RecallMyCar

2011 Toyota Prius Recalls, Complaints & Specs

6 safety recalls list the 2011 Toyota Prius, and owners have filed 521 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

6
safety recalls
521
owner complaints to NHTSA
37 / 7
complaints citing a crash / fire
48
MPG combined (EPA)

6 safety recalls for the 2011 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. Hybrid propulsion system

    NHTSA 18V684000 Reported 807,329 vehicles potentially affected Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

    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.

    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.…

  2. Air bags: side/window

    NHTSA 16V487000 Reported 482,002 vehicles potentially affected Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

    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.

    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…

  3. Seat heater/cooler (seats)

    NHTSA 16V396000 Reported 7,749 vehicles potentially affected Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC

    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…

    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…

  4. Seat heater/cooler (seats)

    NHTSA 14V743000 Reported 3,233 vehicles potentially affected Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC

    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…

    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…

  5. Inverter (hybrid propulsion system) and software (electrical system)

    NHTSA 14V053000 Reported 698,457 vehicles potentially affected Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

    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…

    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…

  6. Seats and air bags: sensor/control module-inactive

    NHTSA 13V014000 Reported 3,235 vehicles potentially affected Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC

    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…

    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…

521 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2011 Toyota Prius have filed 521 complaints with NHTSA; 37 describe a crash and 7 describe a fire. Reports cite 17 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 81,543 miles. Complaints peaked in 2016 with 56 filed that year.

Most-reported components

What owners are reporting

“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. My car completely passed through the red light, na”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, October 1, 2026 · 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. The brake booster pump initially”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 30, 2026 · Service brakes

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 2011 Toyota Prius. Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Combined48 mpg
City / Highway49 / 46
FuelRegular
EPA classMidsize Cars
Engine4 cyl, 1.8 L
TransmissionAutomatic (variable gear ratios)

Compare Toyota Prius model years

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

Model yearRecallsComplaints
2000 Toyota Prius04
2001 Toyota Prius3165
2002 Toyota Prius2167
2003 Toyota Prius199
2004 Toyota Prius6610
2005 Toyota Prius61,051
2006 Toyota Prius61,439
2007 Toyota Prius42,003
2008 Toyota Prius41,497
2009 Toyota Prius6502
2010 Toyota Prius102,823
2011 Toyota Prius6521
2012 Toyota Prius6424
2013 Toyota Prius3411
2014 Toyota Prius3208
2015 Toyota Prius1166
2016 Toyota Prius5155
2017 Toyota Prius391
2018 Toyota Prius137
2019 Toyota Prius330
2020 Toyota Prius014
2021 Toyota Prius06
2022 Toyota Prius124
2023 Toyota Prius420
2024 Toyota Prius427
2025 Toyota Prius216
2026 Toyota Prius16

Checking a specific 2011 Toyota Prius

How do I know if my 2011 Toyota Prius has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 6 campaigns currently list the 2011 Toyota Prius; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Toyota dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 13V014000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Toyota models

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.