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2017 Toyota Prius problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
25%
33 of 133 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2017 Toyota Prius. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 25% of relevant complaints.

Better than 80% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 14 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 22%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2017 Toyota Prius have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 33 of 133 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2017 Toyota Prius concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (25%). For comparison, the 2016 scores 19% and the 2018 scores 28%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
33
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
147
this model year
Fires reported
2
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
4
22 crashes · 12 injuries

Complaints by component

VISIBILITY/WIPER27 · 18%
SERVICE BRAKES19 · 13%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM18 · 12%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER18 · 12%
ENGINE16 · 11%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL16 · 11%

The years either side

2010
11%
278 of 2,822
2011
17%
72 of 522
2012
18%
111 of 701
2013
18%
95 of 592
2014
20%
58 of 321
2015
18%
34 of 206
2016
19%
31 of 182
2017
25%
33 of 147
2018
28%
13 of 58
2019
21%
7 of 38
2020
19%
5 of 30
2021
too few complaints
2022
21%
6 of 32
2023
17%
4 of 25

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2017 Toyota Prius

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN04/02/2024CRASH1 INJURED
The contact owned a 2017 Toyota Prius Prime. The contact stated after the vehicle was in the park position and exiting, the vehicle accelerated on its own in reverse. The contact mentioned when she parked, the front tires pointed towards a curb which allowed her to get inside the vehicle and to depress the brake pedal.…

One of 33 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2017 Toyota Prius?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns on the 2017 Toyota Prius, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

4 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
hybrid propulsion system: inverter20V369000 · Jun 2020
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Prius and 2014-2017 Prius V vehicles not included in recall 18V-684. Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power…
electrical system: wiring18V579000 · Sep 2018
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…
tires: temporary/emergency spare tire17V295000 · May 2017
Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (Gulf States) is recalling certain 2017 4Runner , 86, Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, Corolla iM, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Prius C, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid,…
parking brake16V741000 · Oct 2016
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…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model; one of NHTSA's listings did not answer when this page was built, so the list may be incomplete. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2017 Toyota Prius? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2017 Toyota Prius

Does the 2017 Toyota Prius have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 33 of 133 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2017 Toyota Prius concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (25%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2017 Toyota Prius?

No. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns on the 2017 Toyota Prius, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Toyota Prius years are better?

Among the Toyota Prius years we track, the 2010 (11%), the 2011 (17%) and the 2023 (17%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2017 (25%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2017 Toyota Prius?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2017 Toyota Prius shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle. Combined across 4 body styles NHTSA files separately.