What breaks most · 2017 to 2024 model years
Toyota Prius Prime problems by year
Owners have filed 116 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Toyota Prius Prime across model years 2017 to 2024. Three years stand out: 2017 for wipers and visibility complaints, 2018 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 2020 for wipers and visibility complaints. The quietest years are 2019, 2022 and 2021.
- Years to check closely: 2017, 2018, 2020
- Fewest complaints: 2019, 2022, 2021
- Complaints on file
- 1162017 to 2024, all trims
- Worst year
- 201742 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 220 fires · 9 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 9kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 11Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | 5 | 0 | Wipers and visibility (9) | |
| 16 | 4 | 0 | Unknown or other (3) | |
| 8 | 0 | 1 | Wheels (4) | |
| 16 | 5 | 1 | Wipers and visibility (5) | |
| 10 | 4 | 0 | Electrical system (4) | |
| 8 | 3 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (2) | |
| 5 | 0 | 4 | Electrical system (3) | |
| 11 | 1 | 4 | Electrical system (4) |
What fails on the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wipers and visibilityWiper motors and blades | 21% |
9 | 0 | Shop all wipers and visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 17% |
7 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime |
| Unknown or other | 12% |
5 | 0 | — |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 10% |
4 | 1 | Shop brakes parts for the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 10% |
4 | 2 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 10% |
4 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 7% |
3 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime |
| Forward collision systemRadar and camera sensors | 7% |
3 | 1 | Shop forward collision system parts for the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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Noticed two small cracks in the windshield, center area close to bottom of windshield. Did not notice sound or sight of an impact, but two days later, cracks had spread left and right about 14 inches either side of original site of cracks.
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Supplement to complaint # 11384074 the vehicle had the same problem on january 11 and 12, 2021 at approximately 7 am. Speed was 76 mph, and the fuel deprivation occurred for 8-10 seconds each time. The vehicle has never had the problem going home at 2 pm.
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Frost developing on the inside of windshield on multiple days in different locations. At home and at work during the day time and at night. Takes 20 minutes or more to defrost.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Toyota Prius Prime years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2017, 2018, 2020 carry the most filings on the Toyota Prius Prime. The 2017 alone has 42 complaints, led by wipers and visibility.
What is the most common Toyota Prius Prime problem?
On the 2017 model year, the most-reported component is wipers and visibility with 9 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Toyota Prius Prime problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Toyota Prius Prime complaints that include mileage is about 9,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.