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2003 Toyota Prius
1 recall campaign and 94 complaints are on NHTSA's register for the 2003 Toyota Prius; the recalls concern steering.
The component named most often is steering: 324.8 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 47.3 per 1,000 across all 2003 model-year vehicles and against 26.5 per 1,000 for the Toyota Prius line as a whole.
That is fewer than the average of 416.7 complaints per model year across the 25 Toyota Prius model years on this register; 5 complaints reported a crash and 0 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2010 (23); the most recent in the file is dated 31 Jul 2017.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 1 investigation naming this model year.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 29 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2001 through 2003 prius passenger cars manufactured from january 28, 2000, through may 30, 2003. The steering linkage may loosen, resulting in reduced electric steering assistance when making a left turn.
Consequence: Loss of power steering, particularly when an operator is actively intending to steer the vehicle, may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners and dealers will replace the nuts in the steering linkage free of charge. The safety recall began on july 8, 2011. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Filed by Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing.
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 2003 Toyota Prius (black) against all 2003 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 2003 | Prius line | All 2003 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 324.8 | 26.5 | 47.3 |
| Electrical System | 111.1 | 100.5 | 123.7 |
| Tires | 94 | 10.7 | 20.4 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 94 | 23.1 | 77.7 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 68.4 | 125.2 | 58.7 |
| Power Train | 51.3 | 28.2 | 121 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 38 | 324.8 | 26.5 | 47.3 |
| Electrical System | 13 | 111.1 | 100.5 | 123.7 |
| Tires | 11 | 94 | 10.7 | 20.4 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 11 | 94 | 23.1 | 77.7 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 68.4 | 125.2 | 58.7 |
| Power Train | 6 | 51.3 | 28.2 | 121 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 42.7 | 75.3 | 42 |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 25.6 | 26.6 | 20.2 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 3 | 25.6 | 63.9 | 2.1 |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 25.6 | 66.8 | 30.5 |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 17.1 | 2.7 | 4.6 |
| Suspension | 2 | 17.1 | 5.4 | 57.2 |
| Equipment | 2 | 17.1 | 6.1 | 21.5 |
| Equipment Adaptive/Mobility | 2 | 17.1 | 2.1 | 0.5 |
| Electronic Stability Control (ESC) | 2 | 17.1 | 15.2 | 7.4 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 8.5 | 7.8 | 36.5 |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 8.5 | 265.1 | 34.7 |
| Structure | 1 | 8.5 | 30.3 | 62 |
| Air Bags | 1 | 8.5 | 27.7 | 82.2 |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 8.5 | 5.6 | 12.9 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 1 | 8.5 | 9.1 | 14.3 |
94 unique complaints, 117 component mentions; 5 injuries and 0 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
| Action | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DP22005 | Defect petition | Pedestrian alert sounds | electrical system:propulsion system | 27 Jan 2023 | 7 Aug 2023 | 22V063000 |
Other Toyota Prius model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 NHTSA | 0 | 4 | — |
| 2001 | 3 | 163 | 88,920 |
| 2002 | 2 | 159 | 87,148 |
| 2003 | 1 | 94 | 52,377 |
| 2004 | 6 | 591 | 5,819,502 |
| 2005 | 6 | 1,002 | 5,789,830 |
| 2006 | 6 | 1,385 | 5,789,830 |
| 2007 | 4 | 1,894 | 5,618,841 |
| 2008 | 4 | 1,349 | 5,618,841 |
| 2009 | 6 | 437 | 5,893,493 |
| 2010 | 10 | 2,396 | 2,662,449 |
| 2011 | 6 | 304 | 2,002,005 |
| 2012 | 6 | 213 | 2,006,297 |
| 2013 | 3 | 138 | 1,772,424 |
| 2014 | 3 | 85 | 1,772,424 |
| 2015 | 1 | 46 | 266,638 |
| 2016 | 5 | 95 | 340,427 |
| 2017 | 3 | 52 | 284,341 |
| 2018 NHTSA | 1 | 10 | 192,347 |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 14,310 |
| 2022 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 8,411 |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | 1,255,231 |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | 1,255,231 |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | 1,165,693 |
| 2026 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 141,286 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Toyota Prius model years · Toyota: 65 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 2003 Toyota Prius have?
1 NHTSA recall campaign name this model year; the most recent, 11V304000, was reported to NHTSA on 1 Jun 2011 and concerns steering:electric power assist system. Across all model years the Toyota Prius line has 35 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 2003 Toyota Prius?
NHTSA's investigation file lists 1 action naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.
What component do owners of the 2003 Toyota Prius complain about most?
Steering: 38 of 117 component mentions (324.8 per 1,000). Next is electrical system with 13. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 29 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.