What 682 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Toyota Prius Phev

While pulling out of a parallel parking spot going slightly uphill, I braked as I looked around the back of a double parked truck. I saw a car coming, braked hard, and suddenly my car surged forward across the street and hit a parked car. I looked down and saw that my foot was squarely on the brake pedal pressing down as hard as I could. The parked car was unoccupied, and I was uninjured. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem. I turned my car into the dealer for repairs and a fix to the sudden unexpected acceleration. They could offer no fix until a Toyota representative examined the car. On August 14, by an emailed letter, Toyota claimed it found no defects and it must be the result of driver error, specifically, my mistakenly hitting the accelerator. This is gaslighting denialism. (a) The EDR data sent to me does not indicate that I hit the accelerator unless that data is in the page of hexadecimal numbers. (b) Toyota's claim that I hit the breaks at "-0.2 seconds prior to the collision" is physically impossible. No one can move their foot from the accelerator to the brake that fast. (c) Toyota's claim is contrary to what I experienced and observed.

NHTSA ODI 11681161

On February 27 2024 I had spend 2300 dollars on car repairs see enclosed then on April 11 2024 while backing out of my driveway, I experienced a sudden acceleration of my vehicle which led to body damage to my car yet Toyota after inspection says that now the car system works perfectly. Prior to this incident I experienced warning light and windshield wiper malfunction .

NHTSA ODI 11586049

Broken bones in face. Nose split in two parts Eye socket broken along with cornea messed up. Broken ribs. Bleeding spleen. Broken neck.

NHTSA ODI 11567579

I have had a 2012 Prius since 2016. The entire time I've had it, it occasionally "hydroplanes" but without any water. It happens in wet or dry (but mostly dry) conditions. Usually at slower speeds so, though it makes me very uncomfortable, it doesn't happen with any regularity. I've taken it multiple times to my mechanic who always says "Prius' just do that", which is not reassuring. I know there was a recall and I was told my car did not fall under that umbrella. On Wednesday of this week, 10/25/23, I finally had an accident because of this. The brake lockup had been happening more frequently in the past week and in this instance I saw the car in front of me suddenly slow down - I had about 2/3 of a cars distance between me and the car ahead. I hit the brakes and nothing happened. I was pushing down on them long enough to think, "Ok, this is it. They aren't responding at all and I'm going to hit this car in front of me." I did and it crushed the passenger side of the car. Luckily I wasn't hurt. There were no warnings from the car at all that this was going to happen, as there never are. I took it in for possible repair today (the mechanic is not sure but thinks it may be a total loss). This car did everything they describe in the recall cases and I want to know if there's anyway to be repaid from the company for this as there was nothing I could do to stop this accident? Why wasn't my car included in the recall?

NHTSA ODI 11552233

The glass sunroof spontaneously exploded or imploded. There was a loud popping sound and I looked up at the sunroof, and it was shattered. glass started falling on me as I was driving on the highway. There have been many reported cases of this happening found online. https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/toyota-owners-should-be-aware-of-reported-exploding-sunroof-risk/ It has not been inspected yet. no warning messages.

NHTSA ODI 11526364

The engine caught fire while sitting in my garage. I had driven it for a few hours doing deliveries for a store and parked it in my garage around 2:30pm. About 1.5 hours later, my wife was coming home and opened the garage door and saw smoke above the hood of my car and then a few seconds later it burst into flames. I believe that it was smouldering for a while and the gust of wind when the big garage door opened gave it the extra push to ignite. The car was bought used and had a front end accident prior to my purchasing it so the electrical system could have melted and started the fire but the inspector that Toyota sent did not give me any copy of his report. It is a 2012 model. I bought the car in 2014, and had it for about 5 years until this happened and completed burned up the car and all the contents of my garage. I had a T-Mobile Sync-up module in the OBD port and it recorded a drop in voltage from around 12 to 5 volts at the time of the fire which I believe was transferred to my phone when I was near it.

NHTSA ODI 11503239

I am having issues with my Toyota I was never contacted NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 18V684000. My car has failed numerous times.

NHTSA ODI 11500728

My 2012 Toyota Prius V went out and had no control crashing into the curb on the passenger side. Scraping the side of my car. My ABS break system went out on my car going 40 miles per hour at 5:30 on a major street in Los Angeles called Wilshire Blvd. I almost died if I had not crashed into the curb I would have been hurt and hurt others Toyota issues a wait and see “courtesy program of a certain window to fix the break booster system and I ran out 1 month ago. My car is at Toyota Culver City and they are refusing to fix the break system due to the time limit. I was not notified of break system faulty system. My number is [XXX] if you would like to know INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11485927

The front and driver side air bags did not deploy (although the passenger side air bag did deploy). Initial impact came from behind, toward the passenger side, causing the vehicle to turn fully sideways, where the vehicle was then t-boned on the driver's side. The lack of driver side air bag deployment resulted in a lot of glass making it into the left side of the driver's head.

NHTSA ODI 11466476

My wife hit a deer at highway speed. The airbags deployed. The drivers side lower airbag deployed in the footwell. The driver was unable to get to the break paddle to stop due to the airbag at het feet. She had to use the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. That worked, but she had limited vision of the road ahead and it took some time for her to think of using the emergency brake.

NHTSA ODI 11434167

I SWITCHED INTO NEUTRAL AND PUSHED THE PARK BUTTON TO PARK. I LEANED FORWARD TO GRAB MY WALLET AND FELT THE CAR ACCELERATING OVER THE PARKING CURB. I IMMEDIATELY SLAMMED THE BRAKES AND THE CAR ACCELERATED INTO A BUILDING. I AM FORTUNATE TO BE ALIVE BECAUSE IF THE AIRBAG WOULD HAVE ACTIVATED, I WOULD HAVE BROKE MY NECK.

NHTSA ODI 11301244

OWNER/DRIVER FOUND BLACKED OUT BEHIND WHEEL IN 55 MPH HIGHWAY IN OPPOSING TRAFFIC DITCH. DRIVER AMBULANCED TO HOSPITAL ER. DMV REQUIRES MEDICAL EVALUATION FOR CONTINUED DRIVING PRIVILEGES. DRIVER SUSPECTED CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. SUBSEQUENTLY, DRIVER PLACES RESIDENTIAL CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR INSIDE PRIUS WHICH ALARMED WHILE PARKED AND TURNED OFF AT RESIDENCE DRIVEWAY. TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER ISSUED CASE # [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 11287887

I WAS COMING UP THE FREEWAY OFF RAMP AND MY CAR JUST TURNED OFF I HAD NO BRAKING I HIT SIX OTHER CARS ROLLED OVER AND WAS SEVERLY IMJURED IN THE HOSPITAL FORR THREE DAYS

NHTSA ODI 11180711

MY FRONT AND DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DIDN'T OPEN WHEN MY CAR WAS HIT ON THAT SIDE BY ANOTHER CAR DRIVEN BY A LADY WHO RAN A STOP SIGN; AND STRUCK MY MOVING CAR; TOTALING MY CAR. I SUFFERED SERTOUS CHEST, NECK AND BACK SPRAINS THAT STILL L BOTHER ME. I WAS STRUCK PRETTY HARD, I SUFFERED A TERRIBLE JOLT TO MY CHEST AREA WHEN MY CAR CAME TO A HARD STOP, AND I STILL HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS ACCIDENT COSTS ME MY JOB AND I AM NO LONGER ABLE TO STAND OR WALK FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.

NHTSA ODI 11173058

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE STEERING WHEEL AIR BAG PARTIALLY DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT'S HEAD STRUCK THE STEERING WHEEL WITHOUT A CUSHION. THE DRIVER WAS INJURED AND TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL VIA AMBULANCE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW YARD. THE CONTACT'S INSURANCE COMPANY WAS PROCESSING THE CLAIM AND TOOK CUSTODY OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

NHTSA ODI 11166060

I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND PRESSED THE STOP BUTTON TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND LEFT THE DRIVER'S DOOR OPEN. I WALKED TO THE MAILBOX TO GET THE MAIL AND HEARD A CRASH AS THE CAR DROVE OFF AND HIT A TREE AND LANDSCAPE WALL.

NHTSA ODI 11165007

I WAS TRAVELING NORTH ON THE HIGHWAY. I WAS GOING BETWEEN 50 AND 55 MPH WHEN THE TRAFFIC LIGHT TURNED TO YELLOW AND THEN TO RED. WHEN I APPLIED THE BREAKS NOTHING HAPPENED. MY VEHICLE ACTUALLY APPEARED TO SPEED UP. I RELEASED THE BRAKE THEN PUMPED THE BREAK TWICE THEN AGAIN APPLIED THE BREAK, THIS TIME STOMPING HARDER AND WITH BOTH FEET. MY VEHICLE DID NOT STOP OR EVEN SLOW. I WENT THROUGH THE LIGHT, RESULTING IN A CAR ACCIDENT. I T BONED ANOTHER CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11144698

A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO MY WIFE PURCHASED A USED 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS C AND LIKE ALL CARS I'M HEARING AFTER 2011 IT'S GOT YOUR CRAPPY HEADREST DESIGN TO SUPPOSEDLY AID IN SAFETY OF WHIPLASH, BUT MY WIFE HAS MINOR SCOLIOSIS AND WE HAVE TO TURN THE HEADREST AROUND BACKWARDS SO IT DOESN'T HURT HER. THAT'S WHAT EVERYONE IS DOING, SO YOU DIDN'T FIX ANYTHING, YOU MADE IT WORSE. THESE ARE NOT A GOOD DESIGN!? WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST MAKE ACTIVE HEADRESTS MANDATORY IN CARS INSTEAD OF PUSHING THEM PERMANENTLY FORWARD? YOU CAN'T TAKE ANY CARS WITH THESE HEADREST ON A LONG DRIVE BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO STOP AND GET OUT AND MOVE YOUR NECK AROUND AND HAVE IT SOMETIMES CRACK BECAUSE IT'S IN A STIFF FORWARD POSITION. THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT SAFE AND DEFINITELY NOT COMFORTABLE. YOU'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING NOW!? I HAVE A 2011 INFINITI G37S COUPE MY HEADRESTS ARE COMFORTABLE AND I AM NOT BUYING ANY CAR AFTER 2011 THAT HAS UNCOMFORTABLE HEADRESTS. WE'VE EVEN GONE AS FAR AS TO START SEARCHING JUNK YARDS FOR HEADRESTS THAT HAVE THE SAME WIDTH BETWEEN THE POSTS SO WE CAN SWAP THEM OUT IN HER CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11111402

WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE (SPEED LESS THAN 5 MPH) AND APPLYING THE BRAKES THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR SEEMED TO SPEED UP. THE CAR JUMPED THE CURB AND STRUCK A TREE. A GOOD SAMARITAN ASSISTED AND ACTUALLY GOT IN THE CAR AND FOUND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE BRAKES RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATION. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THE CAR HAS EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS. IN 2014 WHILE PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND STRUCK THE HOUSE. SHORTLY AFTER THE BRAKES RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATIONS. TOYOTA WAS NOTIFIED AND INSPECTED THE CAR'S COMPUTER AND BRAKING SYSTEM PER CASE NUMBER 1410012557. AFTER THE INSPECTION TOYOTA SAID THAT THERE WERE NO BRAKE ISSUES FOUND WITH THE CAR AND STATED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM IN THESE CARS.

NHTSA ODI 11102264

ON MY WAY HOME I SUDDENLY SAW A SIGN ON THE SCREEN "CHECK THE HYBRID SYSTEM. STOP IN A SAFE PLACE". I PULLED OVER, SMELLED SMOKE AND SAW SMOKE IN THE REAR. I OPENED THE TRUNK ANS FRIGHTENED BY FLAME. I PULLED THINGS OUT AND COVERED THE FLAME WITH TWO BIG TOWELS AND SUCCEEDED IN PUTTING IT OUT, ALTHOUGH I GOT BURNED ON MY FINGERS. I CALLED GEICO. THEY SENT A TOWING CAR AND IT TOOK MY CAR TO MY APARTMENT. WHEN GEICO TOOK MY CAR TO A COLLISION CENTER, THEY SAID IT IS TOTAL LOSS AFTER INSPECTING IT. I CLAIMED IT TO TOYOTA. THEY INSPECTED IT, BUT SAID THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE CAR HAD ELECTRICAL OR MECHANICAL DEFECT. I DID NOTHING BUT DRIVING THE CAR, BUT IT CAUGHT FIRE. WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS THAT? I BELIEVE THE PRODUCER SHOULD TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY BUT THEY DO NOT. WHERE CAN I BE COMPENSATED FOR THE LOSS?

NHTSA ODI 11076081

NOVEMBER 4, 2017 - CAR WAS PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY. PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY. THE BRAKES FAILED. NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS REPEATEDLY PUSHED DOWN, THE CAR JUST WOULD NOT STOP. IT ACTUALLY FELT LIKE THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING! THE CAR RAN OVER OUR MAILBOX AT THE END OF OUR DRIVEWAY. THE MAILBOX GOT DRAGGED UNDER THE CAR AND THE CAR ROLLED OUT ONTO THE STREET. FINALLY, WE PUSHED IN THE POWER BUTTON AND THAT WAS HOW WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO STOP. OUR MAILBOX GOT TOTALED AND DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF OUR CAR, AS THERE IS TWISTED METAL HANGING DOWN SCRAPING THE GROUND. THE BRAKES STARTED TO WORK AGAIN A FEW MINUTES LATER, AS I WAS ABLE TO PULL IT BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY OFF OF THE STREET. ON SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 ' CAR WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT. WHEN REVERSING OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE, THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. AFTER REPEATEDLY PUMPING THE BRAKES, THEY FINALLY ENGAGED JUST BEFORE IT HIT A CAR PARKED BEHIND US. WE THOUGHT THIS WAS A FREAK ONE-TYPE EVENT, SO WE DIDN'T REPORT IT.

NHTSA ODI 11044156

NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 15V449 MANUFACTURER RECALL: FOR / HYBRID INVERTER/POWER MODULE (IPM) CRASH INVOLVING PRIUS V (OWNED BY ANOTHER PERSON - MY MOTHER WAS HIT AND KILLED BY PRIUS V) OCCURRED ON SR 105. PRIUS V TRAVELING N ON OUTSIDE LANE CROSSED INSIDE LANE AND 11' GRASS MEDIAN BORDERED BY CONCRETE INTO S BOUND INSIDE LANE AND COLLIDED MY MOTHER DRIVING ONCOMING VEHICLE ON INSIDE S BOUND LANE. WOMAN DRIVING PRIUS V WAS KILLED ON IMPACT, AND MY MOTHER DIED LATER THAT DAY AT UF HOSPITAL JACKSONVILLE. TWO WITNESSES DRIVING BEHIND MY MOTHER SAW CRASH AND SAID THE PRIUS V APPEARED TO BE ACCELERATING ACROSS MEDIAN. CRASH OCCURRED APPROX. 2 MONTHS BEFORE TOYOTA'S RECALL ON JULY 15, 2015 OF 109,000 PRIUS V HYBRIDS. THE PRIUS V THAT KILLED MY MOTHER WAS PART OF THIS RECALL. IN FEB 2014, THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE PRIUS ECU. THE PRUIS V HAD THE SAME ECU, BUT TOYOTA CHOSE NOT TO RECALL THE PRIUS V UNTIL ALMOST A YEAR AND A HALF LATER, 2 AND A HALF MONTHS AFTER MY MOTHER'S FATAL CRASH. IF THEY HAD RECALLED THE PRIUS V IN 2014, WOULD MY MOTHER STILL BE ALIVE?

NHTSA ODI 11039192

AS I WAS PULLING INTO A SPACE IN FRONT OF MY SCHOOL, AND HAD MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR, GOING LESS THAN FIVE MILES PER HOUR, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT GREAT SPEED, CRASHING INTO A STAIRWELL AND STAIR RAILING. THE CAR ENGINE SUDDENLY REVVED UP AND SPED AHEAD; THEN I WENT TO PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, BUT THE CAR REVVED AGAIN, AND SLAMMED FURTHER INTO THE RAILING. I WAS ALONE IN THE CAR, BUT NOW MY INSURANCE IS TRYING TO CLAIM "MY FAULT", WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THERE WAS NO FLOOR MAT BEING STUCK, ETC. ISSUE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH TOYOTA AND UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WITH PRIOR REGULAR TOYOTA PRIUS YEAR MODELS. I AM STILL AWAITING AN INSURANCE INSPECTION ETC. THE REPAIR ESTIMATE HASN'T BEGUN.

NHTSA ODI 11024549

ON JULY 28, 2017, I WAS DRIVING ALONG WITH MY THREE CHILDREN. I PULLED INTO A DRIVEWAY TO PARK MY VEHICLE BEHIND A PARKED VEHICLE. THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY A 2 FOOT SPAN BETWEEN THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE AND THE FRONT OF MY 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS. TO THE RIGHT OF THE PARKED VEHICLE WAS A PARKED TRUCK. BEING THAT I WAS PULLING INTO A SPACE TO PARK MY VEHICLE, I WAS TRAVELING EXTREMELY SLOWLY. I BEGAN TO PRESS ON MY BRAKE TO PARK THE VEHICLE AND INSTANTLY KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM. UPON DEPRESSING THE BRAKE, SEVERAL LIGHTS BEGAN TO FLASH WITHIN THE DASH TO INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE ABS, WARNING LIGHT, AND THE LIGHT WITH VEHICLE SWERVE LINES. OTHER LIGHTS WERE ALSO FLASHING, BUT I DO NOT RECALL EACH ONE. THE BRAKE PAD INSTANTLY WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR WITH NO PRESSURE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AND CONTINUED TO TRAVEL FORWARD WITH ACCELERATION. TO AVOID HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME I BEGAN TO TURN MY WHEEL TO THE RIGHT. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE TRUCK THAT WAS TO MY FRONT-RIGHT. MY PRIUS FAILED TO SLOW OR STOP. IT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND BEGAN PUSHING THE TRUCK UP THE DRIVEWAY AND INTO THE METAL GARAGE DOOR WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED THE ENTIRE TIME. EVENTUALLY, THE CAR CAME TO A STOP AND THE LIGHTS CONTINUED TO FLASH PRIOR, DURING, AND AFTER THE INCIDENT. AFTER THE CAR WAS TOWED TREAD WHEEL MARKS WERE FOUND ON THE DRIVEWAY WHERE THE WHEELS SPUN AND LEFT AN IMPRINT IN THE ASPHALT. I AND MY CHILDREN WERE UNINJURED HOWEVER, THE INCIDENT WAS INCREDIBLY TRAUMATIC. THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND AS OF YET TO BE PROCESSED FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING BY TOYOTA. THE TOYOTA CARE SERVICE WAS INFORMED OF THE ACCIDENT. TOYOTA BELIEVES IT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE INTELLIGENCE COMPONENT OF THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER DETERMINATION IS CURRENTLY UNKNOWN UNTIL DIAGNOSTIC IS PERFORMED.

NHTSA ODI 11014797

I RECEIVED THE WARNING, PLEASE CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM. AFTER CHECKING THE DTC THE FOLLOWING CODE APPEARED ON THE COMPUTER: P0A08:DC/DC CONVERTER CIRCUIT STATUS WHICH INDICATES AN INVERTER PROBLEM. LOOKING AT THE RECALL WEBSITE USING VIN NUMBER, SHOWED NO RECALL CONCERNING THIS. THE PROBLEM HAPPENED MANY TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY OR A HIGHWAY

NHTSA ODI 11003135