2012 Toyota Prius V: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 612 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 4 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
612
Complaints
4
Recalls
62
Crash reports
4
Fire reports
41
Injuries
117.6
Severity index
Severity index 117.6 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 129 2012 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2012 Toyota Prius V ranks 17 of 129 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 87% of its model-year peers. See the full 2012 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES | 309 | 50.5% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 73 | 11.9% |
| ENGINE | 66 | 10.8% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 44 | 7.2% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 39 | 6.4% |
| AIR BAGS | 35 | 5.7% |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 31 | 5.1% |
| POWER TRAIN | 28 | 4.6% |
The single most-reported system is SERVICE BRAKES, cited in 309 of 612 complaints (50.5%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 38 |
| 2013 | 59 |
| 2014 | 41 |
| 2015 | 24 |
| 2016 | 27 |
| 2017 | 32 |
| 2018 | 46 |
| 2019 | 64 |
| 2020 | 32 |
| 2021 | 31 |
| 2022 | 62 |
| 2023 | 52 |
| 2024 | 51 |
| 2025 | 47 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 5 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18V684000 | 04/10/2018 | HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM | 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 the vehicle to stall |
| 15V449000 | 15/07/2015 | HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM: INVERTER | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Prius V vehicles manufactured August 22, 2011, to June 30, 2014. A component within the hybrid inverter assembly may overheat, causing the hybrid system to reduce output power allowing th |
| 13E070000 | 12/12/2013 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS | Genera Corporation (Genera) is recalling certain aftermarket replacement tail lights, model 11-6468-00 (driver-side), and model 11-6467-00 (passenger-side), sold for use on 2012-2013 Toyota Prius V vehicles. The brake light and tail light circuits are switched causing the brake |
| 13V014000 | 16/01/2013 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE | 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 Highlander Hybrid; model ye |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.