2009 Toyota Prius Problems, Recalls & Reliability
644 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2009 Toyota Prius, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 22/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 82,307 miles.
Typical
Where 2009 sits among all Prius years
What owners report
“Right headlight intermittently goes out. Sometimes turning headlights off and back on brings the headlight back on. The headlight usually does not turn on when the car is started up.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Prius
“Brake pressure loss and constant noise from the brake actuator, read codes c1256 and c1391”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Prius
“When I am coming to a stop or need to put on my brakes my car will accelerate at a jump ahead pace As if to take off instead of slowing down and stopping. Regardless whether I’m turning a corner or I’m continuing straight when I have to Put on the brakes it speeds up instead.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Prius
“Driver went to park and the brakes did not respond! In fact the vehicle went from 2-5mph to approx 30+ & kept picking up speed and went into storefront. Driver was able to wrestle vehicle into reverse and it went equally fast back into a parked car where it finally came to a stop. Hugely…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Prius
“Breaking system failure do to ASB Actuator, breaks are locking and vehicle is engine braking.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Prius
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 472 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 42,800 miles. Half of those reports fall between 12,000 and 98,500 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and…
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may…
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…
GULF STATES TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2010 VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1, 2005 AND JUNE 2, 2008…
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. DEALERS WILL ALSO CORRECT THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE SAFETY…
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
225 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and body & structure — are on file for the 2009 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 2009 Toyota Prius reliable?
The 2009 Toyota Prius drew 644 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 22/100, scored against the model's worst year (2010).
What are the most common 2009 Toyota Prius problems?
The top reported problems for the 2009 Toyota Prius are electrical (171 complaints), brakes & stability (162), and other (102).
At what mileage do 2009 Toyota Prius problems show up?
Owners most often report 2009 Toyota Prius problems around 42,800 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 12,000 and 98,500 miles.
Does the 2009 Toyota Prius have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2009 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.