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2001 Toyota Prius Recalls & Complaints

3

open safety recalls on record

Serious

215 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.44 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious11V304000

Steering:Electric Power Assist System

LOSS OF POWER STEERING, PARTICULARLY WHEN AN OPERATOR IS ACTIVELY INTENDING TO STEER THE VEHICLE, MAY raises the risk of A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE NUTS IN THE STEERING LINKAGE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 8, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2001 THROUGH 2003 PRIUS PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 28, 2000, THROUGH MAY 30, 2003. THE STEERING LINKAGE MAY LOOSEN, RESULTING IN REDUCED ELECTRIC STEERING ASSISTANCE WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN.

Serious06V266000

Engine And Engine Cooling

ENGINE OIL INSIDE THE SENSOR WIRING CONNECTOR COULD CAUSE EXPANSION DUE TO THE HEAT OF THE ENGINE AND COULD DEFORM THE SENSOR WIRING CONNECTOR.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 26, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, DUE TO IMPROPER MOLDING OF THE RESIN BODY OF THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENOR INSTALLED ON THE ENGINE BLOCK, ENGINE OIL MAY PENETRATE THE SEAL AND ENTER THE SENSOR WIRING CONNECTOR. THE WIRE HARNESS CONNECTOR MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENTLY ATTACHED TO THE LOCKING TAB OF THE SENSOR WIRING CONNECTOR.

Moderate00V285000

Steering:Gear Box (Other Than Rack And Pinion)

IF THIS OCCURS, THE POWER STEERING WARNING ICON WILL BE DISPLAYED ON THE CENTER PANEL, AND THE DRIVER COULD EXPERIENCE HIGHER THAN NORMAL STEERING EFFORT DEPENDING UPON VEHICLE SPEED.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE ELECTRIC STEERING GEAR BOX.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. INSUFFICIENT ELECTRICAL CONTACT CAN OCCUR IN THE TORQUE SENSOR THAT CONTROLS THE POWER ASSIST OPERATION OF THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING GEAR BOX. THE TORQUE SENSOR COULD SEND IMPROPER ELECTRICAL SIGNALS.

Complaint volume

215 this model-year 7 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

23Crashes
3Fires
10Injuries
0Deaths

Across 215 complaints. Severity Index 0.44.

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

Steering26 · 12%Tires23 · 11%Electrical System19 · 9%Vehicle Speed Control18 · 8%Engine And Engine Cooling12 · 6%Steering · Rack And Pinion7 · 3%Vehicle Speed Control · A…7 · 3%Service Brakes, Hydraulic7 · 3%
  1. Steering — 26 reports
  2. Tires — 23 reports
  3. Electrical System — 19 reports
  4. Vehicle Speed Control — 18 reports
  5. Engine And Engine Cooling — 12 reports
  6. Steering:Rack And Pinion — 7 reports
  7. Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal — 7 reports
  8. Service Brakes, Hydraulic — 7 reports
  9. Suspension:Front — 6 reports
  10. Tires:Tread/Belt — 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

2000 · 2001 · 2002 (2) · 2003 (1) · 2004 (6) · 2005 (6) · 2006 (6) · 2007 (4) · 2008 (4) · 2009 (6) · 2010 (10) · 2011 (6) · 2012 (6) · 2013 (3) · 2014 (3) · 2015 (1) · 2016 (5) · 2017 (3) · 2018 (1) · 2019 (3) · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 (1) · 2023 (4) · 2024 (4) · 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.

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