2012 Toyota Prius Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
87/100
#3 most-complained of 16 Prius years
The 2012 Toyota Prius ranks 3rd worst out of 16 model years, with a complaint index of 87 and 423 NHTSA complaints. Brakes are the top problem area, accounting for 47% of complaints, with 6 recalls filed against this year.
- Complaints
- 423
- Recalls
- 6
- Crashes / fires
- 46 / 2
- Injuries / deaths
- 33 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 48
- 49 city / 46 hwy
Top 2012 Toyota Prius problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Brakes200 (47%)
- Electrical System84 (20%)
- Engine43 (10%)
- Other36 (9%)
- Visibility & Wipers30 (7%)
- Structure & Body29 (7%)
- Airbags28 (7%)
- Transmission & Powertrain21 (5%)
- Fuel System17 (4%)
- Steering13 (3%)
What owners report
- Owners report the brake pedal being depressed but failing to engage, leading to low-speed rear-end collisions.
- Some describe the car failing to slow down or stop when braking hard, resulting in curb strikes or side swipes of parked cars and trees.
- Several report airbags failing to deploy during moderate-to-high-speed crashes, including side and front impacts.
- A few describe sudden unintended acceleration while parking at very low speeds, causing the car to lurch forward or in reverse into walls or curbs.
- One owner reported the gas engine cutting in unexpectedly at low speed while parking, causing a loss of control.
2012 Toyota Prius recalls
6 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 18V684000Oct 4, 2018Fuel System807,329 vehicles
Hybrid propulsion system
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.
Risk: If the hybrid system shuts down unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 22, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0V. Note: The software updates in this recall are needed even if the vehicle had the software previously updated under recalls 14V-053 or 15V-449.
- 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.
- NHTSA 16V396000Jun 2, 2016Structure & Body7,749 vehicles
Seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler
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.
Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
2012 Toyota Prius fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 49 MPG
- Highway
- 46 MPG
- Combined
- 48 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $1,350
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2012 compared with other Prius years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 Toyota Prius a good year to buy?
- Based on NHTSA complaints and recalls, the 2012 Prius ranks 3rd worst of 16 model years for this model, with a complaint index of 87 and a verdict of Avoid relative to other Prius years.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2012 Toyota Prius?
- Brakes are the top problem area, making up 47% of the 423 complaints NHTSA has on file, with a median mileage at failure of 95,755 miles for that category.
- Does the 2012 Toyota Prius have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 6 recalls for the 2012 Prius, covering the fuel system/inverter software, curtain airbag welds, structure/seat heaters, and occupant detection sensors. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2012 Prius compare to other Prius years?
- The 2012 Prius has a complaint index of 87, higher than 2013 (80), 2014 (67), and much higher than later years like 2018 (7) and 2021 (0), which carry Best verdicts.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2012 Toyota Prius?
- The 2012 Prius is EPA-rated at 48 mpg combined (49 city/46 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $1,350.