Toyota Prius v 2012–2017

Summary

6 model years in 1 generation, 477 owner complaints in total.
No model year holds enough complaints in its first three years to be compared with the others.
These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
Half of the complaints that give a mileage were filed by 68,000 miles (266 of them give one).
Owners reported 45 crashes, 7 fires, 23 injuries and 3 deaths across these model years.
6 recalls and 1 federal investigation cover these model years; 1 investigation is still open.

2012–2017

Each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Fewer than three years of this generation are comparable, so no year is named.

Model year	All complaints	First three years	Most reported system	Note
2012	218	35	Brakes	not compared
2013	125	18	Brakes	not compared
2014	82	12	Brakes	not compared
2015	24	5	Brakes	not compared
2016	16	4	Accelerator & Cruise Control	not compared
2017	12	8	Lighting	not compared

Every model year

A model year gets its own page when four sources cover it, it holds at least 50 complaints, and it either compares with the other years of its generation or shows one system in 40% or more of the complaints that name a component. The rest are listed here with their figures.

Model year	Complaints	Recalls	Investigations	Bulletins	Combined MPG	Page
2012	218	4	1	496	41	yes
2013	125	3	0	497	41	yes
2014	82	4	0	464	41	yes
2015	24	2	0	377	41	listed here
2016	16	1	0	273	41	listed here
2017	12	1	0	242	41	listed here

What owners report across all years

System	Complaints	Share	Median mileage
Brakes	260	57%	79,000 mi
Engine	71	16%	120,000 mi
Electrical System	61	13%	68,000 mi
Accelerator & Cruise Control	37	8%	38,000 mi
Fuel & Propulsion	36	8%	100,000 mi

Shares are over complaints that name a component; a complaint naming several systems is counted under each.

Brakes

Owner report The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH and depressing the brake pedal there was a buzzing sound coming from the vehicle and the brake warning light illuminated. The contact stated that after inspecting the vehicle, the brake fluid level was very low. The vehicle was taken to …

Owner report The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius V. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, brake fluid was leaking from the vehicle. While driving over 45 MPH, the brake pedal became firm, requiring the driver to exert extra force while depressing the brake pedal; the brakes failed to respond as intended. Additionally, a bu…

Engine

Owner report I purchased a 2014 Toyota Prius V in 2013, and it currently has 120,000 miles on it. Last month, the engine light came on, so I took it to a dealership. They diagnosed the issue and provided the codes P0302 and P0304. After consulting multiple shops, all confirmed that coolant is leaking into the engine, which means I …

Owner report Driving down the highway, the engine suddenly threw a rod, causing a terrible jolt, after which the engine burst into flames. There had been no warning lights.

Electrical System

Owner report 8/2025 Car stalled on freeway. Went to dealer. They said nothing wrong. Then on a trip north, car stalled again on freeway. Went to the nearest dealer. They too said nothing wrong. This time same thing. There is a recall for the exact symptoms of the exact car yet they say the repair was done. Why does my vin not quali…

Owner report Brake actuator failure requires actuator and master cylinder replacement. All dash lights came on while driving. The vehicle was diagnosed at Brian Easler Toyota in Hendersonville North Carolina. The brakes are still operational temporarily but spongy and expected to fail so the car is not drivable. I expect to h…

Largest recalls

Campaign	Component	Filed	Vehicles
18V684000	HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM	2018-10-04	807,329
20V369000	HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM: INVERTER	2020-06-24	266,638
15V449000	HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM: INVERTER	2015-07-15	108,624
15V013000	AIR BAGS	2015-01-16	4,971
13V014000	SEATS \| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE	2013-01-16	3,235

Whether a recall has been done on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Open investigations

Action	Component	Opened	Subject
DP23005	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS	2023-11-22	Brake Actuator Valve Wear

Service bulletins

Toyota issued 2,349 service bulletins covering these model years, most often about equipment.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so a bulletin listed here may not be specific to one year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

Date	Component	Summary
2026-02-13	ENGINE	OBSOLETE NOTICE February 13, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0009-26.
2026-02-13	ENGINE	This bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge on Ni-MH high voltage (HV) batteries. This bulletin should be used in conjunction with the applicable model and model year Repair Manual while performing a rescue charge…
2026-01-07	UNKNOWN OR OTHER	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 Serv…
2025-08-20	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	Some customers may experience echoing on the line calling the vehicle when using Bluetooth Hands Free. This is caused by the phone Hands Free volume being too low.
2025-06-13	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…
2024-12-06	STRUCTURE:BODY	Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood…
2024-12-06	STRUCTURE:BODY	The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicl…
2024-12-05	STRUCTURE:BODY	Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow the Removal Procedure …
2024-12-03	STRUCTURE:BODY	Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. This type of contamination can be identified by the …
2024-07-29	STRUCTURE:BODY	Some 2005 – 2024 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 Serv…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more after news coverage or a recall. That is why years are compared only with other years of the same generation, over the same span, and never with other models.

Sources

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications (data as of 2026-10-28).
U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines and fuel economy.

This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection.