Problems › Toyota › 2023 Prius
2023 Toyota Prius Problems & Owner Complaints
Age-normalised, this year draws ~4.5 complaints per year on the road — ranking 10 of 13 Toyota Prius years we track (1 = most complaints per year).
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What owners report
Electrical System is the most-reported problem area on the 2023 Toyota Prius, cited in 5 of 18 filed complaints (28%).
Latches/Locks/Linkages is next (3 complaints, 17%), followed by Structure (3), Wheels (3), Service Brakes (2).
Across all complaints, 1 report a crash, 1 report injuries, 1 report a death.
The most safety-critical cluster is Electrical System: 1 crash, 1 injury, 1 death report(s).
Complaints by vehicle system
Owner complaints filed with the U.S. NHTSA for the 2023 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 18.
Electrical System 5 1 crash 1 injury 1 death
“Driving at highway speed on Interstate 30. Warning lights came on the dashboard. The Prius began to stall. Could not steer vehicle to shoulder. Prius came to a stop in the outside lane of travel. Rear-ended by Tractor Trailer rig. Passenger died. Driver sustained serious injuries. Witnesses called 911 prior to the collision to report that a vehicle had stalled on the interstate with its flashers on.”
NHTSA complaint #11526332, 2023 · crash · 1 death(s)
“The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Prius. The contact received a recall notification, NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V049000 (Electrical System, Latches/Locks/Linkages)however the parts were unavailable. The dealer was contacted, the contact was informed that the parts were unavailable. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced any failure regarding the unrepaired recall.”
NHTSA complaint #11739475, 2026
“The contact owned a 2023 Toyota Prius. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 26V049000 (Electrical System, Latches/Locks/Linkages) and 24V274000 (Electrical System, Latches/Locks/Linkages); and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted.”
NHTSA complaint #11728543, 2026
Latches/Locks/Linkages 3
“The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Prius. The contact received a recall notification, NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V049000 (Electrical System, Latches/Locks/Linkages)however the parts were unavailable. The dealer was contacted, the contact was informed that the parts were unavailable. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced any failure regarding the unrepaired recall.”
NHTSA complaint #11739475, 2026
“The contact owned a 2023 Toyota Prius. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 26V049000 (Electrical System, Latches/Locks/Linkages) and 24V274000 (Electrical System, Latches/Locks/Linkages); and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted.”
NHTSA complaint #11728543, 2026
“The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Prius. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V274000 (Electrical System, Latches/Locks/Linkages) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”
NHTSA complaint #11607245, 2024
Structure 3
“The rear plastic where the handle to open the truck is easily damaged and can cause water or damage inside the vehicle.”
NHTSA complaint #11711400, 2026
“What component failed: The rear plastic trim on my 2023 Toyota Prius cracked without any impact, accident, or external cause. The component is still on the vehicle and available for inspection upon request. Safety risk: While this is primarily a structural/cosmetic defect, cracking plastic trim that was not caused by the owner suggests a broader manufacturing quality issue. If this type of failure occurs in components closer to safety systems, it could pose a more serious risk. Confirmed by dealer: Yes. I brought the vehicle to a Toyota dealership and service center (Berkeley Toyota) for inspe…”
NHTSA complaint #11738763, 2025
“Body / Liftgate The rear hatch unexpectedly dropped and fell on my head while the vehicle was stationary. The right-side rear hatch gas strut separated from the body at the mounting point. The left-side rear hatch gas strut had also shown signs of imminent failure and subsequently broke near its mounting point. This resulted in loss of hatch support and uncontrolled closure, creating a risk of head and upper-body injury. The failure appears related to structural stress at the strut mounting locations, not misuse. Seat Belt – Rear Center Passenger The rear center passenger seat belt upper co…”
NHTSA complaint #11711380, 2025
Unknown Or Other 3
“Immediately after servicing the vehicle, when I closed the rear hatch, I noticed a crack in the plastic trim under the window. It is still available for inspection as the dealership has not yet repaired it. The piece is not entirely cracked through or enitrely loose at this time, but could it fall off and cause a road obstacle? The dealership has confirmed it is a probable warranty issue and I was told that Toyota is aware. The crack and loose trim is on a nearly new vehicle and happened without cause on my behalf and I noticed it immediately after servicing at my dealership on October 30th,…”
NHTSA complaint #11625562, 2024
“There are NO air vents or air flow to the rear seats. Passengers will overheat in the summer with no relief and I have no idea how this even made it on the market without vents to seats.”
NHTSA complaint #11596014, 2024
“My car was less than 6 months old when a crack began to appear in the windshield. It started at the base of the windshield by the hood. There was no impact and no reason for this crack to appear, it was spontaneous. It hampers my vision and must be replaced at my expense according to the dealership. I am reporting this because I'm reading about other Prius owners who have had a similar problem.”
NHTSA complaint #11574034, 2023
Wheels 3
“Tires are failing on the year model at an alarming rate. We have just turned 30,000 miles and have had 7 failures. 2 were deemed unrepairable and had to be replaced, the others were patched or plugged. The concern is sidewall failures on this year model, seems as if it a poorly engineered wheel size for this car that will result in catastrophic failures. I’ve called Toyota and there are apparently no alternatives. Sidewall failures or regular flats. can place drivers in difficult/ dangerous driving conditions. Facebook Prius groups indicate this is a widespread issue not exclusively…”
NHTSA complaint #11671230, 2025
“The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Prius equipped with Bridgestone Tires, Tire Line: Ecopia, Tire Size: 195/60/R17, DOT Number: 1ELUK0DDB. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 - 10 MPH in a parking lot, a piece of metal slashed the passenger’s side front tire. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was unable to use the tire puncture repair kit to repair the tire. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to repair the tire. The mechanic determined that the tire and wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted…”
NHTSA complaint #11681786, 2024
“This car is the Limited edition with 19 inch wheels. It does not come with a spare tire. The tires originally equipped on the vehicle are Michelin 195/50R19 Primacy A/S and they are NOT available to Toyota dealerships or at Tire Stores. I have one tire picked up a screw first week I owned the car, Toyota would not repair the tire, they said screw too close to edge of tire and not safe to repair or drive. Tire is not available so they sent me home with screw and I had to do repair myself, since tire is NOT available I have been driving around with this "unsafe" repair now for 6 months, tire has…”
NHTSA complaint #11588149, 2024
Service Brakes 2
“The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while sitting in traffic with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle started rolling backward even though the gear shifter was in drive(D). The contact stated that upon attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to respond and continued to roll backward. The contact stated that after turning off and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle responded as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The fa…”
NHTSA complaint #11606733, 2024
“The 12 volt battery was low, apparently from opening and closing doors during a camping trip. After a few days of sitting unused, I attempted to drive the vehicle. I pushed the start button and the car indicated that it was "ready". When I went to shift the transmission into Drive, the transmission went into Neutral instead and stuck there. At the same time, "low battery" indicators began flashing and the displays started blanking out and flashing. I again attempted to shift into Drive so that I could initiate the gas engine and recharge the battery while driving. However, I could not shift ou…”
NHTSA complaint #11587370, 2024
Tires 2
“The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Prius equipped with Bridgestone Tires, Tire Line: Ecopia, Tire Size: 195/60/R17, DOT Number: 1ELUK0DDB. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 - 10 MPH in a parking lot, a piece of metal slashed the passenger’s side front tire. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was unable to use the tire puncture repair kit to repair the tire. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to repair the tire. The mechanic determined that the tire and wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted…”
NHTSA complaint #11681786, 2024
“The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Prius equipped with Michelin Tires, Tire Line: Primacy Season, Tire Size: 195/50/R19, DOT Number: (NA). The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH on several occasions, the four tires experienced blowouts. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the driver's side rear tire needed to be replaced due to a sidewall failure. The tires were replaced with another brand. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Grieco Toyota (415 Taunton Ave., East Providence, RI 02914), who r…”
NHTSA complaint #11587249, 2023
Forward Collision Avoidance 1
“The car was being driven on US287 south from Wichita Falls, TX toward Fort Worth, Texas on an open road, in the middle of the afternoon, in clear sunshine, no clouds, no rain. On a stretch of the highway where the road dipped down into a gully, and had a normal rise afterwards, the automatic braking system activated, gave a warning of an impending collision and applied the brakes to stop the car HARD. Luckily, there was no traffic ahead or behind the vehicle at the time of the incident. The car came almost to a stop before it realized that there was no danger ahead of the vehicle and the au…”
NHTSA complaint #11540756, 2023
Power Train 1
“The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while sitting in traffic with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle started rolling backward even though the gear shifter was in drive(D). The contact stated that upon attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to respond and continued to roll backward. The contact stated that after turning off and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle responded as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The fa…”
NHTSA complaint #11606733, 2024
Seat Belts 1
“Body / Liftgate The rear hatch unexpectedly dropped and fell on my head while the vehicle was stationary. The right-side rear hatch gas strut separated from the body at the mounting point. The left-side rear hatch gas strut had also shown signs of imminent failure and subsequently broke near its mounting point. This resulted in loss of hatch support and uncontrolled closure, creating a risk of head and upper-body injury. The failure appears related to structural stress at the strut mounting locations, not misuse. Seat Belt – Rear Center Passenger The rear center passenger seat belt upper co…”
NHTSA complaint #11711380, 2025
Steering 1 1 crash 1 injury 1 death
“Driving at highway speed on Interstate 30. Warning lights came on the dashboard. The Prius began to stall. Could not steer vehicle to shoulder. Prius came to a stop in the outside lane of travel. Rear-ended by Tractor Trailer rig. Passenger died. Driver sustained serious injuries. Witnesses called 911 prior to the collision to report that a vehicle had stalled on the interstate with its flashers on.”
NHTSA complaint #11526332, 2023 · crash · 1 death(s)
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 2023 Toyota Prius draws about 4.5 complaints per year on the road, ranking 10 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.