Car · Toyota recalls

2016 Toyota Prius recalls

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2016 Toyota Prius, filed between September 16, 2016 and September 5, 2018. Each one is below with what is wrong and the free fix.

Check my VIN for open recalls

Campaign	Filed	Part
18V579000	September 5, 2018	Electrical system: wiring
18V085000	January 31, 2018	Air bags: side/window
17V658000	October 18, 2017	Hybrid propulsion system: inverter
16V741000	October 14, 2016	Parking brake
16V672000	September 16, 2016	Air bags: inflator module

Electrical system: wiring (18V579000)

Filed September 5, 2018

What is wrong. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Toyota Prius vehicles. A portion of the engine wire harness connected to the hybrid Power Control Unit (PCU), could contact the cover at this connection and wear, causing an electrical short circuit.

What could happen. An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.

The fix. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine wire harness assembly and replace it if damage is found. A protective sleeve or protective tape will be included to prevent any future damage. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0T.

Air bags: side/window (18V085000)

Filed January 31, 2018

What is wrong. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016 Toyota Prius and Lexus RX 350, RX 350 F Sport, RX 450h F Sport and RX 450h vehicles and 2015-2016 Lexus NX 200T, NX Turbo and NX 300h vehicles. The air bag pressure sensors and/or the acceleration sensors may fail causing the side/curtain shield air bags and/or the front air bags to not deploy in the event of a crash.

What could happen. If the air bags fail to deploy in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.

The fix. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sensors as necessary based on their serial numbers, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 12, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are JLA, J0F.

Hybrid propulsion system: inverter (17V658000)

Filed October 18, 2017

What is wrong. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016 Prius vehicles. A capacitor within the hybrid system may not have been properly bolted to the inverter housing.

What could happen. If the capacitor was not properly secured, vibrations from driving the vehicle may damage the capacitor, shutting down the hybrid system, causing a loss of motive power and increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inverter, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin by early December 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0U.

Parking brake (16V741000)

Filed October 14, 2016

What is wrong. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2015, to October 3, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with a foot-operated parking brake system that has a parking brake cable that may disengage.

What could happen. If the parking brake cable disengages from the mechanism and the transmission is left in a gear other than 'Park' while the ignition is on and the driver leaves the vehicle, the vehicle may roll unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a clip at the parking brake cable end to prevent the cable from disengaging, free of charge. The recall began November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is G01.

Air bags: inflator module (16V672000)

Filed September 16, 2016

What is wrong. Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Prius vehicles manufactured November 30, 2015, to June 14, 2016. An air bag inflator manufacturing error may result in the inadvertent partial inflation of the front passenger air bag.

What could happen. A front passenger air bag that unintentionally inflates can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

The fix. Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began November 10, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0W.

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 2016 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.

2016 Toyota Prius recall questions

How many recalls does the 2016 Toyota Prius have?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2016 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 2016 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 2016 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.