Problems · by component

2006 Toyota Prius vehicle speed control problems

84 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2006 Toyota Prius cite vehicle speed control, 6% of all 1,440 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
84
6% of all complaints
Crashes
18
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
11
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the vehicle speed control

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The light up display for the odometer, fuel gauge, and speedometer does not always light up. When it is not lit, the cruise control and any warning and informative alarms/lights also do not work. This is a well-known issue among owners of these cars, related to the capacitors on the circuit board for the display being defective, and there is extensive documentation of it online. It may also have had a technical service bulletin released for the issue, but I'm not entirely sure. The light goes out intermittently and is not always consistently out. I did mention it to the service personnel when I took it in to get recalls repaired recently, and they didn't seem surprised or unaware of the issue. I did not ask them to diagnose or fix it, as I know I can get it done for a better deal elsewhere.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 26, 2024Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, WheelsODI 11632471
“The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the steering wheel erroneously steered to the left direction on its own. The contact used force to maneuver the vehicle however the steering wheel independently veered again to the left, right, left, and then back to the right. The vehicle crashed into a curb, and violently accelerated across 2 lanes of oncoming traffic where a van crashed into the vehicle head-on. The air bags deployed upon impact. The contact sustained 11 fractured bones (L1 through L5 lower lumbar, pelvic, pelvis, 11th rib, and sacrum) and received medical attention via trauma center where she remained for over 2 weeks. The other driver of the van sustained unknown injuries but did not receive any known medical attention. A police report was not on file for the incident. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 77,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 17, 2024Steering, Vehicle speed controlCrash reportedODI 11602992
“COMBINATION METER STOPPED WORKING IN COLD WEATHER. KNOW PROBLEM FOR TOYOTA AND A VERY DANGEROUS ONE. THEY DID ONE REPAIR AND WARRANTY EXTENSION BUT VEHICLES NOW HITTING HIGHER MILIAGE ARE HAVING ISSUES AND IT IS DOCUMENTED BY TOYOTA IN A WARRANTY BULLENTIN NO. POL12-05 FROM TOYOTA”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 19, 2017Electrical system, Vehicle speed controlODI 11055524
“MY CAR (06 TOYOTA PRIUS) HAD HIT A POTHOLE WHILE ON MY WAY TO CHURCH ON 11/16/17. THERE WAS A LOT OF TRAFFIC AND THOUGH I WAS FAR BEHIND THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME, MY BRAKE DID NOT STOP AND MY CAR WENT UNDER THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE VEHICLE WAS GOING MAYBE 5-10 MPH AS WE INCHED UP TO THE LIGHT. LOTS OF TRAFFIC, I WAS DOUBLE AND TRIPLE CHECKING TO SEE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND IT WAS BUT CAR WOULD NOT STOP, IN FACT IT FELT LIKE IT REVVED UP.IT WAS TERRIFYING AS I SAW MY CAR PLOW INTO ANOTHER WHEN THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO. I KNOW THE 2010 MODELS WERE RECALLED FOR THIS BUT IT HAPPENED TO ME ON MY 2006 PRIUS. NO RECALL BUT A WARRANT ENHANCEMENT NOTIFICATION WAS SENT TO MY RELATIVE WHO HAD A 2007 BUT I NEVER RECEIVED IT. IT IS ALL ABOUT THE BRAKES AND THE NOT STOPPING PROPERLY. TOYOTA ALSO DID A WEIRD BUY BACK THING AND WANTED MY CAR. I THINK IT IS BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO HIDE THE PROBLEM INSTEAD OF HAVING A RECALL. I HAVE NEVER HAD A COMPANY TRY TO BUY BACK MY CAR. TOYOTA IS AT FAULT AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE NO ONE ELSE IS KILLED OR HURT BY THIS. IT ALSO SHOWS UP IN THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN BUT AGAIN, NOT A RECALL BUT IT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED! MY CAR HAD ABOUT 65K ON IT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 21, 2017Vehicle speed control, Service brakesCrash reportedODI 11047769
“WHEN VEHICLE IS STARTED NO DASH LIGHTS FOR FUEL GAGE, SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER INOPERABLE DUE TO FAULTY COMBINATION METER. NO RECALL JUST EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT TOYOTA WILL NOT REPLACE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 3, 2017Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11031475
“I BELIEVE ITS A GLITCH IN THE CAR'S COMPUTER. AT UNPREDICTABLE AND INTERMITTENT INTERVALS THE ELECTRONIC HEADS UP DISPLAY DOES NOT OPERATE. THIS LEAVES ME WITH NO SPEEDOMOETER, NO FUEL LEVEL INDICATOR, NO BRIGHT OR DIM INDICATOR FOR THE HEADLIGHTS, AND THE CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK. DURING THE INCIDENTS THE CAR ALSO MIGHT NOT RESPOND TO THE POWER OFF BUTTON, SO IT KEEPS RUNNING. THIS PROBLEM MIGHT LAST FOR A DAY OR TWO AND THEN IT STARTS TO WORK AGAIN.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 26, 2017Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Vehicle speed controlODI 11019826

Showing 6 of 84 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 4, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

1 recall on this component

Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal

Free remedy

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.

Vehicle speed controlReported Oct 5, 2009NHTSA 09V388000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 4, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.