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Model-year record

2020 Toyota Prius
Image: Wikimedia Commons contributor · See source file

2020 Toyota Prius

See the complaints, recalls, crash rating, and fuel economy in the public record. Then check the mileage and history of the car you found.

This page shows records, not a buy or avoid call.

The same model year can include a well-kept car and a neglected one. Use these records to plan what to check. Use the specific-car check when you know the mileage.

Federal source records

Complaints filed

14

Reports to NHTSA, 2020

Safety recalls

0

NHTSA campaigns on record

NHTSA crash test

Overall NCAP rating

Combined MPG

52

EPA estimate

Known issues

Unknown Or Other issues lead owner complaints (21% of 14 reports), followed by electrical system (14%).

Unknown Or Other21% · 3 reports
Electrical System14% · 2 reports
Service Brakes14% · 2 reports
Tires14% · 2 reports
Air Bags7% · 1 report
Back Over Prevention7% · 1 report
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)7% · 1 report
Power Train7% · 1 report

+ 1 more component categories with fewer reports.

Share of all 14 NHTSA complaints for this model year, grouped by the component owners named. Bars are scaled to the largest category. Examples: ODI 11687071, ODI 11603436, ODI 11385018.

Individual complaint reports(14)

Showing the 14 most recent reports
Unknown Or OtherSep 2025 · ODI 11687071 · crash · 1 injuriesDetails +

I TURNED LEFT INTO A PARKING SPACE IN MY 2020 PRIUS. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE, AND MY CAR SHOT FORWARD. I COULDN'T STOP IT, AND IT HIT A CONCRETE POLE. IT ONLY TOOK 1 SECOND. IT SEEMS TOYOTA HYBRIDS ARE STILL HAVING THIS UNINTENTIONAL ACCELERATION DESPITE A MULTI BILLION DOLLAR LAW SUIT IN THE EARLY 2010'S. MY CAR WAS TOWED AND IS AWAITING INSPECTION BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Reported
Sep 2025
Incident date
Sep 2025
Mileage
Not provided
Outcome flags
Crash 1 injuries
Open ODI 11687071 at NHTSA →
Air BagsAug 2025 · ODI 11681232 · crash · 2 injuriesDetails +

I was the victim of an accident on [XXX]. The person of the other vehicle that collided with my vehicle after crossing at high speed and without stopping in the red light. The sensors of the anti-collision vehicle of my vehicle did not work and the air bag also did not work. Due to speed the airbag of the other vehicle triggered. I have shoulder pain due to impact. At the moment the insurer of the party involved is making it difficult to pay the compensation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Reported
Aug 2025
Incident date
Aug 2025
Mileage
Not provided
Outcome flags
Crash 2 injuries
Open ODI 11681232 at NHTSA →
Unknown Or OtherJul 2024 · ODI 11603436Details +

About a year ago and again a few days ago, I was slowly moving my Prius forward when suddenly it accelerated at full speed. The first time I was pulling into a parking spot beyond which was a grassy area and then a stockade fence. When I felt the car lurch forward, I slammed on the brakes, but was still going quite fast. Fortunately, the collision avoidance brakes kicked in and stopped the car just before I hit the fence. In the second case, I was slowly pulling into a parking lot when again the car surged forward. This time I was able to stop the motion with the brakes myself . In both cases I was conscious of moving my foot from the gas pedal to the brake pedal. In both cases it was a hot summer day, near 90.

Reported
Jul 2024
Incident date
Jul 2024
Mileage
Not provided
Outcome flags
None reported
Open ODI 11603436 at NHTSA →
Back Over PreventionFeb 2024 · ODI 11570887Details +

After heavy rains, the car says the park assist doesn't work, as well as the parking sensor system. There is a warning sign that says it doesn't work.

Reported
Feb 2024
Incident date
Feb 2024
Mileage
Not provided
Outcome flags
None reported
Open ODI 11570887 at NHTSA →
Electrical SystemMay 2023 · ODI 11524726 · crash · 1 injuriesDetails +

On May 16, 2023 I was slowly driving out of a market parking lot when the car suddenly accelerated, full throttle, and speeded across the street (Colusa Avenue, Berkeley, CA), crashing head on into a fence. Immediately after the crash, the dashboard displayed the following: "Check Engine (!) A malfunction in the electronic control of the engine, throttle, or automatic transmission has been detected. Contact your Toyota dealer to have your vehicle inspected." The car was towed and is now at a body shop selected by my insurance company, AAA. I received whiplash, small bruises on my chest and left hand, and a scraped shin. I was taken to Alta Bates Emergency by ambulance.

Reported
May 2023
Incident date
May 2023
Mileage
Not provided
Outcome flags
Crash 1 injuries
Open ODI 11524726 at NHTSA →
Service BrakesNov 2022 · ODI 11492215 · crashDetails +

Attempted to park in my garage and overshot the turn. The brake then failed to stop and I dented my garage outer wall. I reversed my car and tried to reposition it to go inside the garage, putting it on drive. However, the brake pedal made the car accelerate and the car went on reverse. It then crashed into the neighbor's garage and crashed the door and car inside. Both the car inside the garage and the garage itself (along with the inside of the house) have been damaged.

Reported
Nov 2022
Incident date
Nov 2022
Mileage
Not provided
Outcome flags
Crash
Open ODI 11492215 at NHTSA →
TiresJun 2022 · ODI 11469447Details +

Ballooning on side wall of tire. When brought to dealer, they indicated that three other tires had same problem but not as obvious. Car had only 24k miles, with half these on these tires (rest on snow tires). Dealer reported that this was a serious danger.

Reported
Jun 2022
Incident date
Jun 2022
Mileage
Not provided
Outcome flags
None reported
Open ODI 11469447 at NHTSA →
Vehicle Speed ControlSep 2021 · ODI 11434231 · crashDetails +

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while, driving approximately 5 mph, making a right turn, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, jumped the curb, and crashed into the bushes. The brake pedal was applied however, failed to respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. There were no reported injuries, police report or air bag deployment. The vehicle was towed to an independent body shop. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified however no further assistance was provided. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. The failure mileage was 15,670.

Reported
Sep 2021
Incident date
Sep 2021
Mileage
Not provided
Outcome flags
Crash
Open ODI 11434231 at NHTSA →
TiresAug 2021 · ODI 11428132Details +

I was making a left turn into my subdivision after a full stop. My speed was no more than 5 MPH. The Toyota dealer informed me that the sidewall had blown and was not repairable. They had no definitive cause as to why the tire blew. The tire was retained by the dealer. The tire size is P 195/65R15 and is a Toyo NanoEnergy A41 Tire. It was original equipment on the Toyota Prius as built in Japan. I have found that the tire has no manufacturer's warranty. I just returned from a vacation three days ago driving from Hilton Head Island, SC. Had this happened on the interstate system, the results to me, my wife, or other drivers could have been very different. To the best of my knowledge, the tire has not been inspected by any party. I was not given any tire DOT information on the new tire.

Reported
Aug 2021
Incident date
Aug 2021
Mileage
Not provided
Outcome flags
None reported
Open ODI 11428132 at NHTSA →
Unknown Or OtherDec 2020 · ODI 11385018Details +

ORIGINAL TIRES FROM DEALERSHIP

Reported
Dec 2020
Incident date
Dec 2020
Mileage
Not provided
Outcome flags
None reported
Open ODI 11385018 at NHTSA →
Power TrainOct 2020 · ODI 11361838Details +

2020 TOYOTA PRIUS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO NEEDING TRANSMISSION REPAIR AFTER VEHICLE WAS TOWED. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE AXEL RODS, RIMS NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED/REPLACED, STEERING ISSUES,. REAR WHEEL ISSUES, AND BUMPER REPLACEMENT. *JS

Reported
Oct 2020
Incident date
Jun 2020
Mileage
Not provided
Outcome flags
None reported
Open ODI 11361838 at NHTSA →
Service BrakesAug 2020 · ODI 11348886 · crash · 2 injuriesDetails +

MY DAD WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. HE SAID THAT HE STEPPED ON THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. HE GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE ALL AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED AND THE CAR WAS TOTALED. THE CAR ONLY HAD 700 MILES. I BELIEVE THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT MY DAD DROVE THIS CAR ON THE HIGHWAY. MY MOM, WHO WAS A PASSENGER, SAID THAT THE CAR ACCELERATED VERY QUICKLY. PRIOR TO PURCHASING THIS CAR, MY DAD HAD DRIVEN A PRIUS (2010 - 2012?), SO HE WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE FEEL OF THE PRIUS. THE CLAIM # IS [XXX]. ATTACHED PLEASE FIND THE POLICE REPORT AS WELL AS A PICTURE OF THE TOTALED CAR. PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT ON BEHALF OF MY PARENTS.*DT CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED MANUFACTURE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'*JB

Reported
Aug 2020
Incident date
Aug 2020
Mileage
Not provided
Outcome flags
Crash 2 injuries
Open ODI 11348886 at NHTSA →
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)May 2020 · ODI 11326556Details +

PROXIMITY SENSORS GENERATED AN ALERT THAT PARKING ASSISTANCE SENSORS NEEDED CLEANING DURING MODERATE RAIN CLEANING THE SENSORS DID NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE. STOPPED AT DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE SENSOR DO THAT IN INCLEMENT WEATHER AND I WOULD NEED TO LEARN TO LIVE WITH IT. IF IT WAS JUST THE PARKING SENSORS IT WOULD NOT BE AS SIGNIFICANT BUT I DID DETERMINE THE FRONT ACCIDENT ASSISTANCE DID NOT FUNCTION AS IT SHOULD HAVE - AS I APPROACHED A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME WITH CRUISE CONTROL THE SPEED REDUCTION THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO OCCUR DID NOT HAPPEN. HAD I NOT BEEN CHECKING TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE PROXIMITY SENSORS WERE MALFUNCTIONING IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. I DID NOT ATTEMPT ANY OTHER ACTIONS WHICH RELY ON PROXIMITY SENSORS TO FUNCTION AS I DID NOT WANT TO CAUSE OR BE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. I WAS DRIVING AT THE TIME AND I EXPECT THAT ALTHOUGH THE ALERT SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED PARKING SENSORS, THE FACT THAT THE CAR DID NOT SLOW AS TOYOTA HAS INDICATED IT SHOULD LEADS BE TO BELIEVE THAT ANY AND ALL "DRIVER ASSISTANCE TECHNOLOGIES" MAY FAIL WHEN THAT ALERT OCCURS RESULTING IN POTENTIAL ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES THE VSC OFF INDICATOR WAS FLASHING AT THE TIME. *TR

Reported
May 2020
Incident date
May 2020
Mileage
Not provided
Outcome flags
None reported
Open ODI 11326556 at NHTSA →
Electrical SystemMar 2020 · ODI 11319576Details +

THE MULTI INFORMATION DISPLAY THAT SHOWS THE SPEED, FUEL, AND OTHER DRIVING METRICS STOPPED WORKING, I AM NOT ABLE TO SEE HOW FAST I AM GOING, HOW MUCH FUEL IS LEFT, ODOMETER OR OTHER ITEMS THAT IS DISPLAYED THERE.

Reported
Mar 2020
Incident date
Mar 2020
Mileage
Not provided
Outcome flags
None reported
Open ODI 11319576 at NHTSA →

Recalls

No recalls are listed for this model year as of Jul 2026. Recall records can change when NHTSA publishes new information.

A campaign can apply to this model year without being incomplete on a specific vehicle. Check the VIN with NHTSA or a dealer to confirm whether a particular car needs repair.

Investigations

1 NHTSA investigation on record

Investigations are agency reviews, not findings that a vehicle is defective.

Pedestrian alert sounds

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

Crash-test ratings

2020 Toyota PRIUS 5 HB AWD NHTSA source

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

2020 Toyota PRIUS 5 HB FWD NHTSA source

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

Fuel economy by trim

TrimEngineDrivetrainCityHwyCombined
Prius1.8L 4-cylFront-Wheel Drive545052

EPA laboratory estimates by trim and engine. Actual mileage varies with driving, weather, load, and maintenance. EPA source.

Before you buy

Useful next checks

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Compare the year-by-year record

Open another year for its own evidence-gated decision. TireKick does not crown a best year from raw complaint totals.

2020 Toyota Prius: frequently asked

What does the complaint record show for the 2020 Toyota Prius?

Owners filed 14 NHTSA complaints about the 2020 Toyota Prius. This is raw owner-reported complaint volume with no production or exposure normalization, so it is not a reliability score or a best/worst-year ranking.

What are the most common problems on the 2020 Toyota Prius?

The most-reported problem areas are Unknown Or Other (21% of complaints) and electrical system (14%).

How many recalls does the 2020 Toyota Prius have?

No safety recalls are on record for the 2020 Toyota Prius as of Jul 2026.

What gas mileage does the 2020 Toyota Prius get?

The EPA rates the 2020 Toyota Prius at 52 mpg combined.