IllustrationStopped at red light, then the car didn't accelerate when hitting gas. Engine revs but the car does not accelerate. It happened multiple time when the car was out in sun with full ac on(100f). Happened once in intersection and almost got hit head on
2018 Toyota Prius
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2018 Toyota Prius do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 164.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Prius years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
160–25K
425–50K
150–75K
275–100K
0100–150K
2150K+
25 reports with mileage · 11 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.
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility/wiper. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports
Power Train complaints
2 reportsTHE GEAR WOULD SHIFT EITHER FROM 'DRIVE TO NEUTRAL' OR 'REVERSE TO NEUTRAL' THIS HAPPENED MORE THAN 10 TIMES WHEN I HAD MY SISTER, MOTHER, AND FATHER IN THE CAR. 1) IT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS PULLING OUT OF THE GARAGE (ABOUT 20 DEGREE ANGEL) GOING UP THE HILL. I WENT TO PICK THEM UP, ALL 3 PF THEM WENT IN. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRA…
Read full complaint
THE GEAR WOULD SHIFT EITHER FROM 'DRIVE TO NEUTRAL' OR 'REVERSE TO NEUTRAL' THIS HAPPENED MORE THAN 10 TIMES WHEN I HAD MY SISTER, MOTHER, AND FATHER IN THE CAR. 1) IT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS PULLING OUT OF THE GARAGE (ABOUT 20 DEGREE ANGEL) GOING UP THE HILL. I WENT TO PICK THEM UP, ALL 3 PF THEM WENT IN. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND GEAR ON DRIVE, WHEN I LET GO OF THE BRAKE THE GEAR SHIFTED AUTOMATICALLY ON NEUTRAL. AFTER, 3 TRIES, THE CAR FINALLY WAS ABLE TO GO FORWARD WITHOUT STRUGGLE. 2) I WAS TRYING TO BACK IN ONE OF THE SPOT (FLAT GROUND), FOOT ON THE BRAKE, GEAR ON REVERSED. WHEN I LET GO OF THE BRAKE THE GEAR SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AUTOMATICALLY. I STRUGGLED FOR 3-4 TIMES BEFORE THE WAS ABLE TO HOLD ON REVERSED AND PARK THE CAR SAFELY. 3) WHEN I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION (FLAT GROUND). I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, WHEN I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO MAKE A TURN, MY FOOT ON THE FOOT AND GEAR ON DRIVE, WHEN I LET GO OF THE BRAKE THE GEAR SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL OF THE THE SUDDEN, I HAD TO TRY 3-4 TIMES BEFORE IT WAS ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT A STRUGGLE 5) I WAS ON A HILL (ABOUT 20-30 DEGREE ANGLE) FACING UP. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AND GEAR ON DRIVE, WHEN I LET GO OF THE BRAKE THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL. I STRUGGLED FOR 5-10 MINUTES (GOING FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL BACK IN FORTH) AS MY CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO HOLD DRIVE MODE, I EVENTUALLY ASKED MY FAMILY TO GET OUT OF THE CAR AS I WAS GETTING WORRIED AND FRUSTRATED, MY FAMILY WAS OUT OF THE CAR BUT I WAS STILL STRUGGLING, IN THE PROCESS I HIT A CAR BEHIND ME. 6) I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO PARK THE CAR IN WITH ANY PASSENGERS AND SOMEWHERE FLAT GROUND. I LEFT MY CAR FOR 30 MINUTES AND CAME TO DRIVE MY CAR. I STARTED MY CAR, I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND GEAR ON DRIVE. I LET GO OF THE BRAKE THEN MY GEAR SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AGAIN, I STRUGGLED FOR 3-4 TIMES BEFORE THE CAR WAS ABLE TO HOLD ON DRIVE
Official recalls
118V579000 · Electrical System:wiring
Sep 5, 2018
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Toyota Prius vehicles. A portion of the engine wire harness connected to the hybrid Power Control Unit (PCU), could contact the cover at this connection and wear, causing an electrical short circuit.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine wire harness assembly and replace it if damage is found. A protective sleeve or protective tape will be included to prevent any future damage. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0T.
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
1DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.