The 2011 Toyota Prius is a practical, affordable, fuel-efficient midsize car. But with manufacturer warranties now expired, repair bills for issues affecting the brakes, engine, and electrical wiring may have you spending more than you’re saving.
Key Points
- The 2011 Toyota Prius‘ biggest issue has to do with buggy service brakes that require extra force to come to a stop. The issue was investigated by the NHTSA, but this investigation was closed with no recall.
- A number of 2011 Prius drivers have experienced random engine stalls and sudden acceleration. A pair of recalls have corrected the issues for many hybrid drivers, but the problem persists.
- Bad wiring in some 2011 Prius vehicles has led to a wide assortment of electrical issues, forcing drivers to have electrical wiring harnesses replaced.
2011 Prius’ Faulty Brake Problems Led to an Investigation, but no Recalls have been Issued Over Them
In addition to its six recalls and one investigation registered with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the 2011 Toyota Prius has received 374 total complaints, too, with over 150 of them focusing on faulty brakes. Reports note problems with the traction mode, emergency brake, brake system warning lights, and a brake pedal that requires a lot of extra pressure to bring the car to a stop.
However, none of the 2011 Prius’ six recalls were for the brake system. There was an investigation into the matter, but this investigation was closed without a conclusive verdict being reached.
Long story short: The car dealer that requested the investigation withdrew the petition, so the investigation was closed in January 2021 before the NHTSA could make a decision one way or the other.
On the one hand, the 2011 Prius is about a decade old now. Some issues are to be expected. But, problems with the service brakes date back to at least 2012, with many drivers having experienced these issues with less than 10,000 miles on the odometer.
The Prius sold around 136,000 units in 2011, which, if we were to assume that every single incident of faulty service brakes was reported to the NHTSA, averages out to an incident rate of around one in nine hundred. That’s not quite a lemon, but it’s a bit high for an issue with no recall available.
And, the Toyota Certified Pre-Owned program only covers cars dating back six years. So, this issue alone may be reason enough to avoid a 2011 Prius unless you can get a really good deal on it so that you can put some aside for repairs.
Some 2011 Prius Vehicles Reportedly have a Tendency to Randomly Accelerate or Decelerate
Certain 2011 Toyota Prius vehicles reportedly have a tendency to randomly accelerate, which is sometimes accompanied by the above-mentioned service brakes issue, and sometimes it occurs independently. You’ll find these complaints listed under engine, power train, vehicle speed control, and fuel/propulsion, but they all point to the same issue.
One driver reports that “when braking and still moving, the car will accelerate momentarily, resulting in it going faster for a second or two.” Another driver reports that “while attempting to park in a parking space, the vehicle independently accelerated and crashed into a sign post.”
The inverse can happen, too, with a California driver reporting that “the car goes limp. The accelerator fails to work and even flooring the vehicle makes no difference.” In some instances, de-acceleration may have to do with the propulsion system in hybrid models, which has been recalled twice for shutdown and engine stall.
But this doesn’t cover every incident, as drivers in both hybrid and conventional models have been seeing their cars shift randomly into neutral, lose power, or randomly accelerate.
You might drive a Prius for years without incident. But this issue, combined with the potential for the brakes to fail at critical moments, might have you bumping the 2011 down your “maybe” list a few notches.
Over 50 Complaints Focus on Numerous Electrical Issues, from Melting Wires to a Horn that Won’t Honk
The NHTSA website lists 50 complaints concerning the 2011 Toyota Prius’ electrical systems. These are all over the place in regard to the reported problems, from an Indiana driver whose “headlights keep burning out,” requiring an electrical wiring harness to be replaced, to a California driver who reports that his Prius horn is defective.
When you have recurring electrical issues like this but no clear pattern among them, it typically points to a fundamental issue with the wiring. In New York, a driver had their Safety SRS warning indicator flash on, with a faulty spiral cable being determined to be the culprit.
Most of these electrical issues tend to point towards bad wiring, and the fact that Toyota issued an extended warranty (which has since expired) for 2011 Prius drivers would seem to back that up. If your electrical issues are not accompanied by any serious mechanical problems like random acceleration, engine stall, or faulty brakes, chances are you need some new cables.
Considering its Moderate Consumer Complaints, and Some Tough Competition in its Class, is the 2011 Prius Still a Good Deal?
Some of these issues sound pretty severe, but, the rate of incident isn’t all that high. Crunch the numbers and more than 99% of owners will drive their Prius for years and never know it has an issue with the brakes.
Now, at the same price, you’ll be better off with a 2011 Civic. But if you can get the Prius for a couple grand less than the Honda, you’ll probably be happy with the purchase. Just make sure you’re saving enough money to cover any repairs that might come up.
Photos: Toyota
