Problems · NHTSA complaints

2017 Toyota Prius problems

Owners filed 91 complaints about the 2017 Toyota Prius with NHTSA between Mar 2017 and May 2026. The most-cited component is visibility/wiper (17).

Complaints
91
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
12
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
7
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Visibility/wiper17
  2. Service brakes14
  3. Vehicle speed control13
  4. Engine12
  5. Fuel/propulsion system12
  6. Electrical system11
  7. Structure7
  8. Steering7
  9. Power train4
  10. Wheels4
  11. Seats3
  12. Air bags3
  13. Exterior lighting2
  14. Engine and engine cooling1

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 3, 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
201722
201823
201919
20204
20214
20224
20235
20245
20254
20261

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

Visibility/wiper

17 reports
“Windshield cracked from bottom to top and across while sitting and there was no evidence of a rock or chip that would cause that. Air temp was about 95 degrees. No rain, no impact, car was sitting parked and not running.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 6, 2021Visibility/wiperODI 11423594

Service brakes

14 reports4 crashes
“On 9/14/22 I was almost a hundred miles from my home in Sherrill, NY on Rte 81 south, approaching the bridge in Binghamton, NY when I heard a loud ringing noise. At first I thought it was my phone; then I thought it was a police vehicle; then a construction noise. I finally faced the fact if was coming from my 2017 Prius which had just reached 20,000 miles. I was in heavy traffic but managed to pull over and walk around the car as the noise seemed to be coming from the rear. I saw nothing amiss. I managed to drive another twenty minutes to Great Bend, PA and just before I pulled into the parking lot at McDonalds the noise stopped. I called Nye Automotive in Oneida, NY which had sold me the car and talked to a mechanic who said he had no experience with a ringing noise. Proceeding cautiously I drove 135 miles to Quakertown, Pa where my son diagnosed the problem as the brake pad on the drivers side rear wheel that had tilted and was banging against the rotor. My son replaced the brake pad and next day we drove to Long Beach Island, NJ, stopping to check for heat coming from that wheel. It was fine. When I got back home to Sherrill I could found the email of Mark…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 11, 2022Service brakesODI 11488767

Vehicle speed control

13 reports5 crashes
“On 10/16/23 I was turning slowly into a parking spot and my car suddenly accelerated without my pressing the accelerator. I slammed on the break and the car stopped. It was frightening because I could have hit someone or something but luckily the car stopped before that happened. I believe that this was a malfunction of the accelerator. This has not been checked or reported to anyone yet but I will be calling Toyota to have it checked. There have been no warning messages.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 17, 2023Vehicle speed controlODI 11550401

Engine

12 reports
“The catalytic converter heat exchanger failed internally, causing coolant to leak into the exhaust system. Symptoms included white smoke from exhaust and coolant loss with no visible ground leak. This is a documented factory defect per Toyota Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0135-19 affecting 2016-2019 Prius models. Toyota has denied warranty coverage despite the vehicle was originally bought & spent its entire prior operational life registered in New York, a state covered under Toyota's full 15-year/150,000-mile emissions warranty. Defect was confirmed by an authorized Toyota dealership, in PA. Vehicle had approximately 83,104 miles at time of diagnosis. Manufacturer denied coverage and is forcing the customer (me) to pay a huge amount for this very well known & defective case. MOST IMPORTANTLY ITS dangerous and unsafe for all the cars our there too, since it is very well known that at a certain point this will happen, but despite TOYOTA never sent a RECALL. Due to this, engine light goes on & off, refrigerant is flammable and leaks in the exhaust pipe happens with this specific case, which ultimately could catch on fire, while the vehicle is moving or…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 19, 2026Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11738755

Fuel/propulsion system

12 reports1 fire
“During hot temperatures and after coming to a full stop, the car stalls/hesitates significantly (5-6seconds) when pushing the gas pedal. The car eventually proceeds but the issue reoccurs. It can only be intermittently reproduced and no codes are shown on the car dashboard. Mechanics are unable to identify the source of the issue so it cannot be resolved.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 18, 2025Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11674665

Electrical system

11 reports2 fires1 related recall
“Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Toyota Prius. It was discovered when the contact listed the vehicle for sale that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was as a private sale. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 126,611. The potential purchaser provided a CARFAX report that recorded the mileage on 11/6/2024 at 225,810.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 19, 2025Electrical systemODI 11706080
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026

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