At a glance

Reported mileage196,769 mi

LocationNj, USA

ColorSilver

Last listed price$2,900

Open recalls6

Vehicle identity & specifications

Make

Toyota

Model

Prius

Year

2005

Trim

Base

Body style

Hatchback/Liftback/Notchback

Vehicle type

PASSENGER CAR

Engine

1.5L 4-cyl 76 hp

Cylinders

4

Fuel type

Gasoline

Drivetrain

4x2

Doors

4

Assembly plant

TOYOTA CITY, AICHI, JAPAN

Manufacturer

TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION

What's a 2005 Toyota Prius worth?

What comparable 2005 Toyota Prius vehicles are listed for — a quick gut-check before you negotiate.

Low

$2,500

Typical price

$3,998

High

$6,000

Most 2005 Toyota Prius listings fall between $2,500 and $6,000, from 137 comparable cars.

Is the seller's price fair? Get this exact VIN's current market value — retail, trade-in & loan value — in the full report.

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Full vehicle history report

$14.99 USD · one-time

What a full report checks for VIN JTDKB20U053044121

⚠️ 6 open safety recalls — shown above, free 🔒 Title & brand records 🔒 Accident & damage history 🔒 Salvage, total-loss & theft 🔒 Odometer & owner count 🔒 Liens & market valuation

A full report searches national title databases (NMVTIS) and licensed history providers for this VIN and shows whatever records are on file — not every vehicle has every record type. The decode, safety recalls and owner complaints above are always free.

📜 Title status Clean, salvage, rebuilt, junk, flood or lemon

🏷️ Title brand history Every brand ever applied, by state

🧾 Number of owners How many registrations on record

🛞 Odometer readings Reported mileage over time

🔎 Rollback check Mileage inconsistency / tamper flags

💥 Accident & damage Reported collisions and damage events

🚧 Total-loss records Insurance total-loss declarations

♻️ Salvage & auction Salvage-yard and auction history

🚓 Theft records Reported / recovered theft events

🏦 Liens & impounds Outstanding liens or impound records

🏷️ Sale & listing history Past marketplace and dealer listings

💰 Market valuation Estimated value for this exact spec

Unlock full report — $14.99 → or get up to 20 reports a month for $19.99/mo → One-time purchase · permanent access · VIN JTDKB20U053044121

Safety recalls 6

STEERING

Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 5, 2003, through March 30, 2009. The affected vehicles have a steering intermediate extension shaft assembly built with metal splines that complete the connection from the steering wheel to the steering gear. These splines may have been manufactured with an insufficient hardness.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the extension shaft and replace it if it is one with insufficient hardness, free of charge. The recall began during December 2012. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

NHTSA Campaign #12V537000 · 14/11/2012

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2003, through March 30, 2009 and FCHV-adv vehicles manufactured December 12, 2008, through September 13, 2011. During manufacturing, a scratch may have occurred inside of the electrically driven water pump at the coil wire. The coil wire may corrode at the scratched portion.

Remedy: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will replace the electric water pump, free of charge. The recall began on January 17, 2013. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

NHTSA Campaign #12V536000 · 14/11/2012

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CAN GET STUCK IN THE WIDE OPEN POSITION DUE TO ITS BEING TRAPPED BY AN UNSECURED OR INCOMPATIBLE DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT.

Remedy: TOYOTA FILED AN AMENDED DEFECT REPORT ON NOVEMBER 25, 2009, STATING THAT DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND, ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, ALTER THE SHAPE OF THE FLOOR SURFACE UNDER THE PEDAL. THESE CHANGES ADDRESS THE RISK OF PEDAL ENTRAPMENT DUE TO INTERFERENCE WITH THE FLOOR MAT. REDESIGNED A

NHTSA Campaign #09V388000 · 05/10/2009

AIR BAGS

ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, DUE TO IMPROPER ASSEMBLY OF THE AIR BAG INFLATOR, WHICH IS USED IN THE SIDE AIR BAG, THE CURTAIN SHIELD AIR BAG, AND THE KNEE AIR BAG ASSEMBLY, SOME INFLATORS WERE PRODUCED WITH AN INSUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF THE HEATING AGENTS NECESSARY FOR PROPER AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. IN THIS CONDITION, THE EXPANSION FORCE OF THE GAS MAY BE INSUFFICIENT TO PROPERLY INFLATE THE AIR BAG WHEN THE SRS…

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SPECIFIC SRS AIR BAG. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 6, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-888-270-9371, SCION AT 1-866-548-1851, OR LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987.

NHTSA Campaign #06V096000 · 03/04/2006

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

SOUTHEAST TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2011 PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD WITHOUT THE REQUISITE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SOUTHEAST TOYOTA AT 1-800-301-6859.

NHTSA Campaign #10V036000 · 03/02/2010

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT AND SLIDING YOKE IN THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM CAN CRACK WHEN LARGE FORCES ARE APPLIED AND THE CONNECTION MAY SEPARATE OR THE SLEEVE MAY FRACTURE.

Remedy: TOYOTA WILL REPLACE THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT AND INSPECT THE SLIDING YOKE AND REPLACE IT IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 9, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.

NHTSA Campaign #06V188000 · 31/05/2006

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Common problems & what to inspect

Based on 1,051 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2005 Toyota Prius, here are the most-reported problem areas — and exactly what to check before you buy.

💥 1 involved a crash 🚑 1 reported injury

Service Brakes 8 reports

🔍 Brakes should feel firm and quiet — no grinding, pulsing or pulling. Check for an ABS light and uneven pad/rotor wear.

Electrical System 4 reports

🔍 Test every electrical feature: windows, locks, infotainment, charging and all lights. Watch for flickering, dead accessories or warning lights.

Exterior Lighting 2 reports

🔍 Confirm all headlights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights work, with no moisture inside the housings.

Air Bags 2 reports

🔍 Confirm the airbag light turns on then off at startup — if it stays lit there's a fault (costly, and a safety risk). Check for signs of prior deployment.

Power Train 1 report

🔍 Drive through every gear: watch for slipping, hard or delayed shifts, and shudder. Check for transmission/driveline leaks and noises.

Engine 1 report

🔍 Listen for knocks or ticking, check for leaks and blue/white exhaust smoke, and make sure it doesn't overheat. No check-engine light should be on.

Pre-purchase checklist

Match the VIN on the dash, door jamb and title — they must be identical.
Cold-start the engine; listen for knocks and check for blue or white exhaust smoke.
Test-drive through all gears at low and highway speed — no slipping, shudder or pulling.
Confirm every warning light clears at startup (none should stay on).
Check fluids — oil, coolant, transmission — for level, color and leaks.
Look underneath for rust, fresh undercoating or signs of collision repair.
Always get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a trusted mechanic.

Owner complaints 1051

Complaints filed with NHTSA by owners of the 2005 Toyota Prius.

POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE

Eingen faliur acording to dealership Toyota of Anthioc the veicle is on there lot for now but there diagnostic was engine faliure

NHTSA ODI #11718280

SERVICE BRAKES

ABS actuator failed and had little to no braking action while merging on the freeway. Had to swerve to avoid collision on interstate

NHTSA ODI #11710245

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while replacing the instrument cluster, the contact discovered that the turn signals were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that an unknown part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage wa…

NHTSA ODI #11698502

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the left turn signal was activated, however, the left turn signal failed to function as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the four-way flashers failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a com…

NHTSA ODI #11698556

AIR BAGS

Vehicle: 2005 Toyota Prius VIN: [XXX] Date of Incident: April 2024 Location: Citrus Heights, California Incident Summary: In April 2024, I was involved in a front-end collision while driving my 2005 Toyota Prius. I rear-ended another vehicle at moderate to high speed. Despite the severity of the impact, the driver-side airbag failed to deploy. As a result,…

Crash · 1 injured · NHTSA ODI #11658429

SERVICE BRAKES

i had brake warning lights pop up on my dash..my brake actuator fail on my 05 prius.. this is a known issue with toyota prius. the brake actuator is a very important part of the braking system and vehicle is deemed unsafe with a failed actuator/module.. the dealer quoted over 3000 in repairs.. they were covering them for a while and now they are not.. the co…

NHTSA ODI #11648968

SERVICE BRAKES

Brake actuator going bad. Safety is put at risk as brakes are slow to work and sometimes don't work at all for a couple of seconds, making sudden stops impossible. Has not been confirmed by dealer. Has not been inspected. ABS and TPMS light would briefly pop up for a couple of seconds on car startup before shutting off.

NHTSA ODI #11608878

SERVICE BRAKES,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes seized. In addition, the contact heard a squealing sound and the ABS warning light illuminated. The contact used the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufact…

NHTSA ODI #11596913

+ 1043 more complaints on record.