AutoUtility currently tracks 180 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2015 Toyota Prius. Brakes & Traction Control issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 94 complaints (52.2% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 31 filings cite a crash, 1 cites a fire, 13 report one or more injuries, 1 reports one or more fatalities.
- • Total NHTSA Complaints: 180 reports
- • #1 Reported Problem Area: Brakes & Traction Control (94 reports • 52.2% of submitted complaints)
- • Secondary Problem Areas: Electrical System (32), Driver Assistance & Safety Tech (14)
- • Crash-Citing Complaints: 31 filings
- • Fire-Citing Complaints: 1 filings
- • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 13 injury filings • 1 fatality filings
Most Reported Problems for 2015 Toyota Prius
Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records
Brakes & Traction Control
Electrical System
Driver Assistance & Safety Tech
Powertrain & Transmission
Engine & Cooling
Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2015 Toyota Prius
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.
Reduced Braking / Brake Pedal to Floor
Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2015 Toyota Prius
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"On XXX, I was driving my 2015 Toyota Prius with my family in the vehicle and approaching stopped traffic on dry pavement. An emergency vehicle was approaching from behind, so I began braking earlier than usual. When I applied the brakes, the vehicle did not stop normally. The front slowed/stopped..."
"Code DTC C1391 - Abnormal leak of accumulator pressure. Internal failure of the brake booster pump assembly, preventing the system from maintaining proper hydraulic pressure. This means the brakes don't work, putting the driver's and passengers' lives at risk. This DTC C1391 code and problem were..."
"I was rear-ended by a truck in my prius and my seat laid back on impact. I'm unaware if that was an intended thing or not but it potentially could have injured my neck. My car is currently in a storage lot awaiting the adjustor's inspection so it is available for inspection if needed. No warning..."
"Pulling out of a parking stall, when put vehicle in drive, the engine revved up and accelerated - vehicle crashed, the brakes did not work- there was skid marks. Floor mats are factory OEM were installed properly. I did not hit the accelerator and I am in good health and mind. I have driving for..."
"While driving the hybrid battery light turned on. The car then began to reduce its speed and I had to pull over. I restarted the car and on one of the fuses to the computer to restart it. I began to drive the car back home and it did it again. I recently had a hybrid battery replaced in the..."
Complaint History for Toyota Prius
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Toyota Prius Current Page | 180 | 31 | 2 | Current |
| 2016 Toyota Prius | 181 | 13 | 5 | View 2016 Problems → |
| 2017 Toyota Prius | 93 | 14 | 3 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Toyota Prius | 42 | 6 | 3 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Toyota Prius | 30 | 7 | 4 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Toyota Prius | 14 | 6 | 0 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Toyota Prius | 6 | 1 | 0 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Toyota Prius | 24 | 4 | 1 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Toyota Prius | 19 | 1 | 4 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Toyota Prius | 23 | 4 | 4 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Toyota Prius | 17 | 1 | 2 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 Toyota Prius | 0 | 0 | 1 | View 2026 Problems → |
Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2015 Toyota Prius
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 46 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Reported Injury Entries | Reported Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 68 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires NHTSA category: TIRES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEATS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| STEERING,SUSPENSION,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SUSPENSION,WHEELS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,WHEELS,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,BACK OVER PREVENTION | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (3)
Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)
Brake Actuator Valve Wear
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 D...
Pedestrian alert sounds
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 ra...
Brake Actuator Valve Wear
On September 19, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a defect petition from Mr. Roger Hogan requesting that the Agency investigate and recall certain Toyota Prius, Prius PHV, Camry Hybrid and Avalon Hybrid vehicles for a brake actuator valve wear condition covered under Toyota Customer Support Programs ZJB and ZKK (subject CSP?s). In support of his request, the petitioner identified 117 NHTSA complaints allegedly related to t...
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.