What breaks most · 2011 to 2018 model years
Toyota Prius v problems by year
Owners have filed 167 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Toyota Prius v across model years 2011 to 2018. Three years stand out: 2012 for brakes complaints, 2013 for brakes complaints and 2014 for speed control and throttle complaints. The quietest years are 2011, 2016 and 2015.
- Years to check closely: 2012, 2013, 2014
- Fewest complaints: 2011, 2016, 2015
- Complaints on file
- 1672011 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 201282 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 243 fires · 14 injuries · 2 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 38kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 15Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Exterior lighting (1) | |
| 82 | 12 | 4 | Brakes (33) | |
| 43 | 6 | 3 | Brakes (11) | |
| 21 | 2 | 4 | Unknown or other (6) | |
| 9 | 1 | 2 | Speed control and throttle (3) | |
| 4 | 2 | 1 | Wipers and visibility (1) | |
| 6 | 1 | 1 | Unknown or other (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) |
What fails on the 2012 Toyota Prius v
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 40% |
33 | 7 | Shop brakes parts for the 2012 Toyota Prius v |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 16% |
13 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2012 Toyota Prius v |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 13% |
11 | 4 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 11% |
9 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2012 Toyota Prius v |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 10% |
8 | 1 | Shop steering parts for the 2012 Toyota Prius v |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 7% |
6 | 1 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 6% |
5 | 1 | — |
| Air bags | 5% |
4 | 3 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
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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ABS brake is not working. While i was driving on a city traffic and come to a complete stop at the traffic light, the brake pedal went deep when i step on it and it took me more time to stop than i expected it. I went and got it red the code c1391 abnormal leak in accumulator.
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My wife started her car this morning, put it in park and then stepped out to get the mail. The vehicle unexpectedly moved forward running her over and pinning her leg underneath. She is currently at the hospital being checked for internal injuries. Has this been reported and if so, why not fully reported?
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Mice invading inside of car and air conditioning systems. Destroying interior and air filtration system. Can spread disease including hantavirus with droppings. I think this is due to using soy based wire coverings that attrach rodents. Can also affect wiring inside the car.
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 30, 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 v years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2012, 2013, 2014 carry the most filings on the Toyota Prius v. The 2012 alone has 82 complaints, led by brakes.
What is the most common Toyota Prius v problem?
On the 2012 model year, the most-reported component is brakes with 33 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Toyota Prius v problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Toyota Prius v complaints that include mileage is about 38,000 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.