Representative model. Photo: Michael Gil from Calgary, AB, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Recalls & complaints · NHTSA data

2011 Toyota Prius recalls

Every recall campaign and owner complaint NHTSA has on file for the 2011 model year. Not every vehicle is affected by every campaign: check a specific car by VIN below.

Recall campaigns: 6
Park-it warnings: 0
Complaints: 522
Latest campaign: Oct 4, 2018

Recall summary by component6

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h

Component	Campaigns	Latest	Campaign IDs
Hybrid propulsion system	2	Oct 4, 2018	18V684000 14V053000
Air bags	2	Jun 30, 2016	16V487000 13V014000
Seats	2	Jun 2, 2016	16V396000 14V743000

Safety recalls6

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h

0Park-it warnings

0Fixable over the air

Oct 4, 2018Latest campaign


Oct 4, 201818V684000	Hybrid propulsion system If the hybrid system shuts down unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of a crash. DetailsHide details for campaign 18V684000 What's wrong 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. Risk If the hybrid system shuts down unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of a crash. Remedy 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. Campaign NHTSA 18V684000 · Oct 4, 2018
Jun 30, 201616V487000	Air bags: side/window 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. DetailsHide details for campaign 16V487000 What's wrong 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. Risk 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. Remedy 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. Campaign NHTSA 16V487000 · Jun 30, 2016
Jun 2, 201616V396000	Seats: front assembly seat heater/cooler If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire. DetailsHide details for campaign 16V396000 What's wrong Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed. Risk If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire. Remedy SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B. Campaign NHTSA 16V396000 · Jun 2, 2016
Nov 19, 201414V743000	Seats: front assembly seat heater/cooler Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant. DetailsHide details for campaign 14V743000 What's wrong Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring. Risk Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant. Remedy SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. Campaign NHTSA 14V743000 · Nov 19, 2014
Feb 12, 201414V053000	Hybrid propulsion system: inverter The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. DetailsHide details for campaign 14V053000 What's wrong Toyota is recalling certain model year 2010 through 2014 Prius vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) inside the inverter module (a component of the hybrid system) contains transistors that may become damaged from high operating temperatures. If this occurs, various warning lamps will be illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle will have reduced power allowing it to only drive a short distance. Risk The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. The hybrid system could also shut down completely resulting in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy Toyota will notify owners and dealers will update the software for both the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU, free of charge. If an owner experiences a failure of the inverter before the vehicle receives updated software, the dealer will repair or replace the inverter assembly with a new one at no charge. The recall began on March 21, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331. Campaign NHTSA 14V053000 · Feb 12, 2014
Jan 16, 201313V014000	Air bags: frontal sensor/control module-inactive If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the… DetailsHide details for campaign 13V014000 What's wrong Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed. Risk If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment. Remedy Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859. Campaign NHTSA 13V014000 · Jan 16, 2013

To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or the Toyota recall lookup. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer (federal law; see limits).

Owner complaints by component522

NHTSA Complaints API · cached ≤24 h

522Complaints filed

37Involving a crash

7Involving a fire

17Injuries reported

Component	Complaints	%	Crashes	Fires	Injuries
Service brakes	276	53	17	0	4
Electrical system	68	13	3	4	1
Exterior lighting	49	9	0	1	0
Engine	47	9	1	2	0
Air bags	46	9	18	0	12
Vehicle speed control	28	5	3	0	0
Unknown or other	28	5	1	0	1
Power train	18	3	0	0	0
Electronic stability control (ESC)	16	3	1	0	0
Hydraulic	12	2	0	0	0
Fuel/propulsion system	11	2	0	0	0
Hybrid propulsion system	11	2	1	0	1
Visibility	11	2	0	0	0
Structure	9	2	3	0	1
Steering	7	1	0	0	0

14 more components with fewer complaints not shown. An owner can tag several components, so percentages add up to more than 100. Complaints are unverified owner reports, de-duplicated by NHTSA ODI number.

Latest reports

Service brakes
“I was driving on the highway when my 2011 Toyota Prius started beeping repeatedly, and as I approached the red light, my brakes were not operational.”
Filed 10/01/2026 · ODI 11768253
Service brakes
“2011 Toyota Prius with approximately 134,000 miles. The brake actuator/master cylinder has been diagnosed as malfunctioning and failing to maintain hydraulic pressure.”
Filed 09/30/2026 · ODI 11768168
Engine
“Coolant leak into the engine, confirmed by the Toyota servicing center. This may be a common problem with the Toyota Prius, causing early engine failure from a design defect.”
Filed 09/22/2026 · ODI 11766266

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2011 Toyota Prius recall questions

How many recalls does the 2011 Toyota Prius have?

NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns for the 2011 Toyota Prius. The most recent, 18V684000 (reported October 4, 2018), concerns hybrid propulsion system. Not every vehicle is covered by every campaign; check a specific car by VIN.

What are the 2011 Toyota Prius recalls for?

The largest group is hybrid propulsion system, with 2 campaigns. Others: air bags (2), seats (2). Each campaign below lists the defect, the risk and the free remedy.

What is the most common complaint about the 2011 Toyota Prius?

Service brakes is the most-reported component, named in 276 complaints out of 522 filed with NHTSA (53%). Across all complaints, owners reported 37 crashs and 7 fires. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

How do I check if a recall is open on my 2011 Toyota Prius?

Enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or the Toyota recall lookup. That shows campaigns still unrepaired on that exact car. Safety recall repairs are free at a franchised Toyota dealer.

Check a specific Toyota by VIN

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