What are the most common problems on the 2019 Toyota Prius?

NHTSA has 29 owner complaint(s) on record for the 2019 Toyota Prius. Service Brakes is the most-reported problem area on the 2019 Toyota Prius, cited in 11 of 29 filed complaints (38%).

Problems › Toyota › 2019 Prius

2019 Toyota Prius Problems & Owner Complaints

29 NHTSA owner complaints

7 crash 2 injury

Age-normalised, this year draws ~3.6 complaints per year on the road — ranking 12 of 13 Toyota Prius years we track (1 = most complaints per year).

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What owners report

Service Brakes is the most-reported problem area on the 2019 Toyota Prius, cited in 11 of 29 filed complaints (38%).

Engine is next (5 complaints, 17%), followed by Air Bags (4), Electrical System (4), Forward Collision Avoidance (4).

Across all complaints, 7 report a crash, 2 report injuries.

The most safety-critical cluster is Air Bags: 4 crash, 2 injury report(s).

Complaints by vehicle system

Owner complaints filed with the U.S. NHTSA for the 2019 Toyota Prius, grouped by the vehicle system each cites. A single complaint can name more than one system, so the group totals can add up to more than 29.

Service Brakes 11 5 crash

“* I was pulling into a parking space at a slow speed. When I applied the brake the car accelerated causing the car to scrape the car next to the space. The car then stopped. * The acceleration was out of my control and the brakes did not stop it. Fortunately there was no person in front of me. * The Tow truck operator who came to get the car experienced the same issue when pulling into the bay at the dealer. I do not know about the manufacturer during their inspection as they did not provide me with that information. * Toyota had an inspection performed and that report was submitted to Toyota…”
NHTSA complaint #11620209, 2024 · crash

“I was idling at a parking space and went to turn off my car. The vehicle surged forward and the BRAKE sign came on. I pushed my brake to the floor and nothing happened. I was moving toward a brick wall so I put in in reverse and the car surged backwards. The BRAKE sign came on and I pushed the brake to the floor and again nothing happened and I ended up hitting the car behind me. I immediately took my car to the dealership where they kept it for 3 days and said they could find nothing wrong and it was safe to drive. I just got it back from having the body work done and am afraid to drive it a…”
NHTSA complaint #11585051, 2024 · crash

“On Saturday [XXX], while shifting to reverse in a back alley to back up slowly, the car engine suddenly and loudly revved and shot backwards at accelerating speed. I slammed on brakes which did not respond at all, thus forcing me to attempt to shift gears which also failed to stop the acceleration. Car only stopped because it went up a curb and hit the corner of a parked vehicle in a neighbors driveway. If I had been on busier street and not a back alley this could have resulted in numerous vehicle collisions and unimagined fatalities. Car is being towed on [XXX] to Advanced Collision Rep…”
NHTSA complaint #11572747, 2024 · crash

Unknown Or Other 8

“Frequency when I start car makes a very loud , painful high pitch noise for anywhere from 5-15 seconds”
NHTSA complaint #11749970, 2026

“Coolant system failed because coolant was leaking into catalytic converter. Two mechanics in two different states (one a Toyota dealer) claimed this is defect with 2019 Prius and results in repair costing more than $2000.00 because of this design flaw. Warning light did not come on until coolant was gone.”
NHTSA complaint #11678811, 2025

“Body of car has rust perforation starting from the inside working out. This is on the roof, so water incursion will effect airbags and electrical system. FIrst noticed rust bubbles a few years ago, but did not think much of it. Now two body shops have said roof panel needs to be replaced. This is big stuff!”
NHTSA complaint #11709126, 2024

Engine 5 1 crash

“Exhaust heat-exchanger coolant pipe (part of the hybrid cooling loop) on my 2019 Toyota Prius is the system that failed. Safety risk: complete loss of coolant can cause sudden engine overheating and possible power reduction or shutdown while the vehicle is moving. I transport two young children daily; an unexpected stall on a highway or during an intersection turn would put all occupants and surrounding traffic at risk. AutoNation Toyota Mall of Georgia (dealer) inspected the car on 22-May-2025, confirmed the leak, and advised the vehicle is unsafe to drive until the pipe is replaced. Repair e…”
NHTSA complaint #11663559, 2025

“PRIUS STALLS IN THE RAIN DESPITE NOT BEING A RECALLED MODEL. PCS SENSOR IS AFTERMARKET, PEDESTRIAN WARNING ALERT NOISE IS OFFLINE, SUSPENSION IS CRACKED, ENGINE MAKES CREAKING NOISE AT LOW SPEED TURNING. I WORKED FOR TOYOTA AS A SALESPERSON AND THEY REALLY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF ME. *TR”
NHTSA complaint #11327502, 2020

Air Bags 4 4 crash 2 injury

“Vehicle was involved in a accident and it was a total loss and no airbags deployed There wasBodily injury due to this accident”
NHTSA complaint #11558272, 2023 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“OUR PRIUS WAS INVOLVED IN FRONT TO PASSENGER SIDE COLLISION, WHICH TOTALED THE PRIUS, YET NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED DURING THE ACCIDENT. THE PRIUS SHOULD HAVE BEEN EQUIPPED WITH SIDE AIRBAG AND PASSENGER AIRBAG, WHICH BOTH FAILED EVEN THOUGH THOSE AREAS WERE IMPACTED.”
NHTSA complaint #11266798, 2019 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while at a complete stop, another vehicle crashed into the rear of the vehicle and the vehicle began to accelerate unintendedly. The air bags failed to deploy. The brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond. The contact stated that he was able to prevent a crash by avoiding several vehicles while continuously depressing the brake pedal. The brake pedal responded; however, there was 62-100 ft. stopping distance delay. The contact veered to the side of the road for a moment. The contact stated that as he restarted the vehicle, the veh…”
NHTSA complaint #11504545, 2023 · crash

Electrical System 4 2 crash

“Frequency when I start car makes a very loud , painful high pitch noise for anywhere from 5-15 seconds”
NHTSA complaint #11749970, 2026

Forward Collision Avoidance 4 2 crash

“VEHICLE INVOLVED IN A ACCIDENT. VEHICLE BRAKE SYSTEM DID NOT WORK. DRIVER HAD FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL. ANTI COLLISION BREAK SYSTEM DID NOT WORK, VEHICLE SLID FOR 20FT INTO A STOPPED FOR. 2019 PRIUS WAS GOING 35 MPH BEFORE RISK OF COLLISION WAS REALIZED. SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE DONE ON PASSENGER SIDE BUMPER. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED.”
NHTSA complaint #11390410, 2020 · crash

“Since October 2023, my 2019 Toyota Prius has developed severe and unpredictable driving behavior after a regular brake service, which may have triggered or coincided with a software or ECU update. The car, which had been driving smoothly since I bought it in 2021, suddenly began showing false braking, steering interference, and lane instability — as if the car were trying to “correct” problems that didn’t exist. These interventions often happen on highways or during turns, creating serious safety risks for both driver and passengers. I’ve spent months and thousands of dollars replacing parts,…”
NHTSA complaint #11692652, 2023

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Vehicle Speed Control 4 2 crash

“I WAS TURNING TO EXIT A FREEWAY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR CAME TO A STOP (ABOUT 55MPH TO 0) IN A MATTER OF SECONDS WITH NO WARNING. IT THEN TOOK A FEW SECONDS BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO GET THE GAS TO WORK AGAIN. NO CARS WERE AROUND ME LUCKILY.”
NHTSA complaint #11268309, 2019

Power Train 2

“I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW 2019 PRIUS FROM THE DEALERSHIP THAT I WORK AT. ONLY A MONTH LATER, THE PRE COLLISION SYSTEM STARTED BECOME UNAVAILABLE AND THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING A LOUD CRANKING NOISE. I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PCS MILIMETRE WAVE SENSOR WAS MISSING FROM THE CAR. THEY ALSO DID NOT WANT TO FIX THE ENGINE PROBLEM OR EVEN LOOK INTO IT DESPITE STILL HAVING WARRANTY LEFT.”
NHTSA complaint #11315905, 2020

Tires 2

“This complete set of Dunlop Enasave 01 A/S 195 / 65 R 15 91S tires has failed in a short span of time. At the beginning of October, we noticed a slight warbling while driving at any speed. An inspection by Les Schwab tires revealed exposed steel belting on the inside of one of the tires, although a quick check found all four tires were failing. A subsequent inspection by our local Toyota dealership found the same problem, with the additional information that the cords had snapped on all four tires. It is relevant to note that these tires only have 44K miles on them, and that the vehicle is ga…”
NHTSA complaint #11554546, 2023

“Re: Front left and right Toyo Tires (195/65R15 ) Having passed MA state inspection at the end of August my husband and I headed out for a 500 mile road trip. I purposely went back to the station that did the inspection and asked if the tires looked okay for this trip. I was assured they would be fine. But 100 miles into the trip the front end was shimmying so badly my husband's leg in the passenger seat was vibrating. He didn't sleep that night and said, "I think we should look into new tires if we're going to continue." I found a Town Fair Tire store in Northhampton, MA and booked an appointm…”
NHTSA complaint #11545467, 2023

Back Over Prevention 1

“Whenever it rains the warning message clean parking assist sensor comes on while you are driving. Even after you clean the sensors the warning continues to beep contiously. You can press the back button but it will not stop. Also proximity sensor comes on with this incident. After the rain stops the problem stops.”
NHTSA complaint #11468535, 2022

Electronic Stability Control (Esc) 1

Engine And Engine Cooling 1

“The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Prius. The contact stated there was a coolant leak and the coolant level was low. There was no indication of coolant on the ground. The check engine and engine HOT warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to TSB: 0135-19. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that there was a coolant leak in the front exhaust pipe heat exchanger. The parts to repair the vehicle were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11667430, 2025

Fuel/Propulsion System 1

Lane Departure 1

Seat Belts 1

“The issue is with the back middle seat belt. When the back right passenger seat, which is a 2/3 seat is placed down in order to accommodate long pieces of lumber, it remains stuck there as the seatbelt for the middle seat will not release. The seatbelt mechanism for the middle seat is located in the 2/3 seat which is stuck in the down position. Therefore, we cannot use the middle seat nor the back right seat because the seatbelt for the middle seat is locked in place and not releasing. So the back right seat is lying down and stuck there as the seatbelt for the middle seat is locked unable t…”
NHTSA complaint #11618223, 2024

Visibility/Wiper 1

“This happened about 3 weeks ago. I drove to work on local roads with no incidents of debris hitting windshield - no visible cracks. After my shift I spotted about a three foot crack in the middle of windshield leading down to passenger side. No warnings or symptoms of a problem. Although car is 2019, I have less than 16000 miles on it & most of my driving is highway & local roads. I’ve read that 2016-2017 Prius had this issue with lawsuit pending which also stated safety concerns over early warning detection system failing due to windshield cracks. Toyota (on phone) said it would cost 1200 to…”
NHTSA complaint #11539346, 2023

Wheels 1

“The vehicle has started to exhibit a wobbling feeling when driving, similar to when there is a bubble or blister in the tire. At only 4 years old, and with only 44K miles, we knew this shouldn't be the problem. An inspection by Les Schwab Tires, as well as the Toyota dealership where we purchased the vehicle new confirmed that all four tires are damaged, i.e. the "cords snapped" on the belt, exposing the nylon and steel belts, and putting the vehicle in danger of a blow-out on all four tires. We first noticed this around the beginning of October.”
NHTSA complaint #11554435, 2023

How we read this (methodology)

How to read this: raw complaint totals are not a clean reliability score — a model year with more cars sold, or simply more years on the road, accumulates more complaints regardless of how good it is. So this page leans on two signals that are not distorted by sales volume: the share of complaints falling on each vehicle system (the breakdown above) and NHTSA's own crash / fire / injury / death flags. When we compare model years of the same model, we normalise by years on the road (complaints ÷ vehicle age) rather than comparing raw totals. Age-normalised, the 2019 Toyota Prius draws about 3.6 complaints per year on the road, ranking 12 of 13 among the Toyota Prius model years we have ingested (1 = most complaints per year on road).

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Data source: U.S. NHTSA (nhtsa.gov). SaveVIN surfaces public recall data and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NHTSA.