Used Toyota Prius 2016-2022 reliability
Category: Hybrid car
The iconic Toyota Prius is good to drive and economical, even if it probably won’t save the planet alone.
What should I look for in a used Toyota Prius hatchback?
The Prius is quite a large car and its rear visibility isn’t the strongest, so check the extremities for any scuffs and dents. Check the paperwork carefully to make sure that your Prius hasn’t been used as a minicab, in which case its mileage is likely to be huge. The cars can wear large mileages well, but there are also plenty of low-mileage examples to choose from, and these might make a better used purchase.
The batteries are also proving to be extremely durable, easily lasting 10 years or more and going for 200,000 miles. It’s still worth looking out for telltale signs of a weak battery, though; these include the petrol engine running constantly or a car that struggles to get above 40mpg on the instant fuel economy readout.
What are the most common problems with a used Toyota Prius hatchback?
Brake booster
The pump for the brake booster may stop working on some Prius models built between 26 April and 3 June 2019 and lead to increased braking effort in order to slow down. Speak to a Toyota dealer for further information because the pump will need to be replaced in order to solve this issue.
Invertor
An invertor in the hybrid system could be loose in some cars made between 18 January and 10 December 2016. Find out from a Toyota dealer if your car is affected by this because it'll need to have this invertor replaced.
Engine wiring harness
A part of the wiring harness could chafe on the engine, wearing through the insulation material and potentially leading to a fire. Speak to a Toyota dealer to find out if your car is one of those affected by this and was built between 23 March 2016 and 14 May 2018.
Instrument cluster short circuit
The combination meter or instrument cluster of a small number of examples manufactured between 10 - 31 July 2019 could short circuit and go blank. Find out if your car is one of those affected by this because it'll need to have the cluster replaced to prevent further issues.
Is a used Toyota Prius hatchback reliable?
The Prius didn't feature in the hybrid category of our latest reliability survey. However, Toyota as a brand finished in an excellent second place out of 32 manufacturers. Indeed it was only beaten to top spot by its upmarket sister brand, Lexus.
If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the What Car? Reliability Survey pages for more information.
