Your vehicle report
2002 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
- 167
- Received Feb 2002 to Jul 2023
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly22 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Tires blow out or tread separates21 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Power steering cuts out while driving18 complaints · 11% 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: 12 crashes, 4 fires, 11 people injured, 5 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 11 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 |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 10 |
| 2003 | 14 |
| 2004 | 12 |
| 2005 | 11 |
| 2006 | 11 |
| 2007 | 9 |
| 2008 | 6 |
| 2009 | 11 |
| 2010 | 33 |
| 2011 | 7 |
| 2012 | 4 |
| 2013 | 13 |
| 2014 | 5 |
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 167 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 22 | 13% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 21 | 13% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 18 | 11% | – | NHTSA recall #11V304000 |
| Power steering rack leaks fluid | 12 | 7.2% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 11 | 6.6% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 9 | 5.4% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 7 | 4.2% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 6 | 3.6% | – | |
| Steering wheel clunks or clicks when turning | 4 | 2.4% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 3 | 1.8% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 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.
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 2002 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