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ProblemsByVin Index / 2019-TOYOTA-PRIUS / COMPLAINTS
Full complaint record · NHTSA

2019 Toyota Prius owner complaints

28 complaints filed with NHTSA on this vehicle , including 3 reporting a crash, fire, injury, or fatality. Showing the 300 most recent — grouped by category for scanning.

brakes 3 complaints shown

4 total in this category · moderate · avg repair $450 · see brakes cluster analysis →
10/29/2021 11,000 mi ODI #11438613.0

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that upon depression of the brake pedal, pulsation in the brake pedal could be felt without warning. Upon taking the vehicle to a dealer, he requested to have the rotors checked for any defects. He was given a service report that stated that the rotors needed to be replaced. Upon taking the vehicle home, the contact inspected the vehicle himself and discovered corrosion on all four of the brake rotors. The contact took the vehicle back to the dealer where they confirmed the failure and informed him that there were no recalls on the vehicle and that the brake rotors were not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and he filed a complaint. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approxi

10/11/2025 ODI #11692652.0

Since October 2023, my 2019 Toyota Prius has developed severe and unpredictable driving behavior after a regular brake service, which may have triggered or coincided with a software or ECU update. The car, which had been driving smoothly since I bought it in 2021, suddenly began showing false braking, steering interference, and lane instability — as if the car were trying to “correct” problems that didn’t exist. These interventions often happen on highways or during turns, creating serious safety risks for both driver and passengers. I’ve spent months and thousands of dollars replacing parts, performing alignments, and recalibrating sensors, including at Toyota dealerships. The problem persists because it is software-based, not mechanical. I discovered that in mid–2023, the NHTSA announce

09/11/2020 5,500 mi ODI #11354420.0

I was traveling at about 55 MPH on highway 66 when the instrument panel began flashing the following warnings: "braking power low, phsb malfunction, parking brake low, pre-collision malfunction, anti-lock malfunction, lane deparrure malfunction, brake overide" . The only obvious symptom was that there was no brake boost - the brakes continued to function, but without power assist. I am a former auto mechanic, so I would have noticed if there were any other symptons. The dealership had the car for 3 weeks and ultimately replaced both the brake booster and the master cylinder. They initially replaced the booster and discovered that that did not fix whatever was causing the warnings and dtcs. Toyota instructed them to replace the master cylinder and that apparently fixed the problem. Th

cruise control 3 complaints shown

3 total in this category · severe · avg repair $600 · see cruise control cluster analysis →
10/16/2024 Crash ODI #11620209.0

* I was pulling into a parking space at a slow speed. When I applied the brake the car accelerated causing the car to scrape the car next to the space. The car then stopped. * The acceleration was out of my control and the brakes did not stop it. Fortunately there was no person in front of me. * The Tow truck operator who came to get the car experienced the same issue when pulling into the bay at the dealer. I do not know about the manufacturer during their inspection as they did not provide me with that information. * Toyota had an inspection performed and that report was submitted to Toyota on August 20. We just received notification from Toyota that they found no problem with the car. * No warning lights noted.

10/14/2019 1,495 mi ODI #11268309.0

I was turning to exit a freeway and all of a sudden my car came to a stop (about 55mph to 0) in a matter of seconds with no warning. It then took a few seconds before I was able to get the gas to work again. No cars were around me luckily.

09/23/2019 ODI #11257336.0

Bought a new 2019 prius from grossinger Toyota on 9/13, went back to the dealer on 9/16 to get my old city sticker from my old car (this new car only had 61 miles), the new car broke while I was there. The entire dashboard went off (blinders cannot be turn on. No indication of speed, no indication of vehicle level, etc). Anything that's on the dashboard went blank. I turned on and off the new card a few time, but the result was the same. Toyota technician couldn't figure out what went wrong themselves. When that happened, I was just about ready to leave the dealer, then I quickly went back to show the grossinger dealer.

other 3 complaints shown

09/11/2019 7,210 mi ODI #11254774.0

Toyota prius 2019 can only change its map mode freeway exit inset while driving at 55 MPH. I must take my eyes off the road to find and press the correct buttons on the navigation screen. Seems to be a problem with all generation 4 prius's. You cannot change it when parked. The picture shows the options when parked.

08/06/2025 ODI #11678811.0

Coolant system failed because coolant was leaking into catalytic converter. Two mechanics in two different states (one a Toyota dealer) claimed this is defect with 2019 Prius and results in repair costing more than $2000.00 because of this design flaw. Warning light did not come on until coolant was gone.

06/06/2020 ODI #11327502.0

Prius stalls in the rain despite not being a recalled model. Pcs sensor is aftermarket, pedestrian warning alert noise is offline, suspension is cracked, engine makes creaking noise at low speed turning. I worked for Toyota as a salesperson and they really took advantage of me. *tr

airbags 2 complaints shown

4 total in this category · severe · avg repair $1,100 · see airbags cluster analysis →
12/04/2023 Crash ODI #11558272.0

Vehicle was involved in a accident and it was a total loss and no airbags deployed There wasBodily injury due to this accident

10/07/2019 Crash ODI #11266798.0

Our prius was involved in front to passenger side collision, which totaled the prius, yet no airbags deployed during the accident. The prius should have been equipped with side airbag and passenger airbag, which both failed even though those areas were impacted.

tires 2 complaints shown

11/10/2023 ODI #11554546.0

This complete set of Dunlop Enasave 01 A/S 195 / 65 R 15 91S tires has failed in a short span of time. At the beginning of October, we noticed a slight warbling while driving at any speed. An inspection by Les Schwab tires revealed exposed steel belting on the inside of one of the tires, although a quick check found all four tires were failing. A subsequent inspection by our local Toyota dealership found the same problem, with the additional information that the cords had snapped on all four tires. It is relevant to note that these tires only have 44K miles on them, and that the vehicle is garage kept and not exposed to abnormal conditions.

09/19/2023 ODI #11545467.0

Re: Front left and right Toyo Tires (195/65R15 ) Having passed MA state inspection at the end of August my husband and I headed out for a 500 mile road trip. I purposely went back to the station that did the inspection and asked if the tires looked okay for this trip. I was assured they would be fine. But 100 miles into the trip the front end was shimmying so badly my husband's leg in the passenger seat was vibrating. He didn't sleep that night and said, "I think we should look into new tires if we're going to continue." I found a Town Fair Tire store in Northhampton, MA and booked an appointment. On arrival one of the specialists came out to inspect the tires I wanted to change out and he stopped in his tracks to shake his head in disbelief. His words were, "You have been driving on secon

wheels 1 complaint shown

11/09/2023 ODI #11554435.0

The vehicle has started to exhibit a wobbling feeling when driving, similar to when there is a bubble or blister in the tire. At only 4 years old, and with only 44K miles, we knew this shouldn't be the problem. An inspection by Les Schwab Tires, as well as the Toyota dealership where we purchased the vehicle new confirmed that all four tires are damaged, i.e. the "cords snapped" on the belt, exposing the nylon and steel belts, and putting the vehicle in danger of a blow-out on all four tires. We first noticed this around the beginning of October.

seatbelts 1 complaint shown

10/05/2024 ODI #11618223.0

The issue is with the back middle seat belt. When the back right passenger seat, which is a 2/3 seat is placed down in order to accommodate long pieces of lumber, it remains stuck there as the seatbelt for the middle seat will not release. The seatbelt mechanism for the middle seat is located in the 2/3 seat which is stuck in the down position. Therefore, we cannot use the middle seat nor the back right seat because the seatbelt for the middle seat is locked in place and not releasing. So the back right seat is lying down and stuck there as the seatbelt for the middle seat is locked unable to release. Living alone, I rarely use the middle seat for passengers. Honestly, that seatbelt has probably only been used five times in five years. Obviously, this poses a Safety problem.

visibility 1 complaint shown

08/18/2023 ODI #11539346.0

This happened about 3 weeks ago. I drove to work on local roads with no incidents of debris hitting windshield - no visible cracks. After my shift I spotted about a three foot crack in the middle of windshield leading down to passenger side. No warnings or symptoms of a problem. Although car is 2019, I have less than 16000 miles on it & most of my driving is highway & local roads. I’ve read that 2016-2017 Prius had this issue with lawsuit pending which also stated safety concerns over early warning detection system failing due to windshield cracks. Toyota (on phone) said it would cost 1200 to replace. I bought the extended warranty but it doesn’t cover the windshield. No inspection done except by coworkers.

engine 1 complaint shown

06/17/2025 95,000 mi ODI #11667430.0

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Prius. The contact stated there was a coolant leak and the coolant level was low. There was no indication of coolant on the ground. The check engine and engine HOT warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to TSB: 0135-19. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that there was a coolant leak in the front exhaust pipe heat exchanger. The parts to repair the vehicle were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

electrical 1 complaint shown

3 total in this category · severe · avg repair $850 · see electrical cluster analysis →
06/09/2022 ODI #11468535.0

Whenever it rains the warning message clean parking assist sensor comes on while you are driving. Even after you clean the sensors the warning continues to beep contiously. You can press the back button but it will not stop. Also proximity sensor comes on with this incident. After the rain stops the problem stops.

powertrain 1 complaint shown

05/28/2025 ODI #11663559.0

Exhaust heat-exchanger coolant pipe (part of the hybrid cooling loop) on my 2019 Toyota Prius is the system that failed. Safety risk: complete loss of coolant can cause sudden engine overheating and possible power reduction or shutdown while the vehicle is moving. I transport two young children daily; an unexpected stall on a highway or during an intersection turn would put all occupants and surrounding traffic at risk. AutoNation Toyota Mall of Georgia (dealer) inspected the car on 22-May-2025, confirmed the leak, and advised the vehicle is unsafe to drive until the pipe is replaced. Repair estimate is $2,249 parts & labor to replace the front exhaust pipe that is on back order, no ETA. Toyota Corporate (Brand Engagement, Case # 250522002498) is aware; they escalated the file to their Par

Showing 300 of 28 total complaints. The full federal record is available at nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2019/Toyota/Prius#complaints.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaint database. Last synced 2026-06-14. Complaints are owner-submitted and unverified — the existence of a complaint is not proof of a defect, but a pattern of complaints around the same component is a signal worth weighing. Verify any specific filing at nhtsa.gov.
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