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2016 Toyota Prius Reliability & Recall Report

Based on 5 NHTSA recalls and 180 owner complaints. All data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — free, no signup required.

D
45/100

High Reported Activity — 2016 Toyota Prius

The 2016 Toyota Prius shows high recall and complaint activity in NHTSA data. Review the issues below and have a thorough pre-purchase inspection done by an independent mechanic.

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5
NHTSA Recalls
5 recalls on record
180
Owner Complaints
Filed with NHTSA
13
Crash Reports
In NHTSA complaints
⚠️

NHTSA Recalls — 2016 Toyota Prius (5)

All recalls listed below must be repaired by an authorized Toyota dealer at no charge to the owner.

🔧 Hybrid Propulsion System: Inverter
If the capacitor was not properly secured, vibrations from driving the vehicle may damage the capacitor, shutting down the hybrid system, causing a loss of motive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inverter, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin by early December 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at…
NHTSA #17V658000
🔧 Electrical System: Wiring
An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine wire harness assembly and replace it if damage is found. A protective sleeve or protective tape will be included to…
NHTSA #18V579000
🔧 Air Bags: Frontal: Passenger Side: Inflator Module
A front passenger air bag that unintentionally inflates can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at…
NHTSA #16V672000
🔧 Air Bags: Side/Window
If the air bags fail to deploy in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sensors as necessary based on their serial numbers, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 12, 2018. Owners…
NHTSA #18V085000
🔧 Parking Brake
If the parking brake cable disengages from the mechanism and the transmission is left in a gear other than 'Park' while the ignition is on and the driver leaves the vehicle, the vehicle may roll unexpectedly, increasing the risk of…
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a clip at the parking brake cable end to prevent the cable from disengaging, free of charge. The recall began November 10,…
NHTSA #16V741000
💬

Most Common Problems — 2016 Toyota Prius

Based on 180 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Bars show relative complaint frequency.

Visibility/wiper
33
Unknown Or Other
27
Electrical System
22
Power Train
15
Service Brakes
12
Structure
11
Vehicle Speed Control
11
Air Bags
11
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Toyota Prius — Complaints by Year

A spike means more owner complaints were filed for that model year. The 2016 model year is highlighted.

2010 2,823 complaints 2011 522 complaints 2013 414 complaints 2014 239 complaints 2015 166 complaints 2016 180 complaints 2017 91 complaints 2018 37 complaints 2019 30 complaints 2020 14 complaints 2012 687 complaints

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⚠ Higher-complaint years: 2010 — These model years have more owner complaints in NHTSA data than the other years compared.

✅ Best model years: 2015, 2016, 2017 — Lowest complaint rates for this model.

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Frequently Asked Questions — 2016 Toyota Prius

Is the 2016 Toyota Prius reliable?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2016 Toyota Prius has 5 recall campaigns and 180 owner complaints. This model year shows elevated recall or complaint activity — review the details and get a thorough pre-purchase inspection.
How many recalls does the 2016 Toyota Prius have?
The 2016 Toyota Prius has 5 NHTSA recalls. Affected systems include: see recall details above. All recalls are repaired free at authorized dealers.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Toyota Prius?
The most commonly reported problems for the 2016 Toyota Prius are: Visibility/wiper, Unknown Or Other, Electrical System, Power Train. See the complaint breakdown above for full details.
Is the 2016 Toyota Prius safe to buy?
The 2016 Toyota Prius has some safety and reliability items to review before buying. Ensure all 5 recalls are completed at a dealer. A pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic is strongly recommended.
What year Toyota Prius should I buy?
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the best years for the Toyota Prius are: 2015, 2016, 2017. These show the lowest complaint rates. Years with higher complaint counts: 2010.
How we score this: The score starts at 100 and subtracts points for the number of NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints filed for this model year, and for complaints that report crashes or fires. Newer model years get a small bonus because they have had less time to collect reports. These are raw counts and are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, so popular models tend to have more recalls and complaints. Complaints are unverified owner reports. This grade is not a prediction about any individual vehicle and is not an inspection: check a specific car’s VIN for open recalls and get an independent pre-purchase inspection.
Data source: All recall and complaint data is sourced directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public API. Data is cached and refreshed every 7 days. Recall and complaint counts reflect data available at the time of last cache update. For the most current recall status on a specific vehicle, enter the VIN above or visit NHTSA.gov/recalls.