Skip to content

NHTSA Safety Recalls

2006 Toyota Prius Recalls

The 2006 Toyota Prius has 6 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on November 14, 2012.

A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2006 Toyota Prius. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.

Recalls
6

NHTSA campaigns

Owner complaints
1,439

filed with NHTSA

Crashes reported
82

5 fires

NHTSA crash test
★★★★☆

frontal crash, no overall star before 2011

On a 2006 Toyota Prius, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.

6 recalls on the 2006 Toyota Prius

Engine and engine cooling

Campaign
12V536000
Reported
November 14, 2012
Vehicles affected
up to 350,662
Risk NHTSA names
crash
Same campaign
also 2004–2005, 2007–2009 Prius

12V536000: the defect, risk and fix in NHTSA's words →

Steering

Campaign
12V537000
Reported
November 14, 2012
Vehicles affected
up to 669,705
Risk NHTSA names
crash
Same campaign
also 2004–2005, 2007–2009 Prius

12V537000: the defect, risk and fix in NHTSA's words →

Equipment: other: labels

Campaign
10V036000
Reported
February 3, 2010
Vehicles affected
up to 153,418
Risk NHTSA names
crash
Federal standard
FMVSS 110, tire selection and rims
Same campaign
also 2005, 2007–2010 Prius, 17 other models

10V036000: the defect, risk and fix in NHTSA's words →

Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal

Campaign
09V388000
Reported
October 5, 2009
Vehicles affected
up to 4,445,056
Risk NHTSA names
crash, injury and death
Same campaign
also 2004–2005, 2007–2009 Prius, 6 other models

09V388000: the defect, risk and fix in NHTSA's words →

Steering: electric power assist system

Campaign
06V188000
Reported
May 31, 2006
Vehicles affected
up to 170,856
Same campaign
also 2004–2005 Prius

06V188000: the defect, risk and fix in NHTSA's words →

Air bags

Campaign
06V096000
Reported
April 3, 2006
Vehicles affected
up to 133
Risk NHTSA names
crash and injury
Same campaign
also 2004–2005 Prius, 5 other models

06V096000: the defect, risk and fix in NHTSA's words →

2006 Toyota Prius complaints by year

NHTSA has received 1,439 owner complaints about the 2006 Toyota Prius, the newest on May 7, 2026. Of these, 82 describe a crash (6%) and 5 a fire; owners reported 48 injuries and 1 death.

In complaints about the 2006 Toyota Prius, the component group named most often is the exterior lighting (65%), followed by the electrical system (11%) and the service brakes, hydraulic (7%).

None of the 2006 Toyota Prius's 6 recalls concerns the exterior lighting.

Where 2006 Toyota Prius owners gave the mileage (1,252 complaints), the median was 50,000 miles.

Component groups named in complaints

  • Exterior Lighting941
  • Electrical System152
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic94
  • Vehicle Speed Control84
  • Service Brakes73
  • Service Brakes, Electric45

Complaints received, by year

Complaints about the 2006 Toyota Prius received by NHTSA, by calendar year
200617
200733
2008220
2009396
2010349
201160
201252
201349
201446
201544
201641
201724
201839
201930
202010
20218
20228
20233
20246
20252
20262

Complaints about the 2006 Toyota Prius peaked in 2009, when NHTSA received 396. 46% arrived between 2005 and 2009, the model year's first years on the road.

Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2006 vehicles, the 2006 Toyota Prius drew 10× the complaints of the median Toyota Prius year in the same window: 4th highest of the 21 ranked years.

That makes 2006 one of the Toyota Prius years to avoid by our method.

Toyota Prius years to avoid →

NHTSA crash-test stars

  • Overall: none before 2011
  • Frontal: 4/5
  • Side: 4/5

The 1,439 complaints about the 2006 Toyota Prius are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.

Toyota Prius by model year

Other 2006 Toyota models

Newest record on this page: May 7, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted