2019 Toyota Prius Prime (PHEV) reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2019 Toyota Prius Prime (PHEV) holds 8 complaints after 8 years, a rate of 2 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Prius Prime (PHEV) years here — under the median of the other years, which is 3. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Electronic stability control (ESC).

2017 Toyota Prius Prime — Photo by Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz), resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Wheels (4 of 8), then Electrical system (1) and Electronic stability control (ESC) (1).

Next to 2018 and 2020

The 2018 Prius Prime (PHEV) has 15 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2020 has 16 complaints, 4 per year. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2018. The 2019 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2019 Toyota Prius Prime (PHEV). How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (1)

Recall Electronic stability control (ESC) 2019-07-24 · NHTSA campaign 19V544000

Summary 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."

Remedy 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.

Complaints by component (8 total)

Wheels

Electrical system

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Latches, locks, and linkages

Service brakes

Steering

Tires

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"I was parked. I put my car in reverse. I heard the beeping sound confirming it was in reverse. I put my foot on the accelerator and the car went forward instead of reverse. This happened twice. I immediately shut off…"
Unknown or other · filed 2026-02-06
"I've have to take my 2019 Prius Prime (with 20,000 miles total) in twice for brake issues in 6 weeks. Each time the dealer had to deal with a rotor heat issue. The first service was on 3/29/2021, the initial reason for…"
Service brakes · filed 2021-05-17
"PASSENGER SIDE BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SEAT'S TIRE BLEW OUT. STARTED TO DRIVE AND CAR WAS MOVING SLOWER AND EVENTUALLY HAD TO PULL OVER BECAUSE CAR FELT UNSTABLE. WAS NOT GIVEN AN ALARM THAT THE TIRE WAS BLOWN AND FLAT. WAS…"
Wheels · filed 2020-10-26
"10/19-LEFT REAR TIRE KEPT LOOSING PRESSURE, I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC, THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING, I AGAIN TOOK IT AFTER 2 WEEKS, THEY CHANGED THE TIRE. MILES 7014. ON 9/26/20-MILES 16430, THE SAME TIRE LEFT PASSENGER…"
Wheels · filed 2020-09-26
"2 TOYOTA COMPLAINTS: 1) MY 2019 PRIUS PRIME 11,597 MILES: ON HWY 85 SOUTH 11/27 10:30PM GOT FLAT TIRE & DROVE TO SIDE LANE ON HWY. CALLED TOYOTA TOW SERVICE @ 10:37PM WHICH IS IN GEORGIA NOT CALIF. TOW NOT SHOW UNTIL…"
Wheels · filed 2019-11-27

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2019 Toyota Prius PRIME 5 HB FWD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Prius Prime	1.8L, 4-cyl	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Front-wheel drive	55	53	54 MPG / 640 mi range	$1200

Specs and fitment

First generation plug-in (XW50), 2017–2022

Body styles Liftback

Oil SAE 0W-16 (SAE 0W-20 may be used temporarily if 0W-16 is unavailable; replace with 0W-16 at the next oil change) , 4.4 qt capacity

Tire size 195/65R15, 215/45R17 (trim-dependent; aligns with Prius liftback fitments) front / 195/65R15, 215/45R17 (trim-dependent) rear

Compare

Previous year 2018 Toyota Prius Prime (PHEV) Next year 2020 Toyota Prius Prime (PHEV) See every Toyota Prius Prime (PHEV) model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Toyota Prius Prime (PHEV) reliable?

What are common problems with a 2019 Toyota Prius Prime (PHEV)?

The complaints owners file most often name Wheels (4 of 8), then Electrical system (1) and Electronic stability control (ESC) (1).

Is the 2019 Toyota Prius Prime (PHEV) more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2019 Toyota Prius Prime (PHEV) been recalled?

The 2019 Toyota Prius Prime (PHEV) has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2019 Toyota Prius Prime (PHEV)?

Owners have filed 8 complaints about the 2019 Toyota Prius Prime (PHEV) with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2019 Toyota Prius Prime (PHEV) get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2019 Toyota Prius Prime (PHEV) is 54 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Toyota Prius Prime take?

SAE 0W-16 on XW50 (2017-2022) and XW60 (2023-on); SAE 0W-20 may be used temporarily if 0W-16 is unavailable, then replace with 0W-16 at the next oil change.

What does recall 26V-049 cover on Prius Prime?

Certain 2023-2026 Prius Prime and Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles (with other Prius variants): water may enter the rear door switch and cause a short circuit, allowing an unlocked rear door to open unexpectedly.

When did the XW60 Prius Prime start?

Model year 2023 on this site.