2010 Toyota PRIUS - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2010 Toyota Prius received high safety ratings in various crash tests. The car scored 4 out of 5 for both the driver and passenger side front crash ratings, and a perfect score of 5 out of 5 for the driver side in the side crash test. The Prius also received a solid rating of 4 out of 5 in the rollover test. In terms of safety features, the car comes equipped with standard electronic stability control and has an optional forward collision warning system. However, it does not have a lane departure warning feature.

On the downside, there have been a significant number of complaints filed for this model, totaling 2719, raising some concerns about potential issues. Additionally, the car has had 10 recalls, which may indicate potential safety concerns that need to be addressed. Overall, while the Toyota Prius demonstrates strong safety performance in crash tests and offers some advanced safety features, the high number of complaints and recalls suggest that there may be some reliability issues that owners should be aware of.

auto generated summary, may be inaccurate.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

2,719

Recall Count

10

Investigation Count

4

Safety Rating

Not Rated

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Safety Features

2010 Toyota Prius 4-DR.w/SAB Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2010 Toyota Prius 4-DR.w/SAB

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

Optional
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2010 Toyota Prius 4-DR.w/SAB Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2010 Toyota Prius 4-DR.w/SAB Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2010 Score 2024 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 5 4 Not Rated
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 4 4 Not Rated

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2010 Score 2024 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 4 5 Not Rated
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 4 4 Not Rated
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2010 Score 2024 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated Not Rated

Complaints for the 2010 Toyota PRIUS

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the traction and abs warning lights illuminated. the contact stated that the brakes were inoperable. the contact stated that he was driving at a low speed and was able to safely stop the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed brake booster. the contact was informed that the brake booster needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not assist. the failure mileage was approximately 227,000."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Date of incident: 2023-04-11
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated while driving 45 mph, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front driver’s side of the vehicle. the contact stated that the traction control, brakes, the pre-collision system (pcs), and the abs warning lights were illuminated. the contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the brake actuator and the brake booster to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with the tsb: pol1803, however the vehicle was not included. the manufacturer had been informed of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 143,000."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Date of incident: 2024-04-03
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the abs warning light and two other unknown warning lights illuminated. the contact stated that the brake pedal went to the floorboard while depressed. additionally, the contact stated that while self-inspecting the vehicle, he became aware that there was no brake fluid in the brake fluid reservoir. the contact stated that when the vehicle was self-inspected for a second time that same day, the brake fluid was full. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact of an unknown recall for the brake booster. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 85,000."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Date of incident: 2023-05-06
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated that the braking system warning light was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with a brake fluid leak in the brake master cylinder. the vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the extended warranty had expired. the failure mileage was approximately 81,000."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Date of incident: 2023-05-01
Complaint:
"the contact owns 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated while driving 72 mph, she noticed several unknown warning lights illuminated on the vehicle and a beeping sound coming from the vehicle. the contact noticed that whenever the beeping sound was present, it was very difficult to depress the brake pedal to slow the vehicle. the contact had to depress on the brake pedal all the way to the floor for the vehicle to slow down and for the contact to pull over to the side of the road. the contact waited for a minute before restarting the vehicle and continued to drive a short distance before the failure recurred. the contact was able to restart and slowly drive the vehicle back to the residence. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. the contact was informed that the abs pump needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 140,000."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Date of incident: 2021-06-10
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the automatic braking system failed and the brakes were making a strange sound and not responding as soon as the brake pedal was depressed. the abs, brake, and stability control warning lights were illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with hydraulic brake booster pump failure. the vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the vehicle was over the extended warranty coverage. the failure mileage was 118,000."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Date of incident: 2021-02-06
Complaint:
"tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, another vehicle cut in front of the vehicle. the contact quickly depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle started to skid. the contact let up off the brake pedal to straighten the vehicle and stay in her lane. the contact stated that the antilock brakes failed. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer. the contact mentioned that she had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic for an oil change before the failure and was informed that the vehicle was under recall. the contact called fred anderson toyota of asheville (777 brevard rd, asheville, nc 28806) and informed them of the recall on the brake booster pump assembly. the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was over the mileage for the repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and provided a case number. the failure mileage was approximately 197,000."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Date of incident: 2018-04-09
Complaint:
"when braking on rough roads the brakes will release, causing the car to lunge forward. very scary and dangerous. i took my car back to toyota dealer to have this checked out. they had never heard of this problem (even though there is a recall for it). they checked it out and test drove it, braking over rough road. they said it was braking fine. it is still releasing when braking on rough patches for me. i am always mindful to leave plenty of room between me and the car ahead of me in case i hit a rough patch. i plan on taking my car back to toyota with a printout from this site showing it has been recalled for this very problem and that others are also experiencing the same thing."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Date of incident: 2012-01-07
Complaint:
"2010 toyota prius. consumer states two brake system failures *tgw the consumer stated the vehicle began making an unusual sound and after a few days, numerous warning lights appeared on the dashboard announcing a failure of the braking system. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. an inspection revealed the master cylinder, booster and ecu needed to be replaced. the consumer paid $ 3,246.83 for the repairs. however, nine days later, the unusual brake pedal sound returned, but the brakes worked and no warning lights appeared. the next day, the brake system completely failed while his daughter was driving the vehicle. again, the vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the technicians determined the vehicle needed a new brake booster assembly. the consumer was informed he would only be responsible for the labor costs of $ 255.48. the consumer believed the booster and brake booster were the same part, which was supposed to have been replaced several days prior. jb"
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Date of incident: 2014-07-05
Complaint:
"when approaching an intersection i hit a pothole & the car suddenly quit braking and required me to do evasive driving maneuvers to assure i did not hit the vehicle in front of me or the light pole at the intersection. similar "brake release" has happened on multiple occasions. when bringing this matter to the dealership on multiple occasions i have been told that this is standard operation. when pressed they say itis just the way the car is designed. thus, my complaint to you from the lobby of my toyota dealership as they remove the braking comments, again, from my appointment record history. please force the company to resolve this matter as i worry about my health & that of my four children who ride in the car with me. it should not be acceptable for a company to know that their vehicle is unsafe & tell customers, "sorry, we have a problem but we do not care... *tr"
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Date of incident: 2012-02-07

Recalls for the 2010 Toyota PRIUS

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"southeast toyota distributors, llc (set) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 prius and corolla, 2009-2011 venza, 2006-2010 avalon, 2007-2010 fj cruiser, 2005-2011 sienna and sequoia, 2006-2011 tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, camry, highlander, tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 rav4 and 4runner. the affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring."
Consequence:
Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
Remedy:

SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.

Component(s) Involved: SEATS > FRONT ASSEMBLY > SEAT HEATER/COOLER
Date of incident: 2014-11-19
Recall:
"southeast toyota distributors, llc (set) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4runner, highlander, sequoia, and sienna, 2005-2010 avalon and tundra, 2006-2008 camry solara, 2006-2010 highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 rav4 and tacoma, 2007-2010 fj cruiser, 2007-2011 camry hybrid, 2009-2010 venza, 2010-2012 prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. the electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed."
Consequence:
If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy:

SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.

Component(s) Involved: SEATS > FRONT ASSEMBLY > SEAT HEATER/COOLER
Date of incident: 2016-06-02

TOYOTA Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

TOYOTA ranks 3 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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