2004 TOYOTA PRIUS Problems
Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2004 Toyota Prius. This model year has 610 NHTSA complaints — top issue: Headlight/Taillight Failures.
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This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about the specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer rollbacks, and open recalls.
Worst 2004 Toyota Prius Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Headlight/Taillight Failures
Electrical Faults
Engine Problems
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This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about this specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud. Full report just $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2004 Toyota Prius. A single complaint may appear in multiple categories.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 184 | — | — | — | |
| Electrical Faults | 177 | 4 | 2 | — | |
| Engine Problems | 98 | 1 | — | — | |
| Brake System | 73 | 11 | — | — | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 52 | 10 | — | — | |
| Hydraulic | 39 | 8 | — | — | |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 34 | 3 | — | — | |
| Airbag Malfunctions | 18 | 16 | — | — | |
| Uncategorized Issues | 14 | 1 | — | — | |
| Equipment | 13 | — | — | — | |
| Electric | 13 | 1 | — | — | |
| Steering Defects | 10 | 1 | — | — | |
| Fuel System | 10 | — | — | — | |
| Visibility | 9 | — | — | — | |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 6 | — | — | — | |
| Gasoline | 6 | — | — | — | |
| Seat Belt Issues | 5 | 2 | — | — | |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Traction Control System | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Other | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Tire Issues | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Parking-Brake Issues | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Structural Problems | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Door Lock Issues | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Electronic Stability Control | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Suspension Failures | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: AEB | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Wheel Issues | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Visibility/Wiper | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Seat-Related Issues | 1 | 1 | — | — |
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Complaint counts may exceed total complaints because one report can span multiple categories.
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2004 Toyota Prius. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Showing 400 most recent complaints of 610 total. View all on NHTSA ↗
Codes C1256 and C1391 ACC low pressure and abnormal leak of ACC press
The odometer on my 2004 Prius stops at 299,999. This is a known problem in the 04-05 models that was corrected in 2006. Leaves me unable to track miles for maintenance and other uses. This also has the problem with the entire digital dash going dark which means no speedometer or …
During a hot period of summer, my drive selector decided to not stay in the drive position unless I held it there. I could make the initial selection of drive and then stop on the gas, but it would not stay unless I physically held the lever down in the drive position. I never ha…
The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving 51 MPH, the vehicle experienced phantom braking and a loss of power steering assist with the engine overheating message displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or deale…
The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle lost power steering functionality but the contact was able to safely pull off of the road. The contact stated that the check engine warning light and othe…
I need your help to get Toyota to fix 2 items: -ABS Accumulator: I understand Toyota at one time had a recall on the ‘ABS Accumulator’, that may have expired. At that time, I did not have any issue, nor was I aware of the recall. Now the ‘ABS Accumulator’ has gone out and is real…
ABS failure. Won't pressurize. Anti-lock brakes quit working.
Toyota has issued time-limited 'Warranty enhancement program ZG1' instead of working with the NHSTA to issue a comprehensive BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY RECALL. ZG1 was explicitly in place only from April 2016 to Dec 2017, requiring dealer verification of an actual system failure pri…
BRAKE ACTUATOR WENT OUT AND DEALER SAID TOYOTA USED TO COVER IT, BUT NOT ANYMORE. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THIS [PART IS BAD IN MOST PRIUS VEHICLES AND TOYOTA EXTENDED THE COVERAGE ON THE 2010-2015 UNTIL AUGUST 31, 2021. UNFORTUNATELY MY CAR IS 2004 AND DOES NOT GET…
ALL THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTS CONTINUE TO GO OUT ON MY 04 PRIUS. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH FUEL I HAVE THIS COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE. I DON'T KNOW HOW FAST I'M GOING THIS COULD DEFINITELY BE A SAFETY ISSUE. AND ZERO WARNING LIGHTS COME ON THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE. BY LOOK…
MY LEFT HEADLIGHT GOES OFF BUT IF I TURN THE HEADLIGHTS BACK OFF AND BACK ON IT COMES BACK ON. THE HEADLIGHT IS NOT BURNED OUT. THIS HAPPENS WHILE ON THE FREEWAY IN THE DARK WHILE RAINING. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY AND NOT ALL THE TIME.
ABOUT 1.5 YEARS AGO DURING A VACATION. MY CAR DECIDED TO NOT SHUT OFF. I DROVE TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP THAT WAS ABOUT THE CLOSE. THEY ASSISTED AND SAID TO HOLD THE POWER BUTTON DOWN UNTIL IT SHUTS OFF THEN TURN IT BACK ON. THIS WAS A DEALERSHIP IN GEORGIA. THE MECHANIC HAD HEAR…
I WAS DRIVING APPROX. 15 MPH ON A STREET ON 5/14/20 AND WAS MAKING A SOFT TURN AND HEARD A 'CLICK' NOISE. IMMEDIATELY AFTER MY STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SPIN FREELY WHILE TOTALLY DISENGAGED FROM THE FRONT WHEELS CAUSING TOTAL INABILITY TO CONTROL DIRECTION OF VEHICLE TRAVEL. THIS C…
HEADLIGHTS OCCASIONALLY GO OUT AT RANDOM WHILE DRIVING. BEGAN WITH DRIVER SIDE, VERY INTERMITTENT, BECAME MORE FREQUENT, NOW ALSO INCLUDES PASSENGER SIDE. BOTH HAVE GONE OUT AT THE SAME TIME WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT TWICE. TURNING ALL LIGHTS OFF BRIEFLY AND BACK ON WILL RE-ILLUM…
HEADLIGHT GO OUT DAILY AND HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT FROM WORK, THEY TURN BACK ON SWITCH ON AND OFF
COMBINATION METER IS BLACK 90% OF THE TIME. RESTARTING ENGINE OR DISCONNECTING BATTERY ONLY WORKS ON OCCASION. HAVE SAFETY CONCERNS.
WHEN STOPPING SUDDENLY SOMETIMES THE BRAKES ON MY 2004 PRIUS WOULD NOT RESPOND IMMEDIATELY AS THEY SHOULD. THEY WOULD RELEASE THE CALIPERS COMPLETELY AND THE ONLY WAY TO STOP WOULD BE TO LET OFF THE BRAKES AND PRESS THEM AGAIN. IT DOES NOT HAPPEN OFTEN BUT IT IS REGULAR ENOUGH TH…
BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY MALFUNCTIONED, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED, JUST AS PREDICTED IN TOYOTA'S WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT ZG1. TOYOTA KNOWS THE PART IS DEFECTIVE, BUT THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE IT UNTIL IT FAILED, AND MINE DID NOT FAIL UNTIL AFTER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY DEADLINE. THIS FAILUR…
WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ALL OF A SUDDEN WE TRIED TO USE THE BRAKES AND IT FELT LIKE WE ONLY HAD 10% OF OUR BRAKING ABILITY. THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND ABS LIGHT WENT ON AND THE STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON AS WELL AS A WARNING BUZZER. IT FELT LIKE WE HAD MANUAL BRAKES.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V537000 (STEERING) BY BALISE TOYOTA (1399 RIVERDALE ST, WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA 01089, (413) 306-3037), BUT THE R…
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Real owner reports for the 2004 Toyota Prius.
Recalls for 2004 Toyota Prius
6 campaignsNHTSA recall campaigns for the 2004 Toyota Prius. Recalls are free to fix at any authorized dealer. Run a VIN check below to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
2004 Toyota Prius — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2004 Toyota Prius reliable?▾
Severe Issues. The 2004 Toyota Prius has 610 NHTSA owner complaints, 38 crash-related, and 6 recall campaigns. The most reported issue is Headlight/Taillight Failures (184 complaints). Source: NHTSA via VinSpector AI.
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Toyota Prius?▾
#1: Headlight/Taillight Failures (184 complaints). #2: Electrical Faults (177 complaints). #3: Engine Problems (98 complaints)
At what mileage do problems start on the 2004 Toyota Prius?▾
Mileage data is not available or insufficient for this model year.
How safe is the 2004 Toyota Prius?▾
The 2004 Toyota Prius has 38 crash-related complaints and 2 fire reports out of 610 total NHTSA complaints. 29 injuries were reported. For NCAP lab crash test star ratings, visit nhtsa.gov/ratings.
Does the 2004 Toyota Prius have any recalls?▾
Yes — 6 NHTSA recall campaigns affect the 2004 Toyota Prius. The largest issue: STEERING. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
Should I buy a 2004 Toyota Prius?▾
The 2004 Toyota Prius has severe issues — review the top problems before buying. Pay particular attention to Headlight/Taillight Failures issues. Always run a VIN check on the specific car you're considering to check for accident history, open recalls, and title brands.
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinSpector AI.
Wider context: See the full Toyota Prius reliability report with year-by-year comparison.
Check Your Specific 2004 Toyota Prius
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud. Full report just $4.99.