Car · Toyota problems

2010 Toyota Prius problems

2,823 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2010 Toyota Prius. The most reported area is service brakes (69% of them). NHTSA also lists 167 service bulletins and 10 recall campaigns.

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 65. Deaths: 2.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 2,823 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

• Service brakes1,939 · 69%
• Speed control and throttle287 · 10%
• Electrical system192 · 7%
• Engine and engine cooling173 · 6%
• Exterior lighting149 · 5%
• Other or unknown108 · 4%
• Air bags84 · 3%
• Power train (transmission and drive)79 · 3%

18 smaller areas not shown (392 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 167 repair bulletins from Toyota for the 2010 Toyota Prius. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

1. T-SB-0009-26Received March 7, 2026

   Engine and engine cooling

   This bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge on Ni-MH high voltage (HV) batteries.

2. T-SB-0119-15 Rev2Received March 7, 2026

   Engine and engine cooling

   OBSOLETE NOTICE February 13, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete.

3. T-SB-0055-24 Rev2Received February 11, 2026

   Some 2005 - 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present.

4. T-SB-0035-24 Rev2Received January 9, 2025

   Body and structure

   Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere.

5. T-SB-0038-24 Rev2Received January 9, 2025

   Body and structure

   To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover.

6. T-SB-0039-24 Rev2Received January 9, 2025

   Body and structure

   The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds.

7. T-SB-0062-23 Rev2Received January 9, 2025

   Body and structure

   Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc.

8. T-PANT-2024-004-Received April 15, 2024

   Engine and engine cooling

   This is to advise of various price adjustments that will affect Toyota Genuine Motor Oil and Long Life Coolant, effective March 1, 2024.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for the 2010 Toyota Prius. Recall repairs are free at a Toyota dealer. The 3 to look at first:

1. 13V235000June 5, 2013

   Service brakes

   Nitrogen gas from a component of the brake booster pump assembly could leak into the brake fluid.

2. 10V039000February 9, 2010

   Service brakes, air

   Customers have experienced inconsistent brake feel after ABS actuation during slow and steady application of the brakes on rough or slick road surfaces.

3. 18V684000October 4, 2018

   Hybrid propulsion system

   Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) within the inverter may cause the hybrid system to shut down, causing the vehicle to stall while being driven.

See all 10 recalls for the 2010 Toyota Prius, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your Prius will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

Start with a diagnosis

• Diagnostic scan (check engine light)$55 to $250

Service brakes 1,939 complaints · 69%

• Brake pad replacement (front)$190 to $400
• Brake rotors and pads (front)$320 to $790
• Brake pad replacement (rear)$180 to $420
• Brake caliper replacement (one wheel)$240 to $590
• Brake fluid flush$75 to $180

Speed control and throttle 287 complaints · 10%

• Throttle body cleaning$75 to $180
• Throttle body replacement$290 to $900

Electrical system 192 complaints · 7%

• Battery replacement$150 to $470
• Alternator replacement$360 to $930
• Starter replacement$280 to $740
• Battery cable replacement$100 to $340

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Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

By VIN By year, make and model

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Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

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2010 Toyota Prius: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2010 Toyota Prius?

Of the 2,823 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2010 Toyota Prius, 1,939 (69%) name service brakes, and 287 (10%) name speed control and throttle. A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2010 Toyota Prius reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 183 of the 2,823 complaints as involving a crash and 13 as involving a fire. They also reported 65 injuries and 2 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2010 Toyota Prius have?

NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for the 2010 Toyota Prius. Recall repairs are free at a Toyota dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 167 repair bulletins for the 2010 Toyota Prius.

More

• 2014 Prius problems
• 2013 Prius problems
• 2012 Prius problems
• 2011 Prius problems
• 2010 recalls
• All Toyota recalls
• Toyota problems by model
• Check-engine codes

Sources

• NHTSA complaint and technical service bulletin files, checked October 29, 2026
• NHTSA recalls

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.