2008 Toyota Prius Engine Problems
- 41
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 41 stored complaint records:
- 2 indicate a crash
- 1 indicate injury
- 1 indicate fire
What owners report
- water pump · 8 records
- quart every · 5 records
- warning lights · 5 records
- failure mileage · 4 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 100–150k mi | 17 |
| 60–100k mi | 14 |
| 30–60k mi | 3 |
| 150–400k mi | 2 |
| 1–30k mi | 1 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Engine · Steering · Vehicle Speed Control
My 2008 toyota prius shut off while i was driving on the road i could've involved in big accident if i was on a highway the way it shutdown without any warning sign. It just suddenly stopped
ODI 11289134
Engine · Service Brakes
Son was driving car on city street going around 35 mph, then 20 brakes went out completely until parked. Started with a loud beep noise, lights on dash then brakes no longer worked. He had to push as hard as he could to try and at least slow car down not to hit car in front of him, pulled into bike lane to avoid crash as car would not stop. Turned car off and left in parking lot. I went to get car to drive home and…
ODI 11233509
Electrical System · Engine
While driving down the road the instrument panel went black. I could not see driving speed or remaining fuel. I drove to toyota dealer and could not shut down the engine upon arrival nor remove my key from the key slot. There are numerous online complaints about "prius instrument cluster not working". Toyota quietly agreed to extend warranty coverage for 9 years from date of first use or until 2013.…
ODI 11180976
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. While driving at low speeds, the vehicle stalled and completely turned off. The vehicle would then restart without warning. The vehicle was towed to right toyota (7701 e frank lloyd wright blvd, scottsdale, az 85260, [redacted]), but the cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage…
ODI 11132884
Electrical System · Engine · Power Train
Car stalled completely under high speed acceleration about 70-75mph mph on freeway. Lost all power .
ODI 11138977
Engine · Service Brakes · Vehicle Speed Control
Running on a city street at 20 miles, gas pedal would not work, could not decrease or increase mileage. Brake pedal worked but went all the way down and finally stopped with a jerk. A constant noise and and has a toyota confirmed brake acctuator problem that toyota refuses to help since extra warrant expired in 12/2017
ODI 11076134
Electrical System · Engine
Defective engine required replacement prior to 139k miles (due to cylinder malfunction and excessive oil consumption), at a cost of $3700 for a used one. This has also damaged the catalytic converter, quoted at $900. At 149k miles, the hybrid battery has failed as well, which has a quoted replacement cost of $2400. While slightly outside of warranty, the engine and hybrid battery are both core components that are…
ODI 11127919
Engine
Excessive oil consumption. One quart down every 1500 miles. First noticed jan 5, 2018
ODI 11075959
Engine
Car burns a quart of oil every 1000 miles which started at 150k. This is an ongoing problem that cant be fixed.
ODI 11092261
Body · Electrical System · Engine
Toyota prius (2008) - fire after minor accident (battery fire) after a fairly standard rear end collision (25-30 mph), my toyota prius caught fire and burst into flames. I was stopped at a red light on a city street in chicago, il when the accident occurred, my vehicle was not in motion. Within minutes of impact (to right rear of car), the responding police officer saw fire under the car (began in rear) and the fire…
Crash reported · Fire reported · 1 injury
ODI 11040438
Engine
Our 2008 prius experienced engine failure while driving ca. 70 mph on a day when the temperature was between 90 and 95 degrees. This appears to be the same problem with the inverter that has happened on later models, especially as 'high thermal stress' featured in reports of those. Two mechanics were unable to pull a computer code on it and said they couldn't offer an opinion unless it was replicated. Each mentioned…
ODI 11091165
Electrical System · Engine · Exterior Lighting
I have three major problems with my 2008 prius. #1 the engine intermittently, will not turn off when parking the car. #2 the dash lights also intermittently will not come on, affecting my ability to see how fast i am going on the highway or streets, it also prevents me from seeing how much gas is left in the tank. #3 the outside air and air conditioner, also will not work, intermittently.
ODI 11063356
Electrical System · Engine · Exterior Lighting
Cluster went blank and vehicle would not power off, key fob stuck in ignition. Toyota service recommended replacing combo meter but i am one month out of warranty. I was driving tried to park but car would not turn off, but would come to a stop in the parking lot. *tr
ODI 10937659
Engine
The car has an 11.9 gallon gas tank and i cant put in more then 7 gallons of gas at a time. When pumping...if the pumps rushes the gas into the tank too quickly...i cant get any gas because the pump will turn off as if the tank is completely full when its empty. I have had sensors checked and its the bladder of the gas tank.
ODI 11092263
Engine
Toyota has excluded the prius in advising their owner about excessive oil consumption but included the camry, corolla, seqoiua etc. It burns/not leaks 1 quart every 1,000miles. No warning light on the prius just have to keep checking it. Dealer says no fix except eventually put in a new engine. On the prius chat forum many people have noted the same problem with no assistance from toyota.
ODI 10948680
Engine
At 93,000 miles my 2008 toyota prius began rapidly consuming oil. I was told by dealer that nothing could be done and i needed to carry oil with me and check level every time i fill up my gas tank. This is a known issue with the toyota prius according to my dealer and web research.
ODI 10898678
Engine
Burning oil and clogged injectors at 90000 miles despite have all oil changes at prescribed intervals as advised by toyota. An engine rebuild and injector replacement have been recommended. No satisfaction from toyota despite known problem.
ODI 10908102
Engine
Car suddenly loses power and hazarde warning,brkaes,abs lights come on. Took to dealer,they charged $600 and did not repair the problem. The vehicle was in motion going 45 mph.
ODI 10886031
Engine
My car had performed perfectly for the first 100k miles. By 112k miles the oil was very low, no oil on the dip stick when i went in to have the oil change. Yet there was no low oil light or engine light to warn me. This was a complete surprise to me since that had never happened before and the usage had been at a normal rate up until then. I began looking for leaks, etc with no evidence of that. The next service it…
ODI 11056952
Electrical System · Engine · Power Train
I have had my 2008 prius since it was new and i have taken meticulous care of the vehicle with documentation to prove it. The vehicle is burning oil to the extent that i have to put a quart of oil in every 700 miles. My local dealership confirmed it is an issue with the vehicle but toyota usa said they won't do anything about it because there "has not been enough complaints". However, the toyota prius chat website…
ODI 10897546
Engine
I was driving my prius up mauna kea summit access road on the big island (hawaii) today when the power stalled. I was already at the visitor center (elv. 9,000 ft) so i steered off the road, sat for awhile, then started up the car. It started up but the power seemed off and on. I turned around and headed down the mountain. By the time i got to the bottom of the access road, i had no power and a red triangle light…
ODI 10811347
Electrical System · Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. When the vehicle was started, the instrument panel gauges did not display. On several occasions, after turning off the vehicle, the engine continued to operate. The failures were not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer and an unknown dealer were notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 30,000.
ODI 11166508
Electrical System · Engine · Power Train
Vehicle was off and in park. Vehicle was started and shifted into drive. In less then 1 second, vehicle slipped out of drive and into neutral as described in the technical service bulletin issued by toyota (t-sb-0142-11). Problem as reoccurred multiple times since, including while driving at speeds above 45 mph.
ODI 10748808
Engine
When i put the car in reverse or drive, it pops back into neutral - even when the car is driving down the road. It doesn't happen consistently. For example, i drove it to the store and it was fine. When i came out of the store to drive home, it had the issue all the way home. I had to hold the gear shifter in drive the entire time to make it home or it would go into neutral by itself. I didn't have a car crash but…
ODI 10881256
Electrical System · Engine · Service Brakes
I was driving 50mph when the car lost power.the car suddenly had no power brakes, no ability to easily steer, no engine power and many warning lights came on including an warning that the main hybrid battery was not charging. The car would not respond to acceleration. The car came to a stop. I held the start button the car shut off. The car restarted with no problems. All the warning lights were off. I put the car…
ODI 10706208