2016 Toyota Prius V problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Vehicle Speed Control (4) · Air Bags (4) · Visibility/Wiper (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota Prius V model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (1)
Hybrid Propulsion System: Inverter 2020-06-24 · campaign 20V369000 · 266,638 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Prius and 2014-2017 Prius V vehicles not included in recall 18V-684. Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) within the inverter may cause the hybrid system to shut down, causing the vehicle to stall while being driven.
Risk: An unexpected hybrid power system shut down may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will perform a software update for the hybrid system. If the vehicle has experienced an inverter failure with certain hybrid system faults related to this condition, the inverter assembly will be repaired or replaced, prior to software update. All repairs will be performed free of charge. This recall began July 24, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB10 / 20TA10.
Service bulletins (273)
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
Electrical System 2025-08-20 · T-TT-0790-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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.
Electrical System 2025-06-13 · T-SB-0058-23 Rev1 · Service Campaign
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 leaks.
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,
Showing the 6 most recent of 273 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2025-12-13 · Vehicle Speed Control · 💥 crash“on [xxx] at [xxx] i was backing out of a driveway when my 2016 prius v5 accelerated on its own. when i applied the brakes, nothing happened. i hit a curb, which flattened the front passenger tire. in order to get the car to stop, i took it out of gear and put it in neutral. the car finally came to a stop. my speed while backing out of the driveway …”
2025-04-29 · Vehicle Speed Control“car was driving fine one day and then while driving down the interstate i had the pre collision system malfunction error, brake light came on, cruise will not operate, abs light is on. after much research it seems prius v has a common issue with brake booster faulting.…”
2024-10-07 · Fuel/Propulsion System“driving on the freeway the car stalled and was unable to accelerate. the issue seems identical to the 2020 recall. 2020-06-23 recall no. 20v369000 toyota motor engineering & manufacturing (toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2015 prius and 2014-2017 prius v vehicles not included in recall 18v-684. excessive voltage in the intelligent power module (ip…”
2024-05-26 · Structure:body“while traveling on nhs ca 99 about 80 miles before taking exit 97, there were pieces of tire debri on the center lane. it couldn’t be spotted and my vehicle drove over it making a big thud sound. it shaked my vehicle and left my family scared. it could have been really dangerous if there was a vehicle right ahead or behind my car. this incident br…”
2023-04-05 · Power Train“driving on freeway my prius v started shaking violently from what appeared to be overheating of water pump failure or the coolant invertor pump. i believe this to be a known issue toyota is aware of when i took my prius into camelback toyota in phoenix they said they could not recreate the issues. i know this was powertrain failure that could have …”
2022-04-18 · Air Bags · 💥 crash“while going 70 mph, i hid a feral hog. although the front end of my car crumpled up, and we came to a sudden stop, the air bags did not deploy. …”
2021-05-28 · Air Bags · 💥 crash“airbags failed to deploy upon impact with guardrail. drivers side front corner hit the guardrail at approx. 45% angle at 50-60mph. the vehicle was inspected by an insurance rep. and was deemed a total loss. the car is available for inspection.…”
2021-04-20 · Vehicle Speed Control · 70,000 mi · 💥 crash“while slowing and pulling into a parking space, in front of the dentist office where my wife had an appointment, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. it jumped the curb, and she steered hard right to avoid the building directly in front oh the parking space. she sideswiped the front of 2 vehicles parked next to the space she was moving into, and the c…”
2020-12-01 · Unknown Or Other · 17,801 mi“i previously sent in a complaint but there have been developments and i needed to explain more clearly. our toyota has less than 18,000 miles and has been very well taken care of. despite this, our vehicle has not been in operation since earlier this month. it started by flashing warning lights 2 weeks ago and then wouldn't start up. saturday …”
2020-11-27 · Unknown Or Other“our vehicle is completely inoperable. the battery works but the vehicle flashes all kinds of warning lights and will not start up. we believe that it may be due to rodents as toyota dealership pointed out rodent issue in cabin air filter last time we went there for some safety recall. it seems to be a huge issue with prius and we would have neve…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.