2016 Toyota Prius Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 18,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

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!Owner complaint, filed 2025

Moments ago, I entered my 2016 Toyota Prius to find that my windshield had mysteriously cracked while parked over night. The crack was not present when I last drove the car last night. Based on some online research for windshield replacement cost, I've learned that Toyota was faced with a class action lawsuit regarding 2016-17 Toyota…Owner complaint, filed 2021

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 26,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

Blue tooth connection via phone will be dropped after 7-10 seconds post connection to the vehicle. Audio player can be connected separately but once the phone connects the display console resets as if the car was just being started. Car can be stationary not moving. No differenceOwner complaint, filed 2020, at 97,300 miles

When starting the car the electronic dashboard was black with no info on speed. We drove it 70 miles home guessing at the speed. We turned if off and restarted it with the same result. Then we got home, turned it off, restarted it and the dashboard was back, working normally. Wtf? Not having a speedometer is a huge safety hazard. There…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 40,700 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 8,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

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…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 100,028 miles

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").Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 40,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

The front exhaust pipe assembly (heat exchanger) on my 2016 Toyota Prius leaked engine coolant internally into the exhaust system. Toyota has documented this condition in Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0135-19 ("Low Coolant, MIL ON DTC P148F00, and/or Poor Heater Performance") for 2016-2019 Prius vehicles and released a redesigned…Owner complaint, filed 2026

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…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 24,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

Over the course of the last year, I have noticed an increasingly louder clicking noise coming from the front left (driver side) wheel area upon breaking. The noise goes away if I shift into neutral, so I'm nearly positive that this is related to the axle/CV joint. I've also conducted extensive research on this issue and it is a common…Owner complaint, filed 2021

The contact owns a 2016 toyota prius. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v741000 (parking brake); however, the technician did not complete the recall repair. The contact did not disclose the reasoning for the dealer not performing the repair. The contact stated that the [VIN] exceeded a reasonable amount of…Owner complaint, filed 2017

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 13,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

I've noticed a few times while driving that my prius started accelerating when my foot was off the pedal. It hasn't caused an accident or anything too scary yet but it is disconcerting. I noticed others had complained about this and wanted to add that I seem to be experiencing the issue too. It's possible it's just my vehicle…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 44,000 miles

Spontaneous acceleration incident. I was slowly pulling into a parking space in a parking garage. As I straightened it out to complete the maneuver, the car took off on its own and hit the wall of the parking garage there was some damage to the front end. A similar incident occurred once before with no damage. Toyota has had recalls in…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 14,500 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 18,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (10).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

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.Owner complaint, filed 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…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 20,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

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…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 20,000 miles

My 2016 prius four touring with 25,202 miles is chewing up its tires. Specifically, it is chewing them up on the "inside" of the rear tires (that is, the tread of the rear tires closest to the center of the car is being worn off faster than the tread on the "outside" of the tires). The rear wheels are out of alignment in the camber by a…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 25,202 miles

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

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…Owner complaint, filed 2022

The contact owns a 2016 toyota prius. The contact stated that while driving at a very low speed a second vehicle suddenly crashed into the rear of the vehicle pushing it into the rear end of a third vehicle positioned ahead. During the incident the vehicle sustained significant damage to the front end and was destroyed but the air bags…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 45,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Sometimes when it is hot my prius does not accelerate from a stop when the accelerator is pressed for 1 or more seconds; this makes it a death-trap on left turns. Toyota dealers have serviced it 3 times for this complaint with no resolution.Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 81,000 miles

I turned on my car in a flat parking lot, reversed out of my spot, and drove up to a traffic light to exit the parking lot. When the light turned green, I took my foot off the brake and tried to accelerate, but nothing happened. After a few seconds, my car lurched forward with a sudden jerk, and I was able to exit, but this behavior (no…Owner complaint, filed 2026

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

Rear shock nut comes loose and toyota has issued TSB 0144-16, to tighten the nut. This is common among prius. This must be a recall otherwise it is dangerous if the shock become loose. Initially the dealer told me to replace shocks but fortunately I found out about TSB and the delear fixed it free.Owner complaint, filed 2019

Rear suspension creaking and feels soft in the rear. While driving or going onto a driveway the rear suspension creaks and pops. Driving normally the rear end seems to bob around often and feels super soft.Owner complaint, filed 2018

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owned a 2016 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while switching lanes, the vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle driving at 30 MPH. The contact's front driver's side seat backrest inadvertently moved backward, which caused her shins to hit the dashboard under the steering wheel during impact. None of the air bags…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 88,000 miles

Seatbelt on drivers side does not retract, gets caught in door when exiting the car. Dealer won't fix it. It's a safety issue in that the driver when exiting has to stop deal with extended seat belt caught in door, could be hit by another car in a parking lot or the street. It's been like this for months. Very annoying.a google search…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 25,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

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.Owner complaint, filed 2025

I bought my 2016 Prius brand new in November of 2016. Over the past 2 years or so my OEM leather like steering wheel wrap started to wrinkle. it is now cracking and starting to peel. it hasn't caused any stealing control issues, it is just ugly an slight distracting on the palm of the hand. I do worry that if might start causing gripping…Owner complaint, filed 2021

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

This issue happens randomly. When powering the car on, and while the car is doing its routine dashboard light-ups and the dinging sounds, sometimes the forward sonars would beep and detect the object in front of the car. The forward warning indicator shows up on the multi-information screen even when the car is still in park and while…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 31,200 miles

The contact owns a 2016 toyota prius. While attempting to start the vehicle, the collision avoidance indicator remained illuminated and the cruise control failed to work. The contact took the vehicle to gates toyota (640 w ireland rd, south bend, in 46614), but it was not diagnosed or repaired. The [VIN] was not notified. The failure…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 70,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Ask for a hybrid battery health report from a dealer or hybrid shop.
• Watch for warning messages at startup and on the test drive, and confirm the car switches between gas and electric smoothly.

Tools that help

What owners said

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…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 159,141 miles