided with my vehicle after crossing at high speed and without stopping in the red light. The sensors of the anti-collision vehicle of my vehicle did not work and the air bag also did not work. Due to speed the airbag of the other vehicle triggered. I have shoulder pain due to impact. At the moment the insurer of the party involved is making it difficult to pay the compensation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint 11681232. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
1 injured · crash · towed
On May 16, 2023 I was slowly driving out of a market parking lot when the car suddenly accelerated, full throttle, and speeded across the street (Colusa Avenue, Berkeley, CA), crashing head on into a fence. Immediately after the crash, the dashboard displayed the following: "Check Engine (!) A malfunction in the electronic control of the engine, throttle, or automatic transmission has been detected. Contact your Toyota dealer to have your vehicle inspected." The car was towed and is now at a body shop selected by my insurance company, AAA. I received whiplash, small bruises on my chest and left hand, and a scraped shin. I was taken to Alta Bates Emergency by ambulance.
NHTSA complaint 11524726. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
1 injured · crash · towed
I TURNED LEFT INTO A PARKING SPACE IN MY 2020 PRIUS. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE, AND MY CAR SHOT FORWARD. I COULDN'T STOP IT, AND IT HIT A CONCRETE POLE. IT ONLY TOOK 1 SECOND. IT SEEMS TOYOTA HYBRIDS ARE STILL HAVING THIS UNINTENTIONAL ACCELERATION DESPITE A MULTI BILLION DOLLAR LAW SUIT IN THE EARLY 2010'S. MY CAR WAS TOWED AND IS AWAITING INSPECTION BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint 11687071. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
About a year ago and again a few days ago, I was slowly moving my Prius forward when suddenly it accelerated at full speed. The first time I was pulling into a parking spot beyond which was a grassy area and then a stockade fence. When I felt the car lurch forward, I slammed on the brakes, but was still going quite fast. Fortunately, the collision avoidance brakes kicked in and stopped the car just before I hit the fence. In the second case, I was slowly pulling into a parking lot when again the car surged forward. This time I was able to stop the motion with the brakes myself . In both cases I was conscious of moving my foot from the gas pedal to the brake pedal. In both cases it was a hot …
NHTSA complaint 11603436, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
After heavy rains, the car says the park assist doesn't work, as well as the parking sensor system. There is a warning sign that says it doesn't work.
NHTSA complaint 11570887. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
crash · towed
Attempted to park in my garage and overshot the turn. The brake then failed to stop and I dented my garage outer wall. I reversed my car and tried to reposition it to go inside the garage, putting it on drive. However, the brake pedal made the car accelerate and the car went on reverse. It then crashed into the neighbor's garage and crashed the door and car inside. Both the car inside the garage and the garage itself (along with the inside of the house) have been damaged.
NHTSA complaint 11492215. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, no campaign on file for this vehicle.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
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.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst