Worst 2012 Toyota Prius Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Brakes
Electrical Faults
Headlight/Taillight Failures
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2012 Toyota Prius.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 175 | 14 | — | 79,915 mi | |
| Electrical Faults | 49 | 1 | 2 | 41,452 mi | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 36 | 1 | — | 81,808 mi | |
| Engine Problems | 30 | — | 1 | 79,869 mi | |
| Wipers & Visibility | 28 | — | — | 33,845 mi | |
| Airbags | 26 | 22 | — | 32,514 mi | |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 20 | 4 | — | 44,906 mi | |
| Body Structure | 20 | 9 | — | 25,048 mi | |
| Steering Defects | 13 | 1 | — | 41,798 mi | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 12 | 8 | — | 18,778 mi | |
| Hydraulic Brakes | 11 | 1 | — | 139,831 mi | |
| Seat Belt Issues | 10 | 5 | — | 47,260 mi | |
| Fuel System | 9 | — | — | 31,061 mi | |
| Suspension Failures | 8 | 1 | — | 35,010 mi | |
| Electronic Stability Control | 7 | 1 | — | 98,678 mi | |
| Seat-Related Issues | 5 | 1 | — | 24,546 mi | |
| Fuel System, Other | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Hybrid Propulsion System | 4 | 1 | — | — | |
| Wheel Issues | 4 | 1 | — | — | |
| Equipment Adaptive/Mobility | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Service Brakes, Air:Antilock:Abs Warning Light | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Structural Problems | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Electrical System:Instrument Panel:Speedometer/Odometer | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Hybrid Propulsion System: Inverter | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Clockspring/Spiral Cassette | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Electrical System:Horn | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Engine & Cooling | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Other Equipment | 1 | — | — | — |
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2012 Toyota Prius. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Recalls for 2012 Toyota Prius
6 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~2,006,297 vehicles.
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.
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.
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 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.
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 the instrument panel and the vehicle will have reduced power allowing it to only drive a short distance.
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 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles. These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
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 year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.
Other Toyota Prius Years
2012 Toyota Prius — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2012 Toyota Prius reliable?
What are common problems with the 2012 Toyota Prius?
At what mileage do problems start on the 2012 Toyota Prius?
How safe is the 2012 Toyota Prius?
Does the 2012 Toyota Prius have any recalls?
Should I buy a 2012 Toyota Prius?
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.
Wider context: See the full Toyota Prius reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 2012 Toyota Prius
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud.
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