2018 Toyota Prius — Known Issues & Recalls

Both of your taillamps are collecting moisture inside them, which could potentially cause electrical problems or a fire hazard. This is a known issue affecting other 2018 Prius models that the manufacturer has fixed before. Your vehicle has the same problem but may be at a different severity level.

Your automatic high beams intermittently fail to brighten during night driving, even though the system initially works as intended. The dash indicator spontaneously turns off and the headlights won't switch to high beam mode when they should. The dealership has confirmed they can reproduce this problem in your vehicle and other Prius models, though Toyota claims this is normal operation.

Your automatic high beams occasionally fail to switch on and stay stuck in low beams for about 2 minutes, or until you turn off the automatic high beam system. This appears to happen when an oncoming vehicle with bright lights passes by, which seems to disable all high beam function temporarily even if you manually toggle the high beam lever. The issue resolves itself after a couple of minutes or when you restart the automatic high beam system, suggesting it may be a software glitch.

Your auto high beam feature randomly turns off and stops working, then comes back on by itself—especially when it's raining. When the auto high beam is off, you have to completely disable the feature before you can manually turn on the high beams. This appears to be a known issue affecting multiple Toyota vehicles. The fix will likely involve updating the headlight control software or replacing the automatic high beam control module.

You were in a crash at 65 mph when another vehicle hit your car's front driver's side. Your airbags did not deploy, and there were no warning lights beforehand. You sustained serious injuries to your back, neck, ankle, head, and hand. The vehicle was totaled. A repair would require inspection and replacement of the airbag system components.

Your airbag warning light is on, and the seatbelt pretensioner indicator is flashing. A diagnostic scan revealed a code related to the driver's seatbelt buckle sensor. Upon inspection, you found that one of the wires connected to the seatbelt latch has broken off and is shorter than it should be. The fix will likely involve replacing the seatbelt buckle assembly or reconnecting and repairing the damaged wire.

Your airbag warning light is on. This indicates a problem with your vehicle's airbag system that needs to be diagnosed and repaired. A technician will need to scan your vehicle's computer to identify what's causing the warning.

Your Prius displayed multiple warning lights and error codes (P0113, P0102) related to fuel efficiency, emissions, and safety systems when you started it in a 55°F garage. Toyota dealers refused to diagnose the problem under warranty without charging a service fee, even though your 12-volt battery—which may be causing these codes—is covered by your 3-year/36,000-mile warranty. The fix will likely involve testing and possibly replacing the 12-volt battery, which can trigger multiple error codes when it's failing.

Your driver's door lock actuator has stopped working, so the power lock no longer functions. You now have to use the physical key from your key fob to manually unlock the door. This could be a safety concern if you need to enter your vehicle quickly in an emergency situation.

Your vehicle suddenly accelerated in traffic and didn't respond when you pressed the brake pedal, causing a crash into another vehicle. The brake warning light was flashing and a pre-collision warning appeared, but the airbags didn't deploy. The dealer was unable to diagnose or fix the problem. This likely involves issues with the brake system, throttle control, or collision avoidance systems that need expert inspection and repair.

Your car may fail to accelerate when you press the gas pedal, even though the engine revs up normally. This problem happened multiple times when the car was parked in hot sun with the air conditioning running at full blast, and it occurred at least once in an intersection, creating a dangerous situation. The issue appears to be related to the power transmission or fuel system not responding properly to acceleration commands.

While driving on the freeway at 45-50 mph, your sunroof suddenly shattered and exploded without any warning or impact. The closed sunroof shade prevented glass from entering the cabin, but if it had been open, passengers could have been seriously injured by flying glass. The dealership replaced the glass under warranty, but out-of-warranty repairs would have been at your expense.

While driving slowly (3 mph) toward your garage on a clear day, you pressed the brake pedal but the brakes did not engage, causing your car to lurch forward and crash into the garage door. This resulted in damage to both your vehicle and garage. The issue appears to be a complete brake failure during low-speed driving.

Your right side mirror suddenly shattered and the back cover blew off while you were driving at 35 mph, with nothing hitting it. Toyota has stopped shipping replacement parts for this issue but hasn't issued a recall, and you've been waiting 4 months for a resolution.

Your check engine light came on while driving. The dealer diagnosed a failed heat exchanger, catalytic converter, and exhaust system that all need replacement. The manufacturer was notified but didn't offer assistance. This happened at about 89,682 miles. The repair will likely involve replacing the heat exchanger, catalytic converter, and related exhaust components.

After being rear-ended by a truck, your front driver's seat moved forward and backward during impact, causing you to hit your knee under the dashboard and your head against the headrest. You were unable to reach the pedals after the collision. The repair estimate from the collision center does not include any repairs for the seat, even though you've requested they inspect it. Repairs may involve inspecting the seat track assembly, mounting brackets, and seat back mechanism for damage or misalignment.

Your car is stalling when you come to a complete stop and then try to accelerate, such as at red lights or stop signs. It may inch forward slightly but won't accelerate normally. This happened last year too, and the dealer suggested replacing the 12V battery but couldn't confirm the exact cause. Today it stalled 8 times over just 5 miles of driving, all at stop signs, and no check engine light is appearing.

Your windshield has cracked twice while driving normally on the highway without any impact from objects or other vehicles. Both times, the cracks spread quickly across a large portion of the windshield, requiring full replacement. The first crack happened just days after you bought the car, and the second occurred months later. The cause appears to be a defect in the windshield itself rather than external damage.

Your Prius has serious winter performance issues. The LED headlights and taillights ice over in snow, reducing visibility and creating a safety hazard. The windshield wipers can't be replaced with winter-specific blades due to changed fittings, and when you use them, they just smear ice and water across the windshield instead of clearing it. You may need to exit your vehicle in dangerous winter conditions to manually scrape ice off the lights and windows.

Your trunk latch isn't holding the trunk open properly—it opens slowly and then closes on its own. You took it to the dealer, but they didn't diagnose or repair the issue, and Toyota confirmed there's no recall for your vehicle. The trunk may need a new latch assembly or adjustment to keep it open when you want it to.