2016 Toyota Prius V

2016 Toyota Prius V SW FWD

Overall

Not Rated

Front Crash

Not Rated

Side Crash

Not Rated

Rollover

★★★★☆

HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM: INVERTER

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Prius and 2014-2017 Prius V vehicles not included in recall 18V-684. 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.

Campaign: 20V369000

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES

On [XXX] at [XXX] I was backing out of a driveway when my 2016 Prius V5 accelerated on its own. When I applied the brakes, nothing happened. I hit a curb, which flattened the front passenger tire. In order to get the car to stop, I took it out of gear and put it in neutral. The car finally came to a stop. My speed while backing out of the driveway was less than 5 mph. It accelerated to about 15 mph. I was told that because the tire flattened due to the force of impact with the curb, Toyota considered it an accident. Toyota had me complete an "Unintended Acceleration" form so they could investigate the situation. A case number ([XXX]) was assigned. I was also told that I needed to contact Toyota's Brand Engagement Center at (800) 331-4331. Toyota assigned Engineering Analysis Associates (EAA) to perform a thorough inspection and read out the Event Data Recorder (EDR) of my vehicle at Findlay Toyota. Anne Chapman with EAA did the inspection and sent a copy of the report to me on 09/15/25, the day of the inspection. She suggested that I keep the copy because I may need it if I needed to contact an attorney. My insurance company, USAA, sent an adjuster to examine the extent of the damage. Findlay Collision Center completed the repairs on 09/26/25, which cost $3,433.92. The accelerator nor the brakes were addressed. On 10/09/25, Toyota provided a response to the incident: they were not at fault. They claimed operator error. Unintended acceleration and unresponsive brakes have been an issue with Toyota's in the past. At that time, instead of fixing the problem, they told dealerships to educate their buyers on how to take the car out of gear. Approximately one week after picking up my car from the repair shop, the vehicle accelerated on its own again. Fortunately, the brakes worked this time. Because I felt very unsafe, I got rid of the car shortly after that incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES

Car was driving fine one day and then while driving down the interstate I had the Pre collision system malfunction error, Brake light came on, Cruise will not operate, ABS light is on. After much research it seems Prius V has a common issue with brake booster faulting.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The headlights are either too bright or aimed poorly that it blinds oncoming traffic, who frequently flash their high beams at me. This occurs without any load in back and without me using the high beams. Can Toyota either adjust the bulbs or place a film on the headlights to prevent blinding oncoming traffic? Thank you!

ENGINE

Water pump failed without warning and caused irreparable damage to the engine ("blown" engine requiring replacement). Vehicle began to stall and not respond to attempted acceleration while traveling on 4 lane divided highway, 55 mph speed limit. One "Maintenance Required" message was received the previous week, but disappeared. This is the same message that appears for routine oil changes. No other warning messages were noted at the time of the incident, no unusual noises, and no smoke or other sign of overheating. Driver was able to steer vehicle to safety, but this failure could result in stranding on a busy, dangerous interstate highway. For such a critical piece of the vehicle (i.e., the water pump), there should be obvious warning message(s) and dedicated monitoring of the equipment.

ENGINE

Refer to TSB 0135-19 dealer denied repairing under the California emissions defect and performance warranty.

STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE

My car suddenly stopped in the middle of the road with message "Hybrid system stopped steering power low". Safety concern to this happen on the middle of road during rain or cold.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Driving on the freeway the car stalled and was unable to accelerate. The issue seems identical to the 2020 recall. 2020-06-23 Recall no. 20V369000 Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Prius and 2014-2017 Prius V vehicles not included in recall 18V-684. 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. I was told by the service center that my car is not on the recall list so they are unable to work it as a recall.

POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

During summer months when temperatures are above 100 degrees when accelerating from a complete stop I can hear the engine rev and the RPMs increase but the vehicle will move at 1-2 mph. Even if the accelerator is to the floor. After 3-4 seconds the tires will squeal and the vehicle will be jolted forward then it will slowly accelerate. This happens occasionally and I have taken it to a Toyota dealership and a chain mechanic shop, neither have been able to recreate the problem. There are no warnings and no error codes. I have been stuck in the middle of intersections trying to turn left, I have not been hit, but I fear it will happen. There is a recall out for this issue on other Priuses and I believe the issue needs to be investigated further as there is another complaint on this site for the same issue and I have found it on other sites. I bought the car in fall of 2019 and this problem has been occurring since summer of 2020.

STRUCTURE

Paint is starting to peel around trunk, clear coat has peeled off of black triangle areas by rear passenger windows on both sides of vehicle. Other 2016 Prius have had a paint recall. My vehicle needs to be included in the recall.

SERVICE BRAKES

We were driving in San Diego and had driven oven a bit pothole. About 50 miles after driving over the pothole, the brakes stopped working. We were pressing down hard on the brake, but the brake was soft and did not do its job. We almost rear ended the car in front of us. We brought the car right away to a close by auto shop and they said there were no leaks as the brake fluid was still close to the max and they did not find any indication of a brake fluid leak and sent us on our way. We are still unsure as to why the brake from this vehicle stopped.