Toyota Prius Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy
Every Toyota Prius model year from 2000 to 2026, benchmarked against each other with 15,581 federal complaints, 35 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.
Avoid: 2007–2008, 2010. These years top the Prius's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 2001–2003, 2012–2019, 2022 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.
The method in one line: every NHTSA complaint for this model is counted, weighted for crashes, fires, injuries, and deaths, and each year is measured against the Prius's own worst year — full methodology.
Under investigation. Federal regulators currently have an open defect investigation on the Toyota Prius.
Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received a petition dated September 19, 2023 from the owner of a 2012 Toyota Prius V requesting that ODI reevaluate its decision to deny DP19-004. In the letter, the petitioner reported experiencing an unexpected and complete loss of brake power while…
An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
The trouble strip
One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.
The defining problem
Electrical tops the Toyota Prius file with 5,143 complaints, concentrated in the 2006–2008 model years, most often reported around 67,000 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.
Every year, ranked
| Year | Verdict | Complaints | Recalls | Top problem | Trouble index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Few reports | 5 | 1 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | Few reports | 28 | 2 | — | 1 |
| 2024 | Too early to call | 31 | 4 | — | 1 |
| 2023 | Few reports | 26 | 4 | — | 1 |
| 2022 | Better year | 31 | 1 | — | 1 |
| 2021 | Few reports | 11 | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | Few reports | 23 | 0 | — | 2 |
| 2019 | Better year | 53 | 3 | Brakes & stability | 2 |
| 2018 | Better year | 46 | 1 | — | 2 |
| 2017 | Better year | 127 | 3 | Visibility & wipers | 5 |
| 2016 | Better year | 215 | 5 | Visibility & wipers | 6 |
| 2015 | Better year | 215 | 1 | Brakes & stability | 10 |
| 2014 | Better year | 281 | 3 | Brakes & stability | 10 |
| 2013 | Better year | 543 | 3 | Brakes & stability | 18 |
| 2012 | Better year | 543 | 6 | Brakes & stability | 20 |
| 2011 | Typical | 664 | 6 | Brakes & stability | 21 |
| 2010 | Avoid | 3,482 | 10 | Brakes & stability | 100 |
| 2009 | Typical | 644 | 6 | Electrical | 22 |
| 2008 | Avoid | 1,894 | 4 | Electrical | 61 |
| 2007 | Avoid | 2,451 | 4 | Electrical | 73 |
| 2006 | Below average | 1,690 | 6 | Electrical | 49 |
| 2005 | Below average | 1,298 | 6 | Electrical | 42 |
| 2004 | Typical | 737 | 6 | Electrical | 22 |
| 2003 | Better year | 123 | 1 | Steering | 4 |
| 2002 | Better year | 201 | 2 | Steering | 7 |
| 2001 | Better year | 215 | 3 | Steering | 7 |
| 2000 | Few reports | 4 | 0 | — | 0 |
Technical service bulletins
Beyond complaints and recalls, 5,767 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, service campaigns, warranty extensions — are on file for the Toyota Prius. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Browse the Toyota Prius TSB list by year →
Questions buyers ask
What Toyota Prius years should I avoid?
Federal complaint records point to 2007–2008, 2010 as the Toyota Prius years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.
What is the most common Toyota Prius problem?
Electrical tops the Toyota Prius file with 5,143 complaints, concentrated in the 2006–2008 model years, most often reported around 67,000 miles.
What are the best Toyota Prius years to buy used?
The quietest Toyota Prius years in federal records are 2001–2003, 2012–2019, 2022 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Counts cover the Toyota Prius only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.