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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 6
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
59,140 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2010 Toyota Prius electrical problems

electrical problem

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2010 Toyota Prius Owner Comments (Page 1 of 9)

problem #177

Jun 262024

Prius

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Passenger side low beam headlamp has continued to need to be replaced. I was not made aware of a "customer service protection program" on this and when I contacted Toyota they said it was too late for the repair, electrical harness, to be covered by their extended warranty. I never received information regarding the extended warranty. They stated they sent it to the correct address. But just because you mail something doesn't always mean it is delivered to that address. Also, I had my car serviced many times at Toyota dealerships and they never informed me of this extended warranty. If I had been made aware of the extended warranty I would've had it repaired in a timely manner. I have spoken to two representatives of Toyota and they stated they could not help me. I'm wondering why this is not considered a recall issue as it does affect the safety of driving a vehicle and the lights stop working. This may not be the right place to ask this question but I'm hoping someone in your organization can help me.

- Hershey, PA, USA

problem #176

Apr 172024

Prius

  • miles
see all over the internet that 2010 Prius have a recall for Inverter. I called the dealer they said no recall with my vin. I was told that a new inver is almost $5000 dollars. i NEED HELP i HAVE BOUGHT 3 TOYOTA ALREADY. Please help me with good will or warrenty the inverter like you have so many other people with 2010 Prius. If not I willand my family will never buy a Toyota again. Please call or email me [XXX] [XXX] The Prius died when driving and we almost got in a major accident because it stalled with no warning. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- San Tan Valley, AZ, USA

problem #175

Apr 072024

Prius

  • miles
Total malfunction at highway speeds. Very unsafe, the car completely shut off. This may have resulted in a highway fatality due to collision as the vehicle was in the fast lane. NTSA please do your due diligence and investigate the faulty, defective HYBRID system as I believe the faulty inverter recall is much more larger than the original recall

- Clovis, CA, USA

problem #174

Mar 012024

Prius

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My 2010 Toyota Prius hatchback suddenly had 4 or 5 warning lights appear on the dashboard and my brakes failed to function properly. It felt like the power brakes was turned off ! Although I did get the vehicle stopped, it surely was a dangerous situation. I understand that Toyota knows about this problem, and have read that it was warranted if this happened before 150,000 miles. My Prius has approx 167,000 miles right now and to replace the Brake Actuator, the cost will be $ 3 - 5 thousand dollars-??absurd amount in my opinion. Since this critical feature (brakes) has a long known history of being faulty on Toyota vehicles it should be warranted for at least 25 years and at least 300k ! My Prius is -??unsafe to drive-?? and is nothing more than a paperweight-??I repeat, Toyota knows, and has known about this defective brake actuator problem for years and years!!! Please lean on Toyota to up the warranty of this faulty brake problem for the MANY, MANY Toyota owners who have purchased the Toyota product and and NOT screwing the public like they are doing now !

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #173

Oct 262023

Prius

  • miles
Hi I want submit issues with the master cylinder and abs pump assy I have 2 vehicles same model with average same mileage and both had issues with this system if I drove any distance below 25 mph in a constant time the dash lights comes on traction control, abs light, brake light, and the brake pedal goes low and barely brakes make this situation dangerous when I stop if you try turn it off the engine and on again lights stay there but if I reset the codes the pump works again for some while and then again when you don-??t expected lose pressure and I am really afraid for my safety and my family, and I am not the only one with this problem is too many Prius owners who have the issues I went from dealer and they advice $3000 dlls fix situation who motivate people to lose money for $1200 in parts and $1800 dlls in labor for something they can resolve it because in reality is an manufactured defect

- Raytown, MO, USA

problem #172

Feb 152023

Prius

  • miles
Purchased new a 2010 Toyota Prius third generation level 4 in July of 2009. Hybrid battery pack failed just after 150,000 warranty lapsed at 155,000 miles. January 2023 floods in Merced, CA damaged one of blocks in Hybrid battery pack driving through waters at 191000 miles on odometer. This threw DTC POA 080 'Check Hybrid System' message. The following month February 2023 at 191500 miles I notice loud cooling fan for hybrid battery operating for the first time ever! Fan is located in rear seat behind front passenger. Air vent is clearly visible. I believe defective fan led to overheating of hybrid battery premature failure at 155,000 miles.

- Merced, CA, USA

problem #171

Feb 022023

Prius

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Car slows down to a stop when driving on the freeway. With no power to accelerate, it makes it hard to get to the side of the road to be towed. Been to the dealer twice to address the problem, and was told that if I don't pay $200, that there is nothing they can do. Then when I did pay the money for evaluation, they told me the problem could be one of several things that would start the never-ending process of repairs that will keep me paying until they solve it. I would think that with a $200 code reading, that the dealers software could narrow it down to the exact repair needed. I mentioned to the dealer about the JOV update I had done earlier to the car, but dealer refuses to recognize that there is a recall on my vehicle, and that I needed to pay money(that I don't have) to do anything. My check hybrid system light and orange triangle comes on when the car dies

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #170

Dec 212022

Prius

  • miles
I had just gotten back in my car from a quick store trip. My prius turned on like normal but soon after when I was driving different kind of warning lights turned on. My steering was affected, the car slowed down considerably to the point I was almost rear-ended. The triangle of death, check engine, brake and steering lights all came on with the check hybrid system warning. Before this i had no prior issues with my car. I had it checked by an independent mechanic who states it is the inverter that caused this

- Brunswick, GA, USA

problem #169

Jan 162023

Prius

  • miles
I was driving home from work when all the warning light all came on at once. The car suddenly stopped accelerating and the -??check hybrid system-?? was showing on my dash. I was lucky enough to be going down hill so I can make it to a shoulder to get off the road. Tried troubleshooting everything but to no avail and needed to get towed because the Prius would not move at all. Haven-??t got the vehicle checked yet because the vehicle will not move and can only be moved if towed.

- Ridgecrest, CA, USA

problem #168

Aug 032022

Prius

  • miles
Hello there, my name is Lashyrah and I do not know much about cars so most of this is unknown. The person I bought my vehicle from did not give me much information and I was desperate at the time so I bought it. Most of the lights on the dashboard are on: ABS, Brake system, Engine, Tire/Safety Alert, Fuel pump reset warning, and Stability control are lights that come and go. I have used the code system to try to reset these things and they go away then pop back up. Sometimes while I am driving, all the dashboard lights disappear and the breaks start getting really touchy and it feels completely different driving until the previous lights all come back on. This has been an issue before and when I last went to Toyota to get my car serviced, I asked them to check the lights and system, and if they could do a multi-point inspection. They wanted me to pay $300 just to find out why the lights keep coming back on. Please help me get this fixed at no cost I am a single mom and college student working part time so I need my car to get around or a free loaner car to get around until this is fixed. I strongly feel these are recalls that did not get taken care of or are not showing up in the recall system. I need assistance as soon as possible and would like to know my options, especially after getting a notice in the mail a few days ago from Toyota about my car possibly being affected. My fuel gauge is also empty at around 3 bars or sometimes 2 bars instead of going all the way down to empty, costing me more money on gas having to fill it up more often. Thank you for your time and help.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #167

Jul 182022

Prius

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2010 Prius started up in the garage 3 hours after being shut down. I am certain the car was NOT still running while we unloaded groceries from hatchback and left the garage. * Nothing was retrieved from the front seat so no accidental start could have occurred. * My son "heard it start" almost 3 hours after the vehicle had been shut off while in another room near the garage. * I heard nothing from the upstairs. * The Prius key fob was nowhere near the vicinity of the vehicle at the time it started nor was any person. In fact, both key fobs were upstairs and only the currently used 1 had a battery and was stored inside a tin so as to always know where it was. *Toyota executives were made aware of incident but essentially denied the Toyota could start without the key fob: "Toyota is not aware for any possible way for the vehicle to be started without the key."

- Kirkland, WA, USA

problem #166

Jul 012022

Prius

  • miles
The ABS, Brake, and traction control light came on. The braking became difficult. The car did stop but if it was in an emergency circumstance there may have been a collision. I called Toyota about the issue and was informed that there was a brake actuater and master cylinder issues with this make and model. Toyota replaced them in cars that had this issue under a special warranty that was over in 2021. It is a $3500 issue. I purchased this car new and have never received a notice about bad braking system. I have lived at the same address since the purchase. Toyota informed me that notices were not sent out, however if the owner came in with this issue before 2021 it would have been repaired and replaced. I can not understand how ALL owners were not informed. I do not understand how a recall wasn't enforced. I live in Florida where the speed limit is 70mph. This could have been deadly. I looked on forums online and apparently this has been an issue for many many 2010 Toyota Prius. I have a case in with Toyota American. 220701001489. I can use any help I can get with this issue. It may save a life.

- Venice, FL, USA

problem #165

May 122022

Prius

  • miles
Hi- I have a Toyota Prius 2010 model and I encountered a braking failure yesterday. My ABS lights, brake lights and another light came up on my dashboard of the car. Upon diagnosis, I was informed by Toyota dealership that my car has a faulty C1391 - Abnormal leak in accumulator. This condition may be caused by small internal brake fluid leak inside the brake booster assembly with master cylinder. This is a known issue by Toyota and lots of press coverage on this issue since the past few years. I was told today that if this issue occurred within 10 year or purchase or <150K then the repair work would be covered by Toyota. I purchased the car in 2010 and I past the 10 year mark but mileage coverage is 125K (<150K). Toyota is unwilling to bear the cost and would want me to pay for the fix. This is a known issue with Toyota and the braking system can fail anytime before/or after 10 year mark. It is now costing me $3000 to repair. I am shocked with the Toyota's response in this matter. There are lots of blogs I read online who have similar issue. Class Action lawsuit: https://www.classaction.org/news/toyota-hit-with-class-action-over-alleged-refusal-to-fix-braking-system-defect-in-hybrid-vehicles Here is one example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA9jyrbZDWo Thanks.

- Manvel, TX, USA

problem #164

May 012022

Prius

  • miles
Hazard lights flashing, flashes faster at higher speeds. Hazard button useless. Mechanic not sure what is the problem; reset codes. Problem went away for a few days and then came back.

- Renton, WA, USA

problem #163

Mar 302022

Prius

  • miles
I was driving on the road and right before a stop light my car jumped as if someone hit me from behind. After looking in my rear view and seeing no one on me I realized something else happened. I look at my dash and check hybrid system light was on. I was in traffic at the light waiting and looked it up on my phone to find out what to do. Some article said to pull over and turn it off and restart it. The light turned green and traffic started moving so I started to drive. I thought I could probably make it home but the car started driving a lot slower than usual. I really didn-??t want to pull over because it was in a bad part of town but I felt like I had no choice because the car was barely moving. It seemed more dangerous to be on the road with other drivers. So I pulled over and parked and tried starting it again. It wouldn-??t shift to drive so now I-??m stuck and can-??t get home unless I pay to get my car towed. I get my car towed to the house. I put a meter on the battery and it was fine. I put a diagnostics tester on it and came up with these codes POA1A and POA94. I contacted hybrid mechanic that doesn-??t work at Toyota and he said to take it in to a dealership and sent me the ZE3 warranty letter and said they would fix it. I paid for it to be towed to the dealership. There were already a lot of cars waiting to be serviced when I got there. Anyway, they said they would fix it after they did their diagnostics after I paid $120 for it. That was 3/21/2022. I sent CSR the ZE3 letter and he said it wasn-??t covered. It-??s like he didn-??t even read it. A day later he said he needed to talk to a warranty administrator then a day later he said it would be covered but I don-??t qualify for a loaner but they can give me a rental for $45 a day. I friend let me borrow their car for a couple days. Now as of writing this it-??s midnight 3/30/2022. I still don-??t have my car and I-??m about to be without a car unless I buy one or rent one. No ETA on the part being delivered either. I-??m SOL.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #162

Dec 012021

Prius

  • miles
Brake Booster Failure; has been inspected and confirmed. Warning lamps for traction control, ABS, Brake System Lights, Master Warning Light all came on during normal city driving. Immediate loss of Brake Assist causing sudden need for much more distance while stopping the vehicle. Clearly, sudden changes in brake behavior is a safety concern and this problem seems to be well documented as common issue in this era of Toyota vehicles. I believe Toyota has fallen short in its efforts to remmedy the situation. An extended warranty was issued but it was for a brief period of time that required this problem to occur within a narrow window. It's a wildly expensive repair to a critical system and it seems to be a common problem in these cars.

- Manchester, MO, USA

problem #161

Oct 012021

Prius

  • miles
Last week I check hybrid system message appeared on the screen and orange triangle with check engine light. I took it to the shop and they said that there are code P0A94 wich is related to the inverted and that is needed replacement. I saw that there was recall on inverter and want to see if I can get it replaced. Thanks

- Boiling Springs, SC, USA

problem #160

Sep 062021

Prius

  • 115,001 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving, the brake lights, ABS, and check engine warning lights illuminated. There was an abnormal noise detected. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed that the brake booster assembly needed to be replaced. Additionally, the contact was informed that the vehicle was not safe to drive. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000. The VIN was not available.

- Durham, NC, USA

problem #159

Sep 132021

Prius

  • miles
I have recently bought a 2010 Prius. The ABS (!), traction control, and emergency brake light all illuminated three days after I transferred title with the dmv. This apparently is a very common problem with this car. I am told that these lights lead to a very expensive repair. My primary concern is my safety and of course the safety of others. A car that has brakes that suddenly fail is lethal. I was advised by a helpful agent that these repairs would come out of my pocket. My complaint is that Toyota should be responsible for this. I cannot drive this vehicle at the moment because I refuse to endanger anyone.

- Santa Rosa, CA, USA

problem #158

Sep 072021

Prius

  • miles
The dash lights on my 2010 Prius went all dark, lost all information on my dash. No lights on dash, no fuel gauge, no speedometer, nothing. This is very dangerous to suddenly have happened and I don't see a recall from Toyota to address this problem.

- Arcadia, CA, USA

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