2010 Toyota Prius Electrical System Problems
- 140
- 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 140 stored complaint records:
- 4 indicate a crash
- 2 indicate injury
- 5 indicate fire
What owners report
- hybrid system · 19 records
- check hybrid · 14 records
- high beams · 9 records
- head lights · 9 records
- failure mileage · 7 records
- software update · 7 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 1–30k mi | 36 |
| 30–60k mi | 27 |
| 60–100k mi | 26 |
| 100–150k mi | 21 |
| 150–400k mi | 13 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
The low beam bulb lamp came loose from its housing - melting the socket, and while still "working" did not provide proper illumination for night driving and perhaps posed a fire hazard. Upon taking to the dealer, they replaced the entire unit (for $720.08) and have ordered a retrofit bracket (it is on back order) that they will installed to prevent re-occurrence. Seems there is a problem - they know it - but the…
ODI 10584771
Electrical System
Vehicle was stopped at a red light with engine running. Engine suddenly stopped and would not restart. A check hybrid signal appeared on the dashboard and vehicle would not move in the middle of a busy intersection. It had to be towed. *tr
ODI 10583600
Electrical System
Fuse box cover left loose by dealer after prius recall service. In the process of doing the engine software update for the prius recall, apparently the toyota dealer technician failed to engage the hooks & tabs at the back of the fuse box cover, and just "clicked" the front latch; this left the fuse box cover loose and exposed to water penetration. The loose fuse box cover might permit water to enter the fuse box…
ODI 10575913
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
My 2010 prius has had an ongoing problem with the main headlamps blowing, becoming inoperative and effectively leaving me with diminished visibility. This has happened approximately every 3 months since march 2014. Either one or both headlamps will blow. This is due to a known problem with this model and is covered under a toyota/nhtsa service bulletin (tsp-0204-12). In my case, i purchased the car used, from a…
ODI 10676486
Electrical System · Fuel/Propulsion System · Power Train
After driving for a combined time of 4 hours in a 5 hour period, my wife left a store she visited off zebulon road and i-475 near macon ga. When attempting to re-enter southbound i-475 the car failed and would not accelerate. A few seconds after the drive system shut down and would not restart. The dash indicators said check hybrid power system. The car was towed to a dealer rogers toyota in macon ga, where it now…
ODI 10572922
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting · Visibility/Wiper
I purchased a certified used 2010 toyota prius from the east coasts number one certified used toyota dealer. I was presented with papers showing all the checks performed with a certified used toyota and that the vehicle i was purchasing had pass all the inspections. I test drove the vehicle during the day and did not use the headlights. Once i was home (over 3 hours away) i used the headlights for the first time in…
ODI 10678716
Electrical System · Vehicle Speed Control
I started noticing a high pitch noise sporadically on my car after it was a few months old. If i stopped and restarted the car, the noise would go away. When i brought it to toyota they could not reproduce the problem. It would happen about 1-3 times per month and some months not at all. On this particular trip about a month ago, i did not notice the noise on start up (i had a cold that affected my hearing), but did…
ODI 10567535
Electrical System · Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 mph, the engine stalled without warning. Upon restarting, the vehicle resumed normally but the failure later recurred. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis where the volt battery was replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 49,312. ..updated…
ODI 10542825
Electrical System
The left side of my electrical panel that displays the warning lights and the odometer went dark. *tr
ODI 10573794
Electrical System · Engine · Fuel/Propulsion System · Vehicle Speed Control
I was driving with the flow of traffic (around 30 mph) on a main surface street in a middle lane of a multilane street when suddenly the engine stopped, and i was unable to make the engine respond. The car immediately began to slow down; i could not make it accelerate to keep in the flow of traffic. I managed to carefully drift over to the right and maneuver through an intersection and glide to a stop on the right…
ODI 10566877
Electrical System · Fuel/Propulsion System · Power Train
While driving at ca. 20 mph a sudden jolt and clunk occurred and the car was stalled. Various dashboard lights came on, and the dash displayed "check hybrid system." towed to a toyota dealer, the problem was stated to be a failed inverter-converter that needed to be replaced. *tr
ODI 10524077
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
When flashing the low beams/high beams on/off i routinely blow the low beam bulbs. Not both at the same time but eventually both will blow. I understand from reading forums that this is a known problem however toyota will not address it unless you are under the 36k warranty. This should be a mandatory recall.
ODI 10717031
Electrical System
I nearly hit a person while backing out of my driveway. The person was yelling but i could not hear them. Good thing they moved quickly. My radio was off and i was not using a cell phone. However the prius beeps loudly inside the cabin while in reverse. It is loud, distracting and frankly annoying. Our toyota highlander does not beep while in reverse. No other car i ever owned or operated beeped inside while in…
ODI 10515336
Electrical System · Fuel/Propulsion System
Our 2010 prius suffered a near total power failure on 5/10/13 when the car suddenly and without any advanced warning, lost power decelerating from about 35 mph to about 4 mph in less than 5 seconds. Every idiot light came on at once on the dash panel and a "hybrid system failure" notice came up on the alphanumeric display. Luckily, i was on a city street and not the highway when this happened. I was able to get the…
ODI 10514172
Electrical System · Engine · Service Brakes
This has happened several times over the past two years. As i brake at low speeds, the car surges ahead as though your foot is on the accelerator. Sometimes it was so subtle, you wondered if it really happened. Today (11/23/14) there was absolutely no mistaking it. The car surged forward a couple of feet as i was slowing to turn left. If someone had been stopped in front of me, i would have hit them from behind. *tr
ODI 10660372
Electrical System
The display that shows the speed indicator and which gear you are in has a double image and looks as though it is out of focus. The rest of the display to the right looks fine. I took it to my local toyota dealer and asked them to fix it and they said that this problem is on all gen iii priuses. He took me to a brand new 2013 prius and it to had the same problem. I believe this is a hazard and should be fixed. Here…
ODI 10504628
Electrical System · Fuel System, Other
Starting my vehicle and leaving my garage at 2 mph the master warning light, check hybrid system light, and malfunction indicator/check engine light were all lit up. With a terrible smell electrical/fuel. I immediately shut the car off and let it sit. After a few seconds i tried again with the same result. The owners manual says to not drive and contact toyota dealer immediately. When the tow truck arrived i again…
ODI 10499963
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
My commute is 62 miles, one way. Tonight i realized my low beam headlights were not working. My high beams work. I drove the 62 miles with my high beams on. The fuses were fine. It is odd that both low beam lights were out at the same time but the high beams were fine. I searched online some and there were numerous similar problems with the prius low beam lights. *tr
ODI 10486271
Body · Electrical System · Engine
2010 toyota prius at dealership for 25000 mile service. On 11/07/2012 at 1700 the dealership called and reported that the car is "infested with rodents." stated that headliner is saturated with urine/ feces, air and cabin air filters destroyed, wires chewed, rodents found to be living in dashboard, in door interiors, and other areas. Reported that this was "the worst case we've seen." car is owned by two…
ODI 10483685
Electrical System · Service Brakes
ODI # 10556900 FURTHER INCIDENTS WITH MY PRIUS.
ODI 10583175
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Panel light dimmer inoperable when parking/head lights are turned on (i.e., there is no display on instrument panel for current speed, fuel volume, fuel consumption, etc. When driving with head lights on). This similarly affects the audio/hvac display. *tr
ODI 10478889
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
The problem that is causing the head lights to burn out simultaneously needs to be resolved. It is a safety hazard for this to continue. Purchased a toyota prius 2010 in december 2010. Since that time, the head lights have been a problem. Each time there is a problem, both head lights burn out simultaneously. The first time the head lights failed was august 7, 2012 when there were five of us in the car driving 15+…
ODI 10493299
Electrical System · Power Train
Driving 45 mph down busy [redacted] when car just went out of gear from drive to neutral and wouldn't go into gear. Car came to a stop in heavy traffic and i was almost hit by several vehicles. Had to push to side of road. Called dealership and they sent a tow truck. They said they had never heard of this happening before but while i was sitting there waiting for a ride i went online and saw that this has happened…
ODI 10547443
Electrical System
My low beam headlights became noticeably more dim -- dangerously so as i began to need to use high beams to see anything beyond 30' in front of me. This began in 2012. Then my low beam lights began to go out -- one side, then the other. We replaced them ourselves with high quality replacements (after we found out it would cost over $200 for labor and headlamp at our dealer). We were told by the dealer that the…
ODI 10915660
Electrical System · Engine And Engine Cooling · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Tl* the contact was driving a 2010 toyota prius. The contact was driving 40 mph when the vehicle stopped in the street. Prior to the vehicle stopping, a beeping/alarm sounded, the seat belt locked in place and the warning on the dashboard flashed brakes.
ODI 10456728