The center infotainment/navigation display on my 2019 Toyota Prius Prime repeatedly turns off and back on while driving. The screen goes blank and then restarts, including the map display. The vehicle itself continues to drive normally. The display is still in the vehicle and is available for inspection. This is a safety concern because the navigation screen goes blank while the vehicle is moving, which can distract the driver. Toyota has already documented this condition in Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0031-20, which covers intermittent rebooting, screen flashing, and the screen going blank on 2017–2020 Prius Prime vehicles with the large Premium Audio display. On October 7, 2026, I took the vehicle to Toyota of San Bernardino and asked them to perform the multimedia software update under T-SB-0031-20. The dealer refused to do the update at no charge. The problem has not been repaired. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or an insurance representative. No warning lamps appeared before the screen started turning off and on. The screen simply goes blank and restarts while driving.
The worst 2019 Toyota Prius Prime problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Wheels4
- Electrical2
- Brakes1
- Driver assistance1
- Locks1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Wheels4
- Electrical2
- Brakes1
- Driver assistance1
- Locks1
- Steering1
- Tires1
Recalls 1
Service brakes
- What is wrong
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 Lexus LS500, LC500, ES300h, UX250h, LS500h, Toyota Prius, RAV4 HV, 2019-2020 Toyota Prius Prime, and 2020 Corolla HV vehicles. The brake booster pump may fail causing a deactivation of the Vehicle Stability Control system and a loss of braking assist. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
- Risk
- Deactivation of the vehicle stability control system or a loss of braking assist increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake booster pump, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2019. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1‑888‑270‑9371 and Lexus owners may contact Lexus customer service at 1‑800‑255‑3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are K1L/K0L. Lexus' numbers for this recall are K2F/KLF.
Recall number 19V544000 · Recall details
See all 1 recalls for the 2019 Toyota Prius Prime
Defect investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
the federal safety agency 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 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, the federal safety agency 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 the federal safety agency 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 the federal safety agency regarding the subject matter of the petition.
DP22005
Technical service bulletins for the 2019 Toyota Prius Prime 116
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Condition in which a musty odor is present
- Some ECUs can set a DTC that is common with other ECUs. This can lead to accidental use of the wrong...
- The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air...
- Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical...
- To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used...
- The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix...
- Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal...
- Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad...
- Condition in which a musty odor is present
- Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal...
2019 Toyota Prius Prime fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8L 4‑cyl Plug-in hybrid | FWD | 55 | 53 | 54 |
What 2019 Toyota Prius Prime owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I was parked. I put my car in reverse. I heard the beeping sound confirming it was in reverse. I put my foot on the accelerator and the car went forward instead of reverse. This happened twice. I immediately shut off the car and turned it back on. Then it worked fine, and continued to work fine for the rest of the day as I drove to 7-8 more stops where I shut off the car. This was witnessed by a friend who confirmed that he heard the beeping sound for reverse, yet the car moved forward when I pushed on the gas. It definitely was not any kind of user error.
I've have to take my 2019 Prius Prime (with 20,000 miles total) in twice for brake issues in 6 weeks. Each time the dealer had to deal with a rotor heat issue. The first service was on 3/29/2021, the initial reason for appt was hearing squealing from the front. Upon inspection dealer found major heat marks and deep scratches/grooves as well as the rear rotors had deep scratches as well . All 4 rotors were resurfaced and the brake pads were “scuffed” during the service. At that time all brakes were inspected with the front brakes having 9mm and rears having 8mm of pads. I started hearing grinding a grinding sound about 2 week later. I took my car in for service on 5/11/2021 where the dealer found a “rusty” color on the rotors as well as a cracked and chipped front brake pad. They started a TAS case after which they resurfaced the rotors again and replaced the front brake pads. I am concerned about this issue with my car only having 20,000 miles on it and the rotors being resurfaced twice in less than 2,000 miles between services. The rotors and pads are supposed to be designed to have a longer life than standard gas non-hybrid vehicles. Rotors are only able to be resurfaced a limited number of times, which can cause future repair costs to soar. I am in need of Toyota’s assistance in making any fixes so this does not continue to occur. As well as looking into if there is a larger brake issue within my vehicle.
Passenger side behind the driver's seat's tire blew out. Started to drive and car was moving slower and eventually had to pull over because car felt unstable. Was not given an alarm that the tire was blown and flat. Was driving less than 30mph, in a straight, flat street.
10/19-left rear tire kept loosing pressure, I took it to the mechanic, they couldn't find anything, I again took it after 2 weeks, they changed the tire. Miles 7014. On 9/26/20-miles 16430, the same tire left passenger blew out on the freeway. No indicator of tire pressure being low came on. The tire was completely blown out. I lost control of the car, thankfully it stopped on left side. It was very scary. No was hurt, but I could have died. I was driving about 70mph.
2 toyota complaints: 1) my 2019 prius prime 11,597 miles: on hwy 85 south 11/27 10:30pm got flat tire & drove to side lane on hwy. Called toyota tow service @ 10:37pm which is in georgia not calif. Tow not show until 1:16am 11/27 and towed car to dealer. It took 20 min. For call center in georgia to initiate tow 2) the prius prime does not come with a spare tire but has a tire puncture repair kit. My tire beyond puncture repair. A car with no spare tire of any kind is extremely dangerous situation for anyone. 2019 prius primes don't come with spare tire. This hazard feature needs to change. I have expended warranty and service contract and tire was not covered so besides the unsafe condition my husband endured we also got a bill for $168.19 to replace and install the damaged tire. I will write to toyota roadside assist. Regarding georgia center dispatching tows in calif.? & toyota to complain about no spare tire and a design instead of lift back maybe side opening like jeep so spare tire can go on back like jeep spare. I have read on yelp about other toyota owners complaining about no spare tire.
When I drive the vehicle on the freeway, it feels unstable. It goes left and right. The vehicle is brand new. We just bought it last week. Tire pressure is good and the dealership said there is no recall on the car.
Tl* the contact owns a 2019 toyota prius prime. While charging the vehicle's battery, the doors abruptly locked on their own. The contact called roadside assistance to have the doors unlocked. The manufacturer and dealer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 1,080. The VIN was invalid.
Car had 27540 miles on factory original toyo nanoenergy tires when the rear passenger tire blew out. I was 22 miles into my drive home . No tps warning and I had visually looked at my tires before heading home. The entire tread separated from the sidewalls. The sidewalls stayed with the rim and I was able to safely stop the car on the grass median. This type of sidewall blowout has never happened in all my years of driving. I was on us-321 north bound just after the hardin rd exit going 70 MPH at time of blowout. Not in a turn but nearly straight line driving. Weather was mostly sunny and 65 degrees.
Compare the 2019 Toyota Prius Prime
Other model years
Questions about the 2019 Toyota Prius Prime
Is the 2019 Toyota Prius Prime reliable?
Owners have filed 9 complaints about the 2019 Toyota Prius Prime, close to a typical Prius Prime model year.
What is the 2019 Toyota Prius Prime year score?
The 2019 Toyota Prius Prime scores 77 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Toyota Prius Prime: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2019 Toyota Prius Prime?
Wheels, with 4 complaints. Next is electrical (2).
How many recalls does the 2019 Toyota Prius Prime have?
1 recall, covering service brakes.
What gas mileage does the 2019 Toyota Prius Prime get?
Official estimates for the 2019 Toyota Prius Prime range from 54 mpg combined. The most efficient version (1.8L 4-cyl plug-in hybrid, FWD) gets 55 city and 53 highway.
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