10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 4
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
89,684 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 engine problems

engine problem

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2010 Toyota Prius Owner Comments (Page 1 of 7)

problem #137

Mar 262023

Prius

  • miles

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

Excessive Oil consumption, particularly with highway driving. I have had this car for about a year. I only noticed that the oil was nearly empty when the engine was shaking while idling at an intersection. No warning lights for oil pressure or level ever came on, it would occasionally "ding" for oil pressure, but barley long enough for me to even read what the warning was. By excessive, I mean VERY excessive. First oil change after only 3k, almost empty. Road trip, mainly highway only about 600 miles, nearly empty. If I top it off, I check it constantly. City driving (more electric) it may burn a quart every 1-2k miles, highway more. I had the EGR, manifold and plugs serviced/replaced, it improved slightly. I'm having more work done now, but after reading SO MANY similar complaints online, I find it hard to believe this isn't a recall. An engine sputtering and nearly dying while idling is not safe, especially with no warning lights on! I contacted Toyota, they said they had not recalls or Consumer Confidence programs for complaints of oil consumption and/or piston ring seat problems in these vehicles (seems to be the primary cause). I did see a class action for many other Toyota 4cyl engines due to excess oil consumption.

- Fox Point, WI, USA

problem #136

Feb 022023

Prius

  • miles
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 #135

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 #134

Jul 012022

Prius

  • miles

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

Engine is taking in coolant problem

- Fairfield , CA, USA

problem #133

Jul 182022

Prius

  • miles
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 #132

Jul 092019

Prius

  • miles
A number of things have failed on this car. 1. The hybrid battery pack system shut down and warned that I needed to see a mechanic. My mechanic diagnosed that the hybrid invert was defective and causing the battery pack to fail. 2. When braking at both low and high speeds, the car increasingly struggles to come to a stop. When applying foot pressure, you can hear the pump winding - this occurs while at rest as well as when trying to slow the car down. There are times when applying the brake that the floor pedal will lock and cause the car to skid while barely reducing the speed of the car. I have had multiple near accident incidences as a result and put myself and others at risk. 3. The car ferociously vibrates every morning - discovered that the head gasket has failed prematurely and due to the car overcompensating for the failing hybrid battery that is being impacted by the failing hybrid inverter. All problems have been reproduced and diagnosed at independent service centers. Multiple codes, warning lights and messages have alerted me to engine and battery issues - all of which appeared after the various issues and failures.

- San Francisco, CA, USA

problem #131

Mar 182022

Prius

  • miles

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

Traveling at freeway speed just after midnight, the "check engine" light came on. Less than one minute later, the "check hybrid system" alert came on, with an exclamation mark inside of a yellow triangle symbol displayed. The vehicle instantly had no power when the accelerator was depressed. The vehicle coasted to a stop and would not shift into drive. The vehicle was towed to our home. Upon delivering the vehicle to our home, the tow driver used an emergency battery jump start device and the vehicle was able to shift into drive and be driven into the garage. The 12 volt battery was replaced the next day and the vehicle no longer exhibited any disfunction. This was an unexpected event with no warning that the 12 volt battery was in need of replacement. It could have resulted in a serious collision, if the freeway had been more congested, as the vehicle had been immediately driven 2 lanes over to the nearest exit, and came to a stop just after exiting, safely at the side of the road. This is a very dangerous safety condition that should have had some type of alert that the simple 12 volt battery system was in danger of failing, causing a catastrophic failure of the engine and power train. Or, the car should simply not be able to drive, if the 12 volt battery is that low, to ensure passenger and community safety. Prime example: Toyota Prius has a warning alert that the key fob battery is low. The warning gives you a couple of weeks to replace the battery, and repeatedly displays the warning whenever you power up the vehicle.

- Oceanside, CA, USA

problem #130

Dec 082021

Prius 4-cyl

  • miles
Last year on September 13, 2021 I purchase a used 2010 Toyota Prius ( Vehicle VIN[XXX]) with 122414 miles on the Odometer, I got my oil changed on October 29, 2021 so I can keep track of when my oil is due. My odometer reading on oil change was 123,268. I drove 2806 miles, when I woke up on December 08, 2021 with no oil in my engine. I thought that was very strange so after adding a quart of oil My husband got for me. I took the vehicle back to the shop ( Good Year Tire & Rubber Company 1585- A Island Lane Fleming Island, FL 32003) I originally had my oil changed at, to have them check if there was some sort of leak. The odometer reading at that day/ service was 126,074. After a full inspection of the engine exterior componence, no leak was to be found. Then I decided to do some research only to find out that back in 2016 Toyota had a lawsuit against them for having manufacturer defects in the productions of engine between the years of 2006 - 2011. The manufacturer defect was the engine piston would eventually start having oil leaks into the engine causing engine excessive oil consumption. That same day I took my vehicle to the nearest Toyota dealership ( Coggin Toyota At the Avenues 11340 Philips Hwy Jacksonville FL32256) for a engine oil consumption test to be serviced on my vehicle. This process takes place by filling oil to the full line marking it... confirming there is no leaks....sealing everything and I was to return after driving 1200 miles ( odometer reading at service was 126,094). upon returning the vehicle on December 30, 2021...My vehicle failed the engine oil consumption test because after driving 1221 miles my engine was low on oil by 1.5 quart. This kind of engine oil consumption not only causes my engine to deuterate in time, but also my vehicle diminishes in value. After it was established that my vehicle engine consumes oil / failed the engine oil consumption test. Toyota advised me to get a new engine that would cost me $6987.63 INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATI

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #129

Dec 182018

Prius

  • 164,912 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the vehicle suddenly stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine had overheated and blown the head gasket. The engine was replaced, and the failure was remedied. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 164,912,

- San Bernardino, CA, USA

problem #128

Aug 012021

Prius

  • miles
1. This 2010 Prius has a faulty design of the piston rings, which is allowing it to burn more than 1.4 Qts of engine oil. 2. Such high consumption of engine oil causing an environmental pollution. 3. Furthermore, I took it to the local Toyota Dealer I.e. Maguire Toyota located in Ithaca, NY, they never chose to diagnose it or repair it. 4. I reached out to the Toyota and the Toyota still isn-??t helpful w.r.t this high consumption of engine oil.

- Ithaca, NY, USA

problem #127

Jan 012019

Prius

  • 220,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 220,000.

- Waldorf, MD, USA

problem #126

Jun 062021

Prius 4-cyl

  • miles
My problem began when I pressed my brakes and instead it accelerated. I thought maybe my foot slipped and didn-??t know what it meant. It happened again a few weeks later and then all of the dash lights went on that indicated that I had to have the big brake recall repair. Being that my car is past the 10 year warranty and past the extension for mileage, I had to pay out of pocket. This repair was done and upon receiving my car back, the gas mileage instantly began to drop. It went from averaging 42-48MPG in my town to 25-30MPG. I took it in the be looked at and they ensured me nothing was wrong with the car AT ALL. The battery wasn-??t holding charge on top of this and it wasn-??t reading the same on the dash about the 0-100 current gas mileage you-??re getting as you go (the lines scale thing) that goes up when you let off the gas, and I could feel a strange shift while I was driving so I took it in again. They told me this time it-??d be $110 to diagnose even though it was the same issue that started after the brake system repair, so I left extremely upset. A few days later my cars steering went out while I was driving and the whole hybrid system died. The car now only works in power mode. The consumer stated the car was taken in for a brake recall and had to pay $2800 in repairs. The consumer stated what they thought was a battery failure turned out to be the beginning of an electrical motor failure related to overheating.

- Spring Hill, FL, USA

problem #125

May 172021

Prius

  • miles
While driving at highway speed on Interstate 87 in New York, the 2010 Toyota Prius suddenly lost power while multiple warning lights on the dashboard illuminated, along with a "Check Hybrid System" notification. The engine would operate but at significantly reduced power. I drove it to an independent garage to identify the diagnostic trouble codes, which included P0A94 and P324E, an inverter problem with the hybrid battery and a problem with the intelligent power module. The currently is currently awaiting a confirm diagnosis at a Toyota dealership in New Jersey, but the problem is exactly what thousands of other 2010 - 2014 Prius owners have reported, yet Toyota has yet to issue a recall to replace the inverter.

- New York, NY, USA

problem #124

Jan 022017

Prius

  • 100,000 miles
Vehicle after awhile starts to consume oil. It's runs out of oil very quickly. There is no oil leak.

- Norman, OK, USA

problem #123

Dec 012020

Prius

  • 112,278 miles
My car's ABS, traction, and brake lights are on. I took it to two shops and they both said my car was recalled and to have the dealership fix it. The recall is on the breaks. The brake pedal is also not fully working, there is an abnormal leak of brake fluid pressure. Both auto service places said to demand for the dealership to take car of this because there is a class action lawsuit going on for this car with this exact problem.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #122

Sep 302020

Prius

  • 0 miles
I was driving on the hwy with 3 children when it cut off on me and my steering wheel was locked. I took it to four mechanics I saw the Toyota dealer and they told me that it was my battery and now I know that I have a recall on it. I have not driven my car in three months I'm also still paying payments on it. I also was told that it was my break. I bought a new brake booster and pay for the replacement and the problem was still hungry just

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #121

Nov 052020

Prius

  • 130,000 miles
Bad rings in the motor. My dealer said he is seeing a lot of Prius's like this. He thinks Toyota will have a recall on the Prius soon. Camry and rav-4 has already been recalled for this reason. My Prius just started using a lot of oil @130,000. (1qt per 1200 miles) please enforce a recall for consumer protection.

- Vista, CA, USA

problem #120

Nov 022020

Prius

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal was firm causing the braking distance to be extended. The vehicle was taken to Toyota of Lincoln park located at 1561 N fremont St, Chicago, il 60642 who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the brake booster and master cylinder were defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 100,000. The VIN was not available.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #119

Oct 262020

Prius

  • 153,000 miles
Upon turning the vehicle on and starting to drive, the internal combustion engine then starts and experiences about 20 seconds of misfiring to the point the car is without smooth power. This happens at random. If the car was in the wrong situation when it happened it could cause an accident. The same thing will occasionally happen when parked after waiting for the engine to start.

- Palmdale, CA, USA

problem #118

Aug 242020

Prius

  • 200,000 miles
The morning of 8/24/20, I attempted to start my car. A message appears, "check hybrid system". I found there had been a recall, in 2018, that involves a software issue. I had my 2010 Prius towed to kolar Toyota in hermantown Minnesota, on, I believe 8/26/20. They gave me an estimate of $3200 to replace the inverter. I had read about the inverter failure being directly linked to software recall. They said they'd look in to it and later replied to me that, yes, the inverter would be included in the recall and repaired at no cost to me. They said they had ordered the part but my car would not be ready until 8/31/20, at the earliest. They said the part arrived and my car was in the process of being repaired. I contacted them and asked how things were going. The service manager, taylor, told me "for the first time ever we had two vehicles, of the same make but different years, in for the same repair". he went on to say, according to fedex tracking, the part had been shipped but tracking showed nothing else. I asked him if he was sure the tracking was for my part and not the part for the other vehicle. He told me he had no idea for which part the tracking was for. He then went on to tell me we would just have to "wait and see if the part shows up". he went on to say "it could take days or weeks or longer" before we know if the part was coming in. A few days later I called to see if any progress had been made and was told by taylor "the part has disappeared from tracking". I asked him if that meant it had been delivered and was possibly the part for the other vehicle. He basically replied he had no clue. He said we would just have to wait and see, once again. I've been calling every two or three days since then. Sometimes he returns my calls. Sometimes he doesn't. I don't know what to do at this point. My vehicle is a 2010 Toyota Prius.

- Duluth, MN, USA

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