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2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid Recalls & Complaints

2

open safety recalls on record

Serious

31 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 1.06 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious17V718000

Hybrid Propulsion System

The failed fuse may cause the hybrid system to shut down resulting in the loss of power.

Remedy & full details

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EV fuse, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 8, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0R.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2012-2015 Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. The hybrid battery contains an Electric Vehicle (EV) fuse that may fracture after repeated high-load driving conditions such as climbing long hills.

Serious16V487000

Air Bags:Side/Window

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 & full details

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.

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.

Complaint volume

31 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

3Crashes
1Fires
6Injuries
0Deaths

Across 31 complaints. Severity Index 1.06.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Service Brakes10 · 32%Unknown Or Other4 · 13%Electrical System3 · 10%Engine2 · 6%Vehicle Speed Control2 · 6%Power Train2 · 6%Service Brakes, Hydraulic2 · 6%Electronic Stability Cont…1 · 3%
  1. Service Brakes — 10 reports
  2. Unknown Or Other — 4 reports
  3. Electrical System — 3 reports
  4. Engine — 2 reports
  5. Vehicle Speed Control — 2 reports
  6. Power Train — 2 reports
  7. Service Brakes, Hydraulic — 2 reports
  8. Electronic Stability Control (Esc) — 1 reports
  9. Hybrid Propulsion System — 1 reports
  10. Exterior Lighting — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2010 (1) · 2012 · 2013 (1) · 2014 (1) · 2015 (1) · 2017 · 2025 (2) · 2026 (1)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.