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2012 Toyota Prius V

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Prius V years

Owner complaints for the 2012 Toyota Prius V are substantially higher than the model-year median of 20.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

134 reports with mileage · 82 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Service Brakes. Review the 124 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

19 crash reports2 fire reports9 injury reports

What owners actually said

216 reports
Mileage unknown · Jan 16, 2023
Service Brakes

All the lights on my dash lit up. I took it immediately to Toyota of Dallas . I tried numerous times connecting with Dimatrius service manager. No call back. An inspection was done on the vehicle. He stated it would be a $5000 job and I was out of warranty. Their is too many people having this issue if you search many 2012-2014…

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All the lights on my dash lit up. I took it immediately to Toyota of Dallas . I tried numerous times connecting with Dimatrius service manager. No call back. An inspection was done on the vehicle. He stated it would be a $5000 job and I was out of warranty. Their is too many people having this issue if you search many 2012-2014 people are having this issue in a addition to to a google search search for a letter at Capistrano Toyota.

NHTSA ODI #11502018

160,000 miles · Jan 10, 2023
EngineService Brakes, Air

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius V. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond. The contact veered to the side of the road and intentionally struck the curb to stop the vehicle. …

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The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius V. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond. The contact veered to the side of the road and intentionally struck the curb to stop the vehicle. The vehicle failed to restart. The contact stated that the vehicle later restarted and was driven to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed that the ABS actuator had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because an unknown Toyota Courtesy Program issued for the failure had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

NHTSA ODI #11501111

Mileage unknown · Jan 8, 2023
EngineCrash

I am having issues with my Toyota I was never contacted NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 18V684000. My car has failed numerous times.

NHTSA ODI #11500728

211,000 miles · Dec 19, 2022
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius V. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed with excessive force; however, the brakes failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that five unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact then stated that the failure was reoccurring while d…

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The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius V. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed with excessive force; however, the brakes failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that five unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact then stated that the failure was reoccurring while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where an outside technician diagnosed the failure as five unknown fault codes related to the brakes. The contact stated that the brake booster and actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 211,000.

NHTSA ODI #11498122

100,000 miles · Oct 18, 2022
Service Brakes

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius V. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a stop, there was a rattling sound coming from the brakes while depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The contact was informed that the brake booster needed to be replaced.…

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The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius V. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a stop, there was a rattling sound coming from the brakes while depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The contact was informed that the brake booster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired because there were no fault codes retrieved. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA ODI #11489860

Mileage unknown · Oct 13, 2022
Service Brakes

The brake booster pump has started to run every 30 seconds while the car is operating. When pressing on the brakes, there is an unusual sound and has begun to feel different. There are no warning lights yet, but after consulting with the local Toyota dealership they informed me of the ZJB Customer Assistance Program which addr…

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The brake booster pump has started to run every 30 seconds while the car is operating. When pressing on the brakes, there is an unusual sound and has begun to feel different. There are no warning lights yet, but after consulting with the local Toyota dealership they informed me of the ZJB Customer Assistance Program which addresses this issue. Unfortunately the offer to repair has expired and the dealership has declined coverage. I contacted Corporate Toyota and they are declining to cover the repair. I don't have the $3500 to replace this brake booster pump at this time. This is a safety concern and I don't understand how this is not a RECALL due to the potential safety concern. PLEASE HOLD TOYOTA ACCOUNTABLE TO THIS SAFETY PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI #11489170

Mileage unknown · Oct 12, 2022
Service Brakes

2012 Toyota Prius V, 125k. Sudden loss of braking power accompanied with BRAKE, BRAKE SYSTEM, SLIP INDICATOR, and PCS warning lights. Scan shows codes B2060 (ABS malfunction) and C1931 (Abnormal leak of brake ACC pressure). Brake fluid significantly lower. No signs of external leak. Can hear the brake booster pump running alm…

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2012 Toyota Prius V, 125k. Sudden loss of braking power accompanied with BRAKE, BRAKE SYSTEM, SLIP INDICATOR, and PCS warning lights. Scan shows codes B2060 (ABS malfunction) and C1931 (Abnormal leak of brake ACC pressure). Brake fluid significantly lower. No signs of external leak. Can hear the brake booster pump running almost constantly. All signs indicate this is the issue identified in Customer Support Program 20TE07. This is a significant safety issue that may lead to loss of braking and serious injury / death. It should be a recall.

NHTSA ODI #11488896

Mileage unknown · Oct 6, 2022
Service Brakes

Small internal brake fluid leak inside the break booster assembly with master cilinder. Code c1391

NHTSA ODI #11488186

Mileage unknown · Sep 23, 2022
Service Brakes

The ABS system has malfunctioned. It shows "ABS", "Brake" and "Hillside assistance" lights on the dashboard. Have to push the brake pedal till the end for applying the brakes. This is causing a safety issue. Toyota knew about these brake issues as they have a Support program to replace these faulty parts with another part. The S…

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The ABS system has malfunctioned. It shows "ABS", "Brake" and "Hillside assistance" lights on the dashboard. Have to push the brake pedal till the end for applying the brakes. This is causing a safety issue. Toyota knew about these brake issues as they have a Support program to replace these faulty parts with another part. The Support program is 20TE07 which is expired. Instead of considering this as a support program, they should be considering this as a recall. This is a safety issue as the ABS stops working at anytime.

NHTSA ODI #11486051

235,000 miles · Sep 22, 2022
Service BrakesWheelsCrash

My 2012 Toyota Prius V went out and had no control crashing into the curb on the passenger side. Scraping the side of my car. My ABS break system went out on my car going 40 miles per hour at 5:30 on a major street in Los Angeles called Wilshire Blvd. I almost died if I had not crashed into the curb I would have been hurt and hu…

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My 2012 Toyota Prius V went out and had no control crashing into the curb on the passenger side. Scraping the side of my car. My ABS break system went out on my car going 40 miles per hour at 5:30 on a major street in Los Angeles called Wilshire Blvd. I almost died if I had not crashed into the curb I would have been hurt and hurt others Toyota issues a wait and see “courtesy program of a certain window to fix the break booster system and I ran out 1 month ago. My car is at Toyota Culver City and they are refusing to fix the break system due to the time limit. I was not notified of break system faulty system. My number is [XXX] if you would like to know INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI #11485927

Official recalls

3

18V684000 · Hybrid Propulsion System

Oct 4, 2018

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

15V449000 · Hybrid Propulsion System: Inverter

Jul 15, 2015

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

13V014000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE ; Seats

Jan 16, 2013

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Additional source detail variants (2)

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.

Consequence: 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.

Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

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.

Consequence: 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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

DP23005 · Brake Actuator Valve Wear

Opened Nov 22, 2023 · No close date supplied

Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received a petition dated September 19, 2023 from the owner of a 2012 Toyota Prius V requesting that ODI reevaluate its decision to deny DP19-004. In the letter, the petitioner reported experiencing an unexpected and complete loss of brake power while driving, accompanied by multiple dashboard warning lights. This petition is based on the petitioner's direct experience and assessment that ODI closed DP19-004 because its prompting petition was withdrawn by that petitioner. ODI will review the work conducted during DP19-004 and a review of any additional related complaints and crashes via a new defect petition The petition and related materials can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under the following ODI number:11553736.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received a petition dated September 19, 2023 from the owner of a 2012 Toyota Prius V requesting that ODI reevaluate its decision to deny DP19-004. In the letter, the petitioner reported experiencing an unexpected and complete loss of brake power while driving, accompanied by multiple dashboard warning lights. This petition is based on the petitioner's direct experience and assessment that ODI closed DP19-004 because its prompting petition was withdrawn by that petitioner. ODI will review the work conducted during DP19-004 and a review of any additional related complaints and crashes via a new defect petition The petition and related materials can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under the following ODI number:11553736.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received a petition dated September 19, 2023 from the owner of a 2012 Toyota Prius V requesting that ODI reevaluate its decision to deny DP19-004. In the letter, the petitioner reported experiencing an unexpected and complete loss of brake power while driving, accompanied by multiple dashboard warning lights. This petition is based on the petitioner's direct experience and assessment that ODI closed DP19-004 because its prompting petition was withdrawn by that petitioner. ODI will review the work conducted during DP19-004 and a review of any additional related complaints and crashes via a new defect petition The petition and related materials can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under the following ODI number:11553736.