No Toyota Prius model year rates as one to avoid in CarVitals data. The strongest years are 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Below is every year (2005–2024) ranked best to worst, with the owner-reported problems behind each verdict.
| Year | Verdict | Score | Top owner-reported problems | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Recommended | 8 | Windshield cracking easily or spontaneously, sometimes from minor impacts or while parked; Isolated reports of brake actuator/booster faults and momentary loss of braking power | Full report ↗ |
| 2021 | Recommended | 8 | Windshield cracking easily or spontaneously, sometimes from minor impacts or while parked; Isolated reports of brake actuator/booster faults and momentary loss of braking power | Full report ↗ |
| 2020 | Recommended | 8 | Windshield cracking easily or spontaneously, sometimes from minor impacts or while parked; Isolated reports of brake actuator/booster faults and momentary loss of braking power | Full report ↗ |
| 2019 | Recommended | 8 | Windshield cracking easily or spontaneously, sometimes from minor impacts or while parked; Isolated reports of brake actuator/booster faults and momentary loss of braking power | Full report ↗ |
| 2018 | Recommended | 8 | Windshield cracking easily or spontaneously, sometimes from minor impacts or while parked; Isolated reports of brake actuator/booster faults and momentary loss of braking power | Full report ↗ |
| 2017 | Recommended | 8 | Windshield cracking easily or spontaneously, sometimes from minor impacts or while parked; Isolated reports of brake actuator/booster faults and momentary loss of braking power | Full report ↗ |
| 2024 | Caution | 7 | Electrical, door-lock/latch and recalled-component reports on the redesigned model; long-term durability not yet established | Full report ↗ |
| 2023 | Caution | 7 | Electrical, door-lock/latch and recalled-component reports on the redesigned model; long-term durability not yet established | Full report ↗ |
| 2016 | Caution | 7 | Windshield cracking easily or spontaneously, sometimes from minor impacts or while parked; Isolated reports of brake actuator/booster faults and momentary loss of braking power | Full report ↗ |
| 2015 | Caution | 7 | Brake booster/actuator failure (often diagnostic code C1391, accumulator pressure leak) requiring a costly actuator repair; a Toyota customer-support program covered it for a limited window; EGR cooler clogging and head-gasket failure on the 1.8L engine, with some reports of excessive oil consumption; later generations addressed these faults | Full report ↗ |
| 2014 | Caution | 7 | Brake booster/actuator failure (often diagnostic code C1391, accumulator pressure leak) requiring a costly actuator repair; a Toyota customer-support program covered it for a limited window; EGR cooler clogging and head-gasket failure on the 1.8L engine, with some reports of excessive oil consumption; later generations addressed these faults | Full report ↗ |
| 2009 | Caution | 7 | HID/headlight failures where one or both headlights intermittently shut off while driving, a recognized safety hazard (peaked among 2006-2008 cars); ABS brake actuator assembly failure, often signaled by warning lights and an expensive actuator replacement; Combination meter / instrument cluster going dark, hiding speed, fuel and warning indicators | Full report ↗ |
| 2008 | Caution | 7 | HID/headlight failures where one or both headlights intermittently shut off while driving, a recognized safety hazard (peaked among 2006-2008 cars); ABS brake actuator assembly failure, often signaled by warning lights and an expensive actuator replacement; Combination meter / instrument cluster going dark, hiding speed, fuel and warning indicators | Full report ↗ |
| 2013 | Caution | 6 | Brake booster/actuator failure (often diagnostic code C1391, accumulator pressure leak) requiring a costly actuator repair; a Toyota customer-support program covered it for a limited window; EGR cooler clogging and head-gasket failure on the 1.8L engine, with some reports of excessive oil consumption; later generations addressed these faults | Full report ↗ |
| 2012 | Caution | 6 | Brake booster/actuator failure (often diagnostic code C1391, accumulator pressure leak) requiring a costly actuator repair; a Toyota customer-support program covered it for a limited window; EGR cooler clogging and head-gasket failure on the 1.8L engine, with some reports of excessive oil consumption; later generations addressed these faults | Full report ↗ |
| 2011 | Caution | 6 | Brake booster/actuator failure (often diagnostic code C1391, accumulator pressure leak) requiring a costly actuator repair; a Toyota customer-support program covered it for a limited window; EGR cooler clogging and head-gasket failure on the 1.8L engine, with some reports of excessive oil consumption; later generations addressed these faults | Full report ↗ |
| 2007 | Caution | 6 | HID/headlight failures where one or both headlights intermittently shut off while driving, a recognized safety hazard (peaked among 2006-2008 cars); ABS brake actuator assembly failure, often signaled by warning lights and an expensive actuator replacement; Combination meter / instrument cluster going dark, hiding speed, fuel and warning indicators | Full report ↗ |
| 2006 | Caution | 6 | HID/headlight failures where one or both headlights intermittently shut off while driving, a recognized safety hazard (peaked among 2006-2008 cars); ABS brake actuator assembly failure, often signaled by warning lights and an expensive actuator replacement; Combination meter / instrument cluster going dark, hiding speed, fuel and warning indicators | Full report ↗ |
| 2005 | Caution | 6 | HID/headlight failures where one or both headlights intermittently shut off while driving, a recognized safety hazard (peaked among 2006-2008 cars); ABS brake actuator assembly failure, often signaled by warning lights and an expensive actuator replacement; Combination meter / instrument cluster going dark, hiding speed, fuel and warning indicators | Full report ↗ |
| 2010 | Caution | 5 | Brake booster/actuator failure (often diagnostic code C1391, accumulator pressure leak) requiring a costly actuator repair; a Toyota customer-support program covered it for a limited window; EGR cooler clogging and head-gasket failure on the 1.8L engine, with some reports of excessive oil consumption; later generations addressed these faults; Unintended-acceleration concerns during the 2009-2010 recall era addressed by floor-mat and pedal recalls | Full report ↗ |
Fifth-gen Prius continues strong early reliability scores with sharp design and good economy; limited long-term data means the dependable-Toyota reputation is not yet proven on this generation.
Redesigned fifth-gen Prius with much stronger styling and performance and excellent early reliability ratings, but a short track record and early electrical/recall reports warrant caution.
Final fourth-gen year before the redesign; a proven, highly reliable and economical hybrid with few recurring problems.
Late fourth-gen Prius: excellent reliability and fuel economy, minimal reported issues, and low cost of ownership.
Dependable, frugal fourth-gen Prius with very low complaint volume; among the safest used-hybrid choices in its class.
Mature fourth-gen Prius with refreshed availability of AWD; outstanding reliability, economy and low repair costs make it a strong used buy.
Excellent, well-sorted fourth-gen Prius: top-tier reliability, very low ownership costs and strong fuel economy with few recurring issues.
Fourth-gen Prius rated among the most reliable Priuses ever; outstanding economy and low running costs, with windshield cracking the main minor gripe.
First year of the highly reliable fourth generation; mostly windshield-cracking and minor first-year complaints, otherwise excellent economy and dependability.
Best of the third generation: refined, frugal and reliable, with only residual brake-actuator and engine concerns at high miles.
Late third-gen Prius: fewer brake complaints than early years, dependable and economical, though EGR/head-gasket engine wear is worth inspecting.
Strong fuel economy and longevity; brake actuator and engine EGR/head-gasket issues are still the items to check before buying.
Reliable, frugal third-gen Prius; brake actuator and EGR-cooler/head-gasket faults remain the main concerns at higher mileage.
Third-gen Prius with excellent economy; brake actuator failures and EGR/head-gasket engine issues are the known weak points to inspect.
First year of the third generation and the weakest Prius year: a very high volume of brake booster/actuator failures plus the 2010 unintended-acceleration recall era. Verify the brake actuator was serviced.
Final second-gen year; dependable hybrid with fewer headlight complaints than mid-run years but ABS-actuator wear remains the item to check.
Mature second-gen Prius: reliable and economical, with headlight-shutoff and ABS-actuator issues the main high-mileage concerns to inspect.
Popular second-gen year; strong fuel economy and longevity offset by widespread HID-headlight shutoff and recurring ABS-actuator and instrument-cluster faults.
Second-gen Prius with proven economy and reliability, but headlights that shut off in motion and ABS actuator failures are widely reported at higher miles.
Early second-gen Prius: durable hybrid drivetrain but high-mileage HID headlight, ABS-actuator and dim-instrument-cluster issues are common at this age.
Rankings come from CarVitals reliability verdicts, built on public NHTSA complaint and recall data. See how we build these reports, the most reliable used cars overall, browse all Toyota models, or check any listing free with the CarVitals extension.