2021 Toyota Prius

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy

49–56 mpgcombined; city 51–58, highway 47–53; every version of this model year

Five years of fuel

$5,800–$6,630U.S. average; Ohio $5,180–$5,920 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026

NHTSA overall safety rating

5 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested

Recall campaigns

0none on file

Owner complaints

6filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Versions

NHTSA's VIN data lists no trims for the 2021 Prius, so these are the versions EPA tested, by its names. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.

• FWD 52 mpg combined
• 4WD 49 mpg combined
• Eco FWD 56 mpg combined

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 6 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Prius. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

1. 20061,439
2. 20072,003
3. 20081,497
4. 2009502
5. 20102,829
6. 2011523
7. 2012449
8. 2013424
9. 2014221
10. 2015171
11. 2016155
12. 201791
13. 201838
14. 201930
15. 202014
16. 20216
17. 202224
18. 202320
19. 202427
20. 202518
21. 202610

Every Prius year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2021 Prius. NHTSA's recall lookup checks a specific VIN.

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 123 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2021 Prius, the latest on Aug 20, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: equipment (40), electrical system (37), structure (30), engine (11), engine and engine cooling (4).

NHTSA defect investigations

Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2021 Prius.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Used ones for sale

See used 2021 Toyota Priuss for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax

These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.

Specs

EPA class: midsize cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 9–10 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

Swipe the table sideways for more columns.

Sources and dates

• U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
• NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
• NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
• NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
• NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
• NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
• U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data