Head-to-head reliability
Toyota Prius vs Chevrolet Silverado
How the Toyota Prius and Chevrolet Silverado compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
Toyota Prius averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. Toyota Prius has 266 complaints and 20 recalls on record; Chevrolet Silverado has 3,959 complaints and 100 recalls. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Toyota Prius | Chevrolet Silverado |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 266 Better | 3,959 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 20 Better | 100 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 41 Better | 90 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 26.6 Better | 395.9 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 23 Better | 77 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 1 | 1 |
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.
What actually goes wrong
The problems owners report
The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.
Toyota Prius
- 01UNKNOWN OR OTHER49
- 02SERVICE BRAKES44
- 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM40
- 04VISIBILITY/WIPER31
- 05VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL27
“A few weeks ago, at around 10pm, when I was driving on the freeway, my car’s engine temperature warning light suddenly on. The next day, I immediately sent my car to the dealer for a check up, the report stated ‘’ coolant reservoir very low. Pressure tested s…”
“Design of rear window, side mirrors and large rear pillar greatly reduce the visibility and checking of blind spot if you are a taller person. Blind spot electronic detection can not be trusted as it's performance is intermittent. Solution would be for Toyota…”
Chevrolet Silverado
- 01ENGINE1,205
- 02POWER TRAIN1,131
- 03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM815
- 04SERVICE BRAKES616
- 05UNKNOWN OR OTHER449
“Truck has less than 1800 miles. Was at a stop light and the vehicle started shaking and making metal tin rattling sounds. Stopped for gas, started the vehicle all noises went away. Got onto the freeway and about 1 mile down the road the truck lost power at 70…”
“November 28th 2025 we were coming down Logan canyon in Utah at 50 miles an hour when i was passing another vehicle on the left I felt a hard shift and a prompt came on the dash that said reduced acceleration. So as I was passing the vehicle I was pulling in f…”
Official recalls
Safety recalls on record
Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.
Toyota Prius — 20 recalls
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 Prius vehicles. An electrical short circuit in the combination meter could occur, causing the speedometer, the odometer, and the fuel gauge to go blank. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federa…
The risk: A blank main display will not show important information like vehicle speed or fuel level. Driving with an inoperative display can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the flash memory chip (ROM) production date, and if necessary, replace it along with the combination meter circuit board, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2020. Owners may con…
The defect: 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 a…
The risk: Deactivation of the vehicle stability control system or a loss of braking assist increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: 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 owner…
The defect: Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling certain 2019 C-HR, 4Runner, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Prius, RAV4, Sequoia, Tacoma, Sienna, Tundra and Yaris vehicles. The text on the load capacity label may become illegible. As such, these vehicles fail to comply w…
The risk: If the driver cannot read the label, they may unknowingly overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: GST will notify owners, and dealers will provide corrected load carrying capacity modification labels, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2019. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall i…
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Prius Prime, 2023-2026 Prius, and 2025-2026 Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. Water may enter the rear door switch and cause a short circuit, allowing an unlocked rear door to open unexpectedly.
The risk: A door that unexpectedly opens while the vehicle is moving increases the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will modify the rear door switch circuits, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed March 26, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in Q2 2026.…
Chevrolet Silverado — 100 recalls
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV electric vehicles. After experiencing an electronic stability control (ESC) system malfunction, the ESC malfunction warning light may not illuminate on the next key cycle. As such, these vehicles fail to com…
The risk: An indicator light that does not illuminate may fail to warn the driver of an ESC system issue, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: The EBCM software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 15, 2025. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or G…
The defect: General Motors has decided that certain 2027 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 2025-2026 Cadillac OPTIQ, Chevrolet Colorado, Equinox EV, GMC Canyon, 2026 Buick Enclave, Envision, Cadillac CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL, LYRIQ, VISTIQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Corvette Convertible, Corvette Cou…
The risk: Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
The fix: Dealers will reset the vehicle radio, which will facilitate automatic download of the electronic owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 16, 2026. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-866-467-970…
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500 vehicles. These vehicles may not have received an owner's manual during production. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, “Child Re…
The risk: Without an owner's manual to consult, owners may not know how to safely use and operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
The fix: Dealers will provide the owner’s manual, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 30, 2025. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N252532020. Vehicle Identifi…
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2026 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with four-wheel (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), and certain 2015-2020 Suburban, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Yukon, Yuko…
The risk: Front or rear wheel lockup increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicle until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the transfer case assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 22, 2026. Ow…
Year by year
Which model years to avoid
Complaints per model year for both vehicles — lower is better. The spikes are the years to scrutinize.
| Year | Toyota Prius | Chevrolet Silverado |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | 54 |
| 2025 | 15 | 117 |
| 2024 | 22 | 0 |
| 2023 | 18 | 58 |
| 2022 | 23 | 1210 |
| 2021 | 6 | 0 |
| 2020 | 14 | 0 |
| 2019 | 28 | 1943 |
| 2018 | 34 | 577 |
| 2017 | 101 | 0 |
Check the actual car
Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.
Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific Toyota Prius or Chevrolet Silverado in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Toyota Prius vs Chevrolet Silverado
- Toyota Prius total complaints
- 266
- Chevrolet Silverado total complaints
- 3,959
- Toyota Prius total recalls
- 20
- Chevrolet Silverado total recalls
- 100
- Toyota Prius avg complaints/year
- 26.6
- Chevrolet Silverado avg complaints/year
- 395.9
- More reliable overall
- Toyota Prius
- Toyota Prius top complaint area
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Chevrolet Silverado top complaint area
- ENGINE