YearToAvoid

2019 Toyota Prius Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Best The 2019 Toyota Prius has a complaint index of 10, the second-lowest of all 21 model years tracked, and earns a Best verdict. It has 30 complaints, 3 recalls, and no fires or deaths reported.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
10/100
#19 of 21 Prius years
Verdict
Best
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
30
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
3
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
7
reported in complaints
Fires
0
Injuries
2
Top issue
Brakes
Best nearby year
2018
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
52
54 city / 50 hwy
Injuries / deaths
2 / 0

Top 2019 Toyota Prius problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Brakes12 (40%)
  2. Engine10 (33%)
  3. Other8 (27%)
  4. Airbags4 (13%)
  5. Electrical System4 (13%)
  6. Collision Avoidance & Cameras4 (13%)
  7. Suspension, Wheels & Tires3 (10%)
  8. Transmission & Powertrain2 (7%)
  9. Fuel System1 (3%)
  10. Lane Departure1 (3%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Owners report airbags failing to deploy in crashes, including side and passenger impacts.
  • Some describe the brake pedal going unresponsive while the car unexpectedly accelerated in reverse or forward at low speed.
  • Several complaints mention the anti-collision braking system not engaging before a low-speed collision.
  • One owner reported the entire dashboard display going blank, losing speed and fuel readouts shortly after purchase.
  • Another described a sudden hard stop from highway speed with a brief delay before the accelerator responded again.
  • One owner reported a loud cranking engine noise paired with a missing forward-sensor component for the pre-collision system.
2019 Toyota Prius complaints: complaints filed per month2Sep 2019Sep 2020Jun 2022Sep 2023Apr 2024Aug 2025Aug 2026
30 complaints filed with NHTSA from Sep 2019 to Aug 2026; peak Sep 2019 (2).

2019 Toyota Prius recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 19V876000Dec 11, 2019Electrical System3,751 vehicles

    Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 Prius vehicles. An electrical short circuit in the combination meter could occur, causing the speedometer, the odometer, and the fuel gauge to go blank. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays."

    Risk: A blank main display will not show important information like vehicle speed or fuel level. Driving with an inoperative display can increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the flash memory chip (ROM) production date, and if necessary, replace it along with the combination meter circuit board, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 19TA21 and 19TB21.

  2. NHTSA 19V544000Jul 24, 2019Brakes6,925 vehicles

    Service brakes

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 Lexus LS500, LC500, ES300h, UX250h, LS500h, Toyota Prius, RAV4 HV, 2019-2020 Toyota Prius Prime, and 2020 Corolla HV vehicles. The brake booster pump may fail causing a deactivation of the Vehicle Stability Control system and a loss of braking assist. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."

    Risk: Deactivation of the vehicle stability control system or a loss of braking assist increases the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake booster pump, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2019. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 and Lexus owners may contact Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are K1L/K0L. Lexus' numbers for this recall are K2F/KLF.

  3. NHTSA 19V244000Mar 27, 2019Other3,634 vehicles

    Equipment:other:labels

    Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling certain 2019 C-HR, 4Runner, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Prius, RAV4, Sequoia, Tacoma, Sienna, Tundra and Yaris vehicles. The text on the load capacity label may become illegible. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

    Risk: If the driver cannot read the label, they may unknowingly overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: GST will notify owners, and dealers will provide corrected load carrying capacity modification labels, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2019. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 19R1.

2019 Toyota Prius fuel economy and fuel cost

City
54 MPG
Highway
50 MPG
Combined
52 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$1,250
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.

2019 compared with other Prius years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2017Good4091354
2018Best536154
2019Best1030352
2020Good2514052
2021Best06052

All Toyota Prius years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Toyota Prius reliable?
Yes, relative to other Prius model years. It has a complaint index of 10, ranked 19th worst (meaning it's among the lowest) out of 21 model years, and carries a Best verdict.
What problems does the 2019 Toyota Prius have?
NHTSA complaints center on brakes (40% of complaints), engine issues (33%), and airbags (13%). Median mileage at failure for brake complaints was 5,500 miles.
Does the 2019 Toyota Prius have any recalls?
Yes, NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2019 Prius: an electrical short in the combination meter, a brake booster pump issue, and a mislabeled load-carrying capacity sticker. None are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2019 Prius compare to other Prius years?
The 2019 model has far fewer reported problems than older years like 2010 (complaint index 100, Avoid) and is close to the lowest-complaint years like 2018 and 2021, which also earned Best verdicts.
What is the fuel economy of the 2019 Toyota Prius?
The 2019 Prius gets 52 mpg combined (54 city / 50 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $1,250 according to the EPA.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.