The 2012 Toyota Prius has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 2,006,297 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 537 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the service brakes. Last updated July 5, 2026.
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.
Consequence
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…
AIR BAGS16V4870002016-06-30482,002 affected
Defect
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…
Consequence
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.
SEATS16V3960002016-06-027,749 affected
Defect
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…
Consequence
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.
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…
Consequence
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…
EQUIPMENT13V1230002013-04-097,525 affected
Defect
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,…
Consequence
An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
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 recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
SEATS13V0140002013-01-163,235 affected
Defect
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,…
Consequence
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.
Complaints by component
SERVICE BRAKES
179
14crashes7injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
49
1crashes2fires2injuries
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
36
1crashes
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
31
3crashes2injuries
ENGINE
30
1fires
VISIBILITY/WIPER
28
1injuries
AIR BAGS
26
22crashes15injuries
POWER TRAIN
20
4crashes1injuries
STRUCTURE:BODY
20
9crashes8injuries
STEERING
13
1crashes1injuries
Total complaints537
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“The power brake unit and actuator are failing.”
“Almost had an accident due to the brake master, actuator and booster pump assemblies, failing. There were no warning lights alerting me to an issue. Just lost ability to break and car shut off completely while in motion.”
“2012 prius with 174,344 miles in great condition, with regularly scheduled oil changes. Abs/break actuator failure on freeway with no warning other than a beep a few seconds before the breaks disappeared completely. Break pads changed 4 months ago and new wheels installed as well. This is a known…”
“My brake booster/actuator failed on me while on the freeway with out any warnings. It made it really hard to stop the car. I didn't find out what it was untill I took it into a repair shop and they told me it was the brake booster/actuator.”
“The vehicle is experiencing a suspected brake actuator / brake booster failure. Multiple warning lights appeared simultaneously, including abs, brake, traction control, and master warning lights. The vehicle produces a frequent buzzing noise from the brake system, especially at low speeds or when…”
“Vehicle check engine code c1391 (antilock brake system - abnormal leak in accumulator) came up on 2/5/2026. Recommended repair is to replace the brake booster pump and assembly, brake booster - over $1000 in parts alone. This was covered by an extended warranty by toyota (10 years / 150k miles). I…”
“Vehicle: 2012 toyota prius mileage: approximately 217,000 miles while driving normally in traffic, the vehicle experienced a sudden and unexpected brake system failure. Multiple warning lights illuminated simultaneously, including the red brake warning light, abs warning light, traction control…”
“Odometer fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 toyota prius. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 187,000, and at the time of…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationDP19004 Opened 2019-09-30 · closed 2021-01-21
Brake Actuator Valve Wear
On September 19, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a defect petition from Mr. Roger Hogan requesting that the Agency investigate and recall certain Toyota Prius, Prius PHV, Camry Hybrid and Avalon Hybrid vehicles for a brake actuator valve wear condition covered under Toyota Customer Support…
InvestigationDP22005 Opened 2023-01-27 · closed 2023-08-07
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for…
InvestigationDP23005 Opened 2023-11-22 · open
Brake Actuator Valve Wear
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received a petition dated September 19, 2023 from the owner of a 2012 Toyota Prius V requesting that ODI reevaluate its decision to deny DP19-004. In the letter, the petitioner reported experiencing an unexpected and complete loss of brake power while driving, accompanied…
InvestigationDP23005 Opened 2023-11-22 · open
Brake Actuator Valve Wear
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received a petition dated September 19, 2023 from the owner of a 2012 Toyota Prius V requesting that ODI reevaluate its decision to deny DP19-004. In the letter, the petitioner reported experiencing an unexpected and complete loss of brake power while driving, accompanied…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2012 Toyota Prius as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.