2012 Prius in very good condition with 180k miles- only 12 years old. Driving on back roads (thankfully) and the drivers side rear wheel compelely fell off while driving. I was doing about 30 MPH and felt like there was a flat tire so I was in the process of pulling over when the whole rear assembly snapped. The wheel hit the rear quarter of the car and bounced about 100 feet down the road. I could have been on the highway and this could have been fatal I believe. Very, Very scary. As can be seen in attached photos the issue was rust from the inside. This is very concerning since there was no way for me to know this was an issue. I could have been killed or killed someone else. I believe Toyota needs to look into this since there are other Prius' out there the same thing happened to on this very thread. Although this is a Massachusetts car I have owed it since 25k miles and have maintained it impeccably. I always have the undercarriage cleaned after driving on salty roads. Safety inspection was current- only done the month before. Had that wheel bearing replaced about 2 weeks before the incident and the reputable mechanic reported no issues. There was no warning except for maybe a minute before it happened- the car was vibrating like I had a flat tire. The damage repair estimate on this was $8500. Catastrophic fail Toyota. Is this a rust issue like the Tacoma, Tundra, and Sequoia"???"

- Plainville, MA, USA

On 07-June-2024 @14:47 my 2012 Toyota Prius suffered a catastrophic failure. I was attempting to back my 2012 Toyota Prius vehicle a few meters back into my driveway while turning slightly. This was a very slow speed backup. Suddenly, the rear passenger side wheel collapsed inward, and rendered the vehicle unmovable. A video of the incident is attached for viewing The vehicle has low mileage approximately 58,000 miles. The vehicle is in excellent condition and the service records provide evidence of proper maintenance, often at Toyota dealership. This vehicle was originally from Cape Cod Massachusetts and perhaps suffered adverse effects from ocean salt air? Although the rest of the vehicle does not show any significant rusting.. I am impressed by the engineering of the Prius hybrid technology, but this point of failure seems to be an engineering weakness.

- Lakeville, MA, USA

Turning right from a stop sign stop, the car took off in an unintended acceleration and could not be stopped until it hit a curb. The force broke the ball joint of the driver's side wheel causing the wheel to turn approx 45 degrees. The car then skidded about 20 yards and came to a stop with the motor racing. It was a single car crash with no bodily injury.

- Port Orange, FL, USA

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius. While driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle failed to drive in a straight line and drifted to the left and right. The contact had to constantly adjust the steering wheel. The dealer was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The failure mileage was 10. Updated 11/25/14 updated 12/02/14

- Blairsville, PA, USA

On cold mornings the car makes a groaning noise from the rear for aprox a 1/2 block. My dealer was able to verify the problem when I left the car overnight parked outside. They said they are waiting for Toyota to come up with a fix. The car now has just over 10,000 miles but it has been going on for most of the time we have owned it.

- Napa, CA, USA

When starting to drive the car after is has been sitting for about 3 hours and especially first thing in the morning, the vehicle makes a groaning noise which seems to be coming from the left rear tire area. It lasts for about the first 50 feet and then it stops making the noise. This has happened with temperatures varying between 40 to 75 degrees. When it is really hot in the morning, the noise is not present. The dealer has looked at the vehicle several times and they say that this is a national problem with no solution. I have owned this car for 4 days short of a year with 12,250 miles on it and it does it all the time. This is very frustrating because the car is fine otherwise.

- Alpine, CA, USA

Repeating several-second groaning or grinding noise heard from rear wheel area upon startup motion. The noise is severe and sounds like low-pitch metal grinding. It's potentially brake related but could be suspension bushings or other components rubbing against one another. It does not sound like typical brake glazing. The noise occurs in all weather conditions and typically after vehicle has been sitting for several hours or overnight. Noise continues for several minutes at stop and start. Noise is loud enough to startle an experienced driver. The absolute severity and indication of the sound is enough to question safe ongoing functionality of braking and/or suspension systems. Multiple reports are documented online at priuschat.com. Toyota does not appear to have a fix or resolution at time of writing, 10/2012. This is for 2012 Prius V model five.

- Pasadena, CA, USA