Home · 2014 Toyota Prius Phev · Complaints

What 233 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Toyota Prius Phev

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.

All (233)Crash / fire / injury (33)Brakes (101)Electrical system (38)Engine (24)Speed control (18)Airbags (17)Visibility & wipers (12)Body & structure (11)Steering (11)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (9)Lights (9)

12 of 233 complaints match · Airbags · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

May 23, 2022AirbagsCrash2 injuries

My 2014 Toyota Prius was in a T-bone accident, directly on the driver door and the side air bags did not deploy.

NHTSA ODI 11465834

Mar 29, 2022AirbagsCrash1 injury

Airbags did not deploy when I got into an accident on I-91. The car has been totaled and is in Allstate's possession, and I believe it is available for inspection. My safety was put at risk because the airbags didn't deploy in a head-on collision with multiple objects (reflector pole, trees). The vehicle is in the process of being inspected by Allstate insurance representatives. There were no warning messages or symptoms prior to this incident.

NHTSA ODI 11458765

Sep 28, 2020AirbagsSeat beltsCrash

TRAVELING ON A HIGHWAY, CHANGED LANES TO AVOID IN ACCIDENT, CAR BEHIND ME CHANGED LANES TOO. CAR BEHIND FAILED TO SLOW DOWN AND SMASHED TRUNK AND PUSHED ME INTO A STEEL GUARD RAIL. SIDE, FRONT, AND KNEE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. SEAT BELT PRETENSIONERS DID NOT ENGAGE. NOR DID HEAD RESTRAINTS.

NHTSA ODI 11361547

Sep 18, 2020AirbagsCrash1 injury

HEAD ON COLLISION HITTING A TREE, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, VEHICLE TOTALED DRIVER IN THE HOSPITAL. ACCIDENT ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 IN TALLAHASSEE, FL

NHTSA ODI 11359778

Jan 30, 2020AirbagsCrash1 injury

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS EASTBOUND ON BROADWAY RD., APPROACHING SOSSAMAN RD., IN MESA, AZ, ON FRIDAY DECEMBER 13, 2019 AT ABOUT 10:00 AM. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR AND DRY. SHE WAS ALONE IN THE VEHICLE, WEARING HER SEAT BELT, TRAVELING AT 20 MPH IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE, WANTING TO TURN SOUTHBOUND ON SOSSAMAN RD., SOME 200 YARDS FURTHER EAST. CONSTRUCTION CREWS HAD REMOVED A PORTION OF THE ROADWAY, CREATING A DITCH, ABOUT 8 FEET LONG IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL, ABOUT 10 TO 12 INCHES DEEP AND ABOUT TWO LANES WIDE. AFTER PASSING A CONSTRUCTION VEHICLE, SHE BEGAN HER TURN TO THE RIGHT AND RAN INTO THE DITCH. THE FRONT WHEELS OF THE PRIUS DROPPED INTO THE DITCH AND PROCEEDED ACROSS THE OPENING SOME 8 FEET, AT A SLIGHT ANGLE, AND IMPACTED THE CONCRETE ROADWAY ON THE OTHER SIDE, CAUSING A SUDDEN AND VIOLENT DECELERATION. DUE TO THE RELATIVELY SHALLOW DITCH, AND THE LOW GROUND CLEARANCE OF THE PRIUS, THE CAR RODE UP ON THE CONCRETE AND THE BRUNT OF THE IMPACT WAS ABSORBED BY THE UNDERCARRIAGE. THERE WAS SOME FASCIA AND BUMPER DAMAGE. THE WHEELS DID NOT IMPACT THE CONCRETE BARRIER. THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I FILED A CLAIM WITH TOYOTA, AND THEY AGREED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE'S EVENT DATA RECORDER DOWNLOADED. ANALYSIS OF THE EVENT DATA RECORDER INFORMATION, PROVIDED BY TOYOTA, SHOWS A TOTAL TIME OF 123 MILLISECONDS FOR THE VEHICLE TO REACH A COMPLETE STOP FROM THE POINT OF INITIAL IMPACT, WITH A MAXIMUM LONGITUDINAL DECELERATION OF -14G'S (MY CALCULATION.) MY WIFE SUFFERED SEVERE NECK INJURIES. TOYOTA SENT ME A LETTER SAYING THE AIRBAG SYSTEM OPERATED AS DESIGNED AND WAS NOT AT FAULT (MY SUMMARY.) I DON'T SEE HOW THAT CAN BE, DUE TO THE EXTENT AND NATURE OF MY WIFE'S INJURIES. OR, TOYOTA'S DESIGN CRITERIA ARE AT FAULT AND DID NOT ANTICIPATE THIS TYPE OF COLLISION.

NHTSA ODI 11306168

Jan 9, 2020AirbagsCrash

MY DAUGHTER WAS TRAVELING DOWN 121 BY GRAPEVINE MILLS MALL. SHE NOTICED A DRIVER BEING AGGRESSIVE. SO SHE ATTEMPTED TO SWITCH TO GET AWAY FROM HIM. WHEN SHE WAS CHECKING TO MERGE TO NEXT LANE THE AGGRESSIVE DRIVER STOPPED FOR NO REASON. INTENTIONELLY WRECKING HER CAR. THEN DRIVING OFF. HER VEHICLE HAD EXTENSIVE DAMAGE AND HER AIR BACKS NEVER DEPLOYED. HER PRIUS C HAD DRIVER SIDE FRONT END DAMAGE. THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE FENDER WAS RIPPED FROM THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 11298226

Dec 20, 2019AirbagsCrash1 injury

MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED PRIOR TO IMPACT AT A SPEED OF LESS THAN 25 MPH. I APPLIED THE BRAKES VERY FORCEFULLY AND THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED PRIOR TO IMPACT. I HAD LITTLE FRONT END DAMAGE AND EVERY SINGLE AIRBAG DEPLOYED.

NHTSA ODI 11290363

Jul 27, 2018AirbagsSeat beltsCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS C. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE SIDE AND FRONT DRIVER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, BUT NEITHER STOPPED THE DRIVER FROM MAKING CONTACT WITH THE WINDSHIELD. IN ADDITION, THE SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN THE DRIVER. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED FACIAL LACERATIONS, CONTUSIONS TO THE LEFT ARM, SHOULDER, AND HIP, AND SEVERE HEADACHES THE REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW LOT AND DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

NHTSA ODI 11114182

Jan 23, 2017AirbagsCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS C. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 3 MPH FROM A STOP LIGHT, ANOTHER VEHICLE T-BONED INTO THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE OTHER DRIVER FAILED TO STOP FOR THE RED LIGHT WHICH CAUSED THE CRASH. THE AIR BAGS IN THE VEHICLE FAILED TO DEPLOY CORRECTLY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A NECK AND BACK INJURIES WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND DEEMED DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 10946989

Sep 8, 2015AirbagsSpeed controlBrakesCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED THE VEHICLE INTO A BUILDING AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED CHEST INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,700. UPDATED 01/20/16*LJ *CN

NHTSA ODI 10762201

Jul 15, 2015AirbagsBrakesCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. AS A RESULT, A CRASH OCCURRED AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,200.

NHTSA ODI 10734278

Sep 9, 2014AirbagsSpeed controlCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE IN THE PROCESS OF PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKES DISENGAGED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. THE CONTACT CRASHED THE VEHICLE INTO THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKES DISENGAGED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED BACKWARDS. THE CONTACT CRASHED THE VEHICLE INTO THE VEHICLE BEHIND IT AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50.

NHTSA ODI 10631943

Working with the data? Download all 233 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 20, 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 2014 Toyota Prius Phev verdict →