Your vehicle report
2012 Toyota Prius V
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 218
- Received Feb 2013 to Sep 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Brake booster fails, leaving stiff pedal22 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Unintended acceleration despite braking19 complaints · 8.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up18 complaints · 8.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #18V684000Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Toyota Prius and 2012-2014 Toyota Prius V vehicles. Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) within the inverter may cause the hybrid system to shut down, causing the vehicle to stall while being driven.
- Recall #15V449000Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Prius V vehicles manufactured August 22, 2011, to June 30, 2014. A component within the hybrid inverter assembly may overheat, causing the hybrid system to reduce output power allowing the vehicle to only drive a short distance. In some circumstances, the hybrid system may shut down causing the vehicle to stop while being driven.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Brake booster fails, leaving stiff pedalFirst signal: Oct 2019
- Anti-lock brakes fail or lock upFirst signal: May 2022
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 19 crashes, 2 fires, 10 people injured, 3 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 18 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 23 |
| 2014 | 12 |
| 2015 | 7 |
| 2016 | 8 |
| 2017 | 10 |
| 2018 | 12 |
| 2019 | 30 |
| 2020 | 22 |
| 2021 | 9 |
| 2022 | 20 |
| 2023 | 22 |
| 2024 | 23 |
| 2025 | 12 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 8 |
| Total | 218 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brake booster fails, leaving stiff pedal | 22 | 10% | 38.2× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Oct 2019 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.7% |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 19 | 8.7% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 18 | 8.3% | 19.6× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: May 2022 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.7% |
| Brake master cylinder leaks fluid and fails | 10 | 4.6% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 9 | 4.1% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 7 | 3.2% | – | |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 7 | 3.2% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 6 | 2.8% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 6 | 2.8% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 5 | 2.3% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 4 | 1.8% | – | NHTSA recall #15V449000, #18V684000 |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 4 | 1.8% | – | |
| Vehicle rolls backward out of park | 4 | 1.8% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Steering wheel clunks or clicks when turning | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 3 | 1.4% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #18V684000October 4, 2018807,329 vehicles affected
hybrid propulsion system
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Toyota Prius and 2012-2014 Toyota Prius V vehicles. Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) within the inverter may cause the hybrid system to shut down, causing the vehicle to stall while being driven.
If the hybrid system shuts down unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 22, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0V. Note: The software updates in this recall are needed even if the vehicle had the software previously updated under recalls 14V-053 or 15V-449.
NHTSA recall #15V449000July 15, 2015108,624 vehicles affected
hybrid propulsion system: inverter
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Prius V vehicles manufactured August 22, 2011, to June 30, 2014. A component within the hybrid inverter assembly may overheat, causing the hybrid system to reduce output power allowing the vehicle to only drive a short distance. In some circumstances, the hybrid system may shut down causing the vehicle to stop while being driven.
The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. The hybrid system could also shut down completely resulting in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the motor/generator control electronic control unti (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU, free of charge. The recall began on July 30, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
NHTSA recall #13V014000January 16, 20133,235 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive; seats
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.
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 the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
Remedy
Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2012 Toyota Prius V.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN