Total Complaints
4 filings
TOYOTA PRIUS · model year
2000 TOYOTA PRIUS
4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2000TOYOTAPRIUS carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2000 PRIUS is exterior lighting with 2 filings, followed by exterior lighting:headlights (1) and steering (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 51 investigation files overlapping the 2000 PRIUS, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
4
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20130314EXTERIOR LIGHTING
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT THE DRIVERS HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. AFTER PULLING OVER AND TURNING OFF CAR AND PLACING EMERGENCY BLINKERS ON GOT OUT AND LOOKED AT HEADLIGHTS DRIVERS SIDE WAS OUT. TURNED OFF HEADLIGHTS AND TURNED THEM BACK ON. THEY CAME BACK ON I DROVE HOME SAFELY. TWO DAYS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN WENT TO DEALERSHIP AND HAD BULBS REPLACED. THREE MONTHS HAD BULBS CHANGED AGAIN. THIS HAS BEEN DON MULTIPLE TIMES. TWO WEEKS AGO UPON RETURNING HOME AT NIGHT BOTH HEADLIGHT WENT OUT TOGETHER LEAVIN ME ON SIDE OF ROAD. PARKED CAR AND HAD WIFE PICK ME UP. RETRIEVED CAR THE NEXT DAY. FACTORY SAYS SORRY ABOUT THIS NOT OUR PROBLEM. *TR
Mileage: 125,000
20101022STEERING
2001 TOYOTA PRIUS - STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY VIBRATES AND PULLS HARD TO THE SIDE. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT BUT HAS INCREASED IN FREQUENCY. DEALER SAID IT WAS BRAKE DRUM AND PERFORMED $800 REPAIR BUT ONLINE SEARCH SUGGESTS IT IS ACTUALLY COMMON STEERING PROBLEM THAT CONTINUES EVEN AFTER PRIOR REPAIR. *TR
Mileage: 57,800
20091117EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT SHUTS ON AND OFF 2 TO 3 MINUTES AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAS TO TURN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH ON AND OFF TO RESET THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT. THE CONTACT HAS SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LACK OF HEADLIGHTS AT NIGHT COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A CRASH TO OCCUR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000.
Mileage: 39,000
20091112EXTERIOR LIGHTING
THE HEADLIGHTS IN MY 2006 PRIUS INTERMITTENTLY GO OFF, AND TURN ON AGAIN WHEN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCHED IS TURNED OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. IT HAPPENS VERY FREQUENTLY WHEN DRIVING - THE LIGHTS DO NOT STAY ON FOR MORE THAN A COUPLE MINUTES AT A TIME. THIS VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE SAME ISSUE IN JANUARY 2008, WAS REPAIRED AT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, AND IS NOW OCCURRING AGAIN LESS THAN TWO YEARS LATER. *TR
Mileage: 60,000
Compare 2000TOYOTAPRIUS to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2000 TOYOTA PRIUS have?▼
The 2000 TOYOTA PRIUS has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2000 TOYOTA PRIUS?▼
The most-complained component for the 2000 TOYOTA PRIUS is EXTERIOR LIGHTING with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS and STEERING.
Is the 2000 TOYOTA PRIUS safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.