Total Complaints
1891 filings
TOYOTA PRIUS · model year
1891 NHTSA complaints, 214 crash reports, and 4 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2008TOYOTAPRIUS carries 1891 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 214 crashes, 10 fires, 103 injuries, and 8 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 2008 PRIUS is exterior lighting with 553 filings, followed by electrical system (228) and service brakes, hydraulic (157). 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. This model year has 4 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 51 investigation files overlapping the 2008 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.
Total Complaints
1891 filings
Crashes Reported
214 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 553 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 228 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 157 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 144 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 142 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC | 77 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 50 |
| ENGINE | 48 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 43 |
| POWER TRAIN | 41 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 41 |
| TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM | 40 |
| AIR BAGS | 32 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 29 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 27 |
STEERING
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 5, 2003, through March 30, 2009. The affected vehicles have a steering intermediate extension shaft assembly built with metal splines that complete the connection from the steering wheel to the steering gear. These
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2003, through March 30, 2009 and FCHV-adv vehicles manufactured December 12, 2008, through September 13, 2011. During manufacturing, a scratch may have occurred inside of the electrically driven water pump at the
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CAN GET STUCK IN THE WIDE OPEN POSITION DUE TO ITS BEING TRAPPED BY AN UNSECURED OR INCOMPATIBLE DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
SOUTHEAST TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2011 PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD WITHOUT THE REQUISITE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS.
Brake pedal became hard and vehicle was difficult to stop. ABS warning light appeared on dashboard. This is a problem that Toyota has addressed previously by extending the warranty period to 10 Years/150,000 miles. My vehicle has 122,000 miles on it but the 10 year extended warranty has expired. I took the vehicle to a local repair shop and they confirmed that there was a problem with the brake actuator assembly. Now, Toyota says it would cost over $3000 to remove and replace their already defective part.
In 2025 I decided to clean the hybrid battery fan. I removed the side panels and found that the fan to battery duct had never been installed. I am the original owner and no one had ever removed the inside panels or had reason to remove the duct. This has likely resulted in the overheated battery which now needs replacing even though I have only 161,000 miles on this car which I have always maintained without fail regarding oil changes and other maintenance tasks.
In the cars digital instrument cluster have problem on the same model many of cars because I know many of friends that have same model car and I get problem so I go to the mechanic and the mechanic says it is a manufacturing problem on that same model have same problem I repair it twice and now it again appears it's also a safety concern because the problem is the light is completely go out completely blank so we are not able to see the vehicle speed vehicles fuel gas and vehicles other information that shows on digital cluster so if we drive in this condition we don't know how much speed is on my car right now
The ABS brake booster/accumulator is going out and this has been a known issue with Toyota for years. Mine was purchased used a few years ago and had no issues until recently, as the pump is running more frequently.
Randomly my instrument panel goes blank while in motion and can only be retrieved by hard turning the car off when stopped, you loose your speedometer, lights, and all until reset. Other issue with speedometer readings that are consistently off between 5-15mph with no fix, resolutions or repairs.
Randomly my instrument panel goes blank while in motion and can only be retrieved by hard turning the car off when stopped, you loose your speedometer, lights, and all until reset. Other issue with speedometer readings that are consistently off between 5-15mph with no fix, resolutions or repairs.
Randomly my instrument panel goes blank while in motion and can only be retrieved by hard turning the car off when stopped, you loose your speedometer, lights, and all until reset. Other issue with speedometer readings that are consistently off between 5-15mph with no fix, resolutions or repairs.
Trunk lock will not unlock or allow opening, back latch malfunctions, when car battery dies or car looses powerã⢠you cannot open the trunk and access emergency tools/equipment and battery to jump car. â¢ãYou have to access by climbing through the front of the car if you are able-bodied too. There is no opening handle from the inside of the trunk to be let out, scariest and one of the most important major safety concerns, theres no emergency exit from inside vehicle. Water/snow/ice also falls down into the vehicle when opening hatchback, it slides inward from hood of car or slides back from rear windshield and door, causes water to be pooled up in my battery compartment.
Trunk lock will not unlock or allow opening, back latch malfunctions, when car battery dies or car looses powerã⢠you cannot open the trunk and access emergency tools/equipment and battery to jump car. â¢ãYou have to access by climbing through the front of the car if you are able-bodied too. There is no opening handle from the inside of the trunk to be let out, scariest and one of the most important major safety concerns, theres no emergency exit from inside vehicle. Water/snow/ice also falls down into the vehicle when opening hatchback, it slides inward from hood of car or slides back from rear windshield and door, causes water to be pooled up in my battery compartment.
Trunk lock will not unlock or allow opening, back latch malfunctions, when car battery dies or car looses powerã⢠you cannot open the trunk and access emergency tools/equipment and battery to jump car. â¢ãYou have to access by climbing through the front of the car if you are able-bodied too. There is no opening handle from the inside of the trunk to be let out, scariest and one of the most important major safety concerns, theres no emergency exit from inside vehicle. Water/snow/ice also falls down into the vehicle when opening hatchback, it slides inward from hood of car or slides back from rear windshield and door, causes water to be pooled up in my battery compartment.
ABS failed and mechanic tells me my actuator needs replacement which is a known issue with my generation of Prius.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2008 Toyota Prius. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a direct purchase from the previous owner on August 3, 2025. The contact made other reports with a personal lawyer, the State Attorney General's Office, and AZ.FraudReport Agency. The contact had not heard back from the other contact regarding the other reports made. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 50,000 miles, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was over 200,000.
Mileage: 200,000
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the instrument panel failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the instrument panel went blank. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first but had become a permanent failure. In addition, the front headlights and rear taillights failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at various speeds, the front headlights failed to work as intended. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the bulbs had melted into the wiring harness. The contact stopped driving the vehicle at night. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Mileage: 90,000
My name is [XXX] ,i am filing this report on behalf of My daughter [XXX] the driver of the vehicle that involved with the unintended acceleration on the 2009 Toyota Prius .On a good clear morning on [XXX] . My daughter drove the 2009 Toyota Prius to work- when she enter to the parking lot at the speed round 5 mile/hour . Just when she was making a left turn on to the entrance gate with her left foot on the brake pedal . On a sudden the vehicle RPM unintended rev up too high and the vehicle had an unintended accelerating to move forward aggressively causing lose control of the steering . Also she could not brake even though her left foot was on the brake pedal and pressing hard to try to stop the vehicle . . This dangerous incident causing her Prius to bumped into the electrical gate panel control box . The accident caused some damages to her Prius and to the entrance gate control box though no body was hurt . But it got us through the terrible experience because it co
My name is [XXX] ,i am filing this report on behalf of My daughter [XXX] the driver of the vehicle that involved with the unintended acceleration on the 2009 Toyota Prius .On a good clear morning on [XXX] . My daughter drove the 2009 Toyota Prius to work- when she enter to the parking lot at the speed round 5 mile/hour . Just when she was making a left turn on to the entrance gate with her left foot on the brake pedal . On a sudden the vehicle RPM unintended rev up too high and the vehicle had an unintended accelerating to move forward aggressively causing lose control of the steering . Also she could not brake even though her left foot was on the brake pedal and pressing hard to try to stop the vehicle . . This dangerous incident causing her Prius to bumped into the electrical gate panel control box . The accident caused some damages to her Prius and to the entrance gate control box though no body was hurt . But it got us through the terrible experience because it co
My name is [XXX] ,i am filing this report on behalf of My daughter [XXX] the driver of the vehicle that involved with the unintended acceleration on the 2009 Toyota Prius .On a good clear morning on [XXX] . My daughter drove the 2009 Toyota Prius to work- when she enter to the parking lot at the speed round 5 mile/hour . Just when she was making a left turn on to the entrance gate with her left foot on the brake pedal . On a sudden the vehicle RPM unintended rev up too high and the vehicle had an unintended accelerating to move forward aggressively causing lose control of the steering . Also she could not brake even though her left foot was on the brake pedal and pressing hard to try to stop the vehicle . . This dangerous incident causing her Prius to bumped into the electrical gate panel control box . The accident caused some damages to her Prius and to the entrance gate control box though no body was hurt . But it got us through the terrible experience because it co
Incident Summary: While relocating from northern to southern Alabama, I experienced a sudden and concerning failure in the vehicleâs braking system. While driving, multiple dashboard warning indicators were triggered simultaneously, including: â¢Brake warning light â¢ABS light â¢VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) light â¢Additional system fault alerts This happened unexpectedly and severely impacted my ability to drive the vehicle safely. Given the nature of these warnings and the critical systems they pertain to, I immediately took the vehicle to a certified Toyota dealership for diagnostics and repair. Following inspection, I was informed that the ABS actuator and related components had failed and would require replacement at an estimated cost of nearly $3,000. I was further advised that while this issue had been part of a previous recall or customer support program, that program is no longer active. Rationale for Cost Coverage Request: 1) Known Safety Issue: This ABS/VSC fail
I recently took my vehicle to the dealership because all the hazard lights on the dash came on. They diagnosed it as an issue with the inverter water pump and suggested that the engine was overheating, which was causing the hazard light to appear on the dashboard. So I had them replace that part and everything was fine. A week later, I went to drive to work and my entire dashboard was out. My radio, clock, blinkers, and brakes worked, but I could not see the speedometer, gas gauge, odometer or any other dashboard features. When I tried to restart the car, it wouldn't turn off. I tried several times and even got my husband to try. When we couldn't turn it off, I drove blindly straight to the dealership. They diagnosed the issue as being a problem with the combination meter. Recently, I found out that there was a Customer Support Program through Toyota that replaced the combination meter in my same car model. This service expired in 2017. I got the car in 2020-21. Thankfully I was home
I recently took my vehicle to the dealership because all the hazard lights on the dash came on. They diagnosed it as an issue with the inverter water pump and suggested that the engine was overheating, which was causing the hazard light to appear on the dashboard. So I had them replace that part and everything was fine. A week later, I went to drive to work and my entire dashboard was out. My radio, clock, blinkers, and brakes worked, but I could not see the speedometer, gas gauge, odometer or any other dashboard features. When I tried to restart the car, it wouldn't turn off. I tried several times and even got my husband to try. When we couldn't turn it off, I drove blindly straight to the dealership. They diagnosed the issue as being a problem with the combination meter. Recently, I found out that there was a Customer Support Program through Toyota that replaced the combination meter in my same car model. This service expired in 2017. I got the car in 2020-21. Thankfully I was home
Brake actuator fails. Subject to prior recalls, but they're continuing to be an issue. This vehicle, and thousands of others like it, the electric brake actuator/pump starts running constantly then fails entirely. When that happens, as has to mine, the vehicle has NO power brakes, which can and does cause the vehicle to crash. The replacement part is over a thousand dollars. Toyota has engineered a failure mode that creates massive continuing profits.
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.