no report yet
Steering: electric power assist system
Risk. LOSS OF POWER STEERING, PARTICULARLY WHEN AN OPERATOR IS ACTIVELY INTENDING TO STEER THE VEHICLE, MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
2003 Toyota PriusProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 99 owner complaints about the 2003 Toyota Prius, most often about the steering. It is covered by 1 safety recall.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 26, 2022. Updated daily. Photo: Cutlass, CC0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2003 Toyota Prius has problems
99 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
39Steering1 crash/fire/injury
13Electrical system1 crash/fire/injury
11Tires1 crash/fire/injury
11Engine and engine cooling2 crash/fire/injury
8Service brakes, hydraulic
5Vehicle speed control
5Power train
5Service brakes
3Service brakes, electric
1611 other systems4 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 39 | 1 |
| Electrical system | 13 | 1 |
| Tires | 11 | 1 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 11 | 2 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 8 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 0 |
| Power train | 5 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 0 |
| Service brakes, electric | 3 | 0 |
| 11 other systems | 16 | 4 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
1 recall
2003 Toyota Prius recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Toyota.
Mileage at failure
When do steering problems start?
84kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 34 steering complaints. 62% were reported before 100,000 miles.
3under 30k miles21under 100k miles13100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Steering
10 owners mentioned a cost$2,400median
Middle half: $1,625 – $3,250
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2003 vs. every other Prius year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Prius median. How we score
'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2003 Toyota Prius safety ratings
2003 Toyota Prius 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Stability control: Optional
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2003 Toyota Prius, and the recalls they led to.
- Pedestrian alert soundsLed to recall 22V-063
In owners' words
What Prius owners report
Recent steering complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the steering wheel began to vibrate with an unknown message displayed on the instrument panel. As the failure persisted, the message disappeared, and the contact was able to drive to her destination. Upon restart…
IT'S MOSTLY WHEN I'M TURNING RIGHT THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT WILL COME AND THERE WILL BE NO POWER STEERING. I HAVE SEE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. SOMETIMES AS I WAS DRIVING IN THE CITY OR JUST AS I'M STARTING TO DRIVE
WE PURCHASED A 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS IN JUNE OF 2018. IT HAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000 MILES ON IT. WHEN THE WEATHER STARTED GETTING COLDER IN OCTOBER OF 2018, THE CAR EXHIBITED THE FOLLOWING PROBLEM: CAR STEERING WHEEL SHAKES VIOLENTLY FOR SEVERAL SECONDS WHILE EXITING THE DRIVEWAY USUALLY AS WE ARE…
Own a 2003 Prius?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.