2021 Toyota Prius Recalls and Problems
NHTSA lists 0 safety recalls and 16 owner complaints for the 2021 Toyota Prius.
Most-reported area: electrical system (5 complaints, 31%). Includes the plug-in hybrid, sold as the Prius Prime until 2024. Excludes the smaller Prius c and the Prius v wagon.
0 safety recalls for the 2021 Toyota Prius
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2021 Toyota Prius in its recall file dated Sep 27, 2026. Recalls can still be issued later, so check your VIN from time to time.
What owners report
The areas named in the 16 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Prius. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Toyota Prius recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2021 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2016 Prius drew the most (93) and the 2021 drew 8.
Owner complaints
2021: 16 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 154 |
| 2017 | 133 |
| 2018 | 52 |
| 2019 | 38 |
| 2020 | 30 |
| 2021 | 16 |
| 2022 | 32 |
| 2023 | 25 |
| 2024 | 38 |
| 2025 | 18 |
| 2026 | 10 |
Safety recalls
2021: 0 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Recalls |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 5 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 | 1 |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Tested version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Toyota PRIUS 5 HB AWD Rollover risk 10.7% |
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Toyota PRIUS 5 HB FWD Rollover risk 10.7% |
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Toyota PRIUS PRIME 5 HB FWD Rollover risk 10.7% |
Questions
What are the most common 2021 Prius problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: electrical system (5), brakes (4), fuel and propulsion system (4). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2021 Toyota Prius safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2021 Toyota Prius earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Prius has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Toyota dealers.
Sources and method
- NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
- NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
- NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
- NHTSA model names covered: PRIUS, PRIUS PRIME.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.