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2016 Toyota Prius Phev
Buyable, but go in with open eyes: this car has specific known issues to check before money changes hands.
179 owner complaints · 5 recalls · data verified July 20, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Buy-rated alternatives from this era
Other 2014–2018 cars in the same rough price bracket with a clean, matured Buy verdict — worth cross-shopping before you commit to the 2016 Toyota Prius Phev.
Why caution?
5 recall campaigns (4 safety-critical). Confirm every one shows "remedy completed" on the seller's VIN.
Complaint reports have faded. Early issues appear resolved or aged out.
Score breakdown, by factor
Full methodology →#288 of 488Among the 2016 models with a matured record, the 2016 Toyota Prius Phev ranks #288, scoring higher than 16% of them. See the 2016 ranking →
Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
How it crashes
NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.
5/5 overall
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating · 2016 Toyota Prius 5 HB FWD
Rollover risk in a single-vehicle crash: 11%
1 open NHTSA defect investigation on file, separate from the recalls above.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2016 Toyota Prius Phev, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Visibility & wipers (43) · Electrical system (26) · Brakes (23) · Engine (19)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.
Visibility & wipers
24%43 complaints
“The original windshield has a “rippling distortion” where the windshield has ripple/bubble from defective glass or installation mistakes, making seeing traffic signs o…”
Electrical system
15%26 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years
“While driving vehicle on the freeway it stated braking power low, stop in a safe place, antilock brake system malfunction, pre-collision system malfunction, lane depar…”
Brakes
13%23 complaints · 3 in the last 2 years
“Second time !!!! during ownership of car that brakes fail. Same problem as before Brake Actuator/Booster Failures: Multiple reports indicate issues with the ABS actuat…”
Engine
11%19 complaints · 3 in the last 2 years
“Refer to TSB 0135-19 dealer denied repairing under the California emissions defect and performance warranty.”
Check it against this car’s mileage
Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.
Too few owners named a mileage on this model to place issues against an odometer yet.
Read all 179 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 14 crash/fire/injury reports →
Recalls (5)
Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.
Electrical System · 18V579000
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Toyota Prius vehicles. A portion of the engine wire harness connected to the hybrid Power Control Unit (PCU), could contact the cover at this connection and wear, causing an electrical short circuit.
Risk: An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine wire harness assembly and replace it if damage is found. A protective sleeve or protective tape will be included to prevent any future damage. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0T.
Air Bags · 18V085000
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016 Toyota Prius and Lexus RX 350, RX 350 F Sport, RX 450h F Sport and RX 450h vehicles and 2015-2016 Lexus NX 200T, NX Turbo and NX 300h vehicles. The air bag pressure sensors and/or the acceleration sensors may fail causing the side/curtain shield air bags and/or the front air bags to not deploy in the event of a crash.
Risk: If the air bags fail to deploy in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sensors as necessary based on their serial numbers, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 12, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are JLA, J0F.
Hybrid Propulsion System · 17V658000
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016 Prius vehicles. A capacitor within the hybrid system may not have been properly bolted to the inverter housing.
Risk: If the capacitor was not properly secured, vibrations from driving the vehicle may damage the capacitor, shutting down the hybrid system, causing a loss of motive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inverter, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin by early December 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0U.
Parking Brake · 16V741000
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2015, to October 3, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with a foot-operated parking brake system that has a parking brake cable that may disengage.
Risk: If the parking brake cable disengages from the mechanism and the transmission is left in a gear other than 'Park' while the ignition is on and the driver leaves the vehicle, the vehicle may roll unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a clip at the parking brake cable end to prevent the cable from disengaging, free of charge. The recall began November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is G01.
Air Bags · 16V672000
Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Prius vehicles manufactured November 30, 2015, to June 14, 2016. An air bag inflator manufacturing error may result in the inadvertent partial inflation of the front passenger air bag.
Risk: A front passenger air bag that unintentionally inflates can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0W.
Questions to ask the seller
Questions worth asking the seller of this Toyota before you buy, drawn from its public record:
- NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2016 Toyota Prius Phev. Can you run this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and confirm each one shows "Remedy Completed"?
- Owners of this model report visibility & wipers problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any visibility & wipers symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
- Owners of this model report electrical system problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any electrical system symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
- Has this car been in any accident or had any structural, airbag, or flood-related repair? Do you have a clean title and a recent history report (Carfax / AutoCheck)?
- How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
- Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?
Before you hand over money
Verify the recall work was done
NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.
Free NHTSA VIN check ↗Get a pre-purchase inspection
A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2016 Toyota PRIUS PHEV beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2016? See how every Prius Phev model year scores →
Cross-shopping? Compare the 2016 Toyota Prius Phev against another car →
What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.