There are 9 owner-reported body & structure complaints for the 2011 Toyota Priusin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
ON DECEMBER 8TH, 2018, I WAS DRIVING EASTBOUND ON INTERSTATE 10 IN PHOENIX, AZ AT APPROXIMATELY MILEPOST 141 AROUND 5:45 PM. SUDDENLY, I HEARD A LARGE, *BANG* WHICH SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT. I IMMEDIATELY CHECKED MYSELF FOR INJURIES AND FELT THE CAR TO DETERMINE IF A TIRE WAS BLOWN. I WAS INTACT, AND THE TIRES SEEMED OK AS WELL, BUT I HEARD THE NOISE OF AIR ESCAPING FROM THE VEHICLE. AFTER TURNING SOUTH ON I-17, I EXITED ON THE FIRST STREET, EXIT 199, JEFFERSON ST. I TURNED LEFT AND LOOKED FOR A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OVER. IT ISN'T A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD, SO I SLOWED DOWN AND CONTINUED TO LOOK AROUND THE VEHICLE AS I TRIED TO FIND THE PLACE WHERE THE AIR WAS ESCAPING. FINALLY, I CRACKED OPEN THE SLIDING DOOR AT THE TOP OF MY SUNROOF, AND I NOTICED SHARDS OF GLASS. I IMMEDIATELY CLOSED IT AND WAS RELIEVED IT HAD NOT BEEN OPEN WHEN THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED. I DECIDED I MUST GET HOME IMMEDIATELY, PROCEEDED BACK TO THE FREEWAY, AND DROVE HOME. WHEN I ARRIVED, I NOTICED THE SUNROOF WAS SHATTERED - ONE MAIN HORIZONTAL SHATTER AT THE CENTER AND TWO MORE VERTICAL SHATTERS AT EACH END. I CHECKED THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE FOR A PROJECTILE AND FOUND NOTHING. AFTER RESEARCHING FURTHER, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE GLASS HAD BROKEN SIMPLY DUE TO POOR DESIGN. I IMMEDIATELY FILED A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE COMPANY, FARMERS. THE CLAIM NUMBER IS 910380. I HAVE ALSO CONTACTED TOYOTA TO GET A RESPONSE, BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD BACK. I AM FORTUNATE THAT THE SUNROOF WAS NOT EXPOSED. THERE IS A PAPER-THIN SLIDING DOOR THAT BLOCKS THE SUN. EVEN THOUGH THE SUN HAD SET, I HAD LEFT IT CLOSED, AND IT PROTECTED ME FROM THE SHARDS OF GLASS. THIS IS CLEARLY A DEFECT THAT TOYOTA NEEDS TO ADDRESS. IT IS DECEMBER IN ARIZONA, AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS 69 DEGREES WHEN I LEFT TO RETURN HOME YESTERDAY. IT'S NOT A HEAT ISSUE. IT'S LIKELY A GLASS DEFECT. I LOOK FORWARD TO OBTAINING MORE INFORMATION.
THE LOWER WINDOW ON THE REAR HATCH SHATTERED WITHOUT WARNING.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, A SCRAPING TYPE NOISE WAS HEARD UNDER THE VEHICLE AND A BUMP WAS FELT. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WHEEL WELL DISLODGED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,255. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE OF MICE IN THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MICE ENTERED THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE REAR UNDERCARRIAGE VENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.
THE PRIUS FAILED TO STOP WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED; INSTEAD THE CAR DID A LURCH WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND THEN ACCELERATED FORWARD CAUSING A 4 CAR COLLISION; LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED. MADE TOYOTA AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, WHEN THEY INVESTIGATED THEY OF COURSE FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE'S BRAKE SYSTEM. *TR
WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SLOT IN A PARKING LOT, WHICH WAS ON A SLOPE, I APPLIED THE FOOT BRAKE WITHOUT ANY RESPONSE WHATSOEVER. THE VEHICLE GAINED ENOUGH SPEED TO JUMP THE SMALL STOP-CURB AND HIT A CONCRETE WALL NEXT TO IT. THE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS JUST OVER $4000. I THOUGHT I HAD MISSED THE PEDAL. ON JUNE 12TH AND 15TH, I HAD TWO MORE INCIDENTS OF THE BRAKE PEDAL GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WHILE EITHER AT SLOW SPEED OR STOPPED. MY DEALER SAYS IT WAS A PROBLEM ON THE 2010, BUT HE HAS NOT SEEN IT ON A 2011. MY WIFE NOW REFUSES TO DRIVE THE CAR. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SOY BASED PLASTIC CABIN ENTRYWAYS WERE MISSING THE SCREENS. THE FAILURE ALLOWED RODENTS AND MICE TO ENTER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
WE PURCHASED A 10 MONTH OLD TOYOTA PRIUS ON MARCH 16ND 2012 WITH ONLY 1367 MILES. THE PRIOR OWNER WHO WAS LEASING THIS CAR RETURNED THE CAR DUE TO MILEAGE INCONSISTENCY..... ON OCT 5TH 2012, I WAS DRIVING ON SUNNY DRY DAY AT 22MPH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME SLOWED DOWN. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE TO SLOWDOWN BUT THE CAR DID NOT STOP. WHEN I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE IT DID NOT RESPOND IMMEDIATELY, I APPLIED COMPLETE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE HOWEVER THE CAR STILL DID NOT SLOW DOWN ENOUGH AND I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. PER THE REPORT FROM TOYOTA THE SPEED WENT DOWN FROM 22MPH TO 5MPH AT THE TIME OF THE IMPACT. I DO NOT AGREE WITH THE TOYOTA REPORT THAT I ONLY STEPPED ON THE BRAKE FOR 2 SECONDS AS IT WAS MUCH MORE... BEFORE THE ACCIDENT THE BRAKE WAS MUCH HARDER AND LESS FORCEFUL PRESSURE MADE THE CAR STOP AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE BRAKE FEELS SOFTER AND MORE PRESSURE IS NEEDED TO MAKE THE BRAKE WORK. THIS IS AN ALMOST BRAND NEW CAR WITH 7K MILES ON IT HOWEVER I DO FEEL SAFE IN THIS CAR ANYMORE AFTER THIS ACCIDENT AND I FEAR FOR MY LIFE AND PUBLIC SAFETY. WHAT WILL HAPPEN I DRIVE ON A HIGHWAY AT 60MPH AND THE BRAKE WILL NOT WORK?? TOYOTA DENIES ANY TECHNICAL ERROR WITH THE CAR AND BLAMES THE ACCIDENT ON ME. THERE ARE PLENTY OF REPORTS OF SIMILAR ACCIDENTS REPORTED BY CONSUMERS ON THIS SAME ISSUE HERE: HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F0DB60B. *TR
UNNECESSARY MINOR INJURY PRODUCING DESIGN MY PRIUS, WHICH I LIKE, HAS SEVERAL TIMES GIVEN ME A MINOR BRUISE THAT LASTS FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. THE FRONT PASSENGER DOORS, AT THE BOTTOM CORNERS, END IN A SHARP RIGHT ANGLE. IN CONTRAST, MANY OTHER CAR DOORS HAVE A SLIGHTLY ROUNDED BOTTOM CORNER WHICH HAVE NEVER INJURED ME. AS I AM WALKING AROUND THE PRIUS, LOADING AND UNLOADING FOR EXAMPLE, THAT SHARP CORNER SEEMS TO CATCH MY SHIN AND BRUISE IT. I AM IN MY 70'S AND GUESS THAT THESE MINOR INJURIES ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAPPEN WITH CHILDREN AND SENIORS. IF THIS WAS A NEEDED ELEMENT OF DESIGN, THEN I WOULD NOT CALL THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION. HOWEVER IT SEEMS TO BE PRIMARILY POOR ERGONOMICS ON THE PART OF THE DESIGNER. IF THE INJURY POTENTIAL OF SHARP CORNERS WAS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF CAR MANUFACTURERS, PERHAPS, WHEN DESIGNS ARE CHANGED, THE SAFER CORNER COULD BE INCORPORATED AT ESSENTIALLY NO COST AND NUMBERS OF FUTURE MINOR INJURIES COULD BE AVOIDED. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026