Used car safety, rank #88 of 181
Toyota Prius Prime Safety Rating (2017-20)
Real IIHS driver death rates for the 2017-20 Toyota Prius Prime, a small car, compared with its class and with the current model.
The 2017-20 Toyota Prius Prime has an IIHS driver death rate of 23 per million registered vehicle years against a small cars average of 60.5, which is 62% below the class average. That places it #88 of 181 used vehicles with a safety score of 52.5/100.
What the Toyota Prius Prime death rate means
At 23 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the Toyota Prius Prime beats the small cars average of 60.5 by 62%. The 95% confidence interval is 0 to 45, so even the pessimistic end of the range is no worse than the class average.
The other-driver death rate of 50 measures the opposite risk: how many drivers of other vehicles died in crashes with a Toyota Prius Prime. It is higher than the Toyota Prius Prime'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 Prime highlighted. It ranks 2 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 (this page) | 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 | 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 Prime
Death rates lag the market by several years. For the current Toyota Prius Prime 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 52.5 used-car score above.
Safety recalls for the Toyota Prius Prime
A recall is a defect the manufacturer must repair free of charge, however old the car and whoever owns it now. On a used car this matters more than on a new one: the work is only done if a previous owner took it in.
1 recall campaign on the 2020 model year, covering electronic stability control (esc).
-
Electronic stability control (esc)
Risk: Deactivation of the vehicle stability control system or a loss of braking assist increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake booster pump, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2019. Toyota
Recall campaigns from the NHTSA recalls database, retrieved 2026-09-04. A campaign covers a range of build dates, not every car of the model year, and IIHS reports this nameplate across several years while these results are for 2020. Confirm against the VIN. Recalls do not affect the death rate on this page.
Toyota Prius Prime: Common Questions
Is the Toyota Prius Prime a safe car?
Yes, by the measure that matters most. IIHS recorded a driver death rate of 23 per million registered vehicle years for the 2017-20 Toyota Prius Prime, 62% below the class average (60.5 for small cars). That earns a used-car safety score of 52.5 out of 100 and rank #88 of 181 used vehicles.
What is the Toyota Prius Prime driver death rate?
23 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, with a 95% confidence interval of 0 to 45. Drivers of other vehicles that collided with a Toyota Prius Prime died at a rate of 50 per million. Source: IIHS driver death rates by make and model, covering 2017-20 models.
How does the Toyota Prius Prime compare with other small cars?
The small cars class averages 60.5 driver deaths per million; the Toyota Prius Prime sits at 23. Among the 9 small cars compared above it ranks 2 by safety score; the top of that group is the Chevrolet Bolt with a death rate of 8.