Used car safety, rank #138 of 181
Toyota Prius Safety Rating (2017-20)
Real IIHS driver death rates for the 2017-20 Toyota Prius, a small car, compared with its class and with the current model.
The 2017-20 Toyota Prius has an IIHS driver death rate of 45 per million registered vehicle years against a small cars average of 60.5, which is 26% below the class average. That places it #138 of 181 used vehicles with a safety score of 29.6/100.
What the Toyota Prius death rate means
At 45 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the Toyota Prius beats the small cars average of 60.5 by 26%. The 95% confidence interval is 23 to 67, so the upper end of the range overlaps the class average and the advantage is not certain.
The other-driver death rate of 51 measures the opposite risk: how many drivers of other vehicles died in crashes with a Toyota Prius. It is higher than the Toyota Prius's own driver death rate, the usual pattern for this class. Remember that death rates describe vehicles and their drivers together: IIHS adjusts for driver age and gender, but not for where or how carefully people drive. Our score weights this model's own rate at 70% and its class at 30%; see how we rank used cars.
Compared with similar used cars
The safest small cars in the IIHS study, by our score, with the Toyota Prius highlighted. It ranks 4 of the 9 shown; the class leader is the Chevrolet Bolt at a death rate of 8.
| Vehicle | Years | Death rate | Score | Reliability | Used price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Bolt | 2017-20 | 8 (0 to 19) | 65.3 | n/a | n/a |
| Toyota Prius Prime | 2017-20 | 23 (0 to 45) | 52.5 | n/a | n/a |
| Subaru WRX | 2017-20 | 38 (19 to 58) | 34.2 | n/a | n/a |
| Toyota Prius (this page) | 2017-20 | 45 (23 to 67) | 29.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Subaru Impreza sedan | 2017-20 | 46 (18 to 74) | 28.4 | n/a | n/a |
| Honda Civic | 2019-20 | 49 (29 to 69) | 26.5 | n/a | n/a |
| Toyota Corolla | 2020 | 58 (31 to 86) | 19.5 | n/a | n/a |
| Honda Civic hatchback | 2019-20 | 78 (26 to 130) | 13.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Hyundai Elantra | 2020 | 103 (48 to 157) | 10.1 | n/a | n/a |
Class average for small cars: 60.5 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years.
The new Toyota Prius
Death rates lag the market by several years. For the current Toyota Prius we score IIHS crash tests instead; here is how the latest model years rate on our new-car scale.
| Model year | Model | IIHS award | New-car score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Toyota Prius | TSP+ | 89.0 |
New-car scores use a different scale (crash tests, not death rates) and are not directly comparable with the 29.6 used-car score above.
Safety recalls for the Toyota Prius
No recalls on record for the 2020 model year.
Toyota Prius: Common Questions
Is the Toyota Prius a safe car?
Yes, by the measure that matters most. IIHS recorded a driver death rate of 45 per million registered vehicle years for the 2017-20 Toyota Prius, 26% below the class average (60.5 for small cars). That earns a used-car safety score of 29.6 out of 100 and rank #138 of 181 used vehicles.
What is the Toyota Prius driver death rate?
45 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, with a 95% confidence interval of 23 to 67. Drivers of other vehicles that collided with a Toyota Prius died at a rate of 51 per million. Source: IIHS driver death rates by make and model, covering 2017-20 models.
How does the Toyota Prius compare with other small cars?
The small cars class averages 60.5 driver deaths per million; the Toyota Prius sits at 45. Among the 9 small cars compared above it ranks 4 by safety score; the top of that group is the Chevrolet Bolt with a death rate of 8.