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2016 Toyota PriusProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 156 owner complaints about the 2016 Toyota Prius, most often about the visibility/wiper. It is covered by 5 safety recalls, and for recall 18V-085 the manufacturer reports only 84% of affected cars repaired.

2016 Toyota Prius
70
CarFlaw IndexOne of the best years57% below the Prius median · #15 of 23 years by complaints
Safety recalls5Lowest repair rate 84%Owner complaints15612 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage18kVisibility/wiper, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 30, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2016 Toyota Prius has problems

156 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
Visibility/wiper400
Electrical system200
Service brakes182
Engine180
Power train150
Vehicle speed control143
Structure110
Air bags74
Tires70
17 other systems382

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

5 recalls

2016 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.

84%repaired · 2019 Q2

Air bags: frontal

Recall 18V-085 · Jan 31, 2018 · 48,672 vehicles · 40,927 repaired

Risk. If the air bags fail to deploy in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

100%repaired · 2019 Q1

Hybrid propulsion system: inverter

Recall 17V-658 · Oct 18, 2017 · 6 vehicles · 6 repaired

Risk. If the capacitor was not properly secured, vibrations from driving the vehicle may damage the capacitor, shutting down the hybrid system, causing a loss of…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

92%repaired · 2018 Q1

Parking brake

Recall 16V-741 · Oct 14, 2016 · 91,585 vehicles · 84,344 repaired

Risk. If the parking brake cable disengages from the mechanism and the transmission is left in a gear other than 'Park' while the ignition is on and the driver…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 1 more recall
88%repaired · 2018 Q1

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 16V-672 · Sep 16, 2016 · 7,817 vehicles · 6,860 repaired

Risk. A front passenger air bag that unintentionally inflates can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

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 visibility/wiper problems start?

18kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 34 visibility/wiper complaints. 100% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
26under 30k miles34under 100k miles0100k 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.

Visibility/wiper

8 owners mentioned a cost

$850median

Middle half: $575 – $1,125

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

2016 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

2016 Toyota Prius safety ratings

2016 Toyota Prius 5 HB FWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

★★★★★Overall rating
2016 Toyota Prius frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crash★★★★★
2016 Toyota Prius side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrier★★★★★
2016 Toyota Prius side pole test, NHTSA
Side pole★★★★★
  • Rollover: 4 stars (10.7% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: Optional
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2016 Toyota Prius, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Pedestrian alert soundsDP22005 · closed Aug 7, 2023
    Led to recall 22V-063
In owners' words

What Prius owners report

Recent visibility/wiper complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

I reported issues with this car in 2018. Clicking sounds under the car which is still happening, peeling paint on exterior and inside door areas, substandard windshield that spread in a very unusual pattern when hit by a small rock. The NHTSA ID Number that was assigned to these complaints is…
Complaint 11535013 · Jul 28, 2023
At the beginning of this week, I was checking fluid levels and upon dropping my hood, I watched a crack in the windshield extend up from the base of the windshield. Then, while I was driving, I watched the crack extend and branch into a second crack. Upon further inspection, it appears cracking…
Complaint 11475445 · Jul 23, 2022
Moments ago, I entered my 2016 Toyota Prius to find that my windshield had mysteriously cracked while parked over night. The crack was not present when I last drove the car last night. Based on some online research for windshield replacement cost, I've learned that Toyota was faced with a class…
Complaint 11437574 · Oct 20, 2021

Own a 2016 Prius?

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