2021 Toyota Prius
The 2021 Toyota Prius is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid midsize car with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Prius Eco, is EPA-rated at 56 mpg combined. NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year so far (Safety Signal A). Owners have filed 6 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prius Eco | Hybrid | FWD | 1.8L 4-cyl + 207V Li-Ion and NiMH | 58 | 53 | 56 | $1,100 |
| Prius | Hybrid | FWD | 1.8L 4-cyl + 207V Li-Ion and NiMH | 54 | 50 | 52 | $1,200 |
| Prius AWD | Hybrid | 4WD (part-time) | 1.8L 4-cyl + 207V Li-Ion and NiMH | 51 | 47 | 49 | $1,250 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 42810, 42808, 42809.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2021 Toyota Prius is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.
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Recalls (0)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseNo NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2021 Toyota Prius. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them.
NHTSA defect investigations
Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005
Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported
Filed per year: 2021: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2026: 1
Most-cited components
What owners describe
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 HB AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 11% |
| 5 HB FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 11% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
Other Prius model years
2027 Toyota Prius
0 recalls · 0 complaints
A2026 Toyota Prius
1 recalls · 9 complaints
A2025 Toyota Prius
2 recalls · 18 complaints
B2024 Toyota Prius
4 recalls · 23 complaints
B2023 Toyota Prius
4 recalls · 19 complaints
A2022 Toyota Prius
1 recalls · 24 complaints
A2020 Toyota Prius
0 recalls · 14 complaints
B2019 Toyota Prius
3 recalls · 30 complaints
B2018 Toyota Prius
1 recalls · 37 complaints
D2017 Toyota Prius
3 recalls · 91 complaints
F2016 Toyota Prius
5 recalls · 154 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.