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: An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
NHTSA listing: PRIUS. Toyota campaign J0T.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2018 Toyota Prius.
What owners report
Owners have filed 53 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Prius. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. 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 2018 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 2010 Prius drew the most (1,682) and the 2018 drew 24.
Owner complaints
2018: 53 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Toyota Prius
Model year
Complaints
2010
2,829
2011
523
2012
450
2013
426
2014
224
2015
172
2016
156
2017
133
2018
53
2019
39
2020
30
2021
16
2022
32
2023
28
2024
43
2025
18
2026
10
Safety recalls
2018: 1 recallTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Toyota Prius
Model year
Recalls
2010
10
2011
6
2012
7
2013
4
2014
4
2015
2
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.
In the 53 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Toyota Prius, the problems described most are stalling or shutting off (5) and a cracked or shattered windshield (5). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2018 Toyota Prius safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2018 Toyota Prius earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2018 Toyota Prius?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2018 Toyota Prius.
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 Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
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.