Car · Toyota recalls

2011 Toyota Prius recalls

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2011 Toyota Prius, filed between January 16, 2013 and October 4, 2018. Each one is below with what is wrong and the free fix.

Check my VIN for open recalls

Campaign	Filed	Part
18V684000	October 4, 2018	Hybrid propulsion system
16V487000	June 30, 2016	Air bags: side/window
16V396000	June 2, 2016	Seats: seat heater/cooler
14V743000	November 19, 2014	Seats: seat heater/cooler
14V053000	February 12, 2014	Hybrid propulsion system: inverter
13V014000	January 16, 2013	Air bags: sensor/control module-inactive

Hybrid propulsion system (18V684000)

Filed October 4, 2018

What is wrong. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2014 Toyota Prius and 2012-2014 Toyota Prius V vehicles. Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) within the inverter may cause the hybrid system to shut down, causing the vehicle to stall while being driven.

What could happen. If the hybrid system shuts down unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of a crash.

The fix. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 22, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0V. Note: The software updates in this recall are needed even if the vehicle had the software previously updated under recalls 14V-053 or 15V-449.

Air bags: side/window (16V487000)

Filed June 30, 2016

What is wrong. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Toyota Prius, 2010 and 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, and 2011-2012 Lexus CT200h vehicles. A weld in the curtain shield air bag inflator may crack causing one or both portions of the inflator to eject into the passenger cabin.

What could happen. If either portion of the curtain shield air bag inflator ejects into the passenger cabin, there is an increased risk of injury to vehicle occupants.

The fix. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install retention brackets to the curtain shield air bags, free of charge. The recall began on October 17, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota Customer Service Department at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is Toyota G0U, and Lexus GLJ.

Seats: seat heater/cooler (16V396000)

Filed June 2, 2016

What is wrong. Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.

What could happen. If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

The fix. SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.

Seats: seat heater/cooler (14V743000)

Filed November 19, 2014

What is wrong. Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.

What could happen. Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.

The fix. SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.

Hybrid propulsion system: inverter (14V053000)

Filed February 12, 2014

What is wrong. Toyota is recalling certain model year 2010 through 2014 Prius vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) inside the inverter module (a component of the hybrid system) contains transistors that may become damaged from high operating temperatures. If this occurs, various warning lamps will be illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle will have reduced power allowing it to only drive a short distance.

What could happen. The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. The hybrid system could also shut down completely resulting in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix. Toyota will notify owners and dealers will update the software for both the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU, free of charge. If an owner experiences a failure of the inverter before the vehicle receives updated software, the dealer will repair or replace the inverter assembly with a new one at no charge. The recall began on March 21, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Air bags: sensor/control module-inactive (13V014000)

Filed January 16, 2013

What is wrong. Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.

What could happen. If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.

The fix. Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

Check that your car is on the list

Most campaigns cover only cars built in a certain date range or at a certain plant, so a 2011 Toyota Prius may or may not be included. The VIN is the only sure test. It is 17 characters, on the dashboard by the windshield and on the driver door jamb sticker. Look up your VIN.

How to confirm the repair is free

Call any authorized Toyota dealer service desk and give them the VIN and the campaign number from the list above.
Ask them to confirm the campaign is open for your car. If it is, the parts and labor are covered.
If the dealer says the part is not in stock, ask for a written note with the date, and ask about a loaner if the notice says not to drive the car.
Keep the repair order. It shows the campaign number and proves the work was done.

If you already paid for a repair that a recall later covered, Toyota may owe you a refund. Ask the dealer or Toyota customer service about reimbursement, and keep your receipts.

Other model years of the Prius

More: all Toyota recalls, check-engine codes, car repair costs.

2011 Toyota Prius recall questions

How many recalls does the 2011 Toyota Prius have?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2011 Toyota Prius. A campaign can cover only some cars of that model year, so check your VIN to see whether yours is included.

Is a recall repair on a 2011 Toyota Prius free?

Yes. A safety recall repair is free at an authorized Toyota dealer, whatever the age or mileage of the car and no matter who owns it now.

How do I know if my 2011 Toyota Prius was already fixed?

Enter the VIN on our recall page. If a campaign is still open, it shows as open. You can also ask a dealer to run the VIN, or look at the service history paperwork for the campaign number.

Source: NHTSA recalls API, checked 2026-10-28. Text is NHTSA's wording of each campaign. New campaigns are added over time. Not a repair shop, estimates only.