Does the 2012 Toyota Prius have an airbag recall?

Yes. Recall 16V487000 covers a weld defect in the curtain shield airbag on 2010-2012 Prius, 2010 and 2012 Prius Plug-in, and 2011-2012 Lexus CT200h models. Dealers install retention brackets to the curtain airbags free of charge.

How many airbag complaints does the 2012 Prius have?

NHTSA lists 28 airbag complaints for the 2012 Prius, which is 7% of the 423 total complaints filed for that model year.

Are the airbag problems linked to crashes and injuries?

Yes. Of the airbag complaints, 23 involved crashes and 17 involved injuries, with a median mileage at failure of 28,500 miles.

Is the 2012 Prius worse than other years for airbag complaints?

The 2012 Prius airbag share is 7%, higher than 2013 (4%) and 2015 (4%), but lower than 2011 (9%) among Prius model years with airbag data.

2012 Toyota Prius Airbags Problems

NHTSA lists 28 airbag complaints for the 2012 Toyota Prius, 7% of its 423 total complaints that year. These complaints are linked to 23 crashes and 17 injuries, with a median failure mileage of 28,500 miles. A related recall (16V487000) covers a curtain airbag welding defect.

Airbags complaints: 28; 7% of 423
Crashes reported: 23
Fires reported: 0
Injuries reported: 17
Median mileage: 28,500 mi
Related recalls: 1

Typical airbag symptoms owners report

Airbags fail to deploy at all during frontal or side-impact crashes, even at moderate speeds.
In some crashes only one airbag deploys, such as the passenger side firing while the driver side stays inactive.
Steering wheel airbags sometimes only partially deploy, leaving the driver's head to strike the wheel directly.
Non-deployment is reported alongside unrelated brake or power-loss events during the same crash sequence.
Owners report chest and sternum injuries consistent with seat belts and airbags both failing to restrain occupants.

When 2012 Toyota Prius airbag complaints were filed

First complaint Apr 25, 2012, latest Aug 18, 2026.

28 complaints filed with NHTSA from Apr 2012 to Aug 2026; peak Sep 2012 (2).

Airbags recalls for the 2012 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.

201084 (3%)
201146 (9%)
201228 (7%)
201318 (4%)
201414 (7%)
20156 (4%)
20167 (5%)
20173 (3%)
20183 (8%)
20194 (13%)
20201 (7%)
20210 (0%)
20223 (13%)
20230 (0%)
20243 (12%)
20250 (0%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2012 Toyota Prius have an airbag recall?: Yes. Recall 16V487000 covers a weld defect in the curtain shield airbag on 2010-2012 Prius, 2010 and 2012 Prius Plug-in, and 2011-2012 Lexus CT200h models. Dealers install retention brackets to the curtain airbags free of charge.
How many airbag complaints does the 2012 Prius have?: NHTSA lists 28 airbag complaints for the 2012 Prius, which is 7% of the 423 total complaints filed for that model year.
Are the airbag problems linked to crashes and injuries?: Yes. Of the airbag complaints, 23 involved crashes and 17 involved injuries, with a median mileage at failure of 28,500 miles.
Is the 2012 Prius worse than other years for airbag complaints?: The 2012 Prius airbag share is 7%, higher than 2013 (4%) and 2015 (4%), but lower than 2011 (9%) among Prius model years with airbag data.