2018 Toyota Prius: engine and transmission complaints
NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
28%
13 of 47 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2018 Toyota Prius. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 28% of relevant complaints.
Better than 74% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 11 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 22%).
Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE07/04/2023CRASH1 INJURED
I entered a large, strip mall parking area and was driving at the vastly reduced speed one would use in such a situation. My intention was to park my car to enter a store in the mall. I turned a corner to park on the side of the building (parking options were limited). As I entered a parking space (moving at the speed …
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING08/17/2026
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while having a routine oil change, the contact was made aware that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was constantly adding coolant to the coolant reservoir; however, the following day the coolant r…
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING06/26/2026
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine constantly overheated. An unidentified warning light was flashing on the instrument panel. An independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and became aware that the coolant reservoir was empty. One month later,…
Three of 13 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (3)
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 Powe…
HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Prius C vehicles. The DC-DC converter may fail resulting in the auxiliary battery no lon…
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota Prius C vehicles sold in Puerto Rico. The front passenger air bag and recommended chil…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2018 Toyota Prius
No elevated drivetrain pattern for this model year. That describes the model, not the car in front of you.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose.
3 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
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.
