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2016 Toyota Prius V Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
16
Latest Dec 13, 2025
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
9
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
6

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2016 Toyota Prius V, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Airbags419.0%
  • Driver assistance419.0%
  • Electrical419.0%
  • Brakes314.3%
  • Engine29.5%
  • Powertrain (other)14.8%
  • Visibility14.8%
  • Fuel system14.8%
  • Body & structure14.8%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Airbags

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.

4
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

While going 70 MPH, I hid a feral hog. Although the front end of my car crumpled up, and we came to a sudden stop, the air bags did not deploy.

NHTSA ID 11461252 · filed Apr 18, 2022

Airbags failed to deploy upon impact with guardrail. Drivers side front corner hit the guardrail at approx. 45% angle at 50-60mph. The vehicle was inspected by an insurance rep. and was deemed a total loss. The car is available for inspection.

NHTSA ID 11418913 · filed May 28, 2021

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

4
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

On [XXX] at [XXX] I was backing out of a driveway when my 2016 Prius V5 accelerated on its own. When I applied the brakes, nothing happened. I hit a curb, which flattened the front passenger tire. In order to get the car to stop, I took it out of gear and put it in neutral. The car finally came to a stop. My speed while backing out of the driveway was less than 5 mph. It accelerated to about 15 mph. I was told that because the tire flattened due to the force of impact with the curb, Toyota considered it an accident. Toyota had me complete an "Unintended Acceleration" form so they could investigate the situation. A case number ([XXX]) was assigned. I was also told that I needed to contact Toyota's Brand Engagement Center at (800) 331-4331. Toyota assigned Engineering Analysis Associates (EAA) to perform a thorough inspection and read out the Event Data Recorder (EDR) of my vehicle at Findlay Toyota. Anne Chapman with EAA did the inspection and sent a copy of the report to me on 09/15/25, the day of the inspection. She suggested that I keep the copy because I may need it if I needed to contact an attorney. My insurance company, USAA, sent an adjuster to examine the extent of the damage. Findlay Collision Center completed the repairs on 09/26/25, which cost $3,433.92. The accelerator nor the brakes were addressed. On 10/09/25, Toyota provided a response to the incident: they were not at fault. They claimed operator error. Unintended acceleration and unresponsive brakes have been an issue with Toyota's in the past. At that time, instead of fixing the problem, they told dealerships to educate their buyers on how to take the car out of gear. Approximately one week after picking up my car from the repair shop, the vehicle accelerated on its own again. Fortunately, the brakes worked this time. Because I felt very unsafe, I got rid of the car shortly after that incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID 11704813 · filed Dec 13, 2025

Car was driving fine one day and then while driving down the interstate I had the Pre collision system malfunction error, Brake light came on, Cruise will not operate, ABS light is on. After much research it seems Prius V has a common issue with brake booster faulting.

NHTSA ID 11657666 · filed Apr 29, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

4
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Car was driving fine one day and then while driving down the interstate I had the Pre collision system malfunction error, Brake light came on, Cruise will not operate, ABS light is on. After much research it seems Prius V has a common issue with brake booster faulting.

NHTSA ID 11657666 · filed Apr 29, 2025

I PREVIOUSLY SENT IN A COMPLAINT BUT THERE HAVE BEEN DEVELOPMENTS AND I NEEDED TO EXPLAIN MORE CLEARLY. OUR TOYOTA HAS LESS THAN 18,000 MILES AND HAS BEEN VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF. DESPITE THIS, OUR VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN IN OPERATION SINCE EARLIER THIS MONTH. IT STARTED BY FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS 2 WEEKS AGO AND THEN WOULDN'T START UP. SATURDAY WHEN I OPENED THE DRIVER DOOR TO GET SOMETHING OUT OF THE INOPERABLE VEHICLE, THIS INITIATED A VERY LENGTHY TERRIBLE SOUND COMING FROM UNDER HOOD ON DRIVER'S SIDE. IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING WOULD EXPLODE UNDER THE HOOD. THIS HORRIBLE PROCESS APPEARANTLY DRAINED THE WHOLE BATTERY. IT HAS ABSOLUTELY NO SIGNS OF LIFE NOW. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY.

NHTSA ID 11377389 · filed Dec 1, 2020

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

On [XXX] at [XXX] I was backing out of a driveway when my 2016 Prius V5 accelerated on its own. When I applied the brakes, nothing happened. I hit a curb, which flattened the front passenger tire. In order to get the car to stop, I took it out of gear and put it in neutral. The car finally came to a stop. My speed while backing out of the driveway was less than 5 mph. It accelerated to about 15 mph. I was told that because the tire flattened due to the force of impact with the curb, Toyota considered it an accident. Toyota had me complete an "Unintended Acceleration" form so they could investigate the situation. A case number ([XXX]) was assigned. I was also told that I needed to contact Toyota's Brand Engagement Center at (800) 331-4331. Toyota assigned Engineering Analysis Associates (EAA) to perform a thorough inspection and read out the Event Data Recorder (EDR) of my vehicle at Findlay Toyota. Anne Chapman with EAA did the inspection and sent a copy of the report to me on 09/15/25, the day of the inspection. She suggested that I keep the copy because I may need it if I needed to contact an attorney. My insurance company, USAA, sent an adjuster to examine the extent of the damage. Findlay Collision Center completed the repairs on 09/26/25, which cost $3,433.92. The accelerator nor the brakes were addressed. On 10/09/25, Toyota provided a response to the incident: they were not at fault. They claimed operator error. Unintended acceleration and unresponsive brakes have been an issue with Toyota's in the past. At that time, instead of fixing the problem, they told dealerships to educate their buyers on how to take the car out of gear. Approximately one week after picking up my car from the repair shop, the vehicle accelerated on its own again. Fortunately, the brakes worked this time. Because I felt very unsafe, I got rid of the car shortly after that incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID 11704813 · filed Dec 13, 2025

Car was driving fine one day and then while driving down the interstate I had the Pre collision system malfunction error, Brake light came on, Cruise will not operate, ABS light is on. After much research it seems Prius V has a common issue with brake booster faulting.

NHTSA ID 11657666 · filed Apr 29, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

I PREVIOUSLY SENT IN A COMPLAINT BUT THERE HAVE BEEN DEVELOPMENTS AND I NEEDED TO EXPLAIN MORE CLEARLY. OUR TOYOTA HAS LESS THAN 18,000 MILES AND HAS BEEN VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF. DESPITE THIS, OUR VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN IN OPERATION SINCE EARLIER THIS MONTH. IT STARTED BY FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS 2 WEEKS AGO AND THEN WOULDN'T START UP. SATURDAY WHEN I OPENED THE DRIVER DOOR TO GET SOMETHING OUT OF THE INOPERABLE VEHICLE, THIS INITIATED A VERY LENGTHY TERRIBLE SOUND COMING FROM UNDER HOOD ON DRIVER'S SIDE. IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING WOULD EXPLODE UNDER THE HOOD. THIS HORRIBLE PROCESS APPEARANTLY DRAINED THE WHOLE BATTERY. IT HAS ABSOLUTELY NO SIGNS OF LIFE NOW. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY.

NHTSA ID 11377389 · filed Dec 1, 2020

WHILE PARKING MY VEHICLE AND SLOWING DOWN TO ENTER A PARKING SPACE, I EASED OFF THE BRAKE TO PULL INTO THE SPACE WHEN I HEARD THE ENGINE REV LOUDLY AND THEN THE CAR ACCELERATED AND CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE DESPITE ATTEMPTS TO PUMP THE BRAKES, RELEASE THE BRAKES WITHOUT TOUCHING ANY PEDAL AND ALSO TRYING TO PUT THE TRANSMISSION INTO PARK. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AT ALL. I WAS AFRAID FOR MY LIFE AND TRIED EVERYTHING TO AVOID OTHER VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS AS THE CAR ACCELERATED GREATLY. I STEERED THE CAR TO TRY AND AVOID A SLIGHT EMBANKMENT AND CURVE BUT WITH THE RAPID SPEED OF THE CAR, IT BECAME HARD TO MANEUVER THE CAR. THE VEHICLE JUMPED THE CURB STRIKING A TREE AND THEN A CONCRETE POST. THE CAR CAME TO REST ON ITS SIDE AFTER IMPACT. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS.

NHTSA ID 11154115 · filed Nov 26, 2018

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Powertrain (other)

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

Driving on freeway my prius V started shaking violently from what appeared to be overheating of water pump failure or the coolant invertor pump. I believe this to be a known issue Toyota is aware of when I took my Prius into Camelback Toyota in Phoenix they said they could not recreate the issues. I know this was powertrain failure that could have caused me to crash on the freeway.

NHTSA ID 11515500 · filed Apr 5, 2023

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Visibility

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

A STONE STRIKE CAUSED A CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD. REPLACED IT AND SOON AFTER WE HAD SOME HAIL WHICH PITTED THE NEW WINDSHIELD AS WELL AS CAUSED A HUGE CRACK. ANOTHER PEBBLE STRIKE CAUSED ANOTHER IMMEDIATE LONG CRACK. ALL THESE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING. THERE HAVE BEEN A TOTAL OF MORE THAN 4 CRACKS ON THIS VEHICLE WHICH WE HAVE HAD A TOTAL OF 12 MONTHS. WE HAVE NEVER HAD THIS KIND OF PROBLEM BEFORE.

NHTSA ID 10985954 · filed May 16, 2017

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Fuel system

Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

Driving on the freeway the car stalled and was unable to accelerate. The issue seems identical to the 2020 recall. 2020-06-23 Recall no. 20V369000 Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Prius and 2014-2017 Prius V vehicles not included in recall 18V-684. Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) within the inverter may cause the hybrid system to shut down, causing the vehicle to stall while being driven. I was told by the service center that my car is not on the recall list so they are unable to work it as a recall.

NHTSA ID 11618479 · filed Oct 7, 2024

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Body & structure

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

While traveling on NHS CA 99 about 80 miles before taking exit 97, there were pieces of tire debri on the center lane. It couldn’t be spotted and my vehicle drove over it making a big thud sound. It shaked my vehicle and left my family scared. It could have been really dangerous if there was a vehicle right ahead or behind my car. This incident broke the front bumper and caused big dent on my right door. This is a big monetary hole in my pocket. This is big concern and should be immediately addressed to avoid incidents further. Kindly let me know if there is a way to file a claim with NHST

NHTSA ID 11590827 · filed May 26, 2024

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

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.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .