Toyota Prius V
Registered from 2012 to 2017.
About this model
The Toyota Prius v, also named Prius α in Japan, and Prius+ in Europe and Singapore, is a hybrid petrol-electric automobile produced by Toyota introduced in Japan in May 2011, in the U.S. in October 2011, and released in Europe in June 2012. The Prius v was unveiled at the January 2011 North American International Auto Show alongside the Prius c Concept, and it is the first Prius variant to be spun off from the Prius platform. According to Toyota the "v" stands for "versatility". It is a compact MPV with a standard full hybrid drivetrain.
From the Wikipedia article Toyota Prius V, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it stands out against its peers
- Service brakes: more complaints than 98% of 2012 cars — 50% of its 612 complaints, where an ordinary 2012 car has 8%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- SERVICE BRAKES — 233 owners reported this, 9 involving a crash
- ENGINE — 40 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash, 1 involving a fire
- EXTERIOR LIGHTING — 31 owners reported this
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 25 owners reported this, 2 involving a fire
- VISIBILITY/WIPER — 23 owners reported this
- AIR BAGS — 16 owners reported this, 12 involving a crash
- SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC — 14 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
- STEERING — 12 owners reported this
Crash test
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ |
| Stability control | Standard |
| Forward collision warning | Optional |
| Lane departure warning | Optional |
Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 98 hp · 1505 kg · 2780 mm wheelbase · 5.7 L/100km (EPA) · 5.5 L/100km city · 6.0 motorway · Hatch, 5-door |
| 2016 | 98 hp · 1505 kg · 2780 mm wheelbase · 5.7 L/100km (EPA) · 5.5 L/100km city · 6.0 motorway · Hatch, 5-door |
| 2015 | 98 hp · 1505 kg · 2780 mm wheelbase · 5.7 L/100km (EPA) · 5.5 L/100km city · 6.0 motorway · Hatch, 4-door |
| 2014 | 98 hp · 1485 kg · 2780 mm wheelbase · 5.7 L/100km (EPA) · 5.5 L/100km city · 6.0 motorway · Hatch, 4-door |
| 2013 | 98 hp · 1485 kg · 2780 mm wheelbase · 5.7 L/100km (EPA) · 5.5 L/100km city · 6.0 motorway · Hatch, 4-door |
| 2012 | 98 hp · 1485 kg · 2780 mm wheelbase · 5.7 L/100km (EPA) · 5.5 L/100km city · 6.0 motorway · Hatch, 4-door |
Recalls
Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.
80% of 2017 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.
13E070000
The reversed tail lamp function reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions, increasing the risk of a crash.
Genera will notify owners and provide replacement aftermarket tail lamps, free of charge. The recall began on January 23, 2014. Owners may contact Genera at 1-888-963-9888. This recall is being conducted by Genera Corporation, not by Toyota Motor Corporation.
13V014000
If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
15V013000
If the air bag does not deploy as intended, there is an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will re-calibrate of the OCS system, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
15V449000
The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. The hybrid system could also shut down completely resulting in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the motor/generator control electronic control unti (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU, free of charge. The recall began on July 30, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
18V684000
If the hybrid system shuts down unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 22, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0V. Note: The software updates in this recall are needed even if the vehicle had the software previously updated under recalls 14V-053 or 15V-449.
20V369000
An unexpected hybrid power system shut down may increase the risk of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will perform a software update for the hybrid system. If the vehicle has experienced an inverter failure with certain hybrid system faults related to this condition, the inverter assembly will be repaired or replaced, prior to software update. All repairs will be performed free of charge. This recall began July 24, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB10 / 20TA10.
Regulator investigations
Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.
Brake Actuator Valve Wear
Defect petition, opened November 2023, still open.
What the maker told its dealers
Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.
Toyota filed 242 bulletins about the 2017 Prius V.
- Equipment: 101
- Electrical system: 48
- Structure: 44
- Equipment adaptive/mobility: 12
- Engine and engine cooling: 6
- Back over prevention: 3
- Engine: 3
- Tires: 3
- Air bags: 2
- Seats: 2
- Other: 18
- This bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge on Ni-MH high voltage (HV) batteries. This bulletin should be used in conjunction with the applicable model and model year… · March 2026
- OBSOLETE NOTICE February 13, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0009-26. · March 2026
- 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… · February 2026
- 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. · September 2025
- 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… · July 2025
- 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… · January 2025
- 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… · January 2025
- Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle,… · January 2025
234 more.
Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.