AutoUtility currently tracks 181 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2016 Toyota Prius. Visibility, Wipers & Glass issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 43 complaints (23.8% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 13 filings cite a crash, 6 report one or more injuries.

Key Problem Findings
  • • Total NHTSA Complaints: 181 reports
  • • #1 Reported Problem Area: Visibility, Wipers & Glass (43 reports • 23.8% of submitted complaints)
  • • Secondary Problem Areas: Electrical System (26), Brakes & Traction Control (25)
  • • Crash-Citing Complaints: 13 filings
  • • Fire-Citing Complaints: 0 filings
  • • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 6 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Reporting Methodology: Statistics describe unverified consumer submissions voluntarily filed with NHTSA. Complaint volume is not normalized for vehicle sales volume or miles driven. Multiple components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission.
Total Complaints
181
Submitted to NHTSA ODI
Crash-Citing Complaints
13
Filings citing a collision
Fire-Citing Complaints
0
Filings citing smoke or fire
Complaints Reporting Injuries
6
Filings citing one or more injuries
Complaints Reporting Fatalities
0
Consumer filings citing fatalities

Most Reported Problems for 2016 Toyota Prius

Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records

#1 Problem Area 23.8% of complaints

Visibility, Wipers & Glass

43 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
✓ 0 crashes or fires cited
#2 Problem Area 14.4% of complaints

Electrical System

26 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 1 crash report 🩹 1 injury report entry
#3 Problem Area 13.8% of complaints

Brakes & Traction Control

25 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 2 crash reports 🩹 3 injury report entries
#4 Problem Area 9.9% of complaints

Driver Assistance & Safety Tech

18 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 5 crash reports 🩹 1 injury report entry
#5 Problem Area 9.9% of complaints

Engine & Cooling

18 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 1 crash report 🩹 1 injury report entry
Domain Share Note: Share percentage represents the proportion of unique complaint filings referencing each vehicle system. Because single complaints may cite multiple systems (such as engine and electrical simultaneously), domain percentages represent individual category incidence and may sum to over 100%.

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2016 Toyota Prius

Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Brakes & Traction Control NHTSA ODI ID: #11747244
Filed: 06/29/2026

"The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while the vehicle was on and running, the ABS and traction control warning lights illuminated, and the messages "Braking Power Low - Stop in a Safe Place”, “See Owner's Manual", "Braking Power Low - Visit the Dealer", and "ABS..."

Incident Date: 05/26/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM
Brakes & Traction Control NHTSA ODI ID: #11741935
Filed: 06/03/2026

"My name is [XXX] currently active duty military stationed in San Diego. Can you please check if my car VIN number [XXX] 2016 Toyota Prius C 103k miles still covered for brake booster malfunction code 1391. I have told they are extended warranty up to 10 yrs less 150k. Toyota dealer here seems not..."

Incident Date: 06/03/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: SERVICE BRAKES
Brakes & Traction Control NHTSA ODI ID: #11737281
Filed: 05/12/2026

"Second time !!!! during ownership of car that brakes fail. Same problem as before Brake Actuator/Booster Failures: Multiple reports indicate issues with the ABS actuator or brake booster pump, leading to warning lights ("Braking power low", "ABS system malfunction")."

Incident Date: 05/12/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: SERVICE BRAKES
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA ODI ID: #11732860
Filed: 04/21/2026

"The car has a very strong gas smell, especially when full."

Incident Date: 04/01/2020 • Raw NHTSA Component: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Wheels & Tires NHTSA ODI ID: #11681053
Filed: 08/16/2025

"P 175/65r15 I was driving on a slight curve on the I-10 in El Paso, TX when the rear bumper exploded. The car started swaying and swerving then I pulled over. I then realized that the tread on the tire was gone floating across the highway. The trie was bare with no tread with the bumper around the..."

Incident Date: 07/25/2025 • Raw NHTSA Component: TIRES
Consumer Narrative Notice: Excerpts are sanitized text descriptions submitted by vehicle owners to the federal ODI database. They reflect the reporting consumer's observations at the time of filing and have not been independently confirmed by vehicle manufacturers or government investigators.

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 180 31 2 View 2015 Problems →
2016 Toyota Prius Current Page 181 13 5 Current
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 →
Comparative Disclaimer: Complaint totals are unadjusted historical counts and are not normalized for vehicles sold, active fleet size, or total road mileage. Newer model years naturally have had less calendar exposure time to accumulate owner filings.

Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2016 Toyota Prius

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 54 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications

Vehicle Component / System Total Complaints Crash Reports Fire Reports Reported Injury Entries Reported Fatality Entries
Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER 33 0 0 0 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 22 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 12 0 0 2 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 8 5 0 4 0
Tires NHTSA category: TIRES 8 0 0 0 0
Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 8 4 0 0 0
Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE 6 0 0 0 0
Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE 6 0 0 0 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 4 0 0 0 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 4 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY/WIPER 4 0 0 0 0
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 0 0 0 0
Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS 3 1 0 1 0
Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION 3 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 3 0 0 0 0
Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS 3 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES 2 1 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS 1 1 0 0 0
BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,TIRES,EQUIPMENT 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 1 0 1 0
PARKING BRAKE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,VISIBILITY,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
TIRES,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
VISIBILITY,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
Data Attribution & Reporting Methodology: Complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Because multiple vehicle components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission, component-level rollups may sum to more than the unique complaint count (181). Injury and fatality entries in the detailed table reflect raw values entered by reporting consumers across individual submissions; they are not deduplicated casualty statistics and may include duplicate or unverified entries. Complaint volume is not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and does not represent an audited component failure rate.

Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (1)

1 CLOSED

Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Official Federal Inquiries: NHTSA opens a defect investigation when safety screening or consumer defect trends indicate a potential unreasonable safety risk. An open investigation is a formal inquiry and does not by itself confirm a defect or result in a mandatory recall.
CLOSED Defect Petition (DP) ODI Action #DP22005
Opened: 2023-01-27 • Closed: 2023-08-07

Pedestrian alert sounds

Affected Component: 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 ra...

✓ Resulted in Safety Recall Campaign: 22V063000 Official NHTSA File →

Related Official Reports for 2016 Toyota Prius

Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year

Official US Government Data Provenance

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.