Total Complaints
125 filings
TOYOTA PRIUS · model year
125 NHTSA complaints, 20 crash reports, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
New Car Assessment Program
The 2017TOYOTAPRIUS carries 125 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 20 crashes, 6 fires, 13 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 5/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2017 PRIUS is visibility/wiper with 17 filings, followed by service brakes (14) and vehicle speed control (13). 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 3 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 2017 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
125 filings
Crashes Reported
20 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 17 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 14 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 13 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 11 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 11 |
| ENGINE | 11 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 10 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 7 |
| STEERING | 7 |
| POWER TRAIN | 4 |
| WHEELS | 4 |
| SEATS | 3 |
| AIR BAGS | 3 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
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 disengage.
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.
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 proper pressure as state
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Toyota Prius. It was discovered when the contact listed the vehicle for sale that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was as a private sale. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 126,611. The potential purchaser provided a CARFAX report that recorded the mileage on 11/6/2024 at 225,810.
Mileage: 225,810
Standing at a red light and someone rear ended
Standing at a red light and someone rear ended
During hot temperatures and after coming to a full stop, the car stalls/hesitates significantly (5-6seconds) when pushing the gas pedal. The car eventually proceeds but the issue reoccurs. It can only be intermittently reproduced and no codes are shown on the car dashboard. Mechanics are unable to identify the source of the issue so it cannot be resolved.
The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25-30 MPH, the vents were blowing out cold air. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was adding coolant to the coolant reservoir every three to four days. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the coolant was leaking into the exhaust pipe. The dealer recommended that the exhaust system front pipe be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted, opened a case, and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 81,700.
Mileage: 81,700
The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25-30 MPH, the vents were blowing out cold air. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was adding coolant to the coolant reservoir every three to four days. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the coolant was leaking into the exhaust pipe. The dealer recommended that the exhaust system front pipe be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted, opened a case, and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 81,700.
Mileage: 81,700
The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed. The accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled and jerked. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that the battery indicator did not look as if the battery was charging. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics; however, the failure was not duplicated. In addition, the vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact stated that the failure had become persistent. The contact stated that during one failure his wife was driving, and the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic however, the failur
Mileage: 68,000
Dear NHTSA, I am seeking assistance and compensation for ongoing warranty and repair issues with my Toyota Prius. Key Incident Timeline: â¢March 21, 2024: Dashboard message âGrille Shutter Inoperableâ â¢March 25, 2024: Toyota of Glendale visit â¢Charged $220 for diagnostics â¢Refused to honor service bulletin â¢Vehicle mileage: 149,217 Customer Service Interactions: â¢April 9, 2024: â¢Contacted Toyota customer service â¢Confirmed CA emissions coverage to 150,000 miles â¢Discovered extended warranty unexpectedly canceled Brand Engagement Claim: â¢April 9, 2024: Filed claim with Toyotaâs Brand Engagement line â¢June 26, 2024: Claim denied, dealershipâs decision upheld Repair Challenges: â¢July 5, 2024: Wondries Toyota diagnostic visit â¢Charged $200 for diagnostics â¢Confirmed active service bulletins would have covered repairs Repair Management: â¢Northeast Mechanic has handled all subsequent repairs due to Toyotaâs failures Financial Losses Breakdown: â¢Initia
Dear NHTSA, I am seeking assistance and compensation for ongoing warranty and repair issues with my Toyota Prius. Key Incident Timeline: â¢March 21, 2024: Dashboard message âGrille Shutter Inoperableâ â¢March 25, 2024: Toyota of Glendale visit â¢Charged $220 for diagnostics â¢Refused to honor service bulletin â¢Vehicle mileage: 149,217 Customer Service Interactions: â¢April 9, 2024: â¢Contacted Toyota customer service â¢Confirmed CA emissions coverage to 150,000 miles â¢Discovered extended warranty unexpectedly canceled Brand Engagement Claim: â¢April 9, 2024: Filed claim with Toyotaâs Brand Engagement line â¢June 26, 2024: Claim denied, dealershipâs decision upheld Repair Challenges: â¢July 5, 2024: Wondries Toyota diagnostic visit â¢Charged $200 for diagnostics â¢Confirmed active service bulletins would have covered repairs Repair Management: â¢Northeast Mechanic has handled all subsequent repairs due to Toyotaâs failures Financial Losses Breakdown: â¢Initia
While driving the speed limit of 70mph on a major highway, the sunroof on my 2017 Toyota Prius exploded. There was no warning of any kind: no other traffic nearby so no rock or debris from another vehicle; no overpass or bridge so nothing from above; it was a mild sunny day of 76 degrees so not a weather factor; and by the angle of the glass that remains being in an outward position rather than inward, reveals to me that it was from inside out, not from outside in as if it were a rock hitting. It just exploded. I was the only person in the car. Thankfully, the visor was shut on it or the shattered glass would have caused injury and of greater serious concern is just the sudden sound of what sounded like a bomb going off over my head was enough to cause a reaction which easily would result in an accident. It was a terrifying experience! I was lucky no other vehicles were nearby and could react and safely get off the road. I called 911 immediately and reported it. I have read ma
Coolant leaking into exhaust And engine also vehicle suddenly stops for no reason now engine is completely broken due to the coolant going into the motor oil
Dashboard pop up came up saying that the grille shutter is inoperable to visit a dealer. Went online and noticed there were recalls for my Prius year and because emissions is affected I contacted Toyota financial customer service who said to go to a dealer and that they would fix no charge. Went three times to the dealer and they did not want to honor the recall. Charged me $200 to run diagnostics on the vehicle and confirmed that the code that was being recalled matched. They made excuses and in the end did not fix. The pop up appeared March 2024 and since then I now have another pop up appear about the hybrid system overheating due to them not fixing. I went to a local mechanic who said it was the dealers responsibility since there are service bulletins but they do not want to help. The car has stalled out on the freeway almost leaving me to get hit and my fuel has gotten worse.
Dashboard pop up came up saying that the grille shutter is inoperable to visit a dealer. Went online and noticed there were recalls for my Prius year and because emissions is affected I contacted Toyota financial customer service who said to go to a dealer and that they would fix no charge. Went three times to the dealer and they did not want to honor the recall. Charged me $200 to run diagnostics on the vehicle and confirmed that the code that was being recalled matched. They made excuses and in the end did not fix. The pop up appeared March 2024 and since then I now have another pop up appear about the hybrid system overheating due to them not fixing. I went to a local mechanic who said it was the dealers responsibility since there are service bulletins but they do not want to help. The car has stalled out on the freeway almost leaving me to get hit and my fuel has gotten worse.
On 10/16/23 I was turning slowly into a parking spot and my car suddenly accelerated without my pressing the accelerator. I slammed on the break and the car stopped. It was frightening because I could have hit someone or something but luckily the car stopped before that happened. I believe that this was a malfunction of the accelerator. This has not been checked or reported to anyone yet but I will be calling Toyota to have it checked. There have been no warning messages.
The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH and pulling out of a parking lot, the vehicle lost motive power and made abnormal sounds. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart, and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the head gasket was blown, causing damage to the engine. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the same assessment was made. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Mileage: 80,000
While filling my Prius with gas, as soon as I started pumping, it spewed gas all over my arms and shirt, as the gas would not go down the pipe into the gas tank. My mechanic explained that gasline exhaust valve was stuck causing the gas to spirt back out the intake opening. This part had to be replaced. Firestone replaced it for a total of $337.08, however, the dealer would have charged more. It was not covered as a defect issue. The experienced mechanic said that he had seen this problem on several Toyotas. This is hazardous and Toyota should repair those that exhibit this problem; also they should change their design so that the exhaust valve does not fail causing gasoline to spill on the person pumping gas and all down the side of the car onto the cement pavement.
The rear quarter panel is peeling off
When filling gas, a near-empty Prius overflowed almost immediately, splashing fuel over the car, the ground, tires, and my feet! Gas is flammable and not good to get on one's skin. Firestone experienced/certified repairman said that he's repaired many Toyotas with the same problem. No advanced warning was presented. Last time I filled it before this incident it worked fine. Technician said that the air-exhaust that permits air to escape while gas is being delivered to the tank had failed to work properly, causing the fuel to spew back up the gas line and on to the car/ground. He had to order a part from Toyota and replace it. This cost me $337 for part and labor. I believe this is a malfunction that Toyota should cover. This part should not fail as it could start a fire and contaminate the car, ground and put petroleum on people.
For the past year or so we have had issues with the vehicle not starting properly. If we leave the radio, wipers, heater, or air conditioner in the ON position when we shut the car off, or a window down a little on a hot day, a sensor triggers a Low Battery error code. We have had the battery checked and it is NOT low. When this happens to start the car we need to get a jumpstart from someone. This limits where we feel safe driving to as in a remote place where not many other people and cars are it would be more difficult to find someone to give us a jumpstart. On occasion, we have had to call a towing service to come to help us, which requires sometimes a long wait. The car starts right up once the connection to the other vehicle's battery is made. We should not need a checklist to make sure everything is turned off before we leave the car to avoid this non-starting issue.
On 9/14/22 I was almost a hundred miles from my home in Sherrill, NY on Rte 81 south, approaching the bridge in Binghamton, NY when I heard a loud ringing noise. At first I thought it was my phone; then I thought it was a police vehicle; then a construction noise. I finally faced the fact if was coming from my 2017 Prius which had just reached 20,000 miles. I was in heavy traffic but managed to pull over and walk around the car as the noise seemed to be coming from the rear. I saw nothing amiss. I managed to drive another twenty minutes to Great Bend, PA and just before I pulled into the parking lot at McDonalds the noise stopped. I called Nye Automotive in Oneida, NY which had sold me the car and talked to a mechanic who said he had no experience with a ringing noise. Proceeding cautiously I drove 135 miles to Quakertown, Pa where my son diagnosed the problem as the brake pad on the drivers side rear wheel that had tilted and was banging against the rotor. My son replaced the brake pa
Mileage: 20,000
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.