2018 Toyota Prius Prime problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (2) · Fuel/Propulsion System (2) · Air Bags (2)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota Prius Prime model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year (campaigns announced since 2010).
Service bulletins (98)
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.
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
Engine 2025-06-17 · T-TT-0784-25 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some ecus can set a dtc that is common with other ecus. this can lead to accidental use of the wrong repair manual when diagnosing these type of dtcs.
Engine 2025-06-13 · T-TT-0784-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some ecus can set a dtc that is common with other ecus. this can lead to accidental use of the wrong repair manual when diagnosing these type of dtcs.
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,
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.
Showing the 6 most recent of 98 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-03-10 · Power Train“on at least 4 occasions when the ev battery becomes depleted while driving at highway speeds and the car is switching to gas, the engine completely loses all power. this has lasted from 10-30 seconds. the dealership said a small battery needed to be replaced, and replaced that, but this recurred within a month of replacement.…”
2026-03-04 · Unknown Or Other“there has been at least 4 times that the vehicle was not responsive to acceleration (stalled for a few seconds) then picked back up. problem has been intermittent. there is no dash indication of an issue. because concern is intermittent i haven’t taken vehicle in. there is no check engine light on. my wife experienced it once, i’ve experienced it 3…”
2025-02-26 · Visibility:defroster/Defogger/Hvac System“hi, my prius prime recently just suffered the loss of heat in the middle of winter. based on the diagnostic of my local toyota dealer, it appears one of the metal heater coolant hose had rusted off. this is not just causing a safety issue of having no issue, it is also a risk as the engine can now overheat and suffer permanent damage. despite b…”
2024-10-01 · Latches/Locks/Linkages:hood:latch“as i was driving on a local highway going approximately 50 mph, the hood of the vehicle released and hit the windshield with full force. luckily there was no traffic on the local highway at the time of the incident. i did not release the hood at all, and the dealer reports verbally to me that the hood latch is damaged. the incident could have res…”
2023-11-06 · Vehicle Speed Control · 💥 crash“my 2018 toyota prius supreme was parked too far away from the curb in front of a house where we were invited, in a residential area in naperville il. i entered the car to park it properly. i had my foot on the brakes and pressed the starting button for the engine to turn on. i then put the car on reverse and suddently the car accelerated uncont…”
2023-08-15 · Air Bags · 💥 crash“airbags deployed prematurely as i was parking my car in a doctor's office parking lot. the car was going less than 5 mph and i did not hit anything. the premature deployment of the airbag startled me and caused me to hit the accelerator instead of the brake and i ended up crashing my car into a nearby pole and another .automobile. the accident …”
2023-04-14 · Power Train“take foot of break, car accelerates under power. sooner or later, this is going to result in killing a pedestrian. the question has been for the last year, is this a behavior that can be gotten used to. the answer is definitely no! this resulted in a near collision with a pedestrian today. toyota believes the behavior is intentional and will not c…”
2023-01-19 · Air Bags · 💥 crash“air bag did not deploy during a head on collision at 25-30 mph. no warning lamps. car is totaled according to tow truck driver. currently at the body shop, waiting for adjusters approval for body shop to take car apart to assess the damage.…”
2022-10-03 · Service Brakes · 40,063 mi · 💥 crash“the contact owns a 2018 toyota prius. the contact stated while driving approximately 5 mph and in heavy traffic, the contact depressed the brake pedal for traffic but the brakes failed. the contact stated no warning light was illuminated. the contact crashed into the rear end of a truck. the damage was very light due to the low speed. the top of th…”
2021-07-22 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings“from the first week of ownership sensors would alarm that they needed cleaning but they were clean. parking assist sensors also malfunctioning. also saw intelligent clearance sonar error messages and warnings. alarm tended to go off in wet weather. brought to dealership many times and problem occurred infrequently that no problem was ever found. fo…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.