2021 Toyota Prius problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Wheels (1) · Vehicle Speed Control (1) · Service Brakes (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 (118)
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 118 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-02-23 · Fuel/Propulsion System“when i am going down it's charging when the charge reaches 6 from 8 the engine starts working and stop changing at that point and the power continues comes from engine only without the hybrid battery and there are no codes …”
2024-09-18 · Vehicle Speed Control · 56,000 mi“the contact owns a 2021 toyota prius. the contact stated while driving approximately 35 - 45 mph, the vehicle independently accelerated. the brake pedal was depressed but failed to stop the vehicle immediately. the contact swerved around the vehicle in front and ended up on the opposite side of the roadway. the contact attempted to avoid oncoming t…”
2023-07-14 · Lane Departure: Assist“the lane keeping assist used in radar cruise control mode during some drive cycles will attempt to maintain the vehicle position to the far extreme of the lane and in some cases actively veer out of the lane. my safety ant others can be put at risk when the vehicle behaves outside of its design parameters like this. to solve the issue the vehicle m…”
2023-06-13 · Service Brakes · 💥 crash“the car accelerated without my foot on the accelerator, brake did not respond, and i had to drive through grass and a rock-filled ditch until after about 10 seconds the car returned to my control.…”
2021-05-11 · Unknown Or Other · 5,200 mi“carbon monoxide seeps into the passenger car but diller cannot find it and did not have tools to detect co level in the car. i can't use this car because was poisoned many times and after a second check-up, the level of co becomes higher so i can't drive the car without poisoning. please help me. i am worrying to sell my car because other driver w…”
2021-03-25 · Wheels · 190 mi“while driving on the i 4 we had a blowout on the rear passenger tire. the car had less than 200 miles on it so it was brand new. the dealership found object in the tire that could have cause the problem the only conclusion i could come to is that this tire was defective. the dealership said i could have run over a large object or a large pothole, w…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.