2012 Toyota Prius Structure & Body Problems
NHTSA lists 29 Structure & Body complaints for the 2012 Toyota Prius, 7% of its 423 total complaints for the year, with 10 crashes and 11 injuries reported. Median mileage at failure was 15,815 miles. A related recall (13V014000) covers occupant detection sensors.
- Structure & Body complaints
- 29
- 7% of 423
- Crashes reported
- 10
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 11
- Median mileage
- 15,815 mi
- Related recalls
- 2
Typical body and structure symptoms owners report
- Owners describe airbags failing to deploy during moderate-speed frontal or rear collisions, even when the vehicle sustained significant damage.
- Some drivers report sudden unintended acceleration episodes, including one where the car surged in reverse out of a parking space and struck objects before stopping.
- Door lock actuators on multiple doors (front left, front right, rear left) were reported to fail, preventing locking or unlocking via key fob or interior controls.
- One owner reported the headrest design forced their head into an angled, uncomfortable position, raising concern about reduced crash protection.
- A later complaint described weather stripping around the solar sunroof cracking and detaching, raising leak concerns and leaving the sunroof unused.
- Structural damage from low-speed rear impacts was reported to be more extensive than expected, with frame and bumper damage from a 10 mph collision.
When 2012 Toyota Prius body and structure complaints were filed
First complaint Dec 31, 2011, latest Nov 10, 2023.
Structure & Body recalls for the 2012 Toyota Prius
- 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.
- NHTSA 13V014000Jan 16, 2013Structure & Body3,235 vehicles
Seats
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.
Risk: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
Remedy: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Structure & Body 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 Structure & Body complaints does the 2012 Toyota Prius have?
- NHTSA lists 29 Structure & Body complaints for the 2012 Toyota Prius, which is 7% of the 423 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Were there any crashes or injuries linked to these complaints?
- Yes. NHTSA data shows 10 crashes and 11 injuries associated with Structure & Body complaints on the 2012 Prius, though no fires were reported.
- Is there a recall related to the 2012 Prius Structure & Body complaints?
- Yes, recall 13V014000, reported January 16, 2013, covers occupant detection sensor testing and recalibration and includes the 2012 Prius among other model years and models.
- At what mileage do these structure and body problems typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure for Structure & Body complaints on the 2012 Prius is 15,815 miles.
- How does the 2012 Prius compare to other years for this problem area?
- The 2012 Prius has a 7% share of complaints in this category, higher than 2010 (1%), 2011 (3%), and 2013 (5%), though lower than some later years like 2018 (17%) and 2023 (32%), which had far fewer total complaints.