IllustrationI HAVE NO VEHICLE PROBLEMS, BUT THE SAFERCAR.COM WEBSITE WON'T LET ME ENTER MY VIN [XXX] , SAYING THAT I HAD TO FOLLOW THE FORMAT, EVEN THOUGH A YEAR OR TWO AGO IT WORKED! WHAT CAN I DO??? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
2003 Toyota Prius
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2003 Toyota Prius do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 164.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Prius years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
170–25K
1225–50K
1350–75K
1175–100K
19100–150K
9150K+
81 reports with mileage · 18 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Steering. Review the 39 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports0 fire reports5 injury reports
Unknown Or Other complaints
3 reportsNOTIFIED BY DEALER THAT BOTH CV JOINTS ON FRONT AXLES ARE SEVERELY WORN AND IN DANGER OF FAILURE. THE CAR HAS 56,488 MILES ON IT. IT HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED, AND MOST MILEAGE WAS COMMUTING AT SPEEDS UNDER 45 MILES/HOUR. THIS WOULD SEEM TO BE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERN THAT SHOULD NOT OCCUR AT THIS MILEAGE. *JS
REFERENCE INVESTIGATION # PE05029: MY TOYOTA PRIUS 2003 [XXX] GASOLINE/ ELECTRIC HYBRID VEHICLES THAT CAN BE OPERATED IN GASOLINE OR ELECTRIC MODE. ON 4 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE GASOLINE ENGINE SHUT DOWN SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING. EACH TIME I WAS DRIVING WITH THE SPEED OF HIGHWAY TRAFFIC. THE THREE PREVIOUS TIMES THE VEHICLE…
Read full complaint
REFERENCE INVESTIGATION # PE05029: MY TOYOTA PRIUS 2003 [XXX] GASOLINE/ ELECTRIC HYBRID VEHICLES THAT CAN BE OPERATED IN GASOLINE OR ELECTRIC MODE. ON 4 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE GASOLINE ENGINE SHUT DOWN SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING. EACH TIME I WAS DRIVING WITH THE SPEED OF HIGHWAY TRAFFIC. THE THREE PREVIOUS TIMES THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO OPERATE USING THE ELECTRIC MODE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AFTER THE GAS ENGINE STALLED. THIS LAST AND 4TH TIME THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN AT THE SAME TIME THAT THEY FELT THE GAS ENGINE STALLED. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER 3 IMMEDIATE ATTEMPTS TO TURN THE CAR ON. I WAS ABLE TO SLOWLY DRIVE THE CAR OFF THE HIGHWAYS AND TO PARK. AS WITH THE LAST 3 TIMES, I AGAIN HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. EACH OF THE 4 STALLING INCIDENTS, I WAS ALERTED BY AN AUDIBLE SOUND AND VARIOUS WARNING LIGHTS. AFTER THE CAR STALLED THE BRAKE AND STEERING OPERATION CONTINUED TO FUNCTION AS THE CAR DRIFTED TO A STOP. EACH TIME THE REASON WAS FOR THE FAILURE TO OPERATE WAS CAUSED BY SOMETHING DIFFERENT, AS I AM TOLD BY THE SERVICE CENTER. THIS LAST TIME, (4TH) THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE CAR IS "FINE" ASKED ME TO PAY THE TOW AND IS SENDING ME ON MY WAY. NOTHING WAS DONE. I DRIVE ABOUT 90 MILES A DAY WITH MY 8 YR OLD DAUGHTER AS MY PRIMARY PASSENGER. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED BY TOYOTA. MY DEALERSHIP (KINGS TOYOTA CINCINNATI OHIO). *NM UPDATED 07/17/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Official recalls
111V304000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System
Jun 1, 2011
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: LOSS OF POWER STEERING, PARTICULARLY WHEN AN OPERATOR IS ACTIVELY INTENDING TO STEER THE VEHICLE, MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE NUTS IN THE STEERING LINKAGE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 8, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System
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 matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.