The 2016 Toyota Prius is a midsize car that came with a 1.8L 4-cyl engine. At 10 years old, many are reaching the point where repairs cost more than the car is worth. Running or not, we'll make you an offer and tow it away for free.
| Body style | Midsize Cars |
|---|---|
| Engines | 1.8L 4-cyl |
| Transmissions | Automatic (variable gear ratios) |
| Drive | Front-Wheel Drive |
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline |
| Fuel economy | 54–58 city / 50–53 highway / 52–56 combined MPG |
| EPA annual fuel cost | $1,200–$1,300 a year (EPA estimate at current fuel prices, 15,000 miles) |
| Tailpipe CO₂ | 158–170 grams per mile |
| EPA fuel economy score | 10 out of 10 |
| EPA greenhouse gas score | 10 out of 10 |
| Curb weight (NHTSA test vehicle) | 3,104 lb |
| Gross vehicle weight rating | 3,915 lb |
| Versions tested by EPA | 2 configurations: Prius, Prius Eco |
| Age | 10 years |
Specs, fuel cost and emissions from the EPA's fueleconomy.gov data; weights from NHTSA crash-test records. Your car's exact equipment may differ.
NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls covering the 2016 Toyota Prius. Open recalls don't stop you from selling or junking the car, but check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which apply to yours.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Toyota Prius vehicles. A portion of the engine wire harness connected to the hybrid Power Control Unit (PCU), could contact the cover at this connection and wear, causing an electrical short circuit.
Risk: An electrical short can increase the risk of a fire.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016 Toyota Prius and Lexus RX 350, RX 350 F Sport, RX 450h F Sport and RX 450h vehicles and 2015-2016 Lexus NX 200T, NX Turbo and NX 300h vehicles. The air bag pressure sensors and/or the acceleration sensors may fail causing the side/curtain shield air bags…
Risk: If the air bags fail to deploy in a crash, it can increase the risk of injury.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016 Prius vehicles. A capacitor within the hybrid system may not have been properly bolted to the inverter housing.
Risk: If the capacitor was not properly secured, vibrations from driving the vehicle may damage the capacitor, shutting down the hybrid system, causing a loss of motive power and increasing the risk of a crash.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2015, to October 3, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with a foot-operated parking brake system that has a parking brake cable that may disengage.
Risk: If the parking brake cable disengages from the mechanism and the transmission is left in a gear other than 'Park' while the ignition is on and the driver leaves the vehicle, the vehicle may roll unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Prius vehicles manufactured November 30, 2015, to June 14, 2016. An air bag inflator manufacturing error may result in the inadvertent partial inflation of the front passenger air bag.
Risk: A front passenger air bag that unintentionally inflates can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Owners have filed 155 complaints about the 2016 Toyota Prius with NHTSA. 8 reports involved a crash. Owners reported 6 injuries.
Complaints are reports from owners and aren't verified by NHTSA. One complaint can list several components. Mileage is the median odometer reading owners reported for that component.
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2016 Toyota Prius.
| Version | Overall | Frontal crash | Side crash | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Hb, FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 10.7% |
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP). Ratings from different model years or rating systems aren't directly comparable.
Manufacturers have filed 302 technical service bulletins and communications with NHTSA covering the 2016 Toyota Prius. These are repair instructions for known issues, not recalls.
This bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge at battery on high voltage (HV) Ni-MH and Li-ion batteries.
OBSOLETE NOTICE August 20, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0051-26.
Some 2005 - 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to r
Some customers may experience echoing on the line calling the vehicle when using Bluetooth Hands Free. This is caused by the phone Hands Free volume being too low.
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins).
NHTSA opened 1 defect investigation covering the 2016 Toyota Prius.
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pe
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It depends on its condition, whether major parts like the engine, transmission and catalytic converter are still there, and current scrap and parts prices where you live. Its parts make up much of its value. Enter your ZIP code above for a free offer on your specific car.
Yes. We buy 2016 Priuss that don't start, were in an accident, failed inspection or have a blown engine or transmission. Towing is always free.
Yes. Open recalls don't prevent a junk sale. NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2016 Toyota Prius; you can check whether any are still open on yours with the VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Usually the title and a photo ID. Rules differ by state, including what to do with your plates and whether to file a notice of sale. Check our state-by-state car title guides for the official forms.
Data retrieved October 2026.
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