2023 Toyota Prius: What to check before buying

Owners have filed 18 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the wheels and tires and electrical. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.

2023

Owner complaints: 18
Recalls: 4
Crashes reported: 1; 1 injury
Reliability: Good; 76/100 on Auto Reliability Index

Your inspection sheet

Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.

0/9 checked

Paperwork and questions

Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3

01Confirm the 4 recalls listed below show as completed for this VIN. A Toyota dealer can look them up for free.
02Ask for service records showing no-start events, 12V battery jump-starts, or dealer checks for battery drain.
03Run the VIN through a recall lookup and confirm the dealer completed all open recall repairs.

Walk-around and cabin

Engine off, key in hand0/2

04Close the rear hatch several times and check the plastic trim under the window for cracks or looseness.
05Lock and unlock both front doors with the remote several times and confirm each door responds.

Cold start, engine bay, and underside

Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/4

06Check whether the car has 19-inch wheels, since most complaints about sidewall failures and flats involve that size.
07Inspect every tire sidewall for bulges, cuts, plugs, or patches near the edge of the tread.
08Open the cargo area and confirm a spare tire or an unused puncture repair kit is there.
09Look for cracks along the base of the windshield near the hood.

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.

Which Prius is it?

EPA figures for each version of the 2023 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
2.0L 4-cylHybrid	FWD, 4WD	54–57 mpg
2.0L 4-cylPlug-in hybrid	FWD	600 mi range

The 2023 Toyota Prius was sold in two versions. Confirm which one this is from the window sticker, the engine cover, or the VIN report before you compare prices.
On the hybrid, watch for the car moving off on electric power at low speed and for any hybrid system warning on the dash.
Reset the trip computer at the start of the drive. A Prius that averages well under the EPA 52 mpg combined on a mixed route may have an engine or tire problem.

Why these checks: what owners reported

NHTSA complaints for the 2023 Toyota Prius, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.

Wheels and tires4No crashes
Flats and sidewall failures happen far more often than owners expect, mostly on cars with 19-inch wheels. Reports describe 7 failures by 30,000 miles on a single car. Dealers often refuse to repair punctures near the tire's edge. Limited models with 19-inch wheels come without a spare, and the original Michelin 195/50R19 tires are described as hard to get from dealers or tire stores, which can leave a car running on a patched tire. Sudden sidewall failures are seen as a safety risk while driving.
Sidewalls fail and blowouts happen even at low speeds around 25 mph, with no warning light first. Most complaints center on the Michelin Primacy 195/50R19 tires, with repeated blowouts and replacements, sometimes with a different brand. Road debris damage can also be impossible to fix with the included puncture repair kit. On 17-inch Bridgestone Ecopia tires, a slashed tire has required replacing both the tire and the wheel. A blowout in traffic can leave the car stranded.
Electrical3No crashes
The car sometimes won't start because the 12V battery loses power for no clear reason. It then needs a jump, and the no-start returns repeatedly. Dealers find the battery fully charged with no parasitic drain, so no fix follows. Other reports describe the front door locks failing. The remote stops opening the doors even after a new key fob battery, and the fault can spread from the driver door to the passenger door. Some complaints describe a recall repair on hold because the dealer's parts are not yet available.

In owners' own words

Excerpts from complaints Prius owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.

Electrical

Front door locks defective. Remote control doesn’t open the doors, even after replacing battery in key fob. It started with the driver door and now the passenger door doesn’t lock or unlock.

Filed with NHTSA, July 2025

How the 2023 compares with other Prius years

Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.

The 2023 ranks sixth for owner complaints among 8 Prius years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.

2023 Average of other years

Wheels and tires42
Electrical34

Where the 2023 fits in the Prius's history

Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.

The 2023 is the first model year of the Prius's fifth generation (2023–2023). First years of a redesign often carry teething problems that Toyota fixes in later years, so the checks above matter more than usual.

Toyota updated the Prius for 2024, so a 2023 does not have those changes.

What changed for 2024 (not on a 2023)

Added black paint to exterior trim
Available in FWD or AWD-e powertrain

Should you avoid the first year of a redesign? See the 45-car study.

Recalls to confirm (4)

Recall repairs are free at any Toyota dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.

26V049000ElectricalJan 2026
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Prius Prime, 2023-2026 Prius, and 2025-2026 Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. Water may enter the rear door switch and cause a short circuit, allowing an unlocked rear door to open unexpectedly.
Risk: A door that unexpectedly opens while the vehicle is moving increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will modify the rear door switch circuits, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed March 15, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 26TB03 and 26TA03. This recall expands and replaces NHTSA recall number 24V274. Vehicles repaired under the previous recall will need to have the new remedy performed.
25V744000Backup cameraOct 2025
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview camera to freeze or display a blank screen when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility.".
Risk: A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB13 and 25LB06. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE25.
24V548000EquipmentJul 2024
Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain Toyota 2023 GR Supra, 2024 4 Runner, Corolla, Grand Highlander, Grand Highlander Hybrid, Land Cruiser Hybrid, Tacoma, Tacoma Hybrid, 2023-2024 BZ4X, Corolla Cross Hybrid, GR Corolla, GR86, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Prius Prime, Sequoia Hybrid, Tundra, Tundra Hybrid, Venza Hybrid, 2023-2025 Crown, and 2025 Camry Hybrid vehicles equipped with GST accessories. The load carrying capacity modification label may display inaccurate added weight values. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims.".
Risk: A vehicle with an incorrect maximum capacity weight value may be overloaded, which can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: GST will mail new labels to owners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2024. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 24R2.
24V274000ElectricalApr 2024
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Prius and Prius Prime vehicles. Water may enter the rear door switch and cause a short circuit, allowing an unlocked rear door to open unexpectedly.
Risk: A door that unexpectedly opens while the vehicle is moving or during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace both right and left rear door opener switches, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed August 9, 2024. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 24TB06 and 24TA06.

Also looking at these instead of a Prius?

Cars shoppers compare with the Toyota Prius, with their own 2023 checklists.

2023 owner complaints, side by side

Complaints by model year

Tap a year for its checklist.

NHTSA crash-test stars

Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Ratings describe an undamaged 2023 Toyota Prius. A car with poorly repaired crash damage may not protect you the same way, so check the VIN report for accidents.