Owners have filed 30 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the wipers and visibility, electrical, and transmission. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2020Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2020 Toyota Prius: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/1
Engine off, key in hand0/3
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/3
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/2
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2020's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2020 checks
Worth adding to your 2020 checks
Worth adding to your 2020 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2020 Toyota Prius. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5L 4-cylHybrid | FWD | 46 mpg |
| 1.8L 4-cylHybrid | FWD, 4WD | 50–56 mpg |
| 1.8L 4-cylPlug-in hybrid | FWD | 640 mi range |
NHTSA complaints for the 2020 Toyota Prius, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Frost forms on the inside of the windshield while the car is parked, and clearing it takes 20 minutes or more. One report adds that the wipers turn water and snow into ice. Other complaints describe a long crack spreading from under the camera area after defroster use at about 8000 miles, and outside mirror glass falling off while driving. In that case the dealer replaced the whole mirror. The one crash-related report involves an aftermarket dashboard cover that blocked a sensor and darkened the screen while reversing, ending in a low-speed bump.
Sudden full-throttle acceleration at low speed is the most serious pattern here. Two reports describe the car surging while leaving a parking lot or entering a garage, then hitting a fence or a pole. One crash injured the driver and triggered a check-engine warning about engine, throttle, or transmission control. Separately, screens go dark. The instrument display stops showing speed, fuel, and odometer, and the media touchscreen blanks partly or fully while driving. That cuts off access to heat, air conditioning, and defrost controls.
The car accelerates on its own while creeping into a parking spot. In one case it jumped a curb and hit two vehicles. Another report describes the transmission dropping from drive into neutral on the freeway with no driver input, leaving the car without power until it was shifted back. Rodents chewing through wiring and the air filter set off a check hybrid system warning and rough running, and the dealer bill came to $13066.81. One complaint covers transmission and suspension repairs after a tow.
Sidewalls blow out or balloon with little warning. This happens at highway speed on smooth pavement and at low speed right after a full stop. Failures come early: one at 3400 miles, another at 24k, where the dealer found bulging on all four tires. One report names the original-equipment Toyo NanoEnergy A41 in 195/65R15 size. Another involves replacement Goodyear Assurance MaxLife tires. None of these complaints reports a crash, but a blowout at highway speed carries a real risk of losing control.
The brake pedal fails to stop the car. Two of the three complaints end in crashes, with two people injured. In one, the brakes did not respond on the highway in a car with 700 miles, and the car was totaled. In another, the car sped up instead of stopping while parking in a garage. A third report, at about 67,000 miles, describes a vibrating pedal and an on-ice feel at 40 mph with no warning light. Both crash reports describe brake failure and sudden acceleration happening together.
Sudden acceleration at parking-lot speeds, around 5 mph, is the only pattern, and all three complaints end in crashes. Drivers describe the car surging while turning or pulling into a space, with the brakes failing to slow it, wheels squealing, and no warning lights. Cars jumped curbs, went into bushes, sideswiped a parked car, and hit a wall. In every report that mentions a dealer, the car was not diagnosed or repaired. Reported mileages are 15,670 and about 54,300.
No air bag deploys in either reported crash. In one, the car surges forward while parking at 14,000 miles and hits a building, severely damaging the front end. In the other, a driver who ran a red light strikes the car. The owner reports that the anti-collision sensors and the air bag both failed to respond, and two people were injured.
Excerpts from complaints Prius owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
I was driving yesterday on Freeway in the 2nd lane ,all of a sudden car went from drive to neutral,I didn't touch transmission gear lever and I put gas And it says it is on neutral N,I was in dangerous situation, the other cars were flying by,I put on hazard lights Slowly changed lanes because it was not on D drive mode,pulled it over to Shoulder applied brakes and shift to D Then proceeded back to freeway, I was very scare in this whole ordeal
Filed with NHTSA, August 2022
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.
Filed with NHTSA, June 2022
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2020 ranks third for owner complaints among 8 Prius years, close to the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2020 is the fifth model year of the Prius's fourth generation (2016–2021).
It includes the 2018 update.
What changed for 2018
Recall repairs are free at any Toyota dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 Lexus LS500, LC500, ES300h, UX250h, LS500h, Toyota Prius, RAV4 HV, 2019-2020 Toyota Prius Prime, and 2020 Corolla HV vehicles. The brake booster pump may fail causing a deactivation of the Vehicle Stability Control system and a loss of braking assist. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems.".
Risk: Deactivation of the vehicle stability control system or a loss of braking assist increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake booster pump, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2019. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 and Lexus owners may contact Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are K1L/K0L. Lexus' numbers for this recall are K2F/KLF.
Cars shoppers compare with the Toyota Prius, with their own 2020 checklists.
2020 owner complaints, side by side
