2020 Toyota Prius problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Tires:sidewall (2) · Wheels (1) · Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota Prius 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 (147)
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.
Electrical System 2026-01-30 · T-SB-0106-22 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
obsolete notice january 30, 2026: this bulletin is now obsolete. please see t-sb-0001-26.
Electrical System 2026-01-28 · T-SB-0001-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2018 – 2024 model year toyota vehicles equipped with a premium audio with dynamic navigation system require a special service tool (sst) usb flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software.
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.
Showing the 6 most recent of 147 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2025-09-13 · Unknown Or Other · 💥 crash“i turned left into a parking space in my 2020 prius. i stepped on the brake, and my car shot forward. i couldn't stop it, and it hit a concrete pole. it only took 1 second. it seems toyota hybrids are still having this unintentional acceleration despite a multi billion dollar law suit in the early 2010's. my car was towed and is awaiting inspectio…”
2025-08-18 · Unknown Or Other · 💥 crash“i was the victim of an accident on [xxx]. the person of the other vehicle that collided with my vehicle after crossing at high speed and without stopping in the red light. the sensors of the anti-collision vehicle of my vehicle did not work and the air bag also did not work. due to speed the airbag of the other vehicle triggered. i have shoulder pa…”
2024-07-19 · Unknown Or Other“about a year ago and again a few days ago, i was slowly moving my prius forward when suddenly it accelerated at full speed. the first time i was pulling into a parking spot beyond which was a grassy area and then a stockade fence. when i felt the car lurch forward, i slammed on the brakes, but was still going quite fast. fortunately, the collision …”
2024-02-08 · Back Over Prevention: Warnings“after heavy rains, the car says the park assist doesn't work, as well as the parking sensor system. there is a warning sign that says it doesn't work. …”
2023-05-31 · Fuel/Propulsion System · 💥 crash“on may 16, 2023 i was slowly driving out of a market parking lot when the car suddenly accelerated, full throttle, and speeded across the street (colusa avenue, berkeley, ca), crashing head on into a fence. immediately after the crash, the dashboard displayed the following: "check engine (!) a malfunction in the electronic control of the engine, …”
2022-11-04 · Unknown Or Other · 💥 crash“attempted to park in my garage and overshot the turn. the brake then failed to stop and i dented my garage outer wall. i reversed my car and tried to reposition it to go inside the garage, putting it on drive. however, the brake pedal made the car accelerate and the car went on reverse. it then crashed into the neighbor's garage and crashed the doo…”
2022-06-15 · Tires:sidewall“ballooning on side wall of tire. when brought to dealer, they indicated that three other tires had same problem but not as obvious. car had only 24k miles, with half these on these tires (rest on snow tires). dealer reported that this was a serious danger.…”
2021-09-24 · Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal · 15,670 mi · 💥 crash“the contact owns a 2020 toyota prius. the contact stated that while, driving approximately 5 mph, making a right turn, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, jumped the curb, and crashed into the bushes. the brake pedal was applied however, failed to respond. there were no warning lights illuminated. there were no reported injuries, police report or air…”
2021-08-06 · Tires:sidewall“i was making a left turn into my subdivision after a full stop. my speed was no more than 5 mph. the toyota dealer informed me that the sidewall had blown and was not repairable. they had no definitive cause as to why the tire blew. the tire was retained by the dealer. the tire size is p 195/65r15 and is a toyo nanoenergy a41 tire. it was orig…”
2020-10-02 · Wheels“2020 toyota prius. consumer writes in regards to needing transmission repair after vehicle was towed. *ld the consumer stated the axel rods, rims needed to be repaired/replaced, steering issues,. rear wheel issues, and bumper replacement. *js…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.