2012 Toyota Prius Recalls, Complaints & Specs
6 safety recalls list the 2012 Toyota Prius, and owners have filed 424 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
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6 safety recalls for the 2012 Toyota Prius
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Hybrid propulsion system
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.…
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Air bags: side/window
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…
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Seat heater/cooler (seats)
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…
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Inverter (hybrid propulsion system) and software (electrical system)
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…
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Labels (equipment)
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota…
Remedy: Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The…
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Seats and air bags: sensor/control module-inactive
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…
424 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2012 Toyota Prius have filed 424 complaints with NHTSA; 46 describe a crash and 2 describe a fire. Reports cite 33 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 65,331 miles. Complaints peaked in 2025 with 44 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“When I started my car this morning, the red BRAKE light, ABS warning light and anti-slip light were all illuminated. The car does still stop but the brakes are very spongy and there's a clicking noise”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, October 1, 2026 · Service brakes
“1. My Brake booster failed/malfunctioned. I had to get it repaired/replaced by Toyota so it might be with the dealership or thrown out by now. 2. I had to take it in because I had an incident where I”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 18, 2026 · Service brakes
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2012 Toyota Prius (Prius Plug-in Hybrid). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 48–50 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 49–51 / 46–49 |
| Fuel | Regular, Regular Gas and Electricity |
| EPA class | Midsize Cars |
| Engine | 4 cyl, 1.8 L |
| Transmission | Automatic (variable gear ratios) |
Compare Toyota Prius model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Toyota Prius model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 Toyota Prius | 0 | 4 |
| 2001 Toyota Prius | 3 | 165 |
| 2002 Toyota Prius | 2 | 167 |
| 2003 Toyota Prius | 1 | 99 |
| 2004 Toyota Prius | 6 | 610 |
| 2005 Toyota Prius | 6 | 1,051 |
| 2006 Toyota Prius | 6 | 1,439 |
| 2007 Toyota Prius | 4 | 2,003 |
| 2008 Toyota Prius | 4 | 1,497 |
| 2009 Toyota Prius | 6 | 502 |
| 2010 Toyota Prius | 10 | 2,823 |
| 2011 Toyota Prius | 6 | 521 |
| 2012 Toyota Prius | 6 | 424 |
| 2013 Toyota Prius | 3 | 411 |
| 2014 Toyota Prius | 3 | 208 |
| 2015 Toyota Prius | 1 | 166 |
| 2016 Toyota Prius | 5 | 155 |
| 2017 Toyota Prius | 3 | 91 |
| 2018 Toyota Prius | 1 | 37 |
| 2019 Toyota Prius | 3 | 30 |
| 2020 Toyota Prius | 0 | 14 |
| 2021 Toyota Prius | 0 | 6 |
| 2022 Toyota Prius | 1 | 24 |
| 2023 Toyota Prius | 4 | 20 |
| 2024 Toyota Prius | 4 | 27 |
| 2025 Toyota Prius | 2 | 16 |
| 2026 Toyota Prius | 1 | 6 |
Checking a specific 2012 Toyota Prius
How do I know if my 2012 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 2012 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
- 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.