Problems · NHTSA complaints

2011 Toyota Prius problems

Owners filed 523 complaints about the 2011 Toyota Prius with NHTSA between Mar 2011 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is service brakes (264).

Complaints
523
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
37
Reported by owners
Fires
7
Reported by owners
Injuries
17
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Service brakes264
  2. Electrical system68
  3. Exterior lighting49
  4. Engine47
  5. Air bags46
  6. Vehicle speed control28
  7. Power train18
  8. Electronic stability control (esc)16
  9. Service brakes, hydraulic12
  10. Fuel/propulsion system11
  11. Hybrid propulsion system11
  12. Visibility11
  13. Structure9
  14. Steering7

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

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 5, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
201117
201223
201327
201438
201532
201656
201729
201852
201956
202023
202122
202238
202334
202434
202524
202618

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Service brakes

264 reports17 crashes
“I was driving the vehicle and a bunch of dash lights came on regarding traction control and stability and lost all brakes and almost caused an accident! The codes thrown showed a fluid level indicator and a leak in accumulator”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 27, 2026Service brakesODI 11774028

Electrical system

68 reports3 crashes4 fires
“I was driving my car at over 70 mph on a highway, no check engine, no issues, just had oil changed when check hybrid system alert came on with check engine light. I started to change lanes to get to shoulder when my car just died, completely. It died in the middle of the highway merging with another major road, so I was stuck between 2 lanes of 70mph traffic on either side. The time to react to the sudden warning to my car dying was less than 2 minutes. I quickly called 911 to ask for help and was told someone had already reported my breakdown as well because my car had died in a horribly dangerous area. I was very lucky that a state trooper came quickly and blocked off my car until it could be towed for repair. I was told that I need a new Hybrid Battery. The fact that I had no signs of failure before complete shut down makes for a very dangerous driving situation and makes me second guess ever buying a Prius again.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 15, 2026Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11711067

Exterior lighting

49 reports1 fire
“Attached is a report from the Florida Attorney General's project office. Vehicle front headlight bulbs burn out prematurely and frequently and without warning causing reduced visibility at night on dark roads. This is a common and on-going problem for Toyota and other manufacturers and me. Toyota recognized this and issued its own recall ending in 2019, but my car was missed. The 'fix' for me is advice that I should drive my car with high beams on, but in bad weather or on-coming traffic this fix is also a safety hazard. My fear is that one night both bulbs will go out and I will be unable to see the roadway. My car is available for inspection. Constantly replacing bulbs has been and continues to be an expensive issue.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 6, 2024Exterior lightingODI 11629190

Engine

47 reports1 crash2 fires
“Coolant leak into the engine, confirmed by the Toyota servicing center. This may be a common problem with the Toyota Prius, causing early engine failure from a design defect.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 22, 2026EngineODI 11766266

Air bags

46 reports18 crashes2 related recalls
“The contact owned a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed in an intersection, a Ford F-150 vehicle crashed into the front driver's side of the vehicle. The contact stated he was pinned between the door and the infotainment system. The airbags failed to deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was taken to the local hospital by a friend in a private vehicle, and the contact received medical assistance. The contact sustained internal bruising and external bruising and cuts. Additionally, the contact sustained a major injury was on the neck, on the laryngeal prominence area of the neck and on the collar bone. The medical Doctor informed the contact that the major injury could heal in 4 weeks, or in 7-8 months. The contact was also informed that the major injury could become a permanent condition, causing cramps and stiffness depending on the weather. The contact was experiencing trouble sleeping due to the injuries. The vehicle was towed to a local tow lot and was totaled. A Police report was filed. The leasing company the vehicle was purchased from was notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 6, 2025Air bagsCrash reportedODI 11678773

Vehicle speed control

28 reports3 crashes
“I was driving my car and suddenly the traction , hand brake and ABS sign started showing up. I usually apply only 10% of force on brake pedal but after this I have to apply almost 60% of force to even slow down the car. Almost 90% force to stop the car It has threatened safety of my family. When diagnosed at autozone they told cannot determine error code. When reading in internet this seems to be common problem in prius. Please help is fixing the issue as it is not at my fault. This seems to be manufacturing defect.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 27, 2026Power train, Vehicle speed control, Service brakesODI 11734183
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 5, 2026

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