The Lemon IndexAll cars · Toyota Prius · 2016
2016 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 5,000 and 25,000 miles. Median 16,000, from 80 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 |
|---|---|
| Wipers & visibility | 34% |
| Brakes | 14% |
| Electrical | 13% |
| Speed control | 7% |
| Engine | 7% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 102 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.
Recall campaigns 5
18V579000 Sep 2018 Electrical System / Wiring
Defect. 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.
Risk. An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine wire harness assembly and replace it if damage is found. A protective sleeve or protective tape will be included to prevent any future damage. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0T.
18V085000 Jan 2018 Air Bags / Side/Window
Defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016 Toyota Prius and Lexus RX 350, RX 350 F Sport, RX 450h F Sport and RX 450h vehicles and 2015-2016 Lexus NX 200T, NX Turbo and NX 300h vehicles. The air bag pressure sensors and/or the acceleration sensors may fail causing the side/curtain shield air bags and/or the front air bags to not deploy in the event of a crash.
Risk. If the air bags fail to deploy in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sensors as necessary based on their serial numbers, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 12, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are JLA, J0F.
17V658000 Oct 2017 Hybrid Propulsion System / Inverter
Defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016 Prius vehicles. A capacitor within the hybrid system may not have been properly bolted to the inverter housing.
Risk. If the capacitor was not properly secured, vibrations from driving the vehicle may damage the capacitor, shutting down the hybrid system, causing a loss of motive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inverter, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin by early December 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0U.
16V741000 Oct 2016 Parking Brake
Defect. 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.
Risk. If the parking brake cable disengages from the mechanism and the transmission is left in a gear other than 'Park' while the ignition is on and the driver leaves the vehicle, the vehicle may roll unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a clip at the parking brake cable end to prevent the cable from disengaging, free of charge. The recall began November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is G01.
16V672000 Sep 2016 Air Bags / Frontal / Passenger Side / Inflator Module
Defect. Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Prius vehicles manufactured November 30, 2015, to June 14, 2016. An air bag inflator manufacturing error may result in the inadvertent partial inflation of the front passenger air bag.
Risk. A front passenger air bag that unintentionally inflates can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0W.
NHTSA investigations
| Status | Subject | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closed | Pedestrian alert sounds | 2023 | 2023 |
Manufacturer communications 302
Toyota filed 302 service communications for this car with NHTSA.
- Hv batteries have liquid filled cell modules, to prevent leakage from cells, it is very important
- A battery in a stored vehicle is subject to conditions that can reduce its performance and life
- While a vehicle is in inventory, the battery is subject to conditions that can reduce its…
Crash ratings by version
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Prius 5 HB FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
| Toyota Prius C 5 HB FWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
Safety equipment
| Electronic stability | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Optional | No |
Engines and drivetrains 2
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City / hwy / combined | Fuel | Fuel cost/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5L 4-cyl hybrid | Auto (variable gear ratios) | FWD | 53 / 46 / 50 | Regular | $1,250 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl hybrid | Auto (variable gear ratios) | FWD | 43 / 39 / 41 | Regular | $1,500 |
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 2016–2022 Toyota Prius, 19.9M views.
| Topic | Videos | Views |
|---|---|---|
| Infotainment, battery & electrical | 5 | 441K |
| Cooling system | 2 | 234K |
| Oil changes & service | 5 | 134K |
| Heat, A/C & blend door | 3 | 111K |
| Gauges, lights & wiring | 1 | 54K |
| Spark plugs & ignition coils | 1 | 21K |
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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