2011 Toyota Prius Airbags Problems
Airbags account for 46 complaints on the 2011 Toyota Prius, 9% of all complaints for the year, tied to 18 crashes and 12 injuries. A related recall (16V487000) addresses a weld defect in the curtain shield airbags, with retention brackets installed as the remedy.
- Airbags complaints
- 46
- 9% of 519
- Crashes reported
- 18
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 12
- Median mileage
- 65,145 mi
- Related recalls
- 1
Typical airbag symptoms owners report
- Owners report frontal or side-impact collisions in which no airbags deployed at all, even at moderate to high speeds.
- Several complaints describe airbags failing to deploy specifically in side or T-bone type crashes, leaving occupants unprotected.
- Some owners report seat belts failing to retain occupants during a crash alongside the airbag non-deployment.
- One report links non-deployment directly to safety recall 18V-684 rather than a random failure.
- A subset of complaints describe the vehicle being declared a total loss after impacts where airbags should have activated.
When 2011 Toyota Prius airbag complaints were filed
First complaint Jul 19, 2011, latest Aug 6, 2025.
Airbags recalls for the 2011 Toyota Prius
- NHTSA 16V487000Jun 30, 2016Airbags482,002 vehicles
Air bags:side/window
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.
Risk: 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.
Airbags complaints by Prius model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many airbag complaints does the 2011 Toyota Prius have?
- NHTSA lists 46 airbag-related complaints for the 2011 Toyota Prius, which is 9% of all 519 complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there an airbag recall for the 2011 Toyota Prius?
- Yes. Recall 16V487000, reported in June 2016, covers a weld defect in the curtain shield airbags; the remedy is dealer installation of retention brackets.
- Do the 2011 Prius airbag complaints involve crashes or injuries?
- Yes. Of the 46 airbag complaints, 18 involved crashes and 12 involved injuries, with a median mileage at failure of 65,145 miles.
- How does the 2011 Prius compare to other Prius years for airbag complaints?
- The 2011 Prius has the highest share of airbag complaints among Prius model years listed, at 9%, compared to 3% for 2010 and 7% for 2012.