2006 Toyota Prius Owner Complaints

I was involved in an auto accident on 4/20/2026 @ 6:23 PM. I was driving a 2006 Prius and the vehicle in front of me stopped to make a left turn. I applied my brakes, which grabbed slightly and then released. I then had to hit the brakes hard and they did the same thing again. I ended up rear-ending the vehicle in front of me and had to go to the hospital. I’ve been out of work since the accident, and I feel this was not my fault DUE TO FAULTY BRAKING SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE. My vehicle was declared a total loss, by the insurance company After doing my own research I have found many accidents with this type of vehicle that has had rear end accidents with injuries and some fatalities. it also shows not only this 2nd generation with this problem however the 3rd generation Prius as well. I have been out of work since the accident. I'm asking for a complete and thorough investigation into this and a satisfactory resolution to this so that it doesn't happen to anyone else. There were no warning indicators of any kind prior to the accident plus I had paid over 2000 dollars' worth of work and a set of 4 new tires put on this vehicle prior to this incident. Please advise and thank you.

NHTSA ID

11736448

Incident

Apr 20, 2026

I am looking to receive a little bit more assistance regarding my daughter's first car that she worked very hard for. It is a 2006 Toyota Prius. It was garage-kept and owned by an older couple who only put 85,000 miles on it. It is really a gem of a car. Soon after we registered the car, my daughter was out driving with her father. While going through a 4-way stop, she found that the brakes had failed and she was unable to stop at the intersection. Luckily, she was with her father, and he was able to give her verbal instruction to guide the both of them to safety. Upon further investigation, we learned that there was a recall on the Brake Actuator Assembly in 2016. Which is the part that has failed and almost caused my 16 year old daughter to crash the car she worked hard for. I contacted the Toyota Brand Engagement Center. It was stated to me that the recall has expired, however, I feel that the fact that a recall was issued means that it was recognized by Toyota that the vehicle was sold with a faulty brake system. This, in and of itself, is a hazard and could be fatal. This should be addressed and the brake system should be replaced as it is no fault to any owner regardless of the recall expiry date. We look forward to your timely response on how we can remedy this very serious safety issue. My daughter was super excited as she worked very hard to save up for her first Toyota and get it registered only to find that the brake system fails.

NHTSA ID

11724026

Incident

Feb 25, 2026

The contact owned a 2006 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while slowly driving into an intersection and turning left at less than 3 MPH, the owner of a Ford F-150 coming from the driver's side of the vehicle at 35 MPH crashed into their driver's side door. The crash caused the vehicle to slide to a complete stop. None of the air bags deployed. The driver of the Ford F-150 stated that the sun created a glare, preventing them from noticing the red light they had driven through. The contact's vehicle was towed and deemed totaled by their insurance. A police report was filed. The contact received a broken rib, rotator cuff, whiplash, and back injuries. Medical attention was needed. The dealer was not informed of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000

NHTSA ID

11691629

Incident

Sep 7, 2025

Mileage

150,000 mi

The following describes a near total failure of the brake system that accompanies and is triggered by routine aging of the battery. I believe this applies to multiple model years and editions of the Prius, based on reports by other owners on owners' discussion groups. I believe this should have the highest severity level. Here is what happens: An alarm is sounded, several warning lights ABS, VCS appear, and soon after that, the front brakes stop working. The rear brakes then prove ineffective and lock up. The happens with high frequency under any of the following conditions: (a) as the battery approaches 3yrs age, (b) it is excessively cold outside. (c) there is a higher than typical load on the 12V system from any of a variety of reasons. After installing a fresh new 12V battery, the above happens with much less frequency. There no warning on the dashboard to indicate that the condition of the 12V battery is not safe for operation of the vehicle. It seems clear that the route cause is that the brake control unit is configured within inadequate tolerance for the normal aging of the 12V battery, compounded by the absence of warning on the dash. This probably traces back to a poorly chosen LDO voltage regulator in the design of the brake control unit. Recommendation: Review the electrical designs for the brake control unit, all model years, replace as needed and update the dash board computer to provide warning when the battery condition is not sufficient for safe operation of the vehicle. I further recommend that this be done with all due haste, as the condition is quite dangerous. Qualifications: PhD Chemical Physics and Electrical Engineer

NHTSA ID

11633585

Incident

Dec 2, 2024

The light up display for the odometer, fuel gauge, and speedometer does not always light up. When it is not lit, the cruise control and any warning and informative alarms/lights also do not work. This is a well-known issue among owners of these cars, related to the capacitors on the circuit board for the display being defective, and there is extensive documentation of it online. It may also have had a technical service bulletin released for the issue, but I'm not entirely sure. The light goes out intermittently and is not always consistently out. I did mention it to the service personnel when I took it in to get recalls repaired recently, and they didn't seem surprised or unaware of the issue. I did not ask them to diagnose or fix it, as I know I can get it done for a better deal elsewhere.

NHTSA ID

11632471

Incident

Dec 6, 2024

The right or left headlight will rabdomly turn off, and tyrn back there 8s no ryme or readon to it,and while driving at night it is cery dangerous, aparebtly its not just this car, this is a common issue and it needs to be fixed

NHTSA ID

11611394

Incident

Aug 28, 2024

The actuator failed. The car is no longer safe to drive. This is a known issue. The company refused to fix the issue or recall the car. The warning lights and a loud beep are present if the vehicle is started.

NHTSA ID

11604899

Incident

Jun 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the steering wheel erroneously steered to the left direction on its own. The contact used force to maneuver the vehicle however the steering wheel independently veered again to the left, right, left, and then back to the right. The vehicle crashed into a curb, and violently accelerated across 2 lanes of oncoming traffic where a van crashed into the vehicle head-on. The air bags deployed upon impact. The contact sustained 11 fractured bones (L1 through L5 lower lumbar, pelvic, pelvis, 11th rib, and sacrum) and received medical attention via trauma center where she remained for over 2 weeks. The other driver of the van sustained unknown injuries but did not receive any known medical attention. A police report was not on file for the incident. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 77,000.

NHTSA ID

11602992

Incident

May 1, 2023

Mileage

77,000 mi

One afternoon, in the Summer of 23, I entered my Toyota Prius to run some errands. Once I proceeded to power on the car, none of the dashboard lights illuminated. This included the gas gauge, speedometer & transmission indicator. Fortunately, I was only driving a few blocks down the road from my residence as I live in a small rural town with little congestion, little traffic and mostly two-lane roads. I can't imagine this occurring in a much larger metropolitan city. When I arrived at my destination, I discovered that my Prius wouldn't shut off. This dashboard malfunction was preventing the Toyota from powering off. I quickly completed my errands with my vehicle running during this entire ordeal. Finally, when I returned home, I frantically researched on YouTube regarding this issue and discovered many others who also were having these no-illuminating-dashboard problems. Some YouTubers offered workarounds but the solutions will be temporary as the problem will eventually worsen until the Prius owners have no working dashboard lights. From the way I understand it, this problem is nothing more than a small computer board that's behind the speedometer and this computer board has a small diode that tends to burn out on all kinds of Toyota Priuses when it reaches around 150,000 miles.

NHTSA ID

11580571

Incident

Jul 1, 2023

The ABS Sensor on the brakes failed while driving on the highway. This could have caused an accident. These modules should last the lifetime of the car.

NHTSA ID

11565389

Incident

Jun 15, 2023

I was Driving down the main road at night time in my 2006 prius and the headlights both went out and all most caused a crash. I pulled over turned my car off then back on and the headlights came back on so i started driving home. After driving a couple blocks i was pulled over by the police because my drivers side headlight was off. Luckily he let me go with a warning, but i work at night and am losing money daily because of this problem. I sent toyota a email and no answer. There has been many electrical problems with this car and the speedometer still says i am deiving 34 to 35 mph while i am actually only going 30mph. I think that toyota should fully fix the problems in thos car. Its amazing there can be so much wrong with a vehicle and they not have to replace the vehicle with a vehicle that works or fix all the problems and give me a loaner vehicle. I will upload a picture of what the toyota dealership nearest to me wanted just to replace 1 bulb ans the balast wires going to the light for one loght they want $211.34 and that is just for the bulb and wire. For there time they said each bulb and wire would be around $500 worth of repair time to pay for them to put the new light and wire in so for one lightbulb with rhe wire would be about $800-$1000 for the dealership to replace the parts, so basically $2000 to replace both light bulbs and the wires and pay the toyota company to put them in. If you look at the estimate it is for 1 bulb and 1wire and that would be the price if i put them in and if i only wanted the parts. So $211.34 then i would have to double it because i would need 2 bulbs and 2 wires. Then i would have to add another $1000. That is $500 for labor for them to put the bulbs in per each bulb and wire and they said its not guaranteed it will fix the problem. So that is $422.68 for parts and they said somewere around $500 for them to install each bulb and wire and after it might not even fix the problem. So that is $2422.68 to maybe fix the problem.

NHTSA ID

11527647

Incident

Jun 3, 2023

my 2006 prius has 170000 miles, recently has abs brake actuator making sounds everytime when turn off.

NHTSA ID

11525145

Incident

Mar 9, 2023

Mileage

170,000 mi

Brake actuator is not working properly and will eventually get us in an accident. We bought the car brand new. There is a recall for this issue, but we were never notified by Toyota. After contacting Toyota, they claim we are out of the recall dates and will do nothing. I have requested a copy of the letter they should have sent you notifying us of this issue. They cannot provide one. I would like to be able to fix this car; I cannot afford another car or such an expensive repair caused by a defective Toyota part. Please, help us. Thank you.

NHTSA ID

11511378

Incident

Feb 28, 2023

The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while she was sitting in the vehicle that was parked in the garage, the vehicle accelerated on its own and proceeded to move forward while the emergency brake was activated, and no warning light illuminated. The vehicle struck the contacts home going inside the home. The contact stated the vehicle was not on, but the vehicle started on its own once the vehicle was pulled from the inside of the home. The contact legs where stuck in between the front side door of the vehicle but did not seek any medical attention. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not towed. The dealer or the manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 168,000.

NHTSA ID

11488356

Incident

Oct 5, 2022

Mileage

168,000 mi

The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while his wife was attempting to stop the engine and turn off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to turn off. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact's wife was able to drive safely to the residence. The contact disconnected the battery and conducted a personal diagnostic test and the vehicle was operable. The vehicle was not diagnosed by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 265,817.

NHTSA ID

11483322

Incident

Sep 6, 2022

Mileage

265,817 mi

Randomly the instrument panel (dashboard) does not turn on with the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11479149

Incident

Aug 13, 2022

The abs actuator is bad. Cant stop nor use the rechargeable braking. Very dangerous.

NHTSA ID

11466563

Incident

Apr 1, 2022

Power braking goes out and ringing in car with brakes and abs light on. Have to press extra hard to brake car. Also anther time coming out of a parking lot in reverse and brakes just stopped car as if I had hit something but had not hit anything.

NHTSA ID

11464827

Incident

Jul 15, 2017

The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while getting into the vehicle, there was a loud buzzing sound coming from the brakes. The contact stated that the brake, anti-slip regulation, ABS, and vehicle stability control warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the brake was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with an accumulator failure. The part was replaced; however, the failure recurred consistently. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 243,000.

NHTSA ID

11461514

Incident

Jan 10, 2022

Mileage

243,000 mi

Headlights Malfunctioning. Red triangle light has been present since the week after purchase. 2006 Prius was inspected by Toyota and a private technician. Headlights and 2 Relay fuses have been replaced and is still malfunctioning. This is a safety risk having headlights not working properly can cause accidents on dark roads at night. This should not be at owners expense when it is clearly a manufacturing issue. This causes owners to be ticketed as it is deemed to be a road hazard and it can not pass inspection due to faulty headlights.

NHTSA ID

11459339

Incident

Jan 27, 2021

When I brake and also go over a bump my 2006 Prius lurches forward. The traction control light illuminates. The faulty traction control system sent me into a 1-2 second lurch forward with zero brakes. Then the brake engage then I can stop. I told the dealer about it and they told me there is reprogram fix for the ECM but only 2008 to 2009 which a 2nd generation as my car since 2nd generation is 2005 to 2009 but they said we can do it for my car. I am not sure how they decide what year it can be applied to within the same generation which has the same exact parts. I am sure many prius owners have the same issue, you can see it from the bumpers detached at one side on the front and maybe both side becuase this how it was when i got my car who ever owned must have went through braking issue and i am sure he was shocked sinc i have driven so many csrs and non of them have this issue.

NHTSA ID

11448101

Incident

Jun 15, 2013

In June of 2018 My brake actuator failed on my 2006 Prius. At that time I had 169,689 miles on the vehicle. I had the part replaced at Autonation, a Toyota dealership for $2626 . Recently I had noticed that while sitting at a stoplight I was hearing a tapping noise at the brakes along with what they refer to as a 'seal bark'. The same sounds the car was making just before the actuator failed three years before. A few days later I was driving south on highway 19 in Saint Petersburg during a light rainstorm. Traffic slowed quickly in front of me. I pressed on the brake pedal and the brakes locked up. The ABS was not working. I was barely able to avoid a crash. On September 27th I took the car to the same Toyota dealership that had replaced the actuator three years earlier. I told them about the noises at the brakes and told them these were the same sounds the car was making when the actuator failed the first time. They checked it out and told me that everything was working fine and that the car was not issuing any error codes. They could hear the same noises that I could, but said that I would need to continue to drive the car until the actuator failed to the point that it lit up dash lights or issued error codes. I logged on to PriusChat to search for what other people were seeing. I am not alone in this. Many others have had the same experience with the dealerships saying 'drive it till it fails'. Drive it until you lose your brakes? If I'm in this situation, then how many other Prius owners are driving around with dangerous brakes. I have no choice but to wait until the failure gets worse. If you search results on PriusChat for 'actuator', I think you will see that this probably means that there are thousands of cars just like mine out there on the roads. I got 169,689 miles out of the first actuator and just 22,000 out of the second one. Based on what I've seen on PriusChat, the new part seems to be worse than the original part.

NHTSA ID

11435154

Incident

Sep 7, 2021

Discovered through failures repeated to dealers that certain items (Brakes, dashboard, et. al.) were recalled by Toyote. Never received recall notices. Contacted Toyota who demanded the vehicle be taken to dealer and now refuses to do anything. Have complete documentation to attach to this communication. Essentially: Dashboard failed, brakes failed when auto in operation. Likely there are UNKNOWN additional recalls, etc. of which we were not noticed

NHTSA ID

11430117

Incident

Mar 3, 2021

Vehicle, upon turning on ignition/starting and putting in either drive or reverse gear, on level surface with brakes still applied will roll forward or backward. This has happened several times but usually at first start up for the day No warning lights(brake or other) are displayed Brake pedal is firm /no problems with pads/shoes ,brakes work fine any other time. I have called the local toyota dealer and toyota(company) and told them about this safety issue but was told i would have to pay to get it diagnosed . No one other than my wife child and i experienced this problem . Fortunately no one has gotten hurt. Was suprised to learn that this problem is not a part of a recall.

NHTSA ID

11429625

Incident

Aug 18, 2021

The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power and immediately regained power. Approximately 24 hours later the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the hybrid water pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA campaign number 12V536000 (Engine and Engine Cooling, Hybrid Propulsion System). The contact indicated that the vehicle experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 167,000.

NHTSA ID

11426460

Incident

Jul 24, 2021

Mileage

167,000 mi