2018 Toyota Prius problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Visibility/Wiper (5) · Vehicle Speed Control (4) · Exterior Lighting (4)
🧭 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
25 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (1)
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.
Service bulletins (201)
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 201 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-02 · Unknown Or Other“i am writing to inform you about a very dangerous situation that occurred to me in june 2026 and that could pose a significant safety risk to other drivers who own 2016-17-18-19 toyota prius cars. the risk stems from a defective part (the catalytic converter) that toyota corporation knew about in 2019 but failed to notify owners of those models. …”
2026-08-17 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 89,100 mi“the contact owns a 2018 toyota prius. the contact stated that while having a routine oil change, the contact was made aware that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. no warning lights were illuminated. the contact was constantly adding coolant to the coolant reservoir; however, the following day the coolant reservoir was empty. the failur…”
2026-06-26 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 188,000 mi“the contact owns a 2018 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine constantly overheated. an unidentified warning light was flashing on the instrument panel. an independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and became aware that the coolant reservoir was empty. one month later, the same failure reoccurred. …”
2026-03-13 · Exterior Lighting“both taillamps holding moisture. could cause electrical issues or fire. .. same year and model car have same reported issues and were fixed by manufacturer. this vehicle is the same but different level.…”
2025-08-26 · Electrical System“driver door lock actuator not working. this seems to be a common problem for toyota over the last decade, but they yet to put more vehicles to their recall list. actuator just stopped working. i have to use key out of fob to manually open. this is a safety issue if i’m trying to get in my car quickly for safety reasons and it does not open. …”
2025-07-02 · Latches/Locks/Linkages · 160,000 mi“the contact owns a 2018 toyota prius. the contact stated the trunk opened at a slow speed and failed to remain open. the dealer was contacted and informed of the failure. the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be taken in to be inspected. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was informed of the failure and…”
2025-04-23 · Visibility:rearview Mirrors/Devices:exterior“was driving around 35 mph and my right side mirror blew up. the back blew off and the mirror was shattered and hanging. nothing hit it. contacted toyota and the parts have been on a stop, but there is no recall. it has been 4 months.…”
2025-03-26 · Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System · 89,682 mi“the contact owns a 2018 toyota prius. the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed heat exchanger, catalytic converter, and exhaust system. the contact was informed that the heat exchanger, the catalytic converter, and t…”
2024-12-05 · Vehicle Speed Control · 39,000 mi · 💥 crash“the contact owns a 2018 toyota prius. the contact stated that while in bumper-to-bumper traffic, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. the brake pedal was applied but failed to respond. the driver crashed into the front passenger side of the lexus. the vehicle continuously moved forward. the contact was eventually able to pull over safely. the pre-coll…”
2024-03-02 · Air Bags“the airbag lights were lit, the person sitting with seatbelt on (flashing) and the person sitting with an inflated airbag in front of them. i ran an obd2 scan on srs and got code b1656. driver seat belt buckle left hand. i investigated the latch and found one wire was snapped off and a couple of inches shorter that the wire that was still connecte…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.