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Everyone that looks at hybrid vehicles starts with the 2020 Toyota Prius. After all, it does continue the lineup of original hybrids. The automaker claims it helps you “be in your element,” but most owners are ready to get out. This vehicle has a faulty electrical system, defective electronic stability control and damaged service brakes.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2018 2019 2022
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NHTSA Complaints for the 2020 Toyota Prius
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Service Brakes | |
| Power Train | |
| Electrical System | |
| Visibility/wiper | |
| Back Over Prevention: Warnings | |
| Tires:sidewall | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Air Bags | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Wheels |
Problems with the Electrical System
In a hybrid vehicle, the electrical system is more important than ever. Not only does it run the battery for recharging, but also all of the convenience features.
Here’s an Edmunds review that talks about all of the glitches with the amenities. “The software problems, in no particular order: * Halfway there if you want to speak Canadian: Can display km/h, l/100km, but NOT temperature in Centigrade, only Fahrenheit, because, um, apparently displaying Centigrade on a car bound for North America is too confusing for a Japanese software engineer to understand? * If you try to engage cruise control while in engine-braking mode, it fails silently. The system is perfectly capable of telling you why it can’t turn cruise control on (for that matter, there’s no reason cruise control shouldn’t work when you’re in engine-braking mode), but Toyota just couldn’t be bothered to either engage cruise control or tell you why it hadn’t. Took me a long time to debug that one! * Every time you plug in your phone to the USB port to charge, it pops up a couple of error messages on your phone telling you that you need to install Entune, which you have to dismiss. * Just… go to the Android Play store and read the reviews for Entune. It’s worse than useless, and it violates Android’s notification policies in an intrusive way. So you have to have it, but it does nothing but annoy. Whether you install it or not. * No support for Android Auto. Wait, what? Some Toyotas have this, so it’s not like they don’t know how. They just didn’t feel like it? * Want to use standard Bluetooth commands to control your phone’s media player from your steering wheel? “Pause” works, but “Play” doesn’t, and gods help you f you want to skip to the next or previous track. This is the first car I’ve seen in 8 years that can’t do these things. * There’s a nice prominent “MAP” button on the center display. It does nothing but tell you that you have to download Toyota’s really ghastly proprietary mapping software (see also “android auto” etc).”
On the battery end of things, there are many more issues. Service Bulletin #T-SB-0062-20 talks about how the HV battery intake filter and cooling fan can experience a buildup of lint, debris and dust, which reduces the efficiency of the cooling system. Whether drivers are hoping to enjoy the ride with their favorite convenience features or they trust the battery cooling system to do its job, they are sadly disappointed. Maybe it’s time to get out of the element and move onto one of the other popular hybrid models instead. The Prius may have been the first, but it can’t keep up with other brands any longer.
Problems with the Electronic Stability Control
If the Prius was about to get into an accident because of these faulty systems, it would be helpful to know that the brakes work properly. Yet, that seems to be an issue as well.
Here is one more NHTSA review. “My dad was driving on the highway. He said that he stepped on the brakes and the brakes did not work. He got into an accident in which all the airbags were deployed and the car was totaled. The car only had 700 miles. I believe this was the second time that my dad drove this car on the highway. My mom, who was a passenger, said that the car accelerated very quickly. Prior to purchasing this car, my dad had driven a Prius (2010-2012?), so he was very familiar with the feel of the Prius.”
Again, there is no documentation from the automaker regarding rapid acceleration or trouble braking, yet that’s what customers are facing. Considering the word Prius means “first” or “superior” in Latin, it’s time to consider renaming this Toyota vehicle. So far, the only thing it is superior in is defects, causing it to be a top contender for the junkyard.
Problems with the Brakes
If the Prius was about to get into an accident because of these faulty systems, it would be helpful to know that the brakes work properly. Yet, that seems to be an issue as well.
Here is one more NHTSA review. “My dad was driving on the highway. He said that he stepped on the brakes and the brakes did not work. He got into an accident in which all the airbags were deployed and the car was totaled. The car only had 700 miles. I believe this was the second time that my dad drove this car on the highway. My mom, who was a passenger, said that the car accelerated very quickly. Prior to purchasing this car, my dad had driven a Prius (2010-2012?), so he was very familiar with the feel of the Prius.”
Again, there is no documentation from the automaker regarding rapid acceleration or trouble braking, yet that’s what customers are facing. Considering the word Prius means “first” or “superior” in Latin, it’s time to consider renaming this Toyota vehicle. So far, the only thing it is superior in is defects, causing it to be a top contender for the junkyard.
Your Lemon Law Legal Rights
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Toyota pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Complaint Data
| Category | Air Bags, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Dec 09, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 toyota prius prime. The contact stated that while driving slowly into a parking space the vehicle suddenly experience unintended acceleration and accelerated forward before crashing into a building. During the crash, the front end of the vehicle was severely damaged but the air bags did not deploy. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed from the scene. No police report was filed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 14,000. The contact stated that the car traveled approximately 29 feet when it accelerated forward. The car's front end was totaled. |
| Category | Back Over Prevention: Warnings, Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking, Service Brakes |
| Date | Nov 04, 2022 |
| State | NM |
| Description | Attempted to park in my garage and overshot the turn. The brake then failed to stop and I dented my garage outer wall. I reversed my car and tried to reposition it to go inside the garage, putting it on drive. However, the brake pedal made the car accelerate and the car went on reverse. It then crashed into the neighbor's garage and crashed the door and car inside. Both the car inside the garage and the garage itself (along with the inside of the house) have been damaged. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Aug 15, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | I was driving yesterday on freeway in the 2nd lane ,all of a sudden car went from drive to neutral,I didn't touch transmission gear lever and I put gas and it says it is on neutral n,I was in dangerous situation, the other cars were flying by,I put on hazard lights slowly changed lanes because it was not on d drive mode,pulled it over to shoulder applied brakes and shift to d then proceeded back to freeway, I was very scare in this whole ordeal |
| Category | Tires:sidewall |
| Date | Jun 15, 2022 |
| State | VT |
| Description | Ballooning on side wall of tire. When brought to dealer, they indicated that three other tires had same problem but not as obvious. Car had only 24k miles, with half these on these tires (rest on snow tires). Dealer reported that this was a serious danger. |
| Category | Electrical System, Power Train |
| Date | Feb 01, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 toyota prius prime. The contact stated that while coasting her vehicle into a parking spot at 2 mph, the vehicle independently accelerated forward with her foot lightly on the accelerator pedal. The vehicle jumped the curb and crashed into two vehicles. The contact was uncertain if any warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel during the failure. The air bag did not deploy upon impact. Police were called to the scene; however, since no injuries or property damage were reported, they informed that contact that they would not be needed. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic where it remained in their possession. A dealer was notified and offered no assistance. The manufacturer was also notified and informed her that she would receive a callback. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000. |
| Category | Service Brakes, Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal |
| Date | Sep 24, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 toyota prius. The contact stated that while, driving approximately 5 mph, making a right turn, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, jumped the curb, and crashed into the bushes. The brake pedal was applied however, failed to respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. There were no reported injuries, police report or air bag deployment. The vehicle was towed to an independent body shop. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified however no further assistance was provided. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. The failure mileage was 15,670. |
| Category | Tires:sidewall |
| Date | Aug 06, 2021 |
| State | IL |
| Description | I was making a left turn into my subdivision after a full stop. My speed was no more than 5 mph. The toyota dealer informed me that the sidewall had blown and was not repairable. They had no definitive cause as to why the tire blew. The tire was retained by the dealer. The tire size is p 195/65r15 and is a toyo nanoenergy a41 tire. It was original equipment on the toyota prius as built in japan. I have found that the tire has no manufacturer's warranty. I just returned from a vacation three days ago driving from hilton head island, sc. Had this happened on the interstate system, the results to me, my wife, or other drivers could have been very different. To the best of my knowledge, the tire has not been inspected by any party. I was not given any tire dot information on the new tire. |
| Category | Electrical System, Exterior Lighting, Structure:body |
| Date | Feb 18, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | I was driving to work into the garage. The entrance of the garage has a mild incline with a narrow entrance and I normally will slow down so I can steel the car slowly. I was going at about 10 to 15 mile speed and felt a stall first and then the car went into accelerated mode on its own. I felt the car was shift to a different gear on its own up to 80 to 100 miles. I am lucky there is a cement pole in front of me and the car went right into the pole smashing the left side(driver side of the car ) I have to step on the break to stop the car. It all happened very quickly within few minutes. I was lucky there was no one in front of me and I was not hurt. I never had issue with toyota car and this was the first time. I actually had car in the day before for 15,000 miles maintenance |
| Category | Tires |
| Date | Feb 12, 2021 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | The outer side of my r front passenger tire blew out in two places,(not near the tread area) while driving on a good highway road surface approx 50 mph. 3400 miles total on the odometer. No bump when I heard the tire pop. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Feb 03, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | The display on the media-control unit would sometimes go blank, in part or entirely. The touchscreen issues interfered with drivers' ability to use heat, air conditioning, defrost and defogging systems. This has happened at least 30 times during the past year. The last incident occurred on 01/13/2021. This happens while in motion. It also happened on my 2017 prius prime many times. This problem has been reported to toyota by many owners. No solution has been forthcoming. This is the same issue that prompted the current tesla recall. The prius chat online site mentions this type of issue mant times. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 26, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Original tires from dealership |
| Category | Back Over Prevention: Warnings, Service Brakes, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Nov 25, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | I was going to park my car in parking lot of my apartment. I pushed the baker, the car didn't decrease the speed or stop, but accelerated. It was just out of control and crashed to the wall. The sensor system didn't do any job, not even a warning. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Nov 11, 2020 |
| State | CT |
| Description | Mice chewed through wires and air filter, causing damage to the hybrid system. The check hybrid system warning sign came on and the car running rough. Toyota dealer charged 066. 81 for the damage. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Oct 26, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 toyota prius prime. The contact stated that he purchased and installed a dashboard cover in the vehicle. The contact stated that while reversing, the dashboard cover shifted and blocked the sensor for the back over prevention camera, allowing the display screen to go dark, causing the vehicle to crash into a parked vehicle at approximately 2 mph. The contact stated that the sensor was used to distinguish between daytime and nighttime driving and would dim or brighten the display screen as needed. A police report was not filed. There was no injury sustained by either the contact or the occupant of the other vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the display screen inadvertently and intermittently rebooted and the infotainment software updated. The failure recurred on five separate occasions. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact stated that the radio, gps and climate control functions became inoperable. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were contacted or informed of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 12,000. |
| Category | Power Train, Structure, Wheels |
| Date | Oct 02, 2020 |
| State | NY |
| Description | 2020 toyota prius. Consumer writes in regards to needing transmission repair after vehicle was towed. *ld the consumer stated the axel rods, rims needed to be repaired/replaced, steering issues,. Rear wheel issues, and bumper replacement. *js |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Aug 12, 2020 |
| State | MA |
| Description | My dad was driving on the highway. He said that he stepped on the brakes and the brakes did not work. He got into an accident in which the all airbags were deployed and the car was totaled. The car only had 700 miles. I believe this was the second time that my dad drove this car on the highway. My mom, who was a passenger, said that the car accelerated very quickly. Prior to purchasing this car, my dad had driven a prius (2010 - 2012?), so he was very familiar with the feel of the prius. The claim # is [xxx]. Attached please find the police report as well as a picture of the totaled car. Please note that I am filing this complaint on behalf of my parents.*dt consumer has contacted manufacture. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).'*jb |
| Category | Electronic Stability Control |
| Date | May 29, 2020 |
| State | VA |
| Description | Proximity sensors generated an alert that parking assistance sensors needed cleaning during moderate rain cleaning the sensors did not resolve the issue. Stopped at dealer to have it checked and was advised that the sensor do that in inclement weather and I would need to learn to live with it. If it was just the parking sensors it would not be as significant but I did determine the front accident assistance did not function as it should have - as I approached a vehicle in front of me with cruise control the speed reduction that was supposed to occur did not happen. Had I not been checking to see what would happen if the proximity sensors were malfunctioning it could have resulted in an accident. I did not attempt any other actions which rely on proximity sensors to function as I did not want to cause or be involved in an accident. I was driving at the time and I expect that although the alert specifically mentioned parking sensors, the fact that the car did not slow as toyota has indicated it should leads be to believe that any and all "driver assistance technologies" may fail when that alert occurs resulting in potential accidents and injuries the vsc off indicator was flashing at the time. *tr |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Mar 28, 2020 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | The multi information display that shows the speed, fuel, and other driving metrics stopped working, I am not able to see how fast I am going, how much fuel is left, odometer or other items that is displayed there. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Feb 08, 2020 |
| State | NY |
| Description | On multiple occasions, frost developing on the inside of the windshield while vehicle parked in the parking lot at work 2 times(jan 17th and the 30th at home and at work in the morning and after work) and another time while vehicle parked at home in the driveway. It takes 20 or more minutes to defrost the windshield. The wipers cause visibility problems due to the water and snow turning to ice. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Feb 08, 2020 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Frost developing on the inside of windshield on multiple days in different locations. At home and at work during the day time and at night. Takes 20 minutes or more to defrost. |
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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