AI Damage2015 Toyota Prius V: common problems
Owners of the 2015 Toyota Prius V filed 24 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and fuel/propulsion system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 24
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 50% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel/propulsion system 17% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 13% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 8% of all complaints
- 7 Air bags 4% of all complaints
- 8 Seat belts 4% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 12 complaints (50% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 4 complaints (17% of all).
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 3 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (8% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.8 L · hybrid · 4 cyl
- CVT
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 24 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 4 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The contact sustained injuries to their head due to the front side window shattering causing a laceration on the left eyelid and small facial fracture as well bruising and swelling of the left eye.
It was extremely perplexing and I still don't think it was caused by my actions due to the sudden acceleration. I no longer have photos of the damage. I contacted my insurance carrier and my rates increased significantly but I still feel strongly that I did not cause the accident.
The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained minor soreness from the impact of the crash, which did not require medical attention. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop and deemed destroyed.
Brake light + ABS + traction light came on and the brake became harder to control. I was driving in the rain and briefly lost control. Fortunately, no accident.
The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at speeds under 65 MPH, the vehicle intermittently lost motive power.
Fortunately no accidents have occurred yet and I'm trying to get the problems resolved with Toyota, but the dealer says it will be hard for them to diagnose when the problem is not occurring and there are no warning lights. Less than 60,000 miles on it.
Before we could find a spot at the side of the road the engine shut off and wouldn't turn back on, blocking traffic. Vehicle towed to local toyota dealer. Engine turned on at dealership. Dealer ran diagnostic tests and said nothing was wrong with car. Sent us home saying car was fine.
The passenger side 2nd row seat belt is stuck, it doesn't roll or release making it unusable for a passenger to use it. When I roll my fingers up where it comes out from, I feel there is a kink, but I couldn't fix it. A seat belt shouldn't kink and get stuck.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,585 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 21% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Prius V has 60 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 24, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2015 Toyota Prius V?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, fuel/propulsion system, powertrain. Total complaints: 24. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (21%), infotainment or screen glitches (13%), brake failure (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2015 Toyota Prius V?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2015 Toyota Prius V from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2015 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.