2018 Toyota Prius: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 35 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 1 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
35
Complaints
1
Recalls
5
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
2
Injuries
102.9
Severity index
Severity index 102.9 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 5 | 14.3% |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 5 | 14.3% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 5 | 14.3% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 4 | 11.4% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 4 | 11.4% |
| AIR BAGS | 3 | 8.6% |
| STRUCTURE | 3 | 8.6% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 2 | 5.7% |
The single most-reported system is EXTERIOR LIGHTING, cited in 5 of 35 complaints (14.3%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 9 |
| 2019 | 9 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 2 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.5x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
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 |
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.