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2009 Toyota PriusProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 502 owner complaints about the 2009 Toyota Prius, most often about the exterior lighting. It is covered by 6 safety recalls.

2009 Toyota Prius
38
CarFlaw IndexUse caution1.6× the Prius median · #7 of 23 years by complaints
Safety recalls6Free fix at dealersOwner complaints50289 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage80kExterior lighting, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 17, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Harvey Bold, CC0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2009 Toyota Prius has problems

502 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Exterior lighting1111
Service brakes, hydraulic9111
Vehicle speed control7126
Service brakes637
Electrical system606
Service brakes, electric447
Power train222
Structure196
Engine191
18 other systems11425

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

6 recalls

2009 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.

–no report yet

Frontal: sensor/control module-inactive

Recall 13V-014 · Jan 16, 2013 · 3,235 vehicles

Risk. If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Steering

Recall 12V-537 · Nov 14, 2012 · 669,705 vehicles

Risk. Over time, the splines may wear and eventually fail resulting in a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 2 more recalls
–no report yet

Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal

Recall 09V-388 · Oct 5, 2009 · 4,445,056 vehicles

Risk. A STUCK OPEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY RESULT IN VERY HIGH VEHICLE SPEEDS AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH, SERIOUS INJURY OR…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

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 exterior lighting problems start?

80kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 93 exterior lighting complaints. 72% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
5under 30k miles67under 100k miles26100k 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.

Service brakes

11 owners mentioned a cost

$2,700median

Middle half: $2,550 – $3,000

Exterior lighting

10 owners mentioned a cost

$652median

Middle half: $513 – $1,150

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

2009 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

2009 Toyota Prius safety ratings

2009 Toyota Prius 4-DR.w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2009 Toyota Prius frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2009 Toyota Prius side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Stability control: Optional
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2009 Toyota Prius, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Intermediate Steering Shaft SeparationDP13001 · closed Apr 8, 2020
    No recall
  2. Pedestrian alert soundsDP22005 · closed Aug 7, 2023
    Led to recall 22V-063
In owners' words

What Prius owners report

Recent exterior lighting complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

Headlights intermittently go off, and I wound have to switch it off and on for light to come back on, but for few minutes until it does it again, and I drive Uber at night. I have searched the problem online, it seems to be a common problem on the second generation Prius from 04-09, I called few…
Complaint 11429147 · Aug 15, 2021
My 2017 Prius is having headlight failure. I was told by my neighbor that my headlight was out. I bought a new one and went to replace it but they were both working. Thought it was a defective bulb so waited to replace it. I check both headlights when I come to a stop behind a car so I can check…
Complaint 11423727 · Jul 7, 2021
IN DECEMBER OF 2018, I PULLED MY CAR UP TO A REDBOX STATION TO RETURN A MOVIE. I PUSHED THE PARK BUTTON ON MY 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS AND GOT OUT OF MY CAR TO PUT THE MOVIE INTO THE SLOT. THE CAR APPARENTLY WAS NOT IN PARK AND CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD (I TRIED TO CATCH IT, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, AND HURT…
Complaint 11415024 · May 3, 2021 · 125,000 miles

Own a 2009 Prius?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.