2017 Toyota Prius problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Visibility/Wiper (17) · Vehicle Speed Control (13) · Service Brakes (10)
🧭 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
66 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Electrical System:wiring 2018-09-05 · campaign 18V579000 · 192,347 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Toyota Prius vehicles. A portion of the engine wire harness connected to the hybrid Power Control Unit (PCU), could contact the cover at this connection and wear, causing an electrical short circuit.
Risk: An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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 prevent any future damage. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0T.
Tires:temporary/Emergency Spare Tire 2017-05-02 · campaign 17V295000 · 409 vehicles
Defect: Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (Gulf States) is recalling certain 2017 4Runner , 86, Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, Corolla iM, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Prius C, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Sienna and Yaris vehicles. The spare tire air pressure was not adjusted to the proper pressure as stated on the Tire Pressure Label.
Risk: A spare tire that is not inflated to the proper value may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Gulf States will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the spare tires, adjusting their pressure as necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 15, 2017. Owners may contact Gulf States customer service at 1-800-444-1074. Toyota's number for this recall is 17R2.
Parking Brake 2016-10-14 · campaign 16V741000 · 91,585 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2015, to October 3, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with a foot-operated parking brake system that has a parking brake cable that may disengage.
Risk: 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 a crash.
Fix: 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, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is G01.
Service bulletins (246)
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 2026-08-20 · T-SB-0110-20 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
obsolete notice august 20, 2026: this bulletin is now obsolete. please see t-sb-0051-26.
Engine 2026-08-20 · T-SB-0051-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge at battery on high voltage (hv) ni-mh and li-ion batteries.
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.
Engine 2024-12-10 · T-SB-0110-20 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge at battery on high voltage (hv) ni-mh and li-ion batteries. this bulletin should be used in conjunction with the applicable model and model year repair manual while performing the battery rescue charge. the grx-5100 should be use
Showing the 6 most recent of 246 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-05-19 · Fuel/Propulsion System“the catalytic converter heat exchanger failed internally, causing coolant to leak into the exhaust system. symptoms included white smoke from exhaust and coolant loss with no visible ground leak. this is a documented factory defect per toyota technical service bulletin t-sb-0135-19 affecting 2016-2019 prius models. toyota has denied warranty covera…”
2025-12-19 · Electrical System:instrument Panel:speedometer/Odometer · 225,810 mi“odometer fraud. the contact purchased a 2017 toyota prius. it was discovered when the contact listed the vehicle for sale that there was a mileage discrepancy. the vehicle was as a private sale. at the time of the purchase, the mileage was 126,611. the potential purchaser provided a carfax report that recorded the mileage on 11/6/2024 at 225,810.…”
2025-07-18 · Unknown Or Other · 💥 crash“standing at a red light and someone rear ended …”
2025-07-18 · Fuel/Propulsion System“during hot temperatures and after coming to a full stop, the car stalls/hesitates significantly (5-6seconds) when pushing the gas pedal. the car eventually proceeds but the issue reoccurs. it can only be intermittently reproduced and no codes are shown on the car dashboard. mechanics are unable to identify the source of the issue so it cannot be re…”
2025-02-27 · Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System · 81,700 mi“the contact owns a 2017 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving approximately 25-30 mph, the vents were blowing out cold air. the check engine warning light was illuminated. the contact was adding coolant to the coolant reservoir every three to four days. the vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined t…”
2024-11-27 · Power Train · 68,000 mi“the contact owns a 2017 toyota prius. the contact stated while the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed. the accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled and jerked. the vehicle was driven to the residence. the c…”
2024-11-21 · Fuel/Propulsion System“dear nhtsa, i am seeking assistance and compensation for ongoing warranty and repair issues with my toyota prius. key incident timeline: •march 21, 2024: dashboard message “grille shutter inoperable” •march 25, 2024: toyota of glendale visit •charged $220 for diagnostics •refused to honor service bulletin •vehicle mileage: 149,217 customer service …”
2024-07-30 · Unknown Or Other“while driving the speed limit of 70mph on a major highway, the sunroof on my 2017 toyota prius exploded. there was no warning of any kind: no other traffic nearby so no rock or debris from another vehicle; no overpass or bridge so nothing from above; it was a mild sunny day of 76 degrees so not a weather factor; and by the angle of the glass that…”
2024-07-22 · Engine“coolant leaking into exhaust and engine also vehicle suddenly stops for no reason now engine is completely broken due to the coolant going into the motor oil …”
2024-07-03 · Fuel/Propulsion System“dashboard pop up came up saying that the grille shutter is inoperable to visit a dealer. went online and noticed there were recalls for my prius year and because emissions is affected i contacted toyota financial customer service who said to go to a dealer and that they would fix no charge. went three times to the dealer and they did not want to ho…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.