Your vehicle report
2008 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
- 1,497
- Received Dec 2007 to May 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Headlights dim or fail at night526 complaints · 35% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Unintended acceleration despite braking154 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up79 complaints · 5.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #12V536000Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2003, through March 30, 2009 and FCHV-adv vehicles manufactured December 12, 2008, through September 13, 2011. During manufacturing, a scratch may have occurred inside of the electrically driven water pump at the coil wire. The coil wire may corrode at the scratched portion.
- Recall #12V537000Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 5, 2003, through March 30, 2009. The affected vehicles have a steering intermediate extension shaft assembly built with metal splines that complete the connection from the steering wheel to the steering gear. These splines may have been manufactured with an insufficient hardness.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Anti-lock brakes fail or lock upFirst signal: Feb 2010
- Instrument cluster or speedometer failsFirst signal: Apr 2017
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 152 crashes, 6 fires, 71 people injured, 7 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 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
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 |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 30 |
| 2009 | 145 |
| 2010 | 477 |
| 2011 | 82 |
| 2012 | 93 |
| 2013 | 89 |
| 2014 | 110 |
| 2015 | 83 |
| 2016 | 69 |
| 2017 | 60 |
| 2018 | 86 |
| 2019 | 59 |
| 2020 | 28 |
| 2021 | 25 |
| 2022 | 17 |
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2024 | 17 |
| 2025 | 15 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 4 |
| Total | 1,497 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 526 | 35% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 154 | 10% | – | NHTSA recall #09V388000 |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 79 | 5.3% | 19.6× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Feb 2010 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.4% |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 68 | 4.5% | – | |
| Tailgate or trunk latch fails | 50 | 3.3% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 32 | 2.1% | – | |
| Instrument cluster or speedometer fails | 29 | 1.9% | 21× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Apr 2017 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.2% |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 27 | 1.8% | – | |
| Brake booster fails, leaving stiff pedal | 26 | 1.7% | – | |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 25 | 1.7% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 22 | 1.5% | – | |
| Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly | 19 | 1.3% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 14 | 0.9% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 12 | 0.8% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 10 | 0.7% | – | |
| Gear shifter fails to register Park | 10 | 0.7% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 9 | 0.6% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 9 | 0.6% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 9 | 0.6% | – | |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 9 | 0.6% | – |
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 #12V536000November 14, 2012350,662 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling; hybrid propulsion system: inverter
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2003, through March 30, 2009 and FCHV-adv vehicles manufactured December 12, 2008, through September 13, 2011. During manufacturing, a scratch may have occurred inside of the electrically driven water pump at the coil wire. The coil wire may corrode at the scratched portion.
The corroded coil wire may break and the water pump could stop. The corroded coil wire could cause a short circuit between coil wires and a possible open fuse, creating a stall-like condition of the hybrid system while the vehicle is being driven. This may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will replace the electric water pump, free of charge. The recall began on January 17, 2013. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
NHTSA recall #12V537000November 14, 2012669,705 vehicles affected
steering; steering: gear box: shaft sector
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 5, 2003, through March 30, 2009. The affected vehicles have a steering intermediate extension shaft assembly built with metal splines that complete the connection from the steering wheel to the steering gear. These splines may have been manufactured with an insufficient hardness.
Over time, the splines may wear and eventually fail resulting in a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the extension shaft and replace it if it is one with insufficient hardness, free of charge. The recall began during December 2012. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
NHTSA recall #10V036000February 3, 2010153,418 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 passenger vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.
A driver may overload a vehicle which may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. The safety recall began on may 27, 2010. Owners may contact southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
NHTSA recall #09V388000October 5, 20094,445,056 vehicles affected
vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2010 passenger vehicles. The accelerator pedal Can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.
A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.
Remedy
Toyota filed an amended defect report on november 25, 2009, stating that dealers will modify the accelerator pedal and, on certain vehicles, alter the shape of the floor surface under the pedal. These changes address the risk of pedal entrapment due to interference with the floor mat. Redesigned accelerator pedals will become available beginning in april 2010 and dealers will replace any modified pedal with the new pedal if desired. Also, dealers will replace any genuine Toyota or Lexus all-weather floor mats with redesigned all-weather mats, or repurchase the previous mats from owners who do not want the new ones. Additionally, software modifications will be installed on camry, avalon and Lexus es 350, is 350 and is 250 models that will ensure that the brake overrides the accelerator in the event both brake and accelerator pedals are applied. Toyota will begin mailing letters to owners on december 31, 2009. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331, Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
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 2008 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