2010 Toyota Prius Problems, Recalls & Reliability
3,482 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2010 Toyota Prius, alongside 10 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 7,400 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2010 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 2010 sits among all Prius years
What owners report
“The brakes ABS stopped working. It is a known issue and is effecting many older Prius drivers.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Prius
“The brakes on my 2010 prius did not engage two times while driving in snowy conditions this winter. I almost crashed into a car both times.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Prius
“The low beam headlights tend to go out every 2 to 3 months sometimes one at a time and sometimes both.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Prius
“I change the brake booster twice and hace the same problem. My brake pedal loss of braking ability or slipping brakes and the warning brake, abs and traction light permanently on, and no cruise control works at all”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Prius
“My prius is burning an excessive amount of oil. More than a quart every 1000 miles.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Prius
“Does my vehicle have a takada airbag. I know it is not part of a recall. I just want to know who manufactured the airbag in my car!!!!!”— owner report to NHTSA, 2010 Prius
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 2,476 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 10,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 3,200 and 81,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (10)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Toyota Prius and 2012-2014 Toyota Prius V vehicles. Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) within the inverter may cause the hybrid system to shut down, causing…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU as necessary, free of charge. The recall…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Toyota Prius, 2010 and 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, and 2011-2012 Lexus CT200h vehicles. A weld in the curtain shield air bag inflator may crack causing one or…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install retention brackets to the curtain shield air bags, free of charge. The recall began on October 17, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota Customer…
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011…
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact…
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4,…
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected…
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2010 through 2014 Prius vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) inside the inverter module (a component of the hybrid system) contains transistors that may become damaged from high…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners and dealers will update the software for both the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU, free of charge. If an owner experiences…
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2010 Prius vehicles manufactured March 31, 2009, through October 9, 2009; and model year 2010 Lexus HS250h vehicles manufactured June 19, 2009, through October 9, 2009. Nitrogen gas from a component of the brake booster…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected brake booster pump assemblies. The recall began on August 7, 2013. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
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 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS AND LEXUS HS250H PASSENGER VEHICLES. CUSTOMERS HAVE EXPERIENCED INCONSISTENT BRAKE FEEL AFTER ABS ACTUATION DURING SLOW AND STEADY APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES ON ROUGH OR SLICK ROAD SURFACES. STOPPING…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REWRITE THE PROGRAMMING OF THE ABS CONTROL UNIT FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 3, 2010, AND IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN LATE MARCH 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA…
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…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
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…
Led to recall campaign 22V063000.
Technical service bulletins
387 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2010 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 2010 Toyota Prius reliable?
The 2010 Toyota Prius drew 3,482 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (2010).
What are the most common 2010 Toyota Prius problems?
The top reported problems for the 2010 Toyota Prius are brakes & stability (1,518 complaints), other (730), and electrical (345).
At what mileage do 2010 Toyota Prius problems show up?
Owners most often report 2010 Toyota Prius problems around 10,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 3,200 and 81,000 miles.
Does the 2010 Toyota Prius have recalls?
10 recall campaigns apply to the 2010 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.