2001 Toyota Prius Toyota Prius 2001

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2001 Toyota Prius repairs by problem area

Engine (40%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (2%)

Brakes and Traction Control (4%)

Suspension and Steering (16%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (31%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (1%)

Other (4%)

Chart based on 104 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2001 Toyota Prius.

2001 Toyota Prius repair cost distribution

$2500+ (6%)

$1000 - $2499 (15%)

$500 - $999 (13%)

$100 - $499 (42%)

< $100 (25%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 88 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2001 Toyota Prius

Engine not specified

Toyota Prius in Arizona, United States
Aug 2010 - Jan 2012
Sep 2010

118000 mi
Replaced gas door spring. 
Sep 2011

126000 mi

US $700
I successfully rebuilt the main hybrid battery using gen 2 cells. 
Toyota Prius in California, United States
Jul 2017 - Jul 2018
Jan 2017

278000 mi

US $3000
Battery died 

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2001 Toyota Prius 4dr Sedan

70-horsepower 1.5L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD

Toyota Prius in British Columbia, Canada
Oct 2010 - May 2015
Jun 2011

116560 mi

C $40
AC system required recharge. 
Dec 2011

121520 mi

C $75
Battery Replacement 
Sep 2013

142600 mi

C $450
Noise from rear of car increased with speed. Wheel bearing failed. Replaced RIGHT rear hub assembly. 
May 2015

150040 mi

C $1500
Drive battery replacement 
Toyota Prius in Arizona, United States
Apr 2011 - Dec 2012
May 2011

133000 mi

US $100
Getting a leak to ground fault. I had the problem diagnosed at a non-dealer shop, and took it to the dealer to get additional diagnosis. After spending $100. dealer gave me only the code I already had! Dealer did not provide subcodes. Replaced MG2 rotor. Replaced main battery 
Jun 2012

146000 mi

US $250
Car was going dead ... suspected 12v battery. Tested weak. Bought yelliw top and conversion kit and had it installed. Total cost less than dealer orice for toyota reg battery. 
Jul 2012

147000 mi

US $470
Replaced transmission fluid pump 
Toyota Prius in Michigan, United States
Jul 2010 - Jul 2011
Aug 2010

74000 mi

US $287
green air conditioning button blinking green turn button off and on, air works for a while then blinks again 
Sep 2010

75000 mi

US $287
air conditiong light still blinking in above 80F temps. Napa Auto Repair Center confirmed Toyota dealers initial diagnosis of bad air conditioner compressor. Opted to have Napa do the repair in the spring 
Jul 2011

80000 mi

US $1014
Noted air conditioner not working 1 week after purchased as a used car in 2010. Dealer would not fix - stated not under warrenty. Took in for repairs due to severe heat this summer.  
Toyota Prius in California, United States
Mar 2010 - Jun 2022
Jun 2010

101000 mi

US $600
took car to dealership for loud sound coming from the wheels. Mechanic reported that right rear wheel had bad wheel bearing. I took it to a local mechanic (not dealer) hoping for a better price. He replaced the bearing. same price. Mechanic discovered that right rear strut is leaking. He advised me to check it again in 6 months and possibly replace then. The estimate is about $800 to fix. 
May 2011

110500 mi

US $150
AC stopped working, took it in, they said it probably just needed refrigerant; They added refrigerant (freon substitute); replaced the filthy AC filter and replaced the engine filter while they were at it (also filthy) 
Sep 2012

123000 mi

US $400
I got the triangle w/!, the car continued to function, I took it directly to my local shop, Ozzie's. Diagnosed (from the code) that the ignition coil was bad and needed to be replaced. They also replaced the spark plugs (1st time in yrs) 
Oct 2012

123500 mi
steering wheel was shaking a little during first turn of the day. I asked them to take a look when I took it in for the recall. Turns out my VIN was on a list, the replacement of the steering rack was covered by extended warranty - lucky! 
Mar 2013

132000 mi
check engine light came on, it turns out it was just the gas tank cap. I had driven to the desert and back the day before and probably the change in altitude going over the mountains affected it. It was on empty when the light came on. 
May 2013

134000 mi

US $400
loud vibration coming from drivers rear wheel, same sound as the last time I needed to replace wheel bearing unit; bought the whole piece, my dad installed it. (he is a retired professional mechanic) 
Aug 2015

152900 mi

US $130
Needed to replace the 12 volt battery responsible for starting the engine 
Mar 2016

175000 mi

US $500
Loud noise coming from wheels at higher speeds (over 55mph). It was the wheel bearing unit again. Replaced, noise gone. 
Jun 2022

208000 mi

US $200
Check engine light kept coming on, then red triangle of death lit up. The diagnostic codes reflected a misfire in cylinder #1. All coils and spark plugs were checked and were in working order. The air intake was cleaned along with the 02 sensor. The problem persists with unknown cause. 
Toyota Prius in Missouri, United States
Mar 2011 - Dec 2013
Sep 2013

200000 mi

US $450
Water pump replaced that cools electric motor. 
Toyota Prius in Kentucky, United States
Jul 2010 - Dec 2011
Aug 2010

216000 mi

US $630
Wheel bearing in left rear wheel went bad causing a roaring sound during driving. New wheel bearing available only as an assembly including the wheel rotation sensor causing the part to cost $360. 
Mar 2011

223000 mi

US $250
Electric Power Steering is not working. Car is driveable. Will be repaired when parts arrive. 
Sep 2011

230000 mi
Car would not start (no "READY" light, and all error lights on). Mechanic traced to engine computer not communicating with hybrid computer. I declined repair due to the cost. I am not operating the car now even though it runs and drives. 
Dec 2011

230000 mi

US $800
The car is inoperable due to a number of electronic problems. At this time the car will not turn on. It appears the a number of ECMs are failing. I will probably junk it. 
Toyota Prius in California, United States
Sep 2011 - Aug 2014
Feb 2012

148000 mi

US $3100
HV (hybrid) battery had a bad module, required replacing and new harnesses. Auxiliary battery was weak, needed replacing. 
Apr 2014

187000 mi

US $270
Car had check engine and major warning lights come on. I coasted it to a stop, had it towed it to auto mechanic. DTCs included for Aux battery, transaxle, inverter. DTCs localized to MG2 (= the larger of 2 electric motor/generators in HV transaxle assembly). Said to replace full Transaxle for $5,400. Luscious Garage in SF does MG2 replacements for $2,700. But I'd need to get car towed to SF. 
Aug 2014

195000 mi

US $3000
Replaced MG2, the motor generator. 
Toyota Prius in California, United States
Sep 2014 - Dec 2014
Nov 2014

245300 mi

US $1415
catalytic converter needed to be replaced, since Calif. will be requiring smog checks sometime in 2015 
Toyota Prius in Tennessee, United States
Mar 2010 - Apr 2011
Nov 2010

US $450
replaced transmission with a donor (junk-yard) 
Toyota Prius in Arkansas, United States
Oct 2011 - Jan 2014
Dec 2011

99000 mi

US $2157
replace main battery with refurbished. also replace serpentine belt, cracked, cooling system flush / inverter, drain and fill transmission fluid. car owner paid FULL cost of repair. 
Nov 2013

117900 mi

US $104
electric window got stuck in the down position. Dealer got it up and put a screw back in, said the motor is making a sound and will eventually need to be replaced. (approx $500 repair). 
Jan 2014

120000 mi
Stearing had a pull in it. Dealer found right fr strut leaking, and left rear shock leaking. Recommended replacing all shocks, struts, assembly fr end, sub assembly front end. for total cost of $1703.xx. repair was not done at this time. 
Toyota Prius in California, United States
Mar 2011 - Jun 2022
Mar 2014

82000 mi

US $279
engine light came on. said gas cap may have not been closed all the way. also had a transmission service. 
Nov 2015

98400 mi

US $1000
ABS, forgot exactly what was repaired. 
Sep 2021

135000 mi

US $1200
BATTERY AND OTHER PARTS WERE REPLACED. 
Toyota Prius in Ontario, Canada
Nov 2009 - Oct 2010
Mar 2010

137020 mi
Malfunction of engine/drive system.. Car stalled out a few times, dealer could not repeat and no repair was done... Has not reoccurred but does show up at least once a year. 
Jun 2010

146320 mi

C $225
AC has not been working had to try replacing the relay that did not work then recharged system .. still not fixed. did oil change at the same time 
Oct 2010

151900 mi

C $300
Another failed attempt to fix the AC. Car sold with it not working. Rattle in front left brake assembly when sold. 
Toyota Prius in Ohio, United States
Feb 2011 - Jun 2018
Jun 2013

213000 mi

US $1000
Needed struts and connecting hardware. Not bad after 213000 miles. 
Sep 2013

215000 mi

US $180
Had to clean the Mass Air Sensor and the intake. The motive battery charge was very low which caused the dire warnings and did not let the engine to keep running. 12v battery was low and Toyota wanted $360 for a new one which they did not have in stock. I bought an Optima battery with a conversion kit and did the job myself. 
Oct 2015

231800 mi

US $80
Mass Air Flow sensor 
Toyota Prius in Illinois, United States
Feb 2011 - Nov 2014
Jul 2011

91000 mi

US $1
Brake light came on intermittently 
Jul 2014

140000 mi

US $1500
Brake booster pump failure 
Toyota Prius in Connecticut, United States
Feb 2010 - May 2012
Mar 2010

117000 mi

US $1300
Failed emissions test for ongoing problem with ECM that causes the cel to come on in cold temperatures. Initially diagnosed in December 2007, but the repair was expensive and only intermittent, so I held off. After I called for appointment for previously listed problem, CEL came on and stayed on despite warmer temps. Mechanic notes: FOUND 3 DIFFERENT CODES STORED IN THE ECM, ECM CODE, CODE P0171 FOR A MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR, ALSO FOUND A 300 MISFIRE ~CHECK THE A/C, C/S THE A/C IS INOP CUST GETS A/C RECHARGED AT THE LEAST ONCE A YEAR.`NO VISIBLE LEAKS FOUND WITHIN THE A/C SYSTEM. WILL NEED TO START BY EVAC AND RECHARGING THE SYSTEM (290.00), ONCE WE DO THIS, WE WILL ADD DYE TO THE SYSTEM TO... Wanted second quote for air conditioner and heater control problems. Mechanic gave estimate for a/c and suggested having Toyota fix the heater control problems as his price was not much less. Was told the entire dash panel would need to be replaced due to loose circuit board. Mechanic notes: INSPECT/DIAGNOSIS ~|~CHECK THE HEATER KNOB CANT SET THE FAN SPEED. Replaced ECM. They reviewed my service history and agreed to cover cost given I'd had almost all maintenance done @ a dealership. 
Apr 2010

117500 mi

US $431
Replaced Air Flow Sensor, $253 Repair CD Hinge Replace owner-supplied blower control assembly; $153 labor and $25 used part 
Jun 2010

120000 mi

US $745
Replaced a/c radiator/condenser 
Aug 2010

121400 mi

US $91
Replaced electrical relay for a/c (did not fix problem of green blinking light and a/c cutting out) 
Feb 2011

126700 mi
Front suspension rattling due to loose bolt. Don't know that the garage actually caused the problem, but they fixed for free, given they'd recently replaced front struts. 
May 2011

129000 mi

US $125
A/C system not blowing cold air. Was told coolant was low. Added dye to detect leak, but nothing visible. Leak is probably in the evaporator. Refilled coolant & suggested I come back in few weeks to see if anything has leaked out. 
Jun 2011

130000 mi
P0302 - Cylinder 2 Misfire Detected Since spark plugs had been done one year ago, that was not suspected as the problem. May have been a loose gas cap. Code reset, will see if comes back on. 
May 2012

135000 mi

US $30
Car was parked for three months with parking brake on. When I initially tried to release the brake, it stuck but released after a few tries. Had the mechanic take a look just to be sure there was no damage. No repair was actually needed. AC problem when sold. 
Toyota Prius in Oregon, United States
Feb 2010 - Nov 2011
Nov 2011

157000 mi

US $170
Driver's side window shattered due to being off track when I rolled up (via motor) the window. 
Toyota Prius in Ontario, Canada
Aug 2009 - Sep 2012
Sep 2012

125860 mi

C $1500
Hybrid Inverter 
Toyota Prius in Wisconsin, United States
Aug 2009 - Jan 2012
Dec 2010

108000 mi

US $20
Replaced dash bulbs. Not all were burnt out, but access was such a hassle I replaced all of them. 
Aug 2011

114700 mi

US $110
Check engine light on signaling fault in fuel tank vapor recovery system. Dealer diagnosed as the filler cap or the vapor cannister. Suggested replacing the cap but didn't have one in stock. 
Nov 2011

116100 mi

US $10
Car recorded an error code for fuel tank vapor recovery. Hose clamps on vacuum lines had rusted, allowing a vacuum leak at fittings. I replaced clamps and the code has not returned. 
Toyota Prius in Ontario, Canada
Jul 2009 - Jan 2013
Aug 2009

196540 mi

C $1300
front shock absorber worn out, two right side wheel bearing start making grinding sound after going thru a big pothole. Replaced both front shocks plus all 4 wheel bearings. 
Jan 2013

256060 mi
One of the electric motors in the prius was broken and it cost approx Cad$4000 to fix it. Sold it to some one for cad$850. 
Toyota Prius in California, United States
Aug 2009 - Sep 2013
Sep 2009

140000 mi

US $1000
Inverter water pump failure. 
Toyota Prius in South Carolina, United States
Feb 2010 - Jun 2012
Jun 2012

172000 mi

US $163
Rear bearing replacement. 
Toyota Prius in California, United States
Dec 2009 - Nov 2015
Jul 2012

119200 mi

US $603
the auxiliary battery was failing 
Feb 2015

133900 mi

US $2050
Received a reconditioned "main" battery pack, from Green Tec up in Sacramento, CA. Pack was installed at my home, and old battery pack went to them. $1700 plus $350 for installation. 
Toyota Prius in California, United States
Nov 2009 - Jun 2016
Jan 2012

61000 mi

US $410
Two problems. Driver side door actuator died as did 12 volt battery. The dealer would have charged $900 for the same work. 
Jun 2013

65000 mi

US $100
Fan belt needed to be replaced. New air filter. 
Toyota Prius in California, United States
Aug 2009 - May 2015
Jan 2011

247300 mi

US $550
Replaced right rear wheel bearing - no acute failure but excessive noise. 
Mar 2013

227000 mi

US $48
Cat Converter sensors indicated failure. Mechanic advised me to put tape over the indicator light and keep driving. Will not effect operation or mileage. 
Mar 2015

262000 mi

US $400
Drivers side window assembly broke. Window fell into the door. 
May 2015

262000 mi

US $100
Drive battery bit the dust. Failure warning. Cost to repair is $3,500+. Car is being sold for scrap. 
Toyota Prius in California, United States
Sep 2009 - Sep 2013
Dec 2010

74000 mi

US $60
Heard occasional squeal from front brakes on first daily use. Asked mechanic to check pads. Claimed pads were fine but rod calipers slide on was dry. Greasing rod cured problem. 
Jun 2011

75000 mi
Door not shut for several days of in-operation. Small battery voltage too low to start car. Charged, then engine ran a short time till it quit and red asterisk of doom! More charging and trials (3-4), called AAA engine ran for him! 
Sep 2012

78000 mi

US $3100
Big (270 volt) battery replaced. 
Toyota Prius in Michigan, United States
Aug 2009 - Sep 2014
Jul 2011

250000 mi

US $850
needed new struts on both sides, had gone for so long on bad struts that the bearing plates had to be replaced too. 
Jul 2012

274200 mi

US $480
rear driver side wheel bearing replaced 
Feb 2013

280100 mi

US $2500
HV Battery replacement. Replaced with battery from re-involt. 
Aug 2014

289000 mi

US $200
One sway bar end was loose, so both were replaced 
Toyota Prius in California, United States
Aug 2009 - Jun 2011
Apr 2011

186000 mi

US $60
Front wheel bearings went out, caused so much noise that normal conversation is affected. 
Jun 2011

191000 mi

US $350
The noise from the wheel bearing turned out to be coming from the rear wheel hubs instead of the front wheel bearings. I mis-diagnosed the location of the noise due to carelessness and over-confident. 
Toyota Prius in Arkansas, United States
Sep 2010 - Apr 2013
Nov 2010

244000 mi

US $150
Replaced original equipment Ac compressor/ recharged system. Replaced original equipment Ac compressor/ recharged system.  
Apr 2011

249000 mi

US $50
Replaced gas pedal assembly/ throttle position potentiometer defective and caused engine to stall/shut down / dealer price was $425.00. I purchased pedal from 25k mile salvage Prius for $45.00 off eBay+ $5 shipping.  Replaced gas pedal assembly/ throttle position potentiometer defective and caused engine to stall/shut down / dealer price was $425.00. I purchased pedal from 25k mile salvage Prius for $45.00 off eBay+ $5 shipping.  
Jun 2011

255000 mi

US $45
Lost freon to leaking o ring at compressor. 
Toyota Prius in Texas, United States
Sep 2010 - Mar 2013
Oct 2010

110000 mi
CC giving P0420 error. Apparently a known issue. $1500 to repair just for parts. Living with it. 
Jul 2012

149500 mi

US $300
Replacement catalytic converter, generic part, to solve Check Engine light issue. 

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2001 Toyota Prius 4-door

4-cylinder automatic 2WD

Toyota Prius in Illinois, United States
Jan 2011 - Sep 2011
Feb 2011

87000 mi

US $998
Was told hybrid battery bad, would cost an additional 1675 (above 998 for brakes) told them to wait on battery, no $ for that now. 
Toyota Prius in Florida, United States
Jul 2009 - Oct 2009
Sep 2009

95000 mi

US $890
Got triangle warning/check engine lights. Dealer said it was engine startup/misfiring problem in the fuel injection system and they would have to replace gas tank, clean the (something)plate, replace the spark plugs, etc. 

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2001 Toyota Prius Repair Histories

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently 2001 Toyota Prius problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.