ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC); SERVICE BRAKES
2019 Toyota Prius Prime
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 8 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2019 Toyota Prius Prime, most frequently naming the other / unspecified, driver assistance and electrical categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 116 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2019 | 1 | 1 |
| Aug 2019 | 2 | 3 |
| Nov 2019 | 1 | 4 |
| Sep 2020 | 1 | 5 |
| Oct 2020 | 1 | 6 |
| May 2021 | 1 | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | 1 | 8 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Other / unspecified440.0%
- Driver assistance110.0%
- Electrical110.0%
- Brakes110.0%
- Steering110.0%
- Tires & wheels110.0%
- Interior & seats110.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
1 campaign cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govSafety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
I was parked. I put my car in reverse. I heard the beeping sound confirming it was in reverse. I put my foot on the accelerator and the car went forward instead of reverse. This happened twice. I immediately shut off the car and turned it back on. Then it worked fine, and continued to work fine for the rest of the day as I drove to 7-8 more stops where I shut off the car. This was witnessed by a friend who confirmed that he heard the beeping sound for reverse, yet the car moved forward when I pushed on the gas. It definitely was not any kind of user error.
- NHTSA ID
- 11716267
- Incident
- Feb 5, 2026
I've have to take my 2019 Prius Prime (with 20,000 miles total) in twice for brake issues in 6 weeks. Each time the dealer had to deal with a rotor heat issue. The first service was on 3/29/2021, the initial reason for appt was hearing squealing from the front. Upon inspection dealer found major heat marks and deep scratches/grooves as well as the rear rotors had deep scratches as well . All 4 rotors were resurfaced and the brake pads were “scuffed” during the service. At that time all brakes were inspected with the front brakes having 9mm and rears having 8mm of pads. I started hearing grinding a grinding sound about 2 week later. I took my car in for service on 5/11/2021 where the dealer found a “rusty” color on the rotors as well as a cracked and chipped front brake pad. They started a TAS case after which they resurfaced the rotors again and replaced the front brake pads. I am concerned about this issue with my car only having 20,000 miles on it and the rotors being resurfaced twice in less than 2,000 miles between services. The rotors and pads are supposed to be designed to have a longer life than standard gas non-hybrid vehicles. Rotors are only able to be resurfaced a limited number of times, which can cause future repair costs to soar. I am in need of Toyota’s assistance in making any fixes so this does not continue to occur. As well as looking into if there is a larger brake issue within my vehicle.
- NHTSA ID
- 11417512
- Incident
- Mar 29, 2021
PASSENGER SIDE BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SEAT'S TIRE BLEW OUT. STARTED TO DRIVE AND CAR WAS MOVING SLOWER AND EVENTUALLY HAD TO PULL OVER BECAUSE CAR FELT UNSTABLE. WAS NOT GIVEN AN ALARM THAT THE TIRE WAS BLOWN AND FLAT. WAS DRIVING LESS THAN 30MPH, IN A STRAIGHT, FLAT STREET.
- NHTSA ID
- 11366556
- Incident
- Jul 24, 2020
- Mileage
- 17,000 mi
10/19-LEFT REAR TIRE KEPT LOOSING PRESSURE, I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC, THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING, I AGAIN TOOK IT AFTER 2 WEEKS, THEY CHANGED THE TIRE. MILES 7014. ON 9/26/20-MILES 16430, THE SAME TIRE LEFT PASSENGER BLEW OUT ON THE FREEWAY. NO INDICATOR OF TIRE PRESSURE BEING LOW CAME ON. THE TIRE WAS COMPLETELY BLOWN OUT. I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR, THANKFULLY IT STOPPED ON LEFT SIDE. IT WAS VERY SCARY. NO WAS HURT, BUT I COULD HAVE DIED. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 70MPH.
- NHTSA ID
- 11361309
- Incident
- Sep 26, 2020
- Mileage
- 6,430 mi
2 TOYOTA COMPLAINTS: 1) MY 2019 PRIUS PRIME 11,597 MILES: ON HWY 85 SOUTH 11/27 10:30PM GOT FLAT TIRE & DROVE TO SIDE LANE ON HWY. CALLED TOYOTA TOW SERVICE @ 10:37PM WHICH IS IN GEORGIA NOT CALIF. TOW NOT SHOW UNTIL 1:16AM 11/27 AND TOWED CAR TO DEALER. IT TOOK 20 MIN. FOR CALL CENTER IN GEORGIA TO INITIATE TOW 2) THE PRIUS PRIME DOES NOT COME WITH A SPARE TIRE BUT HAS A TIRE PUNCTURE REPAIR KIT. MY TIRE BEYOND PUNCTURE REPAIR. A CAR WITH NO SPARE TIRE OF ANY KIND IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR ANYONE. 2019 PRIUS PRIMES DON'T COME WITH SPARE TIRE. THIS HAZARD FEATURE NEEDS TO CHANGE. I HAVE EXPENDED WARRANTY AND SERVICE CONTRACT AND TIRE WAS NOT COVERED SO BESIDES THE UNSAFE CONDITION MY HUSBAND ENDURED WE ALSO GOT A BILL FOR $168.19 TO REPLACE AND INSTALL THE DAMAGED TIRE. I WILL WRITE TO TOYOTA ROADSIDE ASSIST. REGARDING GEORGIA CENTER DISPATCHING TOWS IN CALIF.? & TOYOTA TO COMPLAIN ABOUT NO SPARE TIRE AND A DESIGN INSTEAD OF LIFT BACK MAYBE SIDE OPENING LIKE JEEP SO SPARE TIRE CAN GO ON BACK LIKE JEEP SPARE. I HAVE READ ON YELP ABOUT OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS COMPLAINING ABOUT NO SPARE TIRE.
- NHTSA ID
- 11282714
- Incident
- Nov 26, 2019
- Mileage
- 11,597 mi
WHEN I DRIVE THE VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY, IT FEELS UNSTABLE. IT GOES LEFT AND RIGHT. THE VEHICLE IS BRAND NEW. WE JUST BOUGHT IT LAST WEEK. TIRE PRESSURE IS GOOD AND THE DEALERSHIP SAID THERE IS NO RECALL ON THE CAR.
- NHTSA ID
- 11252625
- Incident
- Aug 25, 2019
- Mileage
- 250 mi
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 TOYOTA PRIUS PRIME. WHILE CHARGING THE VEHICLE'S BATTERY, THE DOORS ABRUPTLY LOCKED ON THEIR OWN. THE CONTACT CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO HAVE THE DOORS UNLOCKED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,080. THE VIN WAS INVALID.
- NHTSA ID
- 11245916
- Incident
- Aug 22, 2019
- Mileage
- 1,080 mi
CAR HAD 27540 MILES ON FACTORY ORIGINAL TOYO NANOENERGY TIRES WHEN THE REAR PASSENGER TIRE BLEW OUT. I WAS 22 MILES INTO MY DRIVE HOME . NO TPS WARNING AND I HAD VISUALLY LOOKED AT MY TIRES BEFORE HEADING HOME. THE ENTIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE SIDEWALLS. THE SIDEWALLS STAYED WITH THE RIM AND I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY STOP THE CAR ON THE GRASS MEDIAN. THIS TYPE OF SIDEWALL BLOWOUT HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN ALL MY YEARS OF DRIVING. I WAS ON US-321 NORTH BOUND JUST AFTER THE HARDIN RD EXIT GOING 70 MPH AT TIME OF BLOWOUT. NOT IN A TURN BUT NEARLY STRAIGHT LINE DRIVING. WEATHER WAS MOSTLY SUNNY AND 65 DEGREES.
- NHTSA ID
- 11202835
- Incident
- Apr 16, 2019
- Mileage
- 27,452 mi
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This Service Bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare and treat the interior of the vehicle for odor remediation. Refer to the applicable model and model year Repair Manual and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) website for the most up-to-date safety and precautionary guidelines.
ENGINE
Some ECUs can set a DTC that is common with other ECUs. This can lead to accidental use of the wrong repair manual when diagnosing these type of DTCs.
ENGINE
Some ECUs can set a DTC that is common with other ECUs. This can lead to accidental use of the wrong repair manual when diagnosing these type of DTCs.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and repairing refrigerant leaks.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood, roof, and decklid, significant damage to the painted surfaces can occur. Acid rain damage can typically be identified on vehicles by the presence of stains on the paint surface that resemble hard water spots. Unlike water spots however, acid rain damage cannot be removed by regular washing procedures. Also, because acid rain can etch and soften the paint, normal buffing or polishing repair procedures should not be attempted. This can cause further damage and result in visible depressions in the paint surface. The following are the three major categories of acid rain damage: •Minor damage: requires only buffing to repair. •Moderate damage: usually requires neutralizing, color sanding, and buffing. •Severe damage: extending beyond 1/2 mil of clearcoat on a pearl, metallic, or solid color, requires neutralization, sanding, and repainting. In cases where acid rain damage is minor, neutralization and buffing with a liquid-type paint finessing product may provide an adequate repair. Only specially formulated products outlined in this bulletin should be used for that purpose. Unfortunately, other than minor damage, there is no simple method of determining the actual extent (depth) of acid penetration other than color sanding a representative affected area until there is no visible etching or depressions, followed by measuring the amount of paint removed with either a magnetic or digital-type film thickness gauge. The procedures in this bulletin are intended for use by qualified body/paint technicians and should not be attempted by inexperienced personnel. It is the dealer’s responsibility to protect and maintain the quality of the vehicle’s paint finish after receipt at the dealership prior to the first sale. Perform frequent vehicle washing, as often as daily, during high heat and humidity periods to minimize the potential for paint damage due to acid rain exposure. This is especially important in geographical areas known for high frequency and concentration of acid rain and industrial fallout.
STRUCTURE:BODY
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and initial rust before the vehicle is delivered to the customer. Consequently, the film should remain on the wheel for as long as possible.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.