RoadVitals

2023 Toyota Prius

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

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.
18
Latest May 22, 2026
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
4
Latest Jan 28, 2026
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
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.
1
1 injuries, 1 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 18 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2023 Toyota Prius, most frequently naming the electrical, body & structure and interior & seats categories. 4 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 118 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Electrical522.7%
  • Body & structure313.6%
  • Interior & seats313.6%
  • Other / unspecified313.6%
  • Tires & wheels29.1%
  • Brakes29.1%
  • Steering14.5%
  • Powertrain (other)14.5%

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

4 campaigns 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.gov

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:SWITCHES/KNOBS/BUTTONS; LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

Jan 28, 2026
141,286 units potentially affected
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Prius Prime, 2023-2026 Prius, and 2025-2026 Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. Water may enter the rear door switch and cause a short circuit, allowing an unlocked rear door to open unexpectedly.
The risk: A door that unexpectedly opens while the vehicle is moving increases the risk of injury.
The remedy: Dealers will modify the rear door switch circuits, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed July 13, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 26TB03 and 26TA03. This recall expands and replaces NHTSA recall number 24V274. Vehicles repaired under the previous recall will need to have the new remedy performed.
Toyota Motor Engineering & ManufacturingManufacturer number 26TB03 / 26TA03View on NHTSA.gov

BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION

Oct 30, 2025
1,024,407 units potentially affected
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview camera to freeze or display a blank screen when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The risk: A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB13 and 25LB06. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE25.
Toyota Motor Engineering & ManufacturingManufacturer number 25TB13/25LB06/WRE25View on NHTSA.gov

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Jul 23, 2024
33,848 units potentially affected
The defect: Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain Toyota 2023 GR Supra, 2024 4 Runner, Corolla, Grand Highlander, Grand Highlander Hybrid, Land Cruiser Hybrid, Tacoma, Tacoma Hybrid, 2023-2024 BZ4X, Corolla Cross Hybrid, GR Corolla, GR86, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Prius Prime, Sequoia Hybrid, Tundra, Tundra Hybrid, Venza Hybrid, 2023-2025 Crown, and 2025 Camry Hybrid vehicles equipped with GST accessories. The load carrying capacity modification label may display inaccurate added weight values. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
The risk: A vehicle with an incorrect maximum capacity weight value may be overloaded, which can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy: GST will mail new labels to owners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2024. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 24R2.
Gulf States Toyota, Inc.Manufacturer number 24R2View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

ElectricalInterior & seats
Filed May 22, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Prius. The contact received a recall notification, NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V049000 (Electrical System, Latches/Locks/Linkages)however the parts were unavailable. The dealer was contacted, the contact was informed that the parts were unavailable. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced any failure regarding the unrepaired recall.

NHTSA ID
11739475
Incident
May 22, 2026
Body & structure
Filed May 19, 2026

What component failed: The rear plastic trim on my 2023 Toyota Prius cracked without any impact, accident, or external cause. The component is still on the vehicle and available for inspection upon request. Safety risk: While this is primarily a structural/cosmetic defect, cracking plastic trim that was not caused by the owner suggests a broader manufacturing quality issue. If this type of failure occurs in components closer to safety systems, it could pose a more serious risk. Confirmed by dealer: Yes. I brought the vehicle to a Toyota dealership and service center (Berkeley Toyota) for inspection. They confirmed the cracking. The vehicle was purchased at Livermore Toyota. Other inspections: The vehicle was inspected by the Berkeley Toyota dealership and service center. No other parties have inspected it at this time. Prior warning signs: None. There were no warning lights, sounds, or symptoms before the crack appeared. It was discovered suddenly with no preceding indicators.

NHTSA ID
11738763
Incident
Aug 5, 2025
ElectricalInterior & seats
Filed Apr 1, 2026

The contact owned a 2023 Toyota Prius. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 26V049000 (Electrical System, Latches/Locks/Linkages) and 24V274000 (Electrical System, Latches/Locks/Linkages); and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted.

NHTSA ID
11728543
Incident
Apr 1, 2026
Body & structure
Filed Jan 16, 2026

The rear plastic where the handle to open the truck is easily damaged and can cause water or damage inside the vehicle.

NHTSA ID
11711400
Incident
Jan 1, 2026
Body & structureSeat belts
Filed Jan 16, 2026

Body / Liftgate The rear hatch unexpectedly dropped and fell on my head while the vehicle was stationary. The right-side rear hatch gas strut separated from the body at the mounting point. The left-side rear hatch gas strut had also shown signs of imminent failure and subsequently broke near its mounting point. This resulted in loss of hatch support and uncontrolled closure, creating a risk of head and upper-body injury. The failure appears related to structural stress at the strut mounting locations, not misuse. Seat Belt – Rear Center Passenger The rear center passenger seat belt upper cover can be easily pulled off by passengers, which breaks the plastic retaining tab. When the tab breaks, plastic fragments fall into the seat belt mechanism, causing the belt to jam and fail to retract properly. This results in impaired seat belt function, which is a safety concern for rear passengers. The vehicle has not been modified, and the failure occurred during normal use. Vehicle mileage at time of incident was approximately 150,000 miles. The rear center passenger seat belt issue has been present since the vehicle was new. The rear center passenger seat belt mechanism was replaced twice by the dealer during the warranty period, with one replacement performed as a goodwill repair after Toyota Corporate declined coverage. Despite these repairs, the same issue reoccurred, indicating a persistent design-related vulnerability rather than isolated misuse. The issue results in seat belt jamming and failure to retract, which is a safety concern.

NHTSA ID
11711380
Incident
Dec 13, 2025
Other / unspecifiedTires & wheels
Filed Aug 20, 2025

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Prius equipped with Bridgestone Tires, Tire Line: Ecopia, Tire Size: 195/60/R17, DOT Number: 1ELUK0DDB. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 - 10 MPH in a parking lot, a piece of metal slashed the passenger’s side front tire. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was unable to use the tire puncture repair kit to repair the tire. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to repair the tire. The mechanic determined that the tire and wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and provided a refund. The tire was mailed to the manufacturer. The tire and vehicle failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID
11681786
Incident
Dec 20, 2024
Electrical
Filed Jul 30, 2025

Front door locks defective. Remote control doesn’t open the doors, even after replacing battery in key fob. It started with the driver door and now the passenger door doesn’t lock or unlock.

NHTSA ID
11677148
Incident
Jul 30, 2025
Other / unspecified
Filed Jul 4, 2025

Tires are failing on the year model at an alarming rate. We have just turned 30,000 miles and have had 7 failures. 2 were deemed unrepairable and had to be replaced, the others were patched or plugged. The concern is sidewall failures on this year model, seems as if it a poorly engineered wheel size for this car that will result in catastrophic failures. I’ve called Toyota and there are apparently no alternatives. Sidewall failures or regular flats. can place drivers in difficult/ dangerous driving conditions. Facebook Prius groups indicate this is a widespread issue not exclusively to me. I’ve been driving for 45 plus years and have never had such an experience as this. Keep in mind, Toyota sends these vehicles out without spares or tire changing equipment and the acceptable replacement tires are not readily available and have to be ordered. Again I’m making this issue known as these vehicles are creating dangerous conditions for inexperienced drivers and our motoring public that Toyota is not interested in correcting.

NHTSA ID
11671230
Incident
Jul 2, 2025

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

T-SB-0104-21 Rev2

ENGINE

OBSOLETE NOTICE February 27, 2026: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.

T-SB-0055-24 Rev2

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.

T-TT-0784-25 Rev1

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.

T-TT-0784-25

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.

T-SB-0058-23 Rev1

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.

T-TT-0779-25

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

To assist with the early detection and early resolution of audio related concerns you may be asked to recover MMR data from the head unit. The following steps are instructions on how to retrieve the data from the system and are only to be used when requested by FTS and/or FPE.

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

Toyota Prius by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2027000
2026510
2025152057.4
2024224062.9
2023Viewing184053.6
2022241159.3
2021601
2020140159.5
2019293166.8
2018351152.7
2017913158.8
20161545154.2
20151621369.6
20142053371.8
20134033371.9
20124216369.3
20115176365.6
20102,82010463.3
20095026263.4
20081,4974260.6
20072,0034358.9
20061,4396360.7
20051,0516362.4
20046106358.9
2003991143.5
20021672154.9
20011653155.8
2000400
1998000

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.