2005 Toyota Prius problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Exterior Lighting (301) · Vehicle Speed Control (98) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic (76)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota Prius model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
868 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Hybrid Propulsion System: Inverter 2012-11-14 · campaign 12V536000 · 350,662 vehicles
Defect: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2003, through March 30, 2009 and FCHV-adv vehicles manufactured December 12, 2008, through September 13, 2011. During manufacturing, a scratch may have occurred inside of the electrically driven water pump at the coil wire. The coil wire may corrode at the scratched portion.
Risk: The corroded coil wire may break and the water pump could stop. The corroded coil wire could cause a short circuit between coil wires and a possible open fuse, creating a stall-like condition of the hybrid system while the vehicle is being driven. This may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will replace the electric water pump, free of charge. The recall began on January 17, 2013. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
Steering:gear Box:shaft Sector 2012-11-14 · campaign 12V537000 · 669,705 vehicles
Defect: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 5, 2003, through March 30, 2009. The affected vehicles have a steering intermediate extension shaft assembly built with metal splines that complete the connection from the steering wheel to the steering gear. These splines may have been manufactured with an insufficient hardness.
Risk: Over time, the splines may wear and eventually fail resulting in a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the extension shaft and replace it if it is one with insufficient hardness, free of charge. The recall began during December 2012. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
Equipment:other:labels 2010-02-03 · campaign 10V036000 · 153,418 vehicles
Defect: SOUTHEAST TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2011 PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD WITHOUT THE REQUISITE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS.
Risk: A DRIVER MAY OVERLOAD A VEHICLE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Fix: DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SOUTHEAST TOYOTA AT 1-800-301-6859.
Service bulletins (222)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Engine 2026-02-13 · T-SB-0009-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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. the grx-5100 should be used wherever the repair manual ref
Engine 2026-02-13 · T-SB-0119-15 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
obsolete notice february 13, 2026: this bulletin is now obsolete. please see t-sb-0009-26.
Unknown Or Other 2026-01-07 · T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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 service bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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 vehicle surface, especially the horizonal areas of the hood, roof,
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
to prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. the purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and initial rust before the vehicle is delivered to the customer.
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0035-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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, roof, and decklid, significant damage to the painted surfa
Showing the 6 most recent of 222 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-02-16 · Unknown Or Other“eingen faliur acording to dealership toyota of anthioc the veicle is on there lot for now but there diagnostic was engine faliure …”
2026-01-11 · Service Brakes“abs actuator failed and had little to no braking action while merging on the freeway. had to swerve to avoid collision on interstate…”
2025-11-10 · Exterior Lighting:turn Signal · 143,500 mi“the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that while replacing the instrument cluster, the contact discovered that the turn signals were inoperable. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that an unknown part needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure …”
2025-11-10 · Exterior Lighting:turn Signal:flasher Unit · 143,500 mi“the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the left turn signal was activated, however, the left turn signal failed to function as intended. in addition, the contact stated that the four-way flashers failed to function as intended. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed …”
2025-05-02 · Air Bags · 💥 crash“vehicle: 2005 toyota prius vin: [xxx] date of incident: april 2024 location: citrus heights, california incident summary: in april 2024, i was involved in a front-end collision while driving my 2005 toyota prius. i rear-ended another vehicle at moderate to high speed. despite the severity of the impact, the driver-side airbag failed to deploy. as…”
2025-03-18 · Service Brakes“i had brake warning lights pop up on my dash..my brake actuator fail on my 05 prius.. this is a known issue with toyota prius. the brake actuator is a very important part of the braking system and vehicle is deemed unsafe with a failed actuator/module.. the dealer quoted over 3000 in repairs.. they were covering them for a while and now they are no…”
2024-08-16 · Service Brakes“brake actuator going bad. safety is put at risk as brakes are slow to work and sometimes don't work at all for a couple of seconds, making sudden stops impossible. has not been confirmed by dealer. has not been inspected. abs and tpms light would briefly pop up for a couple of seconds on car startup before shutting off.…”
2024-06-26 · Service Brakes · 299,999 mi“the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes seized. in addition, the contact heard a squealing sound and the abs warning light illuminated. the contact used the parking brake to stop the vehicle. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. th…”
2024-06-08 · Service Brakes“this has been an on going issue with all of toyota hybrids, the abs actuator which control the brakes isn't safe to drive around when not functioning right. dealership will not replace im suprise that this has no been a recall as its a safety hazard on the road not only for the driver but putting others in danger. my brakes sometimes is floored t…”
2024-04-11 · Service Brakes“prius have a long known problem w/ braking systems (over 15 years) defaulting to soft brake pedal that (will) kill any driver. toyota decided to avoid a recall by paying off a few repair jobs, during warranty. they have created a new part to resolve the issue. $4000 to replace a brake pump. most fail at 150k miles. . [xxx] information redacted …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.