2016 Toyota Prius electrical system problems

Related recalls

• 18V579000 · Electrical System › Wiring

  Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Toyota Prius vehicles. A portion of the engine wire harness connected to the hybrid Power Control Unit (PCU), could contact the cover at this connection and wear, causing an electrical short circuit…

Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Confirm by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What owners report

• “Car was driving fine one day and then while driving down the interstate I had the Pre collision system malfunction error, Brake light came on, Cruise will not operate, ABS light is on. After much research it seems Prius V has a common issue with brake booster faulting.”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 04/29/2025

• “During summer months when temperatures are above 100 degrees when accelerating from a complete stop I can hear the engine rev and the RPMs increase but the vehicle will move at 1-2 mph. Even if the accelerator is to the floor. After 3-4 seconds the tires will squeal and the vehicle will be jolted forward then it will slowly accelerate. This happens occasionally and I have taken it to a Toyota dealership and a chain mechanic shop, neither have been able to recreate the problem. There are no warni…”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 07/09/2024

• “While driving vehicle on the freeway it stated braking power low, stop in a safe place, antilock brake system malfunction, pre-collision system malfunction, lane departure alert malfunction. I was almost in a major scary accident.”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 04/24/2024

• “The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the steering wheel stopped operating and the vehicle began to shut down. The contact stated that a yellow blinking light and a hybrid system malfunction warning light illuminated the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the hybrid battery was low and there was a failure of the engine wiring harness. The hybrid battery was able to recharge but t…”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 04/10/2024

• “When the battery cooling fan is running, the car is slow to accelerate or will not accelerate at all. The incident has happened multiple times over the past year when the temperatures are above 90. If at a complete stop, the car will not accelerate, it will only jerk forward. The car has to be turned off and restarted to be able to accelerate. If braking or reducing speed, the car will be sluggish, and I have not been able to get the speed over 40 mph. I have taken it to the dealership, but t…”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 06/13/2022

• “Vehicle stalls for 5-10 seconds when stopped at a red light. Seems to happen sporadically and is difficult to reproduce. There have been other reports of it online here: https://priuschat.com/threads/tsb-nimh-only-reduced-power-when-accelerating-from-a-stop.187455/ https://priuschat.com/threads/2017-prius-2-no-acceleration-movement-from-full-stop.209317/ https://priuschat.com/threads/2016-prius-2-stalling.200606/”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 06/09/2021

• “BLUE TOOTH CONNECTION VIA PHONE WILL BE DROPPED AFTER 7-10 SECONDS POST CONNECTION TO THE VEHICLE. AUDIO PLAYER CAN BE CONNECTED SEPARATELY BUT ONCE THE PHONE CONNECTS THE DISPLAY CONSOLE RESETS AS IF THE CAR WAS JUST BEING STARTED. CAR CAN BE STATIONARY NOT MOVING. NO DIFFERENCE”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 12/27/2020

• “I PREVIOUSLY SENT IN A COMPLAINT BUT THERE HAVE BEEN DEVELOPMENTS AND I NEEDED TO EXPLAIN MORE CLEARLY. OUR TOYOTA HAS LESS THAN 18,000 MILES AND HAS BEEN VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF. DESPITE THIS, OUR VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN IN OPERATION SINCE EARLIER THIS MONTH. IT STARTED BY FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS 2 WEEKS AGO AND THEN WOULDN'T START UP. SATURDAY WHEN I OPENED THE DRIVER DOOR TO GET SOMETHING OUT OF THE INOPERABLE VEHICLE, THIS INITIATED A VERY LENGTHY TERRIBLE SOUND COMING FROM UNDER HOOD ON D…”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 12/01/2020

Unverified owner reports from NHTSA's public complaint database.

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