2003 Toyota Prius

Typical pattern

7% of complaints about the 2003 Toyota Prius came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2003 vehicle — around the middle of the 228 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 7.1 yr in service. The most-reported system is steering (34 complaints), typically at 8.3 yr or about 88,000 miles.

Complaints: 100
Median age at failure: 7.1 yr
Median mileage: 85,000 n=79
Crash / fire / tow: 11% of reports
Safety recalls: 1

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

11V304000 2011-06-01

Steering:electric power assist system

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2001 THROUGH 2003 PRIUS PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 28, 2000, THROUGH MAY 30, 2003. THE STEERING LINKAGE MAY LOOSEN, RESULTING IN REDUCED ELECTRIC STEERING ASSISTANCE WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN.

LOSS OF POWER STEERING, PARTICULARLY WHEN AN OPERATOR IS ACTIVELY INTENDING TO STEER THE VEHICLE, MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

In owners’ own words

Steering mileage not reported 4.4 yr in service crash / fire / tow

I WAS DRIVING EAST AT 50 MPH ON CALIFORNIA HWY 68 AT 0800. IT WAS RAINING BUT THERE WAS NO STANDING WATER. I WAS DRIVING A 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS. AS I CROSSED THE INTERSECTION WITH SAN BENANCIO ROAD THE CAR SLOWLY SWERVED TO THE LEFT ACROSS THE ROAD, ENTERING THE OPPOSITE SHOULDER SLIDING BROADSIDE. THE CAR CONTINUED THE ROTATION, COMING TO REST FACING EAST AGAIN. I DID NOTHING TO INITIATE THIS BIZARRE EVENT. *JB

Steering 100,970 mi 5.4 yr in service

THIS COMPLAINT CONCERNS THE FAILURE OF THE POWER ASSIST OPERATION OF THE ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING SYSTEM. THE POWER STEERING WARNING ICON IS DISPLAYED ON THE CENTRAL PANEL AND THE DRIVER EXPERIENCES AN ABNORMAL STEERING EFFORT. *TR

Steering 88,000 mi 5.8 yr in service

ERRATIC BEHAVIOR OF ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. UNCONTROLLABLE SHAKING OF STEERING WHEEL. AN UN SAFE CONDITION. THERE HAS TO BE A LOT THESE PROBLEMS BECAUSE REPLACEMENT STEERING RACKS ARE ON BACK ORDER AND NO PREDICTION OF WHEN THEY WILL AVAILABLE. WITH NO PARTS AVAILABLE AND CAR UN SAFE THEN CAR IS USELESS. *TR

Other Prius model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2003 Toyota Prius

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Prius model years

How to read this