2008 Toyota Prius Recalls, Complaints & Specs

4 safety recalls list the 2008 Toyota Prius, and owners have filed 1,497 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

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4 safety recalls for the 2008 Toyota Prius

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

1. Inverter (hybrid propulsion system) and engine and engine cooling

   NHTSA 12V536000 Reported November 14, 2012 350,662 vehicles potentially affected Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

   Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2003, through March 30, 2009 and FCHV-adv vehicles manufactured December 12, 2008, through September 13, 2011. During manufacturing, a scratch may have occurred inside of the electrically driven water pump at the coil wire. The coil wire may corrode…

   Remedy: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will replace the electric water pump, free of charge. The recall began on January 17, 2013. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at…

2. Shaft sector (steering) and steering

   NHTSA 12V537000 Reported November 14, 2012 669,705 vehicles potentially affected Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

   Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 5, 2003, through March 30, 2009. The affected vehicles have a steering intermediate extension shaft assembly built with metal splines that complete the connection from the steering wheel to the steering gear. These splines may have been manufactured with…

   Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the extension shaft and replace it if it is one with insufficient hardness, free of charge. The recall began during December 2012. Owners may contact their Toyota…

3. Labels (equipment)

   NHTSA 10V036000 Reported February 3, 2010 153,418 vehicles potentially affected SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS, LLC

   Southeast toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 passenger vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.

   Remedy: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. The safety recall began on may 27, 2010. Owners may contact southeast toyota at…

4. Accelerator pedal (vehicle speed control)

   NHTSA 09V388000 Reported October 5, 2009 4,445,056 vehicles potentially affected TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.

   Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2010 passenger vehicles. The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.

   Remedy: Toyota filed an amended defect report on november 25, 2009, stating that dealers will modify the accelerator pedal and, on certain vehicles, alter the shape of the floor surface under the pedal. These changes address…

1,497 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2008 Toyota Prius have filed 1,497 complaints with NHTSA; 152 describe a crash and 6 describe a fire. Reports cite 71 injuries and 7 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 65,931 miles. Complaints peaked in 2010 with 477 filed that year.

Most-reported components

• Exterior lighting553
• Electrical system228
• Service brakes, hydraulic157
• Service brakes145
• Vehicle speed control142
• Service brakes, electric77
• Unknown or other50
• Engine49

What owners are reporting

“Water pump failed after replacement in 2013 with 30k miles, car had only 93k miles when failed again in 2016. The potentiometer part failed, there is corrosion in the part. Was in freeway when it fail”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, May 12, 2026 · Engine

“the cruise control was inop, technician said it was a clockspring failure, replaced the clockspring with a new part from walmart, then at times, the airbag failure light would come on, paid a technici”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, April 22, 2026 · Air bags

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 2008 Toyota Prius. Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Compare Toyota Prius model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Toyota Prius model year in NHTSA's database.

Checking a specific 2008 Toyota Prius

Other Toyota models

• Camry18,189 complaints
• Corolla11,739 complaints
• RAV49,385 complaints
• Sienna8,549 complaints
• Tacoma8,440 complaints
• Tundra6,922 complaints
• Highlander5,745 complaints
• 4Runner4,860 complaints

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.