2016 Toyota Prius Owner Complaints

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while the vehicle was on and running, the ABS and traction control warning lights illuminated, and the messages "Braking Power Low - Stop in a Safe Place”, “See Owner's Manual", "Braking Power Low - Visit the Dealer", and "ABS Malfunction - See Dealer" were displayed. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal was firm. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and DTC: C14B6 was retrieved, indicating that the brake booster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired; however, the code was cleared. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where the information from the dealer was relayed that the brake booster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,028.

NHTSA ID

11747244

Incident

May 26, 2026

Mileage

100,028 mi

Second time !!!! during ownership of car that brakes fail. Same problem as before Brake Actuator/Booster Failures: Multiple reports indicate issues with the ABS actuator or brake booster pump, leading to warning lights ("Braking power low", "ABS system malfunction").

NHTSA ID

11737281

Incident

May 12, 2026

The car has a very strong gas smell, especially when full.

NHTSA ID

11732860

Incident

Apr 1, 2020

Found coolant leak from heat exchanger into exhaust pipe. Looks like, T-SB-0135-19.

NHTSA ID

11678347

Incident

Aug 4, 2025

The headlights are either too bright or aimed poorly that it blinds oncoming traffic, who frequently flash their high beams at me. This occurs without any load in back and without me using the high beams. Can Toyota either adjust the bulbs or place a film on the headlights to prevent blinding oncoming traffic? Thank you!

NHTSA ID

11654206

Incident

Apr 11, 2025

Water pump failed without warning and caused irreparable damage to the engine ("blown" engine requiring replacement). Vehicle began to stall and not respond to attempted acceleration while traveling on 4 lane divided highway, 55 mph speed limit. One "Maintenance Required" message was received the previous week, but disappeared. This is the same message that appears for routine oil changes. No other warning messages were noted at the time of the incident, no unusual noises, and no smoke or other sign of overheating. Driver was able to steer vehicle to safety, but this failure could result in stranding on a busy, dangerous interstate highway. For such a critical piece of the vehicle (i.e., the water pump), there should be obvious warning message(s) and dedicated monitoring of the equipment.

NHTSA ID

11648235

Incident

Mar 8, 2025

Refer to TSB 0135-19 dealer denied repairing under the California emissions defect and performance warranty.

NHTSA ID

11638452

Incident

Jan 25, 2025

My car suddenly stopped in the middle of the road with message "Hybrid system stopped steering power low". Safety concern to this happen on the middle of road during rain or cold.

NHTSA ID

11636396

Incident

Jan 16, 2025

During summer months when temperatures are above 100 degrees when accelerating from a complete stop I can hear the engine rev and the RPMs increase but the vehicle will move at 1-2 mph. Even if the accelerator is to the floor. After 3-4 seconds the tires will squeal and the vehicle will be jolted forward then it will slowly accelerate. This happens occasionally and I have taken it to a Toyota dealership and a chain mechanic shop, neither have been able to recreate the problem. There are no warnings and no error codes. I have been stuck in the middle of intersections trying to turn left, I have not been hit, but I fear it will happen. There is a recall out for this issue on other Priuses and I believe the issue needs to be investigated further as there is another complaint on this site for the same issue and I have found it on other sites. I bought the car in fall of 2019 and this problem has been occurring since summer of 2020.

NHTSA ID

11600638

Incident

Jun 3, 2020

We were driving in San Diego and had driven oven a bit pothole. About 50 miles after driving over the pothole, the brakes stopped working. We were pressing down hard on the brake, but the brake was soft and did not do its job. We almost rear ended the car in front of us. We brought the car right away to a close by auto shop and they said there were no leaks as the brake fluid was still close to the max and they did not find any indication of a brake fluid leak and sent us on our way. We are still unsure as to why the brake from this vehicle stopped.

NHTSA ID

11592744

Incident

Jun 5, 2024

Paint is starting to peel around trunk, clear coat has peeled off of black triangle areas by rear passenger windows on both sides of vehicle. Other 2016 Prius have had a paint recall. My vehicle needs to be included in the recall.

NHTSA ID

11592674

Incident

Mar 1, 2024

Starting in about 2019, the exterior black panel behind the rear right mirror began peeling. Soon, the blue exterior paint on the car began to show damaged spots, lining up with the parts of the car most exposed to the sun: the roof most of all, but the top panel behind the rear window and the top of the trunk showing signs of damage as well. The beginnings of this damage are also appearing on a couple of parts of the side doors, making it clear that the underlying problem applies to all of the blue exterior paint. It seems as if the exterior layer - some sort of sealant or finish - is not holding up properly in the sun. By contrast, our red-painted 2014 Prius, which has been exposed to the same conditions but for a longer period of time - shows none of this damage. The damage is quite extensive and visible, and it's unclear to what extent the protective qualities of the paint are now compromised. The service department at the dealership has inspected the paint, as has a third-party shop, and all agree that there is a serious paint problem. The issue is available for further inspection. The safety issue here is the potential for corrosion of the body due to the compromised paint integrity.

NHTSA ID

11586268

Incident

May 1, 2024

While driving vehicle on the freeway it stated braking power low, stop in a safe place, antilock brake system malfunction, pre-collision system malfunction, lane departure alert malfunction. I was almost in a major scary accident.

NHTSA ID

11585005

Incident

Apr 22, 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the steering wheel stopped operating and the vehicle began to shut down. The contact stated that a yellow blinking light and a hybrid system malfunction warning light illuminated the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the hybrid battery was low and there was a failure of the engine wiring harness. The hybrid battery was able to recharge but the dealer stated that the electric wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,141.

NHTSA ID

11582151

Incident

Apr 10, 2024

Mileage

159,141 mi

Coolant is leaking. There were no indicator that coolant is low. Suddenly while trying to get on the freeway the car would not get up to speed regardless how much pressure was put on the pedals. On the way back home, all of a sudden the engine temperature light flashed on then off twice. The car operated like normal but it was still concerning and we had it checked out. Coolant was leaking but no where to be found? It seems Toyota had previous recalls where coolant was leaking into the engine. I think my model is also affected.

NHTSA ID

11571403

Incident

Feb 4, 2024

I reported issues with this car in 2018. Clicking sounds under the car which is still happening, peeling paint on exterior and inside door areas, substandard windshield that spread in a very unusual pattern when hit by a small rock. The NHTSA ID Number that was assigned to these complaints is [XXX] . None of these problems have been addressed. There are other owners that have experienced the same problems, apparently their issues have not been addressed. These problems should have been sent by you to the Toyota Corporation, but apparently was not. I have owned many Toyota vehicles and have not experienced these problems. I also own a 2012 Toyota Prius which I drive when I when I am traveling on the interstate, because I feel that the clicking noises on the 2016 Toyota Prius is a safety issue that seems to be coming from the steering section underneath the car. When traveling the speed limit on the on Interstate highways, what would be the outcome if the steering mechanisms underneath the car did not work properly. It is a shame that this safety issue has not been addressed by you, and it is also a shame that I have to drive my older toyota at these times to feel safer when driving. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11535013

Incident

Aug 1, 2018

We were driving kids to camp and the thermometer light went on. It was blinking for a while, then turned off and then turned steadily on. We weren't sure what to do, so we called our trusty mechanic who said "bring it in right now." We did and it turned out that this was a broken head gasket. Our car is regularly maintained by a trusted Prius mechanic and has less than 78K miles, despite its age. From our mechanic: We found the engine coolant was low in the radiator. We filled the system and pressure-tested, found no external leaks. The thermostat and fans operate normally. We found 54 ppm HCs in the radiator initially, and after a test-drive we re-checked and found 110 ppm HC in the radiator. Combustion chamber gas is getting into the cooling system, typically a symptom of headgasket failure. The cylinder head needs to be removed to evaluate. FYI this is the first headgasket failure we have seen on the 4th gen Prius, but it is the same engine designation as the 3rd gen Prius, which has a pattern problem of headgasket failure. The expectation is that the failure is the same, but we need to open the engine to evaluate. Given the low mileage, it might be worth pushing Toyota for a goodwill warranty even though it is out of the official powertrain warranty period. I called Toyota and they refused to pass along a goodwill warranty.

NHTSA ID

11526097

Incident

Jun 7, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Prius equipped with Cooper Tires, Tire Line: Mastercraft, Tire Size: 195/65/15, DOT Number: (Not Available). The contacted stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle began to violently shake and vibrated. After stopping to inspect the vehicle, it was discovered that the passenger’s side rear tire had experienced sidewall steel belt separation. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

NHTSA ID

11515151

Incident

Mar 24, 2023

Mileage

20,000 mi

On September 2022 (at 46K) Dealer did TSB related fix on my 2016 Prius. PFA for service record. They replaced Exhaust Front Pipe, which is suggested work from Toyota PFA for Toyota Technical Bulletin. T-SB-0135-19 At 51,747 on March 1st 2023 around 8 40 am, while we are driving on highway at 70 mph suddenly Check Engine Light, Coolant light, Hybrid related lights were on Vehicle lost the control, speed was dropping luckily we could safely stop the vehicle on the shoulder no Vehicle hit us from behind. Sudden stop of engine while driving on highway at 51K miles is safety issue. Toyota dealer could not provide additional details except Engine is over heating.

NHTSA ID

11510536

Incident

Mar 1, 2023

Shortly after having my Toyota serviced, I had an engine coolant warning sign appear. I checked and noted the coolant was gone. I bought coolant and filled the coolant tank. A week later, I see the light again. I have seen no leakage at all on the ground. I refilled the coolant and checked again the next morning. Again the tank is empty. I took the car to a local reputable service person and thus far, he sees no leakage outside of the car. This suggests to him a bigger problem, where the coolant is going somewhere it should not. If it is to the engine, I will have to replace that!!

NHTSA ID

11480770

Incident

Aug 13, 2022

At the beginning of this week, I was checking fluid levels and upon dropping my hood, I watched a crack in the windshield extend up from the base of the windshield. Then, while I was driving, I watched the crack extend and branch into a second crack. Upon further inspection, it appears cracking started under the windshield wiper and arched downward to the base of the windshield and another a new crack extend upward. I am the only person who drives this car. I do not park under a tree or anything that might fall on the windshield. I have not experienced any rocks hitting the windshield recently. I have not driven in the rain in several weeks. The only time the windshield wipers moved recently is when I cleaned my windshield over the weekend and lifted the wipers to reach underneath. Best as I can tell, the crack started due to the windshield wiper being picked up and let back down. This concerns me a great deal considering that is not a great amount of force.

NHTSA ID

11475445

Incident

Jul 18, 2022

When the battery cooling fan is running, the car is slow to accelerate or will not accelerate at all. The incident has happened multiple times over the past year when the temperatures are above 90. If at a complete stop, the car will not accelerate, it will only jerk forward. The car has to be turned off and restarted to be able to accelerate. If braking or reducing speed, the car will be sluggish, and I have not been able to get the speed over 40 mph. I have taken it to the dealership, but they said they could not recreate the issue, though I do not believe that they followed the directions I gave them to recreate the problem. No warning lights appear when the issue occurs, so they did not have an answer. The first time the incident occurred, I had just had the scheduled maintenance completed two days earlier and they did not find anything in the inspection that needed to be repaired. The first time the incident occurred, I was at a stop light trying to make a right turn. The incident has occurred twice when trying to pull on to the highway and accelerate up to speed.

NHTSA ID

11469085

Incident

Jun 13, 2022

Overheating light began flashing while driving 5/21/22. Drove to Napa Auto Parts and saw coolant reservoir was empty. Bought anti-freeze and filled reservoir. Upon arrival at destination, reservoir was empty again. Filled it again. Upon the next morning, reservoir was empty again. Took it to an auto-shop which found that the exhaust heat exchanger in my car has failed and is leaking coolant. Please see Applicable technical service bulletin, T-SB 0135-19. While the car is less than 96 months old, it is above 80k miles. I see this issue has been escalated in California, where the warranty is for 96 months and 150k miles. Want to report that the change in miles between states is disappointing. This issue is common and should be handled as a known recall, not just a known issue.

NHTSA ID

11465810

Incident

May 21, 2022

My steering wheel controls, including odometer, cruise control, horn, and airbag light is on. I took it to the dealership and they said it is the spring (clocking) cable in the steering wheel. Looking up a recall there are quite a few years and models where this exact issue has been recalled on Toyotas, but the dealership says my 2016 Toyota Prius is not cover (same exact issue). I submitted a ticket through Toyota customer service but they have done nothing about this safety issue for the 2016 Toyota Prius. I see lots of blogs and complaints because the airbag default warning light stays lit, so I assume airbag is not functional. I found a site that says to put the complaint through here.

NHTSA ID

11462220

Incident

Apr 22, 2021

Our car has approximately 65K miles on it. THREE of the door lock actuators have failed already. This is terrifying that we might not be able to lock or unlock doors in an emergency particularly with our kids in the back seat. We have had our Prius serviced regularly by an independent well regarded local hybrid car mechanic and they think it is very odd that these have all failed so quickly.

NHTSA ID

11457984

Incident

Mar 1, 2022