10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 6
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
60,507 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2010 Toyota Prius electrical problems

electrical problem

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2010 Toyota Prius Owner Comments (Page 1 of 9)

problem #173

Oct 262023

Prius

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Hi I want submit issues with the master cylinder and abs pump assy I have 2 vehicles same model with average same mileage and both had issues with this system if I drove any distance below 25 mph in a constant time the dash lights comes on traction control, abs light, brake light, and the brake pedal goes low and barely brakes make this situation dangerous when I stop if you try turn it off the engine and on again lights stay there but if I reset the codes the pump works again for some while and then again when you don-??t expected lose pressure and I am really afraid for my safety and my family, and I am not the only one with this problem is too many Prius owners who have the issues I went from dealer and they advice $3000 dlls fix situation who motivate people to lose money for $1200 in parts and $1800 dlls in labor for something they can resolve it because in reality is an manufactured defect

- Raytown, MO, USA

problem #172

Feb 152023

Prius

  • miles
Purchased new a 2010 Toyota Prius third generation level 4 in July of 2009. Hybrid battery pack failed just after 150,000 warranty lapsed at 155,000 miles. January 2023 floods in Merced, CA damaged one of blocks in Hybrid battery pack driving through waters at 191000 miles on odometer. This threw DTC POA 080 'Check Hybrid System' message. The following month February 2023 at 191500 miles I notice loud cooling fan for hybrid battery operating for the first time ever! Fan is located in rear seat behind front passenger. Air vent is clearly visible. I believe defective fan led to overheating of hybrid battery premature failure at 155,000 miles.

- Merced, CA, USA

problem #171

Feb 022023

Prius

  • miles
Car slows down to a stop when driving on the freeway. With no power to accelerate, it makes it hard to get to the side of the road to be towed. Been to the dealer twice to address the problem, and was told that if I don't pay $200, that there is nothing they can do. Then when I did pay the money for evaluation, they told me the problem could be one of several things that would start the never-ending process of repairs that will keep me paying until they solve it. I would think that with a $200 code reading, that the dealers software could narrow it down to the exact repair needed. I mentioned to the dealer about the JOV update I had done earlier to the car, but dealer refuses to recognize that there is a recall on my vehicle, and that I needed to pay money(that I don't have) to do anything. My check hybrid system light and orange triangle comes on when the car dies

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #170

Dec 212022

Prius

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I had just gotten back in my car from a quick store trip. My prius turned on like normal but soon after when I was driving different kind of warning lights turned on. My steering was affected, the car slowed down considerably to the point I was almost rear-ended. The triangle of death, check engine, brake and steering lights all came on with the check hybrid system warning. Before this i had no prior issues with my car. I had it checked by an independent mechanic who states it is the inverter that caused this

- Brunswick, GA, USA

problem #169

Jan 162023

Prius

  • miles
I was driving home from work when all the warning light all came on at once. The car suddenly stopped accelerating and the -€œcheck hybrid system-€ was showing on my dash. I was lucky enough to be going down hill so I can make it to a shoulder to get off the road. Tried troubleshooting everything but to no avail and needed to get towed because the Prius would not move at all. Haven-€™t got the vehicle checked yet because the vehicle will not move and can only be moved if towed.

- Ridgecrest, CA, USA

problem #168

Aug 032022

Prius

  • miles
Hello there, my name is Lashyrah and I do not know much about cars so most of this is unknown. The person I bought my vehicle from did not give me much information and I was desperate at the time so I bought it. Most of the lights on the dashboard are on: ABS, Brake system, Engine, Tire/Safety Alert, Fuel pump reset warning, and Stability control are lights that come and go. I have used the code system to try to reset these things and they go away then pop back up. Sometimes while I am driving, all the dashboard lights disappear and the breaks start getting really touchy and it feels completely different driving until the previous lights all come back on. This has been an issue before and when I last went to Toyota to get my car serviced, I asked them to check the lights and system, and if they could do a multi-point inspection. They wanted me to pay $300 just to find out why the lights keep coming back on. Please help me get this fixed at no cost I am a single mom and college student working part time so I need my car to get around or a free loaner car to get around until this is fixed. I strongly feel these are recalls that did not get taken care of or are not showing up in the recall system. I need assistance as soon as possible and would like to know my options, especially after getting a notice in the mail a few days ago from Toyota about my car possibly being affected. My fuel gauge is also empty at around 3 bars or sometimes 2 bars instead of going all the way down to empty, costing me more money on gas having to fill it up more often. Thank you for your time and help.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #167

Jul 182022

Prius

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2010 Prius started up in the garage 3 hours after being shut down. I am certain the car was NOT still running while we unloaded groceries from hatchback and left the garage. * Nothing was retrieved from the front seat so no accidental start could have occurred. * My son "heard it start" almost 3 hours after the vehicle had been shut off while in another room near the garage. * I heard nothing from the upstairs. * The Prius key fob was nowhere near the vicinity of the vehicle at the time it started nor was any person. In fact, both key fobs were upstairs and only the currently used 1 had a battery and was stored inside a tin so as to always know where it was. *Toyota executives were made aware of incident but essentially denied the Toyota could start without the key fob: "Toyota is not aware for any possible way for the vehicle to be started without the key."

- Kirkland, WA, USA

problem #166

Jul 012022

Prius

  • miles
The ABS, Brake, and traction control light came on. The braking became difficult. The car did stop but if it was in an emergency circumstance there may have been a collision. I called Toyota about the issue and was informed that there was a brake actuater and master cylinder issues with this make and model. Toyota replaced them in cars that had this issue under a special warranty that was over in 2021. It is a $3500 issue. I purchased this car new and have never received a notice about bad braking system. I have lived at the same address since the purchase. Toyota informed me that notices were not sent out, however if the owner came in with this issue before 2021 it would have been repaired and replaced. I can not understand how ALL owners were not informed. I do not understand how a recall wasn't enforced. I live in Florida where the speed limit is 70mph. This could have been deadly. I looked on forums online and apparently this has been an issue for many many 2010 Toyota Prius. I have a case in with Toyota American. 220701001489. I can use any help I can get with this issue. It may save a life.

- Venice, FL, USA

problem #165

May 122022

Prius

  • miles
Hi- I have a Toyota Prius 2010 model and I encountered a braking failure yesterday. My ABS lights, brake lights and another light came up on my dashboard of the car. Upon diagnosis, I was informed by Toyota dealership that my car has a faulty C1391 - Abnormal leak in accumulator. This condition may be caused by small internal brake fluid leak inside the brake booster assembly with master cylinder. This is a known issue by Toyota and lots of press coverage on this issue since the past few years. I was told today that if this issue occurred within 10 year or purchase or <150K then the repair work would be covered by Toyota. I purchased the car in 2010 and I past the 10 year mark but mileage coverage is 125K (<150K). Toyota is unwilling to bear the cost and would want me to pay for the fix. This is a known issue with Toyota and the braking system can fail anytime before/or after 10 year mark. It is now costing me $3000 to repair. I am shocked with the Toyota's response in this matter. There are lots of blogs I read online who have similar issue. Class Action lawsuit: https://www.classaction.org/news/toyota-hit-with-class-action-over-alleged-refusal-to-fix-braking-system-defect-in-hybrid-vehicles Here is one example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA9jyrbZDWo Thanks.

- Manvel, TX, USA

problem #164

May 012022

Prius

  • miles
Hazard lights flashing, flashes faster at higher speeds. Hazard button useless. Mechanic not sure what is the problem; reset codes. Problem went away for a few days and then came back.

- Renton, WA, USA

problem #163

Mar 302022

Prius

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving on the road and right before a stop light my car jumped as if someone hit me from behind. After looking in my rear view and seeing no one on me I realized something else happened. I look at my dash and check hybrid system light was on. I was in traffic at the light waiting and looked it up on my phone to find out what to do. Some article said to pull over and turn it off and restart it. The light turned green and traffic started moving so I started to drive. I thought I could probably make it home but the car started driving a lot slower than usual. I really didn-€™t want to pull over because it was in a bad part of town but I felt like I had no choice because the car was barely moving. It seemed more dangerous to be on the road with other drivers. So I pulled over and parked and tried starting it again. It wouldn-€™t shift to drive so now I-€™m stuck and can-€™t get home unless I pay to get my car towed. I get my car towed to the house. I put a meter on the battery and it was fine. I put a diagnostics tester on it and came up with these codes POA1A and POA94. I contacted hybrid mechanic that doesn-€™t work at Toyota and he said to take it in to a dealership and sent me the ZE3 warranty letter and said they would fix it. I paid for it to be towed to the dealership. There were already a lot of cars waiting to be serviced when I got there. Anyway, they said they would fix it after they did their diagnostics after I paid $120 for it. That was 3/21/2022. I sent CSR the ZE3 letter and he said it wasn-€™t covered. It-€™s like he didn-€™t even read it. A day later he said he needed to talk to a warranty administrator then a day later he said it would be covered but I don-€™t qualify for a loaner but they can give me a rental for $45 a day. I friend let me borrow their car for a couple days. Now as of writing this it-€™s midnight 3/30/2022. I still don-€™t have my car and I-€™m about to be without a car unless I buy one or rent one. No ETA on the part being delivered either. I-€™m SOL.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #162

Dec 012021

Prius

  • miles
Brake Booster Failure; has been inspected and confirmed. Warning lamps for traction control, ABS, Brake System Lights, Master Warning Light all came on during normal city driving. Immediate loss of Brake Assist causing sudden need for much more distance while stopping the vehicle. Clearly, sudden changes in brake behavior is a safety concern and this problem seems to be well documented as common issue in this era of Toyota vehicles. I believe Toyota has fallen short in its efforts to remmedy the situation. An extended warranty was issued but it was for a brief period of time that required this problem to occur within a narrow window. It's a wildly expensive repair to a critical system and it seems to be a common problem in these cars.

- Manchester, MO, USA

problem #161

Oct 012021

Prius

  • miles
Last week I check hybrid system message appeared on the screen and orange triangle with check engine light. I took it to the shop and they said that there are code P0A94 wich is related to the inverted and that is needed replacement. I saw that there was recall on inverter and want to see if I can get it replaced. Thanks

- Boiling Springs, SC, USA

problem #160

Sep 062021

Prius

  • 115,001 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving, the brake lights, ABS, and check engine warning lights illuminated. There was an abnormal noise detected. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed that the brake booster assembly needed to be replaced. Additionally, the contact was informed that the vehicle was not safe to drive. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000. The VIN was not available.

- Durham, NC, USA

problem #159

Sep 132021

Prius

  • miles
I have recently bought a 2010 Prius. The ABS (!), traction control, and emergency brake light all illuminated three days after I transferred title with the dmv. This apparently is a very common problem with this car. I am told that these lights lead to a very expensive repair. My primary concern is my safety and of course the safety of others. A car that has brakes that suddenly fail is lethal. I was advised by a helpful agent that these repairs would come out of my pocket. My complaint is that Toyota should be responsible for this. I cannot drive this vehicle at the moment because I refuse to endanger anyone.

- Santa Rosa, CA, USA

problem #158

Sep 072021

Prius

  • miles
The dash lights on my 2010 Prius went all dark, lost all information on my dash. No lights on dash, no fuel gauge, no speedometer, nothing. This is very dangerous to suddenly have happened and I don't see a recall from Toyota to address this problem.

- Arcadia, CA, USA

problem #157

Jul 172021

Prius

  • miles
While driving on a highway at night around 60 mph, brake light turned on then AB light then slip light. Nothing else happened but since this hadn-€™t happened before, I pulled over, turned off car, waited a bit then turned back on. Car still worked although these lights stayed on. Continued driving to get home at reduced speed (around 45-50) plus with blinkers on with mental note to take to the dealer next morning. A few miles out, a loud unchanging alarm went off and I couldn-€™t use my brakes no matter how hard I pressed on them. I was able to glide off an exit that was near and making right turns get into a lot. Also neither of the brake pad nor the parking button was working so I couldn-€™t stop the car but then I hit power to shut down and that was able to stop it. Called for towing to dealer the following day. They say it-€™s the brake booster and that I have to pay out of pocket since it passed a recall but this is a dangerous issue with the car. If the light had been red and a car crossing, without brakes I would have gotten into an accident and since I bought it used last year, I wouldn-€™t have even known about this being an issue. There shouldn-€™t be a date limit on this recall, if models of Toyota Prius needs the recall and it hadn-€™t been done by previous owner, it needs to be done as this is a really traumatizing and potentially deadly issue.

- Middlebury, CT, USA

problem #156

Aug 112018

Prius

  • miles
The headlights on my car would get very dim and would burnout within 4 to 6 months. As time has past the time between bulb replacement would get shorter and shorter. At this point when I plug replacement bulbs into my car the burnout instantly. Without low beam headlights I am required to drive with my high beams on at all times. The dealer and the manufacture know about the problem and there was a notification regarding this issue with the headlights, but I was not sent this notice. Had I been sent the notice from Toyota I would have brought my car into the dealership for them to inspect the light problem. From what I have learned from Toyota is that there was never a recall on this issue. Headlights on a car I would think would be considered a major safety feature and should not have an expiration date on such a repair issue. The program to fix the issue was called Customer Support Program ZHB which allowed the dealers to correct the problem. How would anyone know that there was a problem unless they get a notification.

- Slidell, LA, USA

problem #155

Nov 102020

Prius

  • miles
Check hybrid system light ignites, slows down vehicle in middle of high speed highway. First incident November of 2020 then several incidents after. Repair shops don't assure problem according to error codes & they recommend possibilities they cannot assure will resolve the problem. Car was taken into local dealership after receiving recall notice for software and airbags prior to November 2020 when the issue began. Software update took a couple of hours. Restart/reboot temporarily allowed driving again. Most recently the system entirely shut down & the car will not start or run. Abandoned car on side of the road and got heat exhaustion from walking the rest of the way home and had vehicle towed. Error lights come on including "check hybrid system" says "shift to P position when starting" and will not allow start.

- Wake Forest, NC, USA

problem #154

Jun 062021

Prius 4-cyl

  • miles
My problem began when I pressed my brakes and instead it accelerated. I thought maybe my foot slipped and didn-€™t know what it meant. It happened again a few weeks later and then all of the dash lights went on that indicated that I had to have the big brake recall repair. Being that my car is past the 10 year warranty and past the extension for mileage, I had to pay out of pocket. This repair was done and upon receiving my car back, the gas mileage instantly began to drop. It went from averaging 42-48MPG in my town to 25-30MPG. I took it in the be looked at and they ensured me nothing was wrong with the car AT ALL. The battery wasn-€™t holding charge on top of this and it wasn-€™t reading the same on the dash about the 0-100 current gas mileage you-€™re getting as you go (the lines scale thing) that goes up when you let off the gas, and I could feel a strange shift while I was driving so I took it in again. They told me this time it-€™d be $110 to diagnose even though it was the same issue that started after the brake system repair, so I left extremely upset. A few days later my cars steering went out while I was driving and the whole hybrid system died. The car now only works in power mode. The consumer stated the car was taken in for a brake recall and had to pay $2800 in repairs. The consumer stated what they thought was a battery failure turned out to be the beginning of an electrical motor failure related to overheating.

- Spring Hill, FL, USA

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