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2019 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid
Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age — inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.
28 owner complaints · 3 recalls · data verified July 10, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why buy?
Brakes problems dominate (36% of complaints).
Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.
The math, shown
Full methodology →Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2019 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Brakes (10) · Engine (5)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint — a rough guide, not a schedule.
Brakes
36%10 complaints · 3 in the last 2 years
“* I was pulling into a parking space at a slow speed. When I applied the brake the car accelerated causing the car to scrape the car next to the space. The car then st…”
Engine
18%5 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years
“PRIUS STALLS IN THE RAIN DESPITE NOT BEING A RECALLED MODEL. PCS SENSOR IS AFTERMARKET, PEDESTRIAN WARNING ALERT NOISE IS OFFLINE, SUSPENSION IS CRACKED, ENGINE MAKES …”
Driver assistance
14%4 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years
“Whenever it rains the warning message clean parking assist sensor comes on while you are driving. Even after you clean the sensors the warning continues to beep contio…”
Speed control
14%4 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years
“I WAS TURNING TO EXIT A FREEWAY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR CAME TO A STOP (ABOUT 55MPH TO 0) IN A MATTER OF SECONDS WITH NO WARNING. IT THEN TOOK A FEW SECONDS BEFORE …”
Recalls (3)
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 · 19V876000
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 Prius vehicles. An electrical short circuit in the combination meter could occur, causing the speedometer, the odometer, and the fuel gauge to go blank. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays."
Risk: A blank main display will not show important information like vehicle speed or fuel level. Driving with an inoperative display can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the flash memory chip (ROM) production date, and if necessary, replace it along with the combination meter circuit board, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 19TA21 and 19TB21.
Electronic Stability Control (esc) · 19V544000
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 Lexus LS500, LC500, ES300h, UX250h, LS500h, Toyota Prius, RAV4 HV, 2019-2020 Toyota Prius Prime, and 2020 Corolla HV vehicles. The brake booster pump may fail causing a deactivation of the Vehicle Stability Control system and a loss of braking assist. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Risk: Deactivation of the vehicle stability control system or a loss of braking assist increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake booster pump, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2019. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 and Lexus owners may contact Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are K1L/K0L. Lexus' numbers for this recall are K2F/KLF.
Equipment · 19V244000
Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling certain 2019 C-HR, 4Runner, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Prius, RAV4, Sequoia, Tacoma, Sienna, Tundra and Yaris vehicles. The text on the load capacity label may become illegible. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: If the driver cannot read the label, they may unknowingly overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GST will notify owners, and dealers will provide corrected load carrying capacity modification labels, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2019. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 19R1.
Before you hand over money
Check the VIN for open recalls
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–$250 independent inspection of this exact 2019 Toyota PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID beats every score on the internet, including ours.
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What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score — if they disagree, that’s worth knowing.