I turned left into a parking space in my 2020 prius. I stepped on the brake, and my car shot forward. I couldn't stop it, and it hit a concrete pole. It only took 1 second. It seems toyota hybrids are still having this unintentional acceleration despite a multi billion dollar law suit in the early 2010's. My car was towed and is awaiting inspection by my insurance company. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
The worst 2020 Toyota Prius problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Brakes4
- Driver assistance3
- Electrical2
- Tires2
- Acceleration1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Brakes4
- Driver assistance3
- Electrical2
- Tires2
- Acceleration1
- Airbags1
- Body1
- Engine1
- Fuel system1
- Transmission1
- Wheels1
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
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 2020 Toyota Prius 147
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge at battery on high voltage (HV)...
- Obsolete notice
- Obsolete notice
- Some 2018 – 2024 model year Toyota vehicles equipped with a Premium Audio with Dynamic Navigation System...
- 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...
- To assist with the early detection and early resolution of audio related concerns you may be asked to...
- This bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge at battery on high voltage (HV)...
- Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical...
2020 Toyota Prius 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 Hybrid | FWD | 54-58 | 50-53 | 52-56 |
| 1.8L 4‑cyl Hybrid | 4WD | 52 | 48 | 50 |
What 2020 Toyota Prius owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I was the victim of an accident on [XXX]. The person of the other vehicle that collided with my vehicle after crossing at high speed and without stopping in the red light. The sensors of the anti-collision vehicle of my vehicle did not work and the air bag also did not work. Due to speed the airbag of the other vehicle triggered. I have shoulder pain due to impact. At the moment the insurer of the party involved is making it difficult to pay the compensation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
About a year ago and again a few days ago, I was slowly moving my Prius forward when suddenly it accelerated at full speed. The first time I was pulling into a parking spot beyond which was a grassy area and then a stockade fence. When I felt the car lurch forward, I slammed on the brakes, but was still going quite fast. Fortunately, the collision avoidance brakes kicked in and stopped the car just before I hit the fence. In the second case, I was slowly pulling into a parking lot when again the car surged forward. This time I was able to stop the motion with the brakes myself . In both cases I was conscious of moving my foot from the gas pedal to the brake pedal. In both cases it was a hot summer day, near 90.
After heavy rains, the car says the park assist doesn't work, as well as the parking sensor system. There is a warning sign that says it doesn't work.
On May 16, 2023 I was slowly driving out of a market parking lot when the car suddenly accelerated, full throttle, and speeded across the street (Colusa Avenue, Berkeley, CA), crashing head on into a fence. Immediately after the crash, the dashboard displayed the following: "Check Engine (!) A malfunction in the electronic control of the engine, throttle, or automatic transmission has been detected. Contact your Toyota dealer to have your vehicle inspected." The car was towed and is now at a body shop selected by my insurance company, AAA. I received whiplash, small bruises on my chest and left hand, and a scraped shin. I was taken to Alta Bates Emergency by ambulance.
Attempted to park in my garage and overshot the turn. The brake then failed to stop and I dented my garage outer wall. I reversed my car and tried to reposition it to go inside the garage, putting it on drive. However, the brake pedal made the car accelerate and the car went on reverse. It then crashed into the neighbor's garage and crashed the door and car inside. Both the car inside the garage and the garage itself (along with the inside of the house) have been damaged.
Ballooning on side wall of tire. When brought to dealer, they indicated that three other tires had same problem but not as obvious. Car had only 24k miles, with half these on these tires (rest on snow tires). Dealer reported that this was a serious danger.
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while, driving approximately 5 mph, making a right turn, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, jumped the curb, and crashed into the bushes. The brake pedal was applied however, failed to respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. There were no reported injuries, police report or air bag deployment. The vehicle was towed to an independent body shop. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified however no further assistance was provided. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. The failure mileage was 15,670.
I was making a left turn into my subdivision after a full stop. My speed was no more than 5 MPH. The Toyota dealer informed me that the sidewall had blown and was not repairable. They had no definitive cause as to why the tire blew. The tire was retained by the dealer. The tire size is P 195/65R15 and is a Toyo NanoEnergy A41 Tire. It was original equipment on the Toyota Prius as built in Japan. I have found that the tire has no manufacturer's warranty. I just returned from a vacation three days ago driving from Hilton Head Island, SC. Had this happened on the interstate system, the results to me, my wife, or other drivers could have been very different. To the best of my knowledge, the tire has not been inspected by any party. I was not given any tire DOT information on the new tire.
Original tires from dealership
Compare the 2020 Toyota Prius
Prius vs Toyota Camry HybridPrius vs Ford Fusion HybridPrius vs Honda Accord HybridPrius vs Honda Insight
Other model years
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Questions about the 2020 Toyota Prius
Is the 2020 Toyota Prius reliable?
Owners have filed 14 complaints about the 2020 Toyota Prius, fewer than a typical Prius model year.
What is the 2020 Toyota Prius year score?
The 2020 Toyota Prius scores 85 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Toyota Prius: 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 2020 Toyota Prius?
Brakes, with 4 complaints. Next is driver assistance (3).
How many recalls does the 2020 Toyota Prius have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the Toyota Prius have bad brakes?
The Toyota Prius model years with the most brakes complaints are 2010 (1,945 complaints), 2008 (391 complaints) and 2007 (331 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2020 Toyota Prius get?
Official estimates for the 2020 Toyota Prius range from 50 to 56 mpg combined. The most efficient version (1.8L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD) gets 54-58 city and 50-53 highway.
VIN decoder
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