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GREEN CHOICE

Toyota Prius

EPA MPG: 48 mpg
Average Retail Price
$7,925 - $8,700

RECALL ALERT:
There are 7 recalls on this vehicle. Learn More.

Reliability

Overall Reliability
/ 100

We expect the 2025 Prius will be more reliable than the average new car. This prediction is based on data from 2023 and 2024 models.

The 2012 Toyota Prius has been recalled 7 times by NHTSA. View Recalls
Most Common Trouble Spots
Common Trouble Spot
/ 5
Common Trouble Spot
/ 5

Owner Reported Trouble Spots

The Reliability score is based on our latest subscriber survey of 2012 Toyota Prius owners. The owner comments describe problems respondents experienced with this vehicle.

Brakes

Premature pad/rotor wear, pulsation or vibration, antilock system, parking brake, master cylinder, calipers, squeaking, brake failure, regenerative braking.

/ 5

What Owners Say

Antilock braking system (ABS)

"On the way to a doctor I got an alert that my breaking system was failing. I went straight to Toyota and $3,500 later it was fixed."

Anonymous A., FL (2012 Toyota Prius Three 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"I had my transmission serviced at a dealership and 2 days later, my ABS dash light and all warning lights related to braking came on when I started my car. It wouldnt drive right and the brakes werent really working. I took it back to the dealership in case it was something they did and was told not to drive it bc the master cylinder had failed and the ABS Brake had malfunctioned. Over $2500 to fix but thats the only thing Ive ever had go wrong."

Anonymous, (2012 Toyota Prius 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)
Calipers

"In heavy rain, rear brake was soaked and caliper froze in braking position, caused wear to pads, rotors."

Anonymous, (2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in 1.8-L 4 Cyl plug-in hybrid)
Master cylinder

"I wasnt able to fix it neither dealers technicians."

Anonymous A., PR (2012 Toyota Prius Four 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"Started with four lights coming on and making a noise. Had it checked out wanted $4000 to fix it. Had received a paper that would fix it. It was past the Cut off date of 150,000 miles. Apparently Toyota knew they had an issue but would not cover it."

Anonymous A., IA (2012 Toyota Prius 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"The head gasket blew and the engine had to be replaced and fuel injection etc. cleaned and replaced for $12K then the Brake system went and that cost me $3500"

Anonymous A., FL (2012 Toyota Prius 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)
Other brakes problem

"The prius V has a known problem with the brake booster/accumulator - it was starting to go when I bought the car in 2021. There was a recall that would pay if it failed completely within a certain period, but mine failed somewhat past that period. I spent $3000 at the dealer to replace the parts."

Anonymous, FL (2012 Toyota Prius Five 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"The other problem was not brakes. I had to call AAA to start my car, but the battery wasnt the problem. It turned out I needed to replace the intake manifold gasket and the Hitachi Automotive fuel injection throttle body. I was able to take it in for repair safely."

Anonymous, FL (2012 Toyota Prius Two 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"The calipers froze on all 4 brakes - likely due to low brake use with regen braking. Brake deterioration was not noticed in typical driving, but emergency brake capacity was probably 50% design (one side of rotor). All 4 brakes needed complete rebuilding."

Anonymous, MN (2012 Toyota Prius Five 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

Exhaust

Muffler, pipes, catalytic converter, exhaust manifold, heat shields, leaks.

/ 5

What Owners Say

Catalytic converter

"Throws error codes and causes check engine light to stay on. Doesn't appear to affect drivability. Cost to replace is too much for age and mileage of car. Teenager's first car."

Anonymous, VA (2012 Toyota Prius 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)
Other/unsure

"Loss of power. Toyota dealer said cylinder was not working properly. Repair was $9000!"

Anonymous, CA (2012 Toyota Prius 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"failed front wheel bearing"

Anonymous, IN (2012 Toyota Prius Four 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"Manifold replacement"

Anonymous, IL (2012 Toyota Prius 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"Brake booster failure. Toyota replaced for free"

Anonymous A., (2012 Toyota Prius Three 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"Tire pressure monitor needs to be replaced since August"

Anonymous, (2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in 1.8-L 4 Cyl plug-in hybrid)

"Head gasket replacement 12 months ago. Also needed a new battery at that time, but not the expensive one. All other repairs quality as maintenance."

Anonymous A., CT (2012 Toyota Prius 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"Coolant fluid level went too low."

Anonymous, OR (2012 Toyota Prius 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

Paint/Trim

Paint (fading, chalking, peeling, or cracking), loose interior or exterior trim or moldings, rust.

/ 5

What Owners Say

Paint (fading, chalking, cracking, or peeling)

"Roof clear coat peeing"

Anonymous, OR (2012 Toyota Prius 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"The clear coat on the roof started peeling and flaking off"

Anonymous, (2012 Toyota Prius Three 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"Peeling paint on body below side windows, on roof and hood"

Anonymous, TX (2012 Toyota Prius Three 1.8-L 4 Cyl plug-in hybrid)

"Paint is fading and flaking due to sun exposure. I am unable to park the car indoors"

Anonymous, CA (2012 Toyota Prius 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)
Rust

"Rust along floor apparent two or more years ago"

Anonymous, NH (2012 Toyota Prius Five 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

In-car Electronics

Infotainment system (audio, GPS, phone), rear entertainment system, backup or other camera/sensors, head-up display.

/ 5

What Owners Say

Display screen goes blank

"One day the whole audio system just stopped working. The center processor, the speakers, the backup camera, everything. It cost $1000 to replace it with something not nearly as good. JBL speakers made the replacement more complicated - the repairperson said it took two people seven hours to get it all working with the new "radio""

Anonymous, FL (2012 Toyota Prius Five 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"The display screen is no longer sensitive a finger touch. It becomes completely unresponsive. Also, the volume control often doesn't work."

Anonymous, CA (2012 Toyota Prius 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)
Hardware replacement

"At $3500 to $3700, the head unit was too expensive to replace, so I settled for a $1500 aftermarket Sony that restores most functions, but looks cheap and is slow to respond."

Anonymous A., (2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Advanced 1.8-L 4 Cyl plug-in hybrid)
Other in-car electronics problem

"Infotainment screen would not respond to touches. I replaced entire unit with a used one."

Anonymous, CA (2012 Toyota Prius Three 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)
Radio

"The outage started intermittently but finally failed completely. I replaced it with an aftermarket unit, but lost some information that was on the original radio."

Anonymous, CA (2012 Toyota Prius Three 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

Climate System

AC compressor, blower (fan) motor, condenser, evaporator, heater system, automatic climate system, electrical failure, refrigerant leakage.

/ 5

What Owners Say

A/C compressor

"Didnt notice till about June. Totally did not cool"

Anonymous, MI (2012 Toyota Prius 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"It started beginning with very hot reather in about end June/begining July AC doesn't cool when temperture is very high so when temp. is very hot I cant use the Prius"

Anonymous, CA (2012 Toyota Prius 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)
Condenser

"A leak caused the air conditioner to work at 20%. Had it repaired within a week."

Anonymous, NJ (2012 Toyota Prius Three 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)
Refrigerant leaks

"A/c was blowing hot air. When I had it serviced, they said there were a couple leaks."

Anonymous, MO (2012 Toyota Prius Three 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

Electrical Accessories

Cruise control, clock, warning lights, body control module, keyless entry, wiper motor or washer, tire pressure monitor, interior or exterior lights, horn, gauges, 12V power plug, USB ports, alarm or security system, remote engine start, heated or cooled seats, heated steering wheel, headlights, automatic headlights, automatic wipers, wireless charging pad.

/ 5

What Owners Say

12V battery

"There is supposed to be a warning that the battery needs to be replaced but we did not get a warning. This seems to be a common enough problem that when my car would not start, it was one of the first hits."

Anonymous A., VA (2012 Toyota Prius Four 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"I turned the car off in the parking lot of a store, and when I turned it back on to leave, the display screen loaded from the bottom only halfway up, flickered for a few seconds, then went black. The entire car was dead and had to be towed (dollyed) to the dealer. The tow truck driver had to half drag/half scoop with lowered truck bed to get my car onto the truck platform, because the car could not be put into neutral and rolled. Apparently the electrical system had to be active to switch from Park to Neutral. The severe angle of the car, which was nose-down during this procedure, caused some minor front-end damage (paint scraped off the lower edge of the bumper and a broken liner inside the wheel well, passenger side. I picked it up at the dealer the following day. The dealer told me it was the "small battery" that failed. Note: I had the car in to the dealer two days earlier to flush the coolant systems as a general maintenance procedure. One system is at the radiator and the other one is at the hybrid battery."

Anonymous, TN (2012 Toyota Prius 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

"the battery just lost voltage and car was wacky I tested it right away because car is 11 years old and has original battery it was low and I purchased new one at dealer hope for 11 more years."

Anonymous A., IN (2012 Toyota Prius 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

Drive System

Driveshaft or axle, CV joint, differential, transfer case, four-wheel-drive/all-wheel-drive components, driveline vibration, electrical failure, traction control, electronic stability control.

/ 5

What Owners Say

Driveline vibration

"It was difficult to diagnose by mechanics."

Anonymous A., PR (2012 Toyota Prius Four 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)
Driveshaft or axle

"Rear Axle rusted replaced"

Anonymous, RI (2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in 1.8-L 4 Cyl plug-in hybrid)

Body Hardware

Windows, locks and latches, doors or sliding doors, tailgate, trunk or hatch, mirrors, seat controls (power or manual), seat belts, sunroof, convertible top, glass defect.

/ 5

What Owners Say

Windows

"driver controls only work for driver's window. cannot open/close any other window."

Anonymous A., ME (2012 Toyota Prius Two 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

Engine Cooling

Radiator, cooling fan, water pump, thermostat, antifreeze leaks, overheating.

/ 5

What Owners Say

Water pump

"my car gave a code and told me it was water pump easy to change no problem"

Anonymous A., IN (2012 Toyota Prius 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

EV Battery

Electric/hybrid battery pack failure, replacement or malfunction, or cooling.

/ 5

What Owners Say

Electric/hybrid battery pack malfunction (didn't need replacement)

"Car suddenly lost speed and a warning message appeared indicating a malfunction and to stop driving the car."

Anonymous A., IL (2012 Toyota Prius 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

Engine Major

Engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, turbocharger or supercharger, timing chain or belt.

/ 5

What Owners Say

Engine rebuild or replacement

"The head gaskets blew and I had to replace the engine and get the fuel injection system cleaned, etc."

Anonymous A., FL (2012 Toyota Prius 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

Engine Minor

Accessory belts and pulleys, engine computer, engine mounts, engine knock or ping, fuel leaks, oil leaks.

/ 5

What Owners Say

Other minor engine problem

"Check engine light kept coming on"

Anonymous A., TX (2012 Toyota Prius 1.8-L 4 Cyl hybrid)

Suspension/Steering

Shocks or struts, ball joints, tie rods, wheel bearings, alignment, steering linkage (includes rack and pinion), power steering (pumps and hoses, leaks), wheel balance, springs or torsion bars, bushings, electronic or air suspension.

/ 5

Engine Electrical

Alternator, starter, hybrid battery replacement, hybrid battery related systems, regular battery, battery cables, engine harness, coil, ignition switch, electronic ignition, spark plugs and wires failure, auto stop/start.

/ 5

Transmission Major

Transmission rebuild or replacement, torque converter, premature clutch replacement.

/ 5

Transmission Minor

Gear selector and linkage, transmission computer, transmission sensor or solenoid, clutch adjustment, rough shifting, slipping transmission, leaks.

/ 5

Noises/Leaks

Squeaks, rattles, wind noises, seals and/or weather stripping, air and water leaks.

/ 5

Fuel System/Emissions

Sensors (O₂, or oxygen, sensor), emission-control devices (includes EGR), fuel-injection system, fuel gauge/sender, fuel pump, problems filling up the tank.

/ 5

2012 Sedans & Hatchbacks Reliability

This Car
vs. Similar Cars

Toyota vs. Other New Car Brands Reliability

Reliability History
* Redesign year
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10*
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16*
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Overall Reliability Verdict

POTENTIAL TROUBLE SPOTS
Powertrain
Electric Motor
EV Battery
Engine Major
Engine Minor
Engine Cooling
Engine Electrical
Transmission Major
Transmission Minor
Drive System
Fuel System/Emissions
Exhaust
Suspension/Steering
Brakes
Climate System
Build Quality
Electrical Accessories
Body Hardware
Paint/Trim
Noises/Leaks
In-car Electronics
Reliability indicates how models have performed in the past, providing the basis for predicting how the vehicles will hold up in the year ahead. These charts provide the most comprehensive reliability information available to consumers. Based on information received from our latest subscriber survey for over 300,000 vehicles, our reliability history charts give you a rundown on how 2000 through 2024 vehicles are holding up in 20 potential trouble spots, ranging from the engine, transmission, electric motor, EV charging, and brakes to power equipment and the electrical accessories. NA indicates that we did not receive a large enough sample size to provide data for a specific year. An X indicates that the vehicle was not manufactured for a specific year.
Recalls
PROVIDED BY
HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM
Oct 04, 2018
If the hybrid system shuts down unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Summary:
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.
What should you do:
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.
For more information:
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 18V684000
Potential Number of Units Affected: 807329
HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM
Nov 15, 2017
The failed fuse may cause the hybrid system to shut down resulting in the loss of power. Loss of power while driving at higher speeds can increase the risk of a crash.
Summary:
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2012-2015 Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. The hybrid battery contains an Electric Vehicle (EV) fuse that may fracture after repeated high-load driving conditions such as climbing long hills.
What should you do:
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EV fuse, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 8, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0R.
For more information:
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 17V718000
Potential Number of Units Affected: 39915
AIR BAGS
Jun 30, 2016
If either portion of the curtain shield air bag inflator ejects into the passenger cabin, there is an increased risk of injury to vehicle occupants.
Summary:
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Toyota Prius, 2010 and 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, and 2011-2012 Lexus CT200h vehicles. A weld in the curtain shield air bag inflator may crack causing one or both portions of the inflator to eject into the passenger cabin.
What should you do:
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install retention brackets to the curtain shield air bags, free of charge. The recall began on October 17, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota Customer Service Department at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is Toyota G0U, and Lexus GLJ.
For more information:
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 16V487000
Potential Number of Units Affected: 482002
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