Your vehicle report
2001 Toyota Prius
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
- 165
- Received Jan 2001 to Dec 2019
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Tires blow out or tread separates31 complaints · 19% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly11 complaints · 6.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Unintended acceleration despite braking9 complaints · 5.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #11V304000Toyota is recalling certain model year 2001 through 2003 prius passenger cars manufactured from january 28, 2000, through may 30, 2003. The steering linkage may loosen, resulting in reduced electric steering assistance when making a left turn.
- Recall #06V266000On certain passenger vehicles, due to improper molding of the resin body of the crankshaft position senor installed on the engine block, engine oil may penetrate the seal and enter the sensor wiring connector. The wire harness connector may not be sufficiently attached to the locking tab of the sensor wiring connector.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 13 crashes, 3 fires, 6 people injured, 0 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 15 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
- Check engine light comes on repeatedly
1 more problem
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 |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 10 |
| 2002 | 15 |
| 2003 | 20 |
| 2004 | 8 |
| 2005 | 26 |
| 2006 | 15 |
| 2007 | 10 |
| 2008 | 7 |
| 2009 | 5 |
| 2010 | 27 |
| 2011 | 6 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 165 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 31 | 19% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 11 | 6.7% | – | NHTSA recall #00V285000 |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 9 | 5.5% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 8 | 4.9% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 7 | 4.2% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 7 | 4.2% | – | NHTSA recall #00V285000, #11V304000 |
| Power steering rack leaks fluid | 7 | 4.2% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 5 | 3.0% | – | NHTSA recall #06V266000 |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 4 | 2.4% | – | |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 4 | 2.4% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 3 | 1.8% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 3 | 1.8% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 3 | 1.8% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 3 | 1.8% | – | |
| Battery drains and dies when parked | 3 | 1.8% | – |
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 #11V304000June 1, 201152,377 vehicles affected
steering: electric power assist system
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2001 through 2003 Prius passenger cars manufactured from january 28, 2000, through may 30, 2003. The steering linkage may loosen, resulting in reduced electric steering assistance when making a left turn.
Loss of power steering, particularly when an operator is actively intending to steer the vehicle, may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners and dealers will replace the nuts in the steering linkage free of charge. The safety recall began on july 8, 2011. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
NHTSA recall #06V266000July 19, 200634,771 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling
On certain passenger vehicles, due to improper molding of the resin body of the crankshaft position senor installed on the engine block, engine oil may penetrate the seal and enter the sensor wiring connector. The wire harness connector may not be sufficiently attached to the locking tab of the sensor wiring connector.
Engine oil inside the sensor wiring connector could cause expansion due to the heat of the engine and could deform the sensor wiring connector. The connector may become disconnected, which could cause the engine to stall while driving and not be able to be restarted increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the crankshaft position sensor free of charge. The recall began on july 26, 2006. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
NHTSA recall #00V285000September 21, 20001,772 vehicles affected
steering: gear box (other than rack and pinion)
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Insufficient electrical contact Can occur in the torque sensor that controls the power assist operation of the electric power steering gear box. The torque sensor could send improper electrical signals.
If this occurs, the power steering warning icon will be displayed on the center panel, and the driver could experience higher than normal steering effort depending upon vehicle speed.
Remedy
Dealers will repair the electric steering gear box.
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 2001 Toyota Prius.
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