Home · 2011 Toyota Prius · Complaints
What 516 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Toyota Prius
These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.
3 of 516 complaints match · Engine · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters
May 31, 2023EngineFire
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the contact smelled an abnormal burning odor and then heard an abnormal explosion. The contact observed black smoke coming from under the hood. The contact pulled off the road and turned the vehicle off. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact lifted the hood and saw flames coming from under the engine. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. The contact had the vehicle towed to his residence. The contact called an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact stated that when the engine was lifted out of the engine compartment, there was a hole in the engine block. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
NHTSA ODI 11524737
Mar 19, 2020BrakesEngineCrash
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK IN A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A SIGN POST. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED DURING THE INDEPENDENT ACCELERATION. THERE WAS NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.
NHTSA ODI 11318682
Dec 5, 2018Electrical systemEngineFire
AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY MY CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE AND I REALIZED MY ENGINE HAD CAUGHT FIRE, I WAS ABLE TO GET OUT, THE WHOLE FRONT OF MY CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES IN NO TIME
NHTSA ODI 11156109
Working with the data? Download all 516 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 2026
How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your
pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the
full 2011 Toyota Prius verdict →