2017 Toyota Prius: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 101 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 3 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
101
Complaints
3
Recalls
12
Crash reports
2
Fire reports
7
Injuries
114.9
Severity index
Severity index 114.9 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 136 2017 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2017 Toyota Prius ranks 28 of 136 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 79% of its model-year peers. See the full 2017 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 20 | 19.8% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 14 | 13.9% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 14 | 13.9% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 13 | 12.9% |
| ENGINE | 12 | 11.9% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 12 | 11.9% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 11 | 10.9% |
| STRUCTURE | 9 | 8.9% |
The single most-reported system is VISIBILITY/WIPER, cited in 20 of 101 complaints (19.8%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 24 |
| 2018 | 31 |
| 2019 | 19 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 1 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18V579000 | 05/09/2018 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Toyota Prius vehicles. A portion of the engine wire harness connected to the hybrid Power Control Unit (PCU), could contact the cover at this connection and wear, causing an electrical short circuit |
| 17V295000 | 02/05/2017 | TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE | Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (Gulf States) is recalling certain 2017 4Runner , 86, Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, Corolla iM, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Prius C, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Sienna and Yaris vehicles. The spare tire air pressure was not adjusted to the prop |
| 16V741000 | 14/10/2016 | PARKING BRAKE | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2015, to October 3, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with a foot-operated parking brake system that has a parking brake cable that may diseng |
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.