2018 Toyota Prius Complaints

UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE — Filed 06/23/2026

I am writing to inform you about a very dangerous situation that occurred to me in June 2026 and that could pose a significant safety risk to other drivers who own 2016-17-18-19 Toyota Prius cars.  The risk stems from a defective part (the catalytic converter) that Toyota Corporation knew about in 2019 but failed to notify owners of those models.    Instead of issuing a recall and replacing the defective part, Toyota chose instead to issue a nationwide alert to their mechanics (Technical Service Bulletin (TSB)—0135-19, issued on 9/27/19).  Through the TSB, Toyota extended the warranty to 8 years or 80,000 miles for the part.  However, Toyota never notified the car owners of this potentially dangerous situation.  In my case, the defective catalytic converter failed, causing overheating and destroying my engine, costing me $ 7,454.55 to replace it and other out-of-pocket expenses totaling approximately $ 8,000.   I am seeking your help in getting Toyota Corporation to take responsibility for this matter and with the repair damage to my car.  Toyota’s defective part caused this damage, and it failed to notify me of the potential dangers.   In addition, other Toyota Prius owners should be alerted to the serious safety risk to them if the defective catalytic converter fails and causes serious damage to their car. It can also cause an accident while driving.  In my case, I was driving in the middle lane on 95N at 60 miles per hour when the car stalled, which could have caused a catastrophic accident.  Fortunately, I was able to coast to the shoulder and then call for help.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING — Filed 06/01/2026

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while having a routine oil change, the contact was made aware that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was constantly adding coolant to the coolant reservoir; however, the following day the coolant reservoir was empty. The failure had occurred on several different occasions. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched and was made aware of TSB Number: 013519; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,100.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING — Filed 05/06/2026

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine constantly overheated. An unidentified warning light was flashing on the instrument panel. An independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and became aware that the coolant reservoir was empty. One month later, the same failure reoccurred. A second independent mechanic inspected the vehicle, and the coolant reservoir was empty. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with a coolant leak into the head gasket. The dealer advisor referenced a customer satisfaction program as the cause of the failure; however, the vehicle was over the mileage limit for the program. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 188,000.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 03/05/2026

Both taillamps holding moisture. Could cause electrical issues or fire. .. same year and model car have same reported issues and were fixed by manufacturer. This vehicle is the same but different level.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 12/31/1969

Driver door lock actuator not working. This seems to be a common problem for Toyota over the last decade, but they yet to put more vehicles to their recall list. Actuator just stopped working. I have to use key out of FOB to manually open. This is a safety issue if I’m trying to get in my car quickly for safety reasons and it does not open.

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES — Filed 06/02/2025

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Prius. The contact stated the trunk opened at a slow speed and failed to remain open. The dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be taken in to be inspected. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not covered under recall. The manufacturer directed the contact back to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

VISIBILITY — Filed 12/10/2024

Was driving around 35 mph and my right side mirror blew up. The back blew off and the mirror was shattered and hanging. Nothing hit it. Contacted Toyota and the parts have been on a stop, but there is no recall. It has been 4 months.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE — Filed 02/03/2025

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed heat exchanger, catalytic converter, and exhaust system. The contact was informed that the heat exchanger, the catalytic converter, and the exhaust system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 89,682.

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 10/31/2024

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while in bumper-to-bumper traffic, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The brake pedal was applied but failed to respond. The driver crashed into the front passenger side of the Lexus. The vehicle continuously moved forward. The contact was eventually able to pull over safely. The pre-collision malfunction warning light illuminated. The brake malfunction light was flashing. The air bags did not deploy. There was no reported fire or injury. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who could not determine the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was then towed to an autobody center where it remained. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 39,000.

AIR BAGS — Filed 02/13/2024

The Airbag lights were lit, the person sitting with seatbelt on (flashing) and the person sitting with an inflated airbag in front of them. I ran an OBD2 scan on SRS and got code B1656. Driver seat belt buckle Left Hand. I Investigated the latch and found one wire was snapped off and a couple of inches shorter that the wire that was still connected. I have included 2 pictures of the back end of the seat belt latch. You can see the broken wire and where it use to be connected.

SEATS — Filed 09/28/2023

Someone rear-ended my Prius and they were driving a Ford 250 truck pulling a large flatbed truck that had a huge box on it. My seat went forward and backwards - I slammed my knee under the dashboard and then slammed by head into the headrest and I could not reach the pedals after this. I have repeatedly asked the collision center to look at it because there is nothing about it on the report of the estimate of repairs. My adult son was a passenger in the front and his seat didn't move.

AIR BAGS — Filed 05/02/2023

AIRBAG LIGHT ON

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 03/10/2023

The automatic high beams will occasionally fail to operate and are stuck in low beams until about 2 minutes have passed, or until the automatic high beams switch is turned off to disable the system. This seems to be a software issue, as it seems to occur when an approaching vehicle passes by with bright lights. When this happens, all high beams are disabled for a couple of minutes, even if the high beam lever is switched to low beams and back to high.

POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 07/02/2022

Stopped at red light, then the car didn't accelerate when hitting gas. Engine revs but the car does not accelerate. It happened multiple time when the car was out in sun with full ac on(100f). Happened once in intersection and almost got hit head on

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 06/21/2022

UNKNOWN My car started stalling when it comes to a full stop. I.e. if I stop at a red light or stop sign, and I then press the gas, it stalls. It might inch forward, but it doesn’t really accelerate. This happened last year, and I took it to the dealer. They couldn’t reproduce the results, and they could only suggest changing my small 12V battery. Today, it stalled 8 times, between 2 short drives. Each at a stop sign only travelling ~5 miles total. I have an appointment at the dealer but this is exactly what happened last year with no diagnosis. No check engine light is on or anything.

VISIBILITY/WIPER — Filed 03/04/2021

MY WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED TWICE WITHOUT BEING STRUCK BY AN OBJECT AND WITHOUT BEING NEAR ANOTHER VEHICLE. BOTH INCIDENTS OCCURRED DURING NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING. I WAS NOT SPEEDING OR DRIVING RECKLESSLY. BOTH TIMES REQUIRED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD AS THE CRACK QUICKLY SPREAD AND AFFECTED A GOOD PORTION OF THE WINDSHIELD. I AM REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE COST OF REPLACING THE WINDSHIELD (TWICE). THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED JUST A FEW DAYS AFTER PURCHASE. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED TODAY, MARCH 4, 2021.

STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 12/02/2020

ON DEC 2, 2020 WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 45-50 MPH OUR SUNROOF EXPLODED CAUSING US TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE SHADE WAS CLOSED WHICH SAVED US FROM EXPLODING GLASS. THERE WERE NO ROAD HAZARDS, NO ISSUES OTHER THAN A SPONTANEOUS EXPLODING OF OUR SUNROOF. THE ORLANDO POLICE DEPT WAS SUMMONED AND THE ROADRANGERS STOPPED TO ASSIST US. I TOOK THE CAR DIRECTLY TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN CLERMONT, FL AND THEY REPAIRED THE GLASS AT NO CHARGE BUT TOLD ME HAD THE CAR NOT BEEN UNDER MANUFACTURER WARRANTY I WOULD HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF REPLACEMENT. IF THE SHADE HAD NOT BEEN CLOSED THE ENTIRE PASSENGERS WITHIN THE CABIN WOULD HAVE BEEN SPLATTERED WITH SHATTERED GLASS.

AIR BAGS — Filed 05/07/2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE PULLED INTO THE HIGHWAY, WITHOUT STOPPING, AND CRASHED INTO THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE FENDER OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION, INCLUDING BACK, NECK, ANKLE AND HEAD INJURIES. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE RIPPED THE TENDON ON THE RING FINGER. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND WAS TOWED TO A TOW YARD. THE DEALER WAS NOT CALLED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000. *LN*JB

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 01/02/2020

ERROR CODES P0113 AND P0102 AND WARNING MESSAGES FOR CHECK ENGINE AND ICS MALFUNCTION* LAPPEARED WHEN STARTING THE GARAGED VEHICLE IN APPROXIMATELY 55F ROOM TEMPERATURE. TOYOTA OF ESCONDIDO AND TOYOTA'S CUSTOMER CARE TELEPHONE CENTER EXPLAINED THAT THEY WILL NOT INSPECT (ALTHOUGH UNDER THE 3-YEAR/36,000 MILES WARRANTY) WITHOUT A SERVICE FEE. ONLINE, REPORTS THAT A FAILING 12V BATTERY MAY CAUSE MULTIPLE CODES TO BE TRIGGERED WERE ALSO MET WITH A REQUEST FOR A $110 DIAGNOSTIC FEE. THE BATTERY IS ALSO UNDER THE 3-YEAR/36,000 MILE WARRANTY. ERROR CODES AND MESSAGES IMPLICATE FUEL EFFICIENCY, POLLUTION AND SAFETY ISSUES. *ICS IS THEIR COLLISION SENSOR SYSTEM.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 11/30/2019

AUTO HIGH BEAM FEATURE INTERMITTENTLY CUTS OUT AND THEN RESUMES, ESPECIALLY FREQUENTLY IN RAINY WEATHER. WHILE OFF, I CANNOT ENGAGE THE HIGH BEAM WITHOUT FIRST SHUTTING OFF THE AHB FEATURE. MANY SIMILAR REPORTS REGARDING TOYOTA VEHICLES; SEE HTTPS://WWW.RAV4WORLD.COM/THREADS/AUTO-HIGH-BEAM-ISSUES.242329/

EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY/WIPER — Filed 10/29/2019

THE CAR IS INADEQUATE IN THE WINTER. WHEN IT SNOWS I CAN'T KEEP THE WINDOWS CLEAN. THEY CHANGED THE FITTINGS AND I CAN'T EVEN PUT WINTER BLADES ON THE CAR. ALSO, AND THIS APPLIES TO ALMOST ALL NEW CARS AS WELL, THE LED LIGHTS FREEZE OVER. IT'S A SAFETY HAZARD NOT TO HAVE LIGHTS THAT WORK. AND IT'S A SAFETY HAZARD TO HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR IN DANGEROUS CONDITIONS TO TRY AND SCRAPE ICE OFF THE WINDOWS AND LIGHTS. THE FRONT AND REAR LIGHTS GET CAKED WITH ICE AND SNOW. THIS PICTURE IS OF MY WINDSHIELD AFTER AN HOUR OF WARMING UP. THE WIPERS STAY CAKED WITH ICE. AND WHEN I TURN THEM ON, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS. THEY SMEAR THE WINDSHIELD WITH ICE. THEY SMEAR IT WITH WATER TOO. I CAN'T SQUEEGEE WATER WITH ICE. I'D LOVE TO TRADE IT IN, BUT EVERYONE HAS LED LIGHTS. THEY'RE A SAFETY HAZARD. AND THESE ISSUES ARE KEEPING ME FROM BUYING A NEW CAR. I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU ADDRESSED THESE ISSUES. THE CAR COMPANIES WON'T LISTEN TO ME. THANK YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 10/20/2019

AUTOMATIC HIGH BEAMS DIM AND THEN FAIL TO BRIGHTEN INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN DRIVING, AUTOMATIC HIGH BEAMS FUNCTION AS INTENDED THEN THE DASH INDICATOR SPONTANEOUSLY TURNS OFF AND THE HEADLIGHTS FAIL TO BRIGHTEN. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT TWICE FOR THIS. THE SECOND TIME , THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM BOTH IN MY VEHICLE AND IN A 2019 PRIUS FROM THE INVENTORY. TOYOTA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IS ADAMANT THAT THE PROBLEM IS NORMAL FUNCTIONALITY. I FAIL TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE HIGH BEAMS NOT BRIGHTENING WHEN THEY SHOULD DURING NIGHT DRIVING IS NORMAL FUNCTIONALITY.

STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 10/04/2019

I WAS DRIVING UP TO MY GARAGE ON THE SIDE OF MY HOUSE ON A CLEAR DAY, EARLY AFTERNOON. I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 3 MPH AND TRIED TO STOP TO PARK IN FRONT OF THE GARAGE DOOR. I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT DID NOT ENGAGE, BUT LURCHED FORWARD INTO THE GARAGE, CRASHING INTO THE GARAGE AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO BOTH THE GARAGE AND THE AUTO.

STRUCTURE — Filed 01/01/2019

THE HEAT SHIELD ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR, BY THE STORAGE BATTERY CAME LOSE WHILE DRIVING AND WAS DAMAGED. IT IS HELD IN PLACE BY ONLY FOUR PLASTIC PINS. THE CAR IS SO LOW TO THE GROUND THAT IT IS HARD TO CLEAR NORMAL SPEED BUMPS LET ALONE OLDER LARGER ONES. WE WERE TRAVELING A HOUSING ADDITION LESS THAN 20 MPH AND JUST WENT OVER AN OLDER HIGH SPEED-BUMP AND PUDDLE WHEN IT OCCURRED. WE DROVE THE LAST 100 OR SO FEET HOME AND WIRED IT UP OUT OF THE WAY SO THE CAR COULD BE DRIVEN AT LOW SPEED TOO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD US THIS WAS DAMAGE DUE TO OUR DRIVING NEGLIGENCE IE: "WE HIT SOMETHING". WHEN THIS SHIELD COMES OFF IT FALLS STRAIGHT INTO THE VEHICLE EXHAUST PIPE AND GROUND, THERE IS NO SIMPLE WAY TO REMOVE THE PIECE UNTIL A FULL REPAIR CAN BE COMPLETED. IT MUST BE WIRED UP OFF THE GROUND OR PART OF THE WHEEL AND EXHAUST MUST BE DISCONNECTED. IT TOOK THE DEALERSHIP THREE TRIES AND OVER A MONTH TO GET THE CORRECT SHIELD IN AND PERFORM THE REPAIR. THE PART NUMBER IN THE TOYOTA PARTS SPECIFICATION AND THE REPAIR PARTS WAREHOUSE OR NOT THE SAME.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL — Filed 08/29/2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE THE VEHICLE HAD EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND CRASHED INTO A SECOND PARKED VEHICLE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER DCH TOYOTA (1504 US HWY 1 NORTH BRUNSWICK NJ) BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000.