The Lemon IndexAll cars · Toyota Prius · 2011
2011 Toyota Prius. Advanced data.
The raw numbers: engines, recall campaign numbers, failure mileage and manufacturer communications.
Failure mileage by system
Half of owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 2,156 and 41,500 miles. Median 20,000, from 91 complaints with a mileage.
Mileage owners typed into their NHTSA complaint, all complaints for this model year. People report some problems late, so read it as a range.
Complaints by system
| System | Share of complaints |
|---|---|
| Brakes | 36% |
| Lights | 11% |
| Speed control | 10% |
| Electrical | 10% |
| Visibility | 9% |
One complaint can name more than one system, so shares can add to more than 100%.
Severity, all complaints
| Total | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths | Tows |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 105 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.
Recall campaigns 6
18V684000 Oct 2018 Hybrid Propulsion System
Defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Toyota Prius and 2012-2014 Toyota Prius V vehicles. Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) within the inverter may cause the hybrid system to shut down, causing the vehicle to stall while being driven.
Risk. If the hybrid system shuts down unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 22, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0V. Note: The software updates in this recall are needed even if the vehicle had
16V487000 Jun 2016 Air Bags / Side/Window
Defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Toyota Prius, 2010 and 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, and 2011-2012 Lexus CT200h vehicles. A weld in the curtain shield air bag inflator may crack causing one or both portions of the inflator to eject into the passenger cabin.
Risk. If either portion of the curtain shield air bag inflator ejects into the passenger cabin, there is an increased risk of injury to vehicle occupants.
Remedy. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install retention brackets to the curtain shield air bags, free of charge. The recall began on October 17, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota Customer Service Department at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is Toyota G0U, and Lexus GLJ.
16V396000 Jun 2016 Seats / Front Assembly / Seat Heater/Cooler
Defect. Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.
Risk. If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy. SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
14V743000 Nov 2014 Seats / Front Assembly / Seat Heater/Cooler
Defect. Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.
Risk. Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
Remedy. SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
14V053000 Feb 2014 Hybrid Propulsion System / Inverter
Defect. Toyota is recalling certain model year 2010 through 2014 Prius vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) inside the inverter module (a component of the hybrid system) contains transistors that may become damaged from high operating temperatures. If this occurs, various warning lamps will be illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle will have reduced power allowing it to only drive a short distance.
Risk. The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. The hybrid system could also shut down completely resulting in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Toyota will notify owners and dealers will update the software for both the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU, free of charge. If an owner experiences a failure of the inverter before the vehicle receives updated software, the dealer will repair or replace the inverter assembly with a new one at no charge. The recall began on March 21, 2014. Owners
13V014000 Jan 2013 Air Bags / Frontal / Sensor/Control Module-Inactive
Defect. Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger se
Risk. If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
Remedy. Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
NHTSA investigations
| Status | Subject | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Brake actuator valve wear | 2023 | – |
| Closed | Pedestrian alert sounds | 2023 | 2023 |
| Closed | Brake actuator valve wear | 2019 | 2021 |
Manufacturer communications 359
Toyota filed 359 service communications for this car with NHTSA.
- When stopped there may be an abnormal noise when the brake pedal is released
Crash ratings by version
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Prius 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
Safety equipment
| Electronic stability | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | No | No |
Engines and drivetrains 1
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City / hwy / combined | Fuel | Fuel cost/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8L 4-cyl hybrid | Auto (variable gear ratios) | FWD | 49 / 46 / 48 | Regular | $1,300 |
EPA test versions for this model year. Fuel cost is the EPA's current estimate, not the price in that year.
YouTube repair topics
200 videos about the 2010–2015 Toyota Prius, 32.3M views.
| Topic | Videos | Views |
|---|---|---|
| Oil changes & service | 7 | 1.5M |
| Infotainment, battery & electrical | 11 | 1.3M |
| Intake, EGR & engine sensors | 5 | 912K |
| Timing chain & engine | 8 | 813K |
| Spark plugs & ignition coils | 3 | 667K |
| Gauges, lights & wiring | 3 | 609K |
| Brakes & ABS | 5 | 539K |
| Heat, A/C & blend door | 2 | 182K |
Nearby model years
Sources: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications; EPA fuel economy data; YouTube video titles. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.
Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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