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5.3

fairly significant
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
17,634 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.

2016 Toyota Prius accessories - exterior problems

accessories - exterior problem

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2016 Toyota Prius Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #40

Aug 012018

Prius

  • miles

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

I reported issues with this car in 2018. Clicking sounds under the car which is still happening, peeling paint on exterior and inside door areas, substandard windshield that spread in a very unusual pattern when hit by a small rock. The NHTSA ID Number that was assigned to these complaints is [XXX]. None of these problems have been addressed. There are other owners that have experienced the same problems, apparently their issues have not been addressed. These problems should have been sent by you to the Toyota Corporation, but apparently was not. I have owned many Toyota vehicles and have not experienced these problems. I also own a 2012 Toyota Prius which I drive when I when I am traveling on the interstate, because I feel that the clicking noises on the 2016 Toyota Prius is a safety issue that seems to be coming from the steering section underneath the car. When traveling the speed limit on the on Interstate highways, what would be the outcome if the steering mechanisms underneath the car did not work properly. It is a shame that this safety issue has not been addressed by you, and it is also a shame that I have to drive my older toyota at these times to feel safer when driving. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Batesville, MS, USA

problem #39

Jul 182022

Prius

  • miles
At the beginning of this week, I was checking fluid levels and upon dropping my hood, I watched a crack in the windshield extend up from the base of the windshield. Then, while I was driving, I watched the crack extend and branch into a second crack. Upon further inspection, it appears cracking started under the windshield wiper and arched downward to the base of the windshield and another a new crack extend upward. I am the only person who drives this car. I do not park under a tree or anything that might fall on the windshield. I have not experienced any rocks hitting the windshield recently. I have not driven in the rain in several weeks. The only time the windshield wipers moved recently is when I cleaned my windshield over the weekend and lifted the wipers to reach underneath. Best as I can tell, the crack started due to the windshield wiper being picked up and let back down. This concerns me a great deal considering that is not a great amount of force.

- Waterville, ME, USA

problem #38

Oct 202021

Prius

  • miles
Moments ago, I entered my 2016 Toyota Prius to find that my windshield had mysteriously cracked while parked over night. The crack was not present when I last drove the car last night. Based on some online research for windshield replacement cost, I've learned that Toyota was faced with a class action lawsuit regarding 2016-17 Toyota Prius containing defective windshields; in which these windshields are known to unexpectedly crack while parked or under ordinary driving conditions. Furthermore, my Toyota Prius is equipped with safety features (such as pre-collision system, lane departure alert with steering assist, automatic high beams and full-speed dynamic radar cruise control) that require a front camera to function properly. The cracked windshield now interferes with the camera's visibility, line of sight and perceived orientation, thus causing me to feel unsafe while driving the vehicle. I am filing this compliant because I am now faced with not only an unsafe vehicle to operate, but also the cost to fix a windshield that is known to be defective from Toyota.

- Costa Mesa, CA, USA

problem #37

Aug 222020

Prius

  • 44,000 miles

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

2016 Prius sitting in the driveway during a relatively hot day (~95 F temperature), appears to have a big crack. I looked it up and apparently Toyota is undergoing a class action lawsuit over the same issue. No outside damage to the windshield, the driver side window was down for the reason of the heat. Shame that this happened. Hopefully someone from the authority can help with this.

- El Monte Ca, CA, USA

problem #36

Jul 132020

Prius 4-cyl

  • 58,500 miles
For the second time in my ownership of this Toyota 2016 Prius, the windshield has cracked considerably due to tiny road debris making contact with it. I was driving along the highway when a small pebble from the road made contact with my windshield causing a crack which has grown in size and has snaked along my windshield considerably since the crack occurred earlier this week (7/13/2020). The total replacement of the windshield along with the calibration of the equipped ads camera system is very expensive, especially considering that this will be the second time that I must replace and re-calibrate. Although I would prefer to use a Toyota dealership, it would be very difficult for me to do so as the estimated cost is over $1K. With the current state of global affairs, no glass repair companies in my vicinity offer any oem windshields and they are heavily inundated with clients so the earliest that I could get a replacement service would be at the end of this month. I fear that the crack may fully spread across the windshield and that the integrity of the windshield may give. As a healthcare worker, I cannot afford to not use my vehicle.

- Bedford, TX, USA

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problem #35

May 302019

Prius

  • 20,000 miles
I have a 2016 Prius with approximately 20,000 miles that was pursued new from the dealership in Nov 2016. At around 10:30am, I was two blocks from home, driving on a residential street (25mph) and decelerated to approx 10mph as I approached a red stoplight at the oncoming intersection. Cross traffic was moving but there were no other cars in the lanes left or right of me and/or approaching my car. I heard a very faint click/popping sound coming from the upper right upside of the windshield and immediately pulled over to examine the glass. I found a very small star shaped ding, less than a millimetre wide about 3-4 inches from the top right of the windshield. I then called my insurance agent who stated a small ding like that could definitely be fixed by a glass shop and would be covered in full by allstate. I decided to just go back home and look online for somewhere nearby I could take in my car. I drove back, parked my car back into my underground temperature controlled space. I wasn't able to get a same day appointment so stayed in until 5:30pm when I left to go to dinner. I was shocked to see that the small ding was now a large diagonal crack from the upper left corner, to just past midpoint of the windshield. Because of the crack, the windshield can not be fixed. I was told that replacement and recalibration will cost approx just under $1000, which I will end up paying out of pocket because my insurance deductible is $1000. Has now been 8 days since the initial ding and the crack has continued to elongate. It is now 2/3 of the length of the windshield. I have owned eight Toyota vehicles, three of which have been new priuses. This is the first and only car where anything like this has ever happened. It appears that many other 2015-2016 Prius owners have experienced similar problems with their windshields too. Toyota must address this safety issue,

- Falls Church, VA, USA

problem #34

Mar 012019

Prius

  • 24,542 miles

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

With no impact whatsoever, and the car parked and stationary for more than 15 hours, I woke up this morning to find a crack in the front windshield. This crack is in the lower, middle section of the front windshield, generating up from the base of the windshield, and veering towards the left. There is absolutely no feeling of an impact (I.e. scratch, dent, ping, etc.) on either the outside of the windshield or the inside of the windshield - it appears that the crack is embedded in the glass itself. I have contacted my local Toyota dealer and will be bringing it in for their inspection this week. However, in my online research, it seems that there have been a number of 2016 Toyota Prius' that have had this mysterious front windshield crack occur - enough to make me wonder if there is something wrong with the factory-provided windshield, and that would possibly warrant a recall. Thank you for your consideration.

- Seattle, WA, USA

problem #33

Nov 032018

Prius

  • 20,000 miles
There is something wrong with the windshield design of the car. I had debris or road gravel hitting the windshield twice in last 2 months and got a crack on windshield in 2 occasions. I was driving car at 65 mph on highway in both instances. I also realize a flaw with wiper design that the wipers do no clear the full wind shield. This reduces visibility specially winter when there is lot of salt and snow on roads.

- Rocky Hill, CT, USA

problem #32

Nov 052018

Prius

  • 16,400 miles
The windshield on my 2016 Toyota Prius cracked for no reason. I parked my Prius in a covered parking garage. When I returned to my car later, there was a large crack in the windshield (over a foot long), and the crack curved down to the bottom of the windshield. I don't know what caused the windshield to crack all of a sudden. There were no signs of debris or impact. I believe the windshield maybe defective or was set on my car improperly in the factory, which caused stress on the windshield which led to the large crack.

- Pasadena, CA, USA

problem #31

Sep 032018

Prius

  • 7,000 miles
In motion on a highway. Windshield got hit by a "rock" and had a small star. Within days it has grown to cover the entire windshield in several different patterns. Windshield is total loss and needs to be replaced.

- Roanoke, VA, USA

problem #30

Aug 312018

Prius

  • 16,000 miles

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

My windshield had a very minor chip which resulting in a crack across the windshield. This seems to be an disproportionate damage to the windshield suggesting a structural design defect.

- Smyrna, GA, USA

problem #29

Aug 242018

Prius

  • 34,100 miles
While driving from tucson to phoenix on us route 10 at around 65 mph on the way to southern California on August 24, 2018, in 100 degree F. heat, a crack began in the lower drivers side of the windshield and was a foot long within seconds. By the time I reached home at 5:00pm, the crack had grown horizontally to more than two feet in length. I have avoided washing the windshield with cold water, or at all, and if the crack has lengthened further in the more moderate temperatures, I have not noticed. There is no obvious sign of a rock impact. When the sun is a the wrong angle, there is a distractingly bright glare from the crack.

- Irvine, CA, USA

problem #28

Jul 182018

Prius

  • 20,100 miles
Owner of a 2016 Toyota Prius 3 with advanced technology package: I'll preface this that I'm satisfied with most/if not all other aspects of the Prius (except entune...). however, it seems there is a definite issue with windshields cracking. I was driving on the freeway at the start of roadtrip when I heard and barely saw a rock/pebble hit lower left drivers side section of the windshield. I instantly saw 1-2 inch diameter crack/chip appear. Over the next few hours I saw it grow and expand. Reading up on this it seems I'm not only one who's experiencing this issue. I don't know if its just the design or glass is under some higher stress. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the cameras and sensors, one has to go to Toyota service anyway to get the camera recalibrated. Oem glass does not appear to be cheap either!

- Berkeley, CA, USA

problem #27

Jun 282018

Prius

  • 64,000 miles
Small rock chip caused windshield to crack all the way through across the entire windshield. I've been driving since I was 17 and never have had a windshield crack from a small rock chip, even the shop said he has seen a lot of this generation Prius coming in for replacements. Toyota has made a sub par windshield that isn't able to withstand anything. This glass is thin, and very unsafe. Now my windshield is cracked all the way across imparing my visibility.

- Fargo, ND, USA

problem #26

Jun 032018

Prius

  • 30,000 miles
While driving, with no other vehicle within 100 yards, an approximately 12 inch long crack appeared from the lower passenger side windshield. I did not have the radio on and did not hear or see anything strike the windshield. When I arrived at my destination I inspected the crack and saw no chip or other evidence that something struck the windshield. After a few hours I came back to leave and noticed that the crack had grown even longer. I assume from being parked in direct sunlight, although it was only about 80F degrees. I have always been proud of Toyota's durability and have owned everything from the Prius to the Tundra. I've even gotten many of my friends and family members to switch to Toyota. I now have to wonder if Toyota has started to "cheap out" like many other manufacturers. I am especially disappointed at the fact that this appears to be a "fit and finish" defect. Either the windshield must be cheap and thin, or the quality of workmanship must be lacking. A quick google search revealed that this is a disproportionately common problem with the new 4th gen Toyota Prius and that the windshield has been back ordered. To add insult to injury, the new Toyota safety sense sensors must be re-calibrated with the replacement windshield, which can add up to $500 to the total cost of repair! I cannot recommend the new 4th gen Prius if it comes with such a defective windshield. This is certainly a safety issue and is a very expensive repair. I wish I knew about this problem before buying!

- Selma, IN, USA

problem #25

Apr 022018

Prius

  • 30,000 miles
Windshield has cracked in drive way for no reason. Now has spider webbed across windshield obstructing my view. Called to repair and found out many people are reporting the same problem. Even after they fix and replace new windshield I=its cracking again. New windshield is $600plus install and re calibration im looking at $1300. Please help us customers because windshield is defective!

- Fresno, CA, USA

problem #24

Feb 152018

Prius

  • 14,000 miles
Small rock hit windshield on passenger side while driving on I 25 interstate from rio rancho towards Santa Fe....overnight crack developed and spread 6 inches or so...subsequently crack quickly spread across center of windshield to drivers side.

- Rio Rancho, NM, USA

problem #23

Feb 092018

Prius

  • 13,798 miles
While at highway speeds I was struck by a rock. Windshield cracked. Had to have it replaced. Costly and now I am told it will cost another $400+ to have it calibrated. I am now reading that the Prius is prone to windshield breaks and the cost of recalibration is both expensive and the dealers don't like doing it so the time to get it done is excessive. I now worry if safety features are compromised and it is dangerous to drive.

- Arcata, CA, USA

problem #22

Feb 032018

Prius

  • 24,000 miles
Windshield cracked while driving down the highway

- Sedgwick, KS, USA

problem #21

Dec 202017

Prius

  • miles
I had previous problems when I first bought my Prius where I received 2 cracks on my windshield within a week of owning the car. I never heard a rock hit my car. I reported it here and Toyota called me to replace my windshield so they could keep my old one for quality control. I was fine with this but just today I go out to my car and see a 6 inch crack that started from the bottom of the windshield that wasn't there before and I didn't hear a rock hit it either. I feel like my Prius windshield problems will never ever end

- Swanton, VT, USA

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