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U.S. public vehicle records

2018 Toyota PRIUS PRIME: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

16 owner complaints analyzed

0 distinct recall campaigns

15,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2018 model year. Data snapshot: . 7 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Unknown Or Other is the most frequently named component, appearing in 3 of 16 complaints (18.8%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Braking behavior531.3%
Engine operation212.5%
Electrical and battery issues212.5%
Transmission and shifting16.3%
Steering behavior16.3%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Unknown Or Other
3
Air Bags
2
Fuel/Propulsion System
2
Power Train
2
Back Over Prevention: Rearview System Braking
1
Back Over Prevention: Warnings
1
Electrical System
1
Engine
1
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Unknown Or Other3
Air Bags2
Fuel/Propulsion System2
Power Train2
Back Over Prevention: Rearview System Braking1
Back Over Prevention: Warnings1
Electrical System1
Engine1

Unknown Or Other: 3; Air Bags: 2; Fuel/Propulsion System: 2; Power Train: 2; Back Over Prevention: Rearview System Braking: 1; Back Over Prevention: Warnings: 1; Electrical System: 1; Engine: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
5
25,000 to 49,999
2
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0005
25,000 to 49,9992
50,000 to 74,9990
75,000 to 99,9990
100,000 to 149,9990
150,000 and above0

Under 25,000: 5; 25,000 to 49,999: 2; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (5). 9 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2018
1
2020
3
2021
3
2022
1
2023
4
2024
1
2025
1
2026
2
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20181
20203
20213
20221
20234
20241
20251
20262

2018: 1; 2020: 3; 2021: 3; 2022: 1; 2023: 4; 2024: 1; 2025: 1; 2026: 2

Pattern summary

Unknown Or Other leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 5 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 2 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 2 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Examples from the source records

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 11074007 · 2018-02-21 (February 21, 2018)

DRIVING 60 MPH ON INTERSTATE A PIECE OF DEBRIS HIT MY WINDSHIELD. THE PIECE WAS SO SMALL I DIDN'T EVEN SEE IT HIT THE WINDSHIELD. THE PIECE DID PRETTY SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE WINDSHIELD AND IT SPIDERED OUT IN ALL DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, LARGER THAN A QUARTER. MY CONCERN IS THAT I HAVE BEEN IN OTHER VEHICLES AND HAD DEBRIS HIT THE WINDSHIELD THE SAME SITUATION THAT IS LARGER AND JUST BARLEY PUT A NICK IN THE WINDSHIELD. IVE READ ON COMPLAINTS ABOUT 16' AND 17' MODELS HAVING THIS ISSUE AS WELL AND IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE TOYOTA IS ADDRESSING TH…

Owner-reported narrative. 550 miles reported. Look up ODI 11074007 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11307431 · 2020-02-06 (February 6, 2020)

AFTER STARTING FROM A STOP AFTER THE TRAFFIC LIGHT TURNED GREEN, THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME PULLED AHEAD AS THEY ACCELERATED FASTER THAN ME. WHEN THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WAS ABOUT 50 YARDS IN FRONT OF ME, AND I HAD REACHED ABOUT 25 MILES PER HOUR THE CAR'S COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM ENGAGED AND SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND BROUGHT ME TO A FULL STOP. THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME HAD NOT APPLIED THEIR BRAKES OR SLOWED AT ALL, AND THERE WERE NO VISIBLE OBSTACLES. MY CAR STOPPED SO SUDDENLY THAT I THOUGHT I HAD BEEN HIT FROM THE REAR AT HIGH SPEED UNTIL THE RED …

Owner-reported narrative. 22,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 11307431 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11374200 · 2020-11-11 (November 11, 2020)

'HYBRID SYSTEM FAILURE' APPEARED ON DASH DISPLAY DURING A LONG (120 MILE) DRIVE AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON SEPTEMBER 24. AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 40 MILES FURTHER, THE 'CHECK ENGINE LIGHT' CAME ON AND THE DISPLAY SAID TO PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY. AS I PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY, MESSAGES TOLD ME THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WERE SHUTTING OFF AND LEFT ME IN FEAR THE CAR WOULD DIE ON THE FREEWAY RAMP BEFORE I COULD PULL OVER. TOWED CAR TO DEALER WHO FIXED A LOOSE CABLE. THIS WEEK (11/10) THE DISPLAY SHOWED THE SAME MESSAGE. THIS IS NOW A RECURRING PROBLEM W…

Owner-reported narrative. 15,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11374200 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11384074 · 2020-12-18 (December 18, 2020)

AFTER THE HYBRID BATTERY IS DISCHARGED, AND THE GAS ENGINE KICKS IN, THE VEHICLE LOSES POWER FOR APPROXIMATELY 5-10 SECONDS ON THE FREEWAY. THIS HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES, AT APPROXIMATELY 7 AM, ON DECEMBER 1, 10, 14 AND 15. ON ALL OCCASIONS, THE TEMPERATURE WAS BETWEEN 40-45 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, AND AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT IN USE. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. I CALLED THE TOYOTA DEALER ON DECEMBER 1 AND THE SERVICE ADVISER SAID THAT SINCE NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON, HE COULD NOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE A PHOTO SHOWING MY…

Owner-reported narrative. 20 miles reported. Look up ODI 11384074 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11387762 · 2021-01-12 (January 12, 2021)

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.

Owner-reported narrative. 39,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 11387762 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11390461 · 2021-01-28 (January 28, 2021)

WHILE DRIVING ON RURAL ROADS WITH NO STREET LIGHTS, THE AUTOMATIC HIGH BEAM SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS WHEN PASSING ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHO DO NOT DIM THEIR HEADLIGHTS OR WHO HAVE THOSE HEADLIGHTS THAT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL (LIKE FORD). NORMAL LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS DO NOT CAUSE THE SYSTEM TO MALFUNCTION. I BELIEVE THIS MALFUNCTION TO BE RELATED TO THE CAMERA SENSOR LOCATED ON THE WINDSHIELD AND WHEN THE GLARE OF THE EXCESSIVELY BRIGHT HEADLIGHTS HIT THAT SENSOR, IT CRASHES THE AUTO SYSTEM. THE SYMBOL ON THE DASH THAT INDICATES THAT THE SYSTEM IS WORKING NORMAL…

Owner-reported narrative. 15,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11390461 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11425944 · 2021-07-22 (July 22, 2021)

From the first week of ownership sensors would alarm that they needed cleaning but they were clean. Parking assist sensors also malfunctioning. Also saw Intelligent Clearance Sonar error messages and warnings. Alarm tended to go off in wet weather. Brought to dealership many times and problem occurred infrequently that no problem was ever found. For two years I was plagued by alarms of sensor malfunction. I worried the sensors would fail to detect cars and objects in front of, behind or on the side of the car. That would be a serious failure an…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11425944 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11487667 · 2022-10-03 (October 3, 2022)

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH and in heavy traffic, the contact depressed the brake pedal for traffic but the brakes failed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact crashed into the rear end of a truck. The damage was very light due to the low speed. The top of the hood at the front was scratched and the grill also sustained minor scratches. The contact continued on the road. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, who contacted a manufacturer rep…

Owner-reported narrative. 40,063 miles reported. Look up ODI 11487667 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.