2007 Toyota Prius Problems, Recalls & Reliability
2,451 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2007 Toyota Prius, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 73/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 51,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2007 Toyota Prius sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2001–2003, 2012–2019, 2022.
Avoid
Where 2007 sits among all Prius years
What owners report
“Headlights sporadically turn off while in motion. Sometimes it is just one headlight, sometimes it is both!”— owner report to NHTSA, 2007 Prius
“Brake actuator failed without warning on the highway. Difficult to brake. Very dangerous”— owner report to NHTSA, 2007 Prius
“Hatch release has melted, see NHTSA ID’s for example: 10511408, 10533059, 10504366, 10496197, 10448470, etc.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2007 Prius
“Rear hatch door latch failure, starting with softening and then complete melting of the rubber cover and finally to latch not operating at all, especially in cold weather.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2007 Prius
“The dashboard went black with no visibility to speed, fuel tank gauge, or other instruments in this panel. Also, car would not power off. The instrument panel went dark while i was driving on a city street. The engine power down problem occurred in my driveway upon my return from my city use.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2007 Prius
“My son was attempting to make a u-turn and was hit by a car going the same direction. His head broke the driver side window and the air bag did not deploy. The air bag in the other car did open.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2007 Prius
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 2,017 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 52,800 miles. Half of those reports fall between 36,000 and 87,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 5, 2003, through March 30, 2009. The affected vehicles have a steering intermediate extension shaft assembly built with metal splines that complete the connection from the…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the extension shaft and replace it if it is one with insufficient hardness, free of charge. The recall began during December 2012. Owners may…
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…
Fix: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will replace the electric water pump, free of charge. The recall began on January 17, 2013. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer…
SOUTHEAST TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2011 PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD WITHOUT THE REQUISITE LOAD…
Fix: DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT…
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CAN GET STUCK IN THE WIDE OPEN POSITION DUE TO ITS BEING TRAPPED BY AN UNSECURED OR INCOMPATIBLE DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT.
Fix: TOYOTA FILED AN AMENDED DEFECT REPORT ON NOVEMBER 25, 2009, STATING THAT DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND, ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, ALTER THE SHAPE OF THE FLOOR SURFACE UNDER THE PEDAL.…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 22V063000.
Technical service bulletins
219 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and body & structure — are on file for the 2007 Toyota Prius. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2007 Toyota Prius reliable?
The 2007 Toyota Prius drew 2,451 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 73/100, scored against the model's worst year (2010).
What are the most common 2007 Toyota Prius problems?
The top reported problems for the 2007 Toyota Prius are electrical (1,317 complaints), brakes & stability (281), and other (227).
At what mileage do 2007 Toyota Prius problems show up?
Owners most often report 2007 Toyota Prius problems around 52,800 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 36,000 and 87,000 miles.
Does the 2007 Toyota Prius have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2007 Toyota Prius. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
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. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.