Which Toyota Prius years have the most owner complaints, what goes wrong, and how many recalls each year has.

Owners have filed 1,622 complaints with NHTSA about the Toyota Prius from 2012 to 2024. Across every year, the most reported problem areas are the brakes and stability control, the electrical system and the lights, wipers and visibility. The years with the most complaints are 2012, 2013 and 2014.
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| Year | Vs. other years | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Prius | Among the worst years | 425 | 6 |
| 2013 Prius | Among the worst years | 414 | 3 |
| 2014 Prius | Worse than most years | 211 | 3 |
| 2015 Prius | Worse than most years | 166 | 1 |
| 2016 Prius | About average | 156 | 5 |
| 2017 Prius | About average | 91 | 3 |
| 2018 Prius | One of the better years | 37 | 1 |
| 2019 Prius | One of the better years | 30 | 3 |
| 2020 Prius | One of the better years | 14 | 0 |
| 2021 Prius | One of the better years | 6 | 0 |
| 2022 Prius | Too new to judge | 24 | 1 |
| 2023 Prius | Too new to judge | 21 | 4 |
| 2024 Prius | Too new to judge | 27 | 4 |
Compared with its other years, the Prius years with the most owner complaints to NHTSA are 2012 and 2013. The most reported problem area across all years is the brakes and stability control.
The Prius years with clearly fewer complaints than a typical year are 2019, 2020 and 2021. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate fairly, since complaints keep coming in as cars age.
Across 2012 to 2024, owners report problems with the brakes and stability control, the electrical system and the lights, wipers and visibility most often. Each model year has its own pattern, so check the year you are looking at.
NHTSA lists 34 recalls across the 2012 to 2024 Prius, counted per model year. A recall can cover several years.
These problems are for the model year as a whole. Here is how to find out about the one you are looking at.
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