2008 Toyota Prius Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,894 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Toyota Prius, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 61/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 62,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2008 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 2008 sits among all Prius years
What owners report
“Hid lighting , headlights go off intermittently when driving . Need to turn light switch on and off to turn back on. Ongoing problem unexpected unable to predict”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Prius
“Brake actuator is going bad, they had a recall on it and are refusing to fix it. Brakes are a lot harder to press.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Prius
“2008 prius will not shift into gear. The shift gears pop back into 'neutral' position and will not stay in 'drive' or 'reverse' making it impossible to drive.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Prius
“Randomly my instrument panel goes blank while in motion and can only be retrieved by hard turning the car off when stopped, you loose your speedometer, lights, and all until reset. Other issue with speedometer readings that are consistently off between 5-15mph with no fix, resolutions or repairs.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Prius
“The rear hatch latch rubber cover has melted, making it difficult to open the door.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Prius
“Excessive oil consumption. One quart down every 1500 miles. First noticed jan 5, 2018”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Prius
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 1,497 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 56,900 miles. Half of those reports fall between 30,104 and 100,000 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
222 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and body & structure — are on file for the 2008 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 2008 Toyota Prius reliable?
The 2008 Toyota Prius drew 1,894 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 61/100, scored against the model's worst year (2010).
What are the most common 2008 Toyota Prius problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Toyota Prius are electrical (823 complaints), brakes & stability (323), and other (223).
At what mileage do 2008 Toyota Prius problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Toyota Prius problems around 56,900 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 30,104 and 100,000 miles.
Does the 2008 Toyota Prius have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 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.