The 2016 Toyota Prius has a elevated safety risk profile with 5 recall campaigns and 176 NHTSA complaints. Before buying, verify that all recalls have been completed. It's free at any dealer.

Recalls

176

Complaints

Crashes

Fires

Recall Findings

18V0850002018-31-01

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

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.

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

View at NHTSA

17V6580002017-18-10

HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM: INVERTER

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.

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.

View at NHTSA

18V5790002018-05-09

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

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.

An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.

View at NHTSA

View all 5 recalls

16V6720002016-16-09

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

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.

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

View at NHTSA

16V7410002016-14-10

PARKING BRAKE

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.

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.

View at NHTSA

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

Top Complaint Areas

Across 1 model years, 176 owners have filed complaints about the 2016 Toyota Prius. VISIBILITY/WIPER issues top the list, so ask the seller about this area specifically during your inspection.

01Visibility/wiper33

02Unknown Or Other22

03Service Brakes10

04Air Bags8

05Vehicle Speed Control8

176 total across 1 model years (2016–2016)Full data at NHTSA.gov

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Toyota Prius Fuel Economy

EPA fuel economy data for all 2016 Toyota Prius trims

41–56mpg combined

43-58city

39-53hwy

$800-$1,050/yr

Across 4 configurations, the 2016 Toyota Prius returns 41–56 MPG combined. Choose the thriftier option if you're commuting; the sportier setup if you're not counting gallons.

By Trim

Prius Eco - Automatic (variable gear ratios)

56mpg

1.8L 4-cyl · Front-Wheel Drive

58 city53 hwy~$800/yr10/10 Clean

Prius - Automatic (variable gear ratios)

52mpg

1.8L 4-cyl · Front-Wheel Drive

54 city50 hwy~$850/yr10/10 Clean

Prius c - Automatic (variable gear ratios)

50mpg

1.5L 4-cyl · Front-Wheel Drive

53 city46 hwy~$900/yr10/10 Clean

Prius v - Automatic (variable gear ratios)

41mpg

1.8L 4-cyl · Front-Wheel Drive

43 city39 hwy~$1,050/yr9/10 Clean

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Is the Nightshade Worth It?

Common questions about the 2016 Toyota Prius Nightshade

How does the Nightshade compare to other Toyota Prius trims?

The Nightshade occupies a distinct position in the Toyota Prius range. See how it stacks up on the 2016 overview page.

What should I know about maintaining the 2016 Toyota Prius Nightshade?

Budget for standard Nightshade maintenance plus any trim-specific items. The 2016 has 5 recalls on file. Review the known issues on the model year page for areas to inspect before purchasing.

What are the best years for the Toyota Prius Nightshade?

For the Nightshade, look at the price-to-mileage ratio across model years. Later model years before a redesign tend to be the most refined version of the platform. See the Toyota Prius buyer's guide.

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