Fourth generation
2016 Toyota Prius
The most reported problem on the 2016 Toyota Prius is windshield, with 42 complaints, usually around 20,000 miles.
- 154owner complaints
- 5recalls
- 8involved a crash
- 21,000median miles at failure
Newest report Jun 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
What is your Prius doing?
Each one opens a sheet built from the owner reports of that problem on the 2016 model year.
Is the 2016 Toyota Prius reliable?
The 2016 Toyota Prius has 154 owner complaints on file with NHTSA, below the median of 195 for 2016 hatchbacks on this site. Of the 11 Prius model years since 2014, it has the 3rd most complaints. Complaint counts rise with sales as well as faults, so read what owners report below before deciding.
At a glance
- Next to the 2017
- At 14 complaints for each year on the road, the 2016 runs above the 2017 (9). That's the only adjacent model year with enough complaints to set beside it.
- Top problem
- Windshield leads with 42 of the 154 complaints (27%), ahead of brake wear at 19. A quarter of the 34 owners who gave a mileage for windshield saw it by about 14,000 miles, and half by about 20,000.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 9 of the 154 complaints (6%) report a crash, a fire or an injury, about the 6% typical of vehicles on this site. Counted separately (one report can carry more than one), 8 reports mention a crash and 6 people were hurt. The most crash reports, 4 of 8, fall under airbag.
- Recalls behind the top problems
- No recall on file is on the same system as windshield. For those, the complaints are all there is.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2017 at 40 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 5. So far in 2026, 3 more have come in.
When each problem shows up
Each bar covers the middle half of the mileages owners reported for that problem. A quarter saw it earlier, a quarter later. The tick is the median. Most reported: windshield cracks or distorts, 42 complaints.
middle half of reports, median tick. The heavier grey bars have 75 or more reports.
Behind you
Around your mileage
Ahead of you
How this compares
154 complaints is 1.6 times fewer than the median 2016 model on this site and 1.3 times fewer than the median 2016 hatchback. Among the 3 Prius model years here it ranks 3rd for complaints. Counts follow sales volume as much as reliability, so a truck that sells 700,000 a year draws more reports than a sedan that sells 200,000.
Service bulletins for the 2016 Toyota Prius
Toyota filed 302 bulletins and other notices with NHTSA that list the 2016 Toyota Prius. 29 of them deal with a problem owners have reported on this car. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 2 bulletins · 19 complaints
TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions.
Some 2015 ? 2018 model year Toyota vehicles may exhibit brake vibration due to improper lug nut torque. Brake vibration can occur at any time if improper torque is applied to lug nuts. Even one lug nut over or under torqued can cause vibration.
Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 12 bulletins · 11 complaints
Some customers may experience echoing on the line calling the vehicle when using Bluetooth Hands Free. This is caused by the phone Hands Free volume being too low.
TT: Some customers may experience echoing on the line calling the vehicle when using Bluetooth Hands Free. This is caused by the phone Hands Free volume being too low.
10 more on this problem
TT: Some customers may encounter Bluetooth® connectivity concerns such as: ?Difficulty to pair the phone. ?Intermittent Bluetooth® failure to connect to the vehicle when first turning on the vehicle.
TT: Some customers who have upgraded their iPhone® to iOS13 are experiencing a condition where the Bluetooth connection disconnects and reconnects.
TT: Some customers may experience poor outgoing Bluetooth sound quality, this can occur for various reasons. Current multimedia systems are designed with the ability to adjust Bluetooth sound quality to compensate for echo or excessive background noise.
TT: For customer concerns of no or poor outgoing sound from the Bluetooth systems there are diagnostics in the repair manual which can be performed to diagnose the condition.
TT: Some vehicles may exhibit an error message when trying to perform a radio software update: "Unable to update the software. Please try again later." If the following screen is seen; follow the directions below.
TT: Some customers may experience greyed out buttons or inactive screens (lockouts) while driving. This is to promote safe driving practices and reduce the amount of distractions while driving.
TT: Some customers may experience Bluetooth disconnections or loss of SMS text message functionality on the navigation/audio system with Android phones running OS 4.4 or later.
TT: SOME CUSTOMERS MAY EXPERIENCE BLUETOOTH CONNECTION ISSUES AFTER UPDATING THE ANDROID OPERATING SYSTEM TO 5.X.X (LOLLIPOP) OR LATER.
TT: Some customers may encounter Bluetooth connectivity concerns such as: ? Difficulty pairing the phone. ? Intermittent Bluetooth failure to connect when first turning on the vehicle.
TT: CUSTOMERS MAY EXPERIENCE CONNECTIVITY ISSUES WHEN THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE MET: THE CUSTOMER'S IPHONE IS OPERATING ON IOS9 FIRMWARE. THE CUSTOMER'S IPHONE IS CONNECTED TO THE VEHICLE VIA BLUETOOTH.
Wheel bearing, tires or wheels 3 bulletins · 10 complaints
Some 2016 ? 2019 model year Prius vehicles may exhibit a click noise from the LF wheel area upon deceleration and/or braking. Refer to the Repair Procedure in this bulletin to address this condition.
TT: Front Brake Vibration Key Points: * Issue can occur at any time if improper torque is applied on lug nuts * Over time, even one lug nut over or under torqued, can cause a vibration issue * When lug nuts are over torqued, this causes the rotor to have a ...
1 more on this problem
DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS TIRES ARE MOUNTED ON THE VEHICLE AS MATCHED SETS TO HELP REDUCE CONDITIONS SUCH AS PULLING OR DRIFTING.
Airbag warning light or recall 2 bulletins · 7 complaints
Some 2005 ? 2022 model year Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty smell is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition.
THIS COMMUNICATION IS INFORMING TOYOTA OF A DELAMINATION ISSUE WITHIN AN I.C. PRODUCED BY NXP AND ASSEMBLED INTO AIRBAG SENSOR SUPPLIED BY DENSO INTERNATIONAL AMERICA, INC.
Engine stalls or loses power while driving 1 bulletin · 6 complaints
TT: The customer may have a difficult time when refueling their vehicle while Ready OFF. The fuel pump nozzle may shut off repeatedly.
Engine overheats or leaks coolant 1 bulletin · 6 complaints
Some 2016 ? 2019 model year Prius and 2017 ? 2019 model year Prius Prime vehicles may exhibit one or more of the following conditions due to a coolant leakage at the front exhaust pipe heat exchanger: ? Low coolant level ? MIL ON accompanied by Diagnostic ...
Seat belt or seat problems 2 bulletins · 5 complaints
Some 2010 ? 2022 model year Toyota vehicles may exhibit paint stains after the removal of Rapgard?. The paint stains may appear to be under the clear coat but are usually under wrinkles in the Rapgard?.
Some 2010 ? 2021 model year Toyota vehicles may exhibit paint stains after the removal of Rapgard?. The paint stains may appear to be under the clear coat but are usually under wrinkles in the Rapgard?.
Paint peels or body rusts 6 bulletins · 5 complaints
Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere.
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover.
4 more on this problem
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds.
Some 2010 ? 2022 model year Toyota vehicles may exhibit paint stains after the removal of Rapgard?. The paint stains may appear to be under the clear coat but are usually under wrinkles in the Rapgard?.
REVISION NOTICE March 07, 2017 Rev1: ? Applicability has been updated to include 2017 model year Toyota vehicles. On some vehicles, when Rapgard? is removed the paint may have a stained appearance.
On some vehicles, when Rapgard? is removed, the paint may have a stained appearance. These stains appear to be under the clear coat (repainting this area is not necessary). The stain patterns are usually under wrinkles in the Rapgard?.
Complaints filed by year
40 complaints came in 2017. Owners file in waves when a problem gets press or an investigation, so a spike measures attention as much as failures.
NHTSA investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds. Closed aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V-063.
NHTSA summary
Recalls that include the 2016 Toyota Prius
Whether your car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Toyota Prius vehicles. A portion of the engine wire harness connected to the hybrid Power Control Unit (PCU), could contact the cover at this connection and wear, causing an electrical short circuit.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine wire harness assembly and replace it if damage is found. A protective sleeve or protective tape will be included to prevent any future damage. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0T.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016 Toyota Prius and Lexus RX 350, RX 350 F Sport, RX 450h F Sport and RX 450h vehicles and 2015-2016 Lexus NX 200T, NX Turbo and NX 300h vehicles. The air bag pressure sensors and/or the acceleration sensors may fail causing the side/curtain shield air bags and/or the front air bags to not deploy in the event of a crash.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sensors as necessary based on their serial numbers, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 12, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are JLA, J0F.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016 Prius vehicles. A capacitor within the hybrid system may not have been properly bolted to the inverter housing.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inverter, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin by early December 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0U.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2015, to October 3, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with a foot-operated parking brake system that has a parking brake cable that may disengage.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a clip at the parking brake cable end to prevent the cable from disengaging, free of charge. The recall began November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is G01.
Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Prius vehicles manufactured November 30, 2015, to June 14, 2016. An air bag inflator manufacturing error may result in the inadvertent partial inflation of the front passenger air bag.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0W.
All 5 recalls on the 2016 Toyota Prius, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
Guide Buying one used? How to research one car’s history before you pay
Questions
What is the most common problem on the 2016 Toyota Prius?
Windshield, with 42 of the 154 complaints. Owners who gave a mileage for it put the median at about 20,000 miles.
At what mileage do 2016 Toyota Prius problems start?
Of the 95 complaints that give a mileage, a quarter came by about 10,000 miles and half by about 21,000.
Is the 2016 Toyota Prius better or worse than the 2017?
Counted per year on the road, the 2016 has more complaints than the 2017: 14 a year against 9.
How many 2016 Toyota Prius complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
9 of them (6%). The typical vehicle on this site is at 6%.
Is there a recall for windshield on the 2016 Toyota Prius?
No recall on file for the 2016 Toyota Prius is on the same system as windshield. Another recall may still cover your car, so check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.