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2012 Toyota Prius V Recalls & Complaints

4

open safety recalls on record

Serious

289 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.80 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious18V684000

Hybrid Propulsion System

If the hybrid system shuts down unexpectedly, it can raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Serious15V449000

Hybrid Propulsion System: Inverter

The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle.

Remedy & full details

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the motor/generator control electronic control unti (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU, free of charge. The recall began on July 30, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Prius V vehicles manufactured August 22, 2011, to June 30, 2014. A component within the hybrid inverter assembly may overheat, causing the hybrid system to reduce output power allowing the vehicle to only drive a short distance. In some circumstances, the hybrid system may shut down causing the vehicle to stop while being driven.

Serious13E070000

Exterior Lighting:Tail Lights

The reversed tail lamp function reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Genera will notify owners and provide replacement aftermarket tail lamps, free of charge. The recall began on January 23, 2014. Owners may contact Genera at 1-888-963-9888. This recall is being conducted by Genera Corporation, not by Toyota Motor Corporation.

Genera Corporation (Genera) is recalling certain aftermarket replacement tail lights, model 11-6468-00 (driver-side), and model 11-6467-00 (passenger-side), sold for use on 2012-2013 Toyota Prius V vehicles. The brake light and tail light circuits are switched causing the brake lights to be illuminated continuously until the brake pedal is pressed, when the brake lights will go out.

Serious13V014000

Air Bags:Frontal:Sensor/Control Module-Inactive

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.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Complaint volume

289 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

32Crashes
2Fires
18Injuries
9Deaths

Across 289 complaints. Severity Index 0.80.

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 Brakes123 · 43%Engine36 · 12%Electrical System22 · 8%Vehicle Speed Control15 · 5%Unknown Or Other15 · 5%Steering11 · 4%Air Bags8 · 3%Electronic Stability Cont…7
  1. Service Brakes — 123 reports
  2. Engine — 36 reports
  3. Electrical System — 22 reports
  4. Vehicle Speed Control — 15 reports
  5. Unknown Or Other — 15 reports
  6. Steering — 11 reports
  7. Air Bags — 8 reports
  8. Electronic Stability Control (Esc) — 7 reports
  9. Power Train — 7 reports
  10. Fuel/Propulsion System — 5 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

2012 · 2013 (3) · 2014 (4) · 2015 (2) · 2016 (1) · 2017 (1) · 2018

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.