2024 Toyota Prius

I am writing to report a serious safety incident involving the rear seatbelt in my 2024 Toyota Prius, and to request that Toyota investigate this condition as a potential safety defect affecting other vehicles. On XXX at approximately 7:08pm , my daughter, age [XXX], was seated in the rear right seat of the vehicle. We were traveling at approximately 35 on city street in FAIRFIELD CA. She was belted in using the vehicle’s factory lap‑shoulder belt. Upon arrival, she adjusted the shoulder strap to gather her belongings and the seatbelt wrapped around her waist and cinched down to the point that it became dangerously tight and she was in severe pain. The belt continued to retract and would not loosen. Attempts to unbuckle the latch and to create slack by feeding the belt back into the retractor were unsuccessful. The belt remained locked tightly around her waist and could not be released. Because of the extreme tension and the location of the belt, we were unable to free her and ultimately had to cut the seatbelt to prevent further injury. This incident left visible marks/redness around her waist, and it presented a real risk of abdominal injury and impaired breathing. I have attached photographs taken immediately before the belt was cut that show how the belt path, seat back, and retractor configuration allowed the belt to wrap around and entrap my child. I am concerned that this may reflect a design defect in the rear seatbelt system and that other children could be similarly trapped and injured. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11744085

Incident

Jun 10, 2026

After the car dealership completed the first tire rotations, at 30,000 miles I rotated the tires to find severe inner tread wear on the tires where the inside of the tire was wore to the sidewall while outside portion was intact. I took the vehicle to an independent shop and the right rear suspension/tire was out of specifications on camber causing said tire wear. Toyota did not manufacture the car so that camber could be adjusted. An aftermarket kit was purchased to be able to compensate for the lack of adjustment. This is a safety concern as if a person does not rotate every 5,000 miles it will lead to tire failure at highway speeds. This is a common problem while researching forums. I have contacted the manufacturer and was given a generic response. There are reports with documentation with tire failure as early as 11,000 miles. Toyota needs to be held accountable and make a remedy for this instead of offering consumers a run around and blame hitting pot holes or on tire manufacturers, when it is clearly a suspension limitation. Thank you.

NHTSA ID

11734746

Incident

Apr 24, 2026

I was driving my 2024 Toyota Prius and was involved in a front-end collision. The impact was strong enough to cause significant front-end damage, but the front airbag did NOT deploy. I was wearing my seatbelt at the time. This is a serious safety concern because the airbag should have deployed in this type of frontal impact. If the crash had been worse, I could have been seriously injured. I believe this may be a safety defect in the airbag system.

NHTSA ID

11725998

Incident

Mar 18, 2026

On August 15, 2025, I was backing my vehicle when the rear view camera screen went blank, providing no image of what was behind me. With no warning and no image, I collided with a rock and landscape, causing damage to the rear of my vehicle. At the time of this incident, my vehicle had an open, unrepaired safety defect under Safety Recall 25TA13, which specifically addresses the condition that the rear view camera image may freeze or not display while reversing. I was not aware the recall existed at the time of my accident, and the recall remedy was not completed on my vehicle until February 12, 2026 — nearly six months after the incident. I filed a claim with Toyota Motor North America. They inspected the vehicle on February 11, 2026, found the camera functioning at that time (after the recall had since been remedied), and denied my claim. They cited owner's manual language advising drivers not to rely solely on the backup camera, but did not address the fact that the recall was unrepaired at the time of the accident. Additionally the parking collision warning and automatic braking should have engaged. The rock impacted the car right near one of the car cameras....so the collision warning and braking should have engaged. I am filing this complaint because I believe the unrepaired recall directly caused my inability to see behind my vehicle, and that Toyota's delay in notifying me and completing the remedy contributed to this incident. I am requesting that NHTSA review whether Toyota's notification and remedy timeline for Recall 25TA13 was adequate, and that this incident be added to the record of complaints associated with that recall.

NHTSA ID

11723621

Incident

Aug 5, 2025

The way the accelerator pedal sensor is positioned allows for water infiltration from wet carpet / tracked in snow and water. The component is available for inspection upon request. Once sufficiently saturated the sensor fails, and ceases function DURING VEHICLE MOVEMENT. The problem is reproducible but has not been confirmed as a pattern of failure by the dealership. As far as my recollection, the manufacturer hasn’t inspected the part. P2138 is the associated check engine code and the vehicle enters limp mode DURING TRAVEL. The check engine light (and subsequent problems) first appeared while in traffic on 2/10/2026.

NHTSA ID

11721303

Incident

Feb 10, 2026

There has been no incident, however the concern what happens with regards if someone is not completely understanding of when the battery is completely discharged….per instructions(difficult to find, terrible diagram, not even as described)we were finally able to unlock and open our rear hatch. However you must have a screw driver in order to open a panel to get to the latch which is supposed to be able to open easily. Upon opening, there is another screw which must be loosened, and a very tiny unmarked leaver which can not be seen as it is not marked nor easily seen. In the manual as well as when i actually went to the dealership I was told that there should be a brightly colored in either bright green or red pull that will open the latch. Our concern is for the individual who needs to open this hatch, is older and not as limber. Toyota needs to do better with their instructions. Who drives around with a screw driver in a Prius? When i went to the dealership to ask how to get into my vehicle the gentleman had to go speak to someone and I was given misinformation as the manual and the service individuals directions were completely different.

NHTSA ID

11720956

Incident

Feb 27, 2026

We took delivery of our 2024 Prius XLE (Gen 5) on 09-05-2024. It came with Toyo 19" Low Profile tires (195/50R19). On 04-17-2025 we had to replace a tire at 10,848 miles due to sidewall damage. On 05-05-2025 we had to replace a second tire at 11,749 miles due to side wall damage. Our dealer stated both side wall failures were most likely due to potholes. We did not remember hitting any major potholes. However, we live in Wisconsin were potholes of all sizes are prevalent. Both tire failures happen at night. Toyota does not provide a spare tire for the Prius. On the second tire failure, my wife had to drive a few miles to get to a safe spot to stop. On 11-25-2025 I replaced these Toyo tires with 19" Michelin tires. At that time I was told one of our wheels was damaged. I expect that happen when my wife had to drive on the flat to get to a safe location. In researching these tire problems, I found many other Gen 5 Prius owners had similar problems with the 19" Toyo tires. Interestingly, most owners reporting these tire problems lived in cold climate areas as we do. My Toyota dealer refuses to cover the wheel damage under warranty. In addition, Toyota refuses to cover the wheel replacement under warranty. These are the expenses I have encountered addressing this problem. First tire: $216.81, Second tire: $233.48, Replacement set of tires: $952.92. The cost for a new wheel is estimated at $781.93. In my opinion, the 19" Toyo tires are Unsafe At Any Speed on cold climate roads. Can you provide me with assistance in getting Toyota to cover my replacement wheel under warranty? In addition, I feel Toyota should face a RECALL for the 19" Toyo tires on the Gen 5 Prius. I have all the documentation for these charges. In addition, if you want more data on other owners that have faced this problem, I can reach out to them on social media and get them to contact you. Thanks for your assistance. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6

NHTSA ID

11720150

Incident

Nov 25, 2025

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Prius Hybrid equipped with Bridgestone Tires, Tire Line: Ecopia EP422, Tire Size: 195/60/R17, DOT Number: Y9CDCJTX. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in for routine maintenance, during the tire rotation, the mechanic discovered that one of the front tires had developed a bubble on the sidewall. The contact was advised that the tire was unsafe to use and recommended that the tire be replaced. No further information was available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 10,400. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID

11719028

Incident

Feb 19, 2026

Mileage

10,400 mi

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.