ToyotaPrius PHV2015Overview/toyota/prius-phv/2015/base/

2015 Toyota Prius PHV

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2015 Prius PHV.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic (variable gear ratios)

The 2015 Toyota Prius PHV is a passenger car equipped with an automatic transmission featuring variable gear ratios, achieving EPA-rated fuel economy of 50 mpg city, 46 mpg highway, and 48 mpg combined. Against this efficiency-focused profile, the model year accumulated 160 total owner complaints with service brakes emerging as the most frequently cited concern, while a single recall was issued during the production cycle. This generation occupied a transitional position in the Prius plug-in hybrid lineage, and while Toyota's hybrid platform generally commands strong reliability sentiment, this particular model year showed vulnerability in brake system components that researchers investigating long-term ownership outcomes should factor into their analysis.

Model year2015201420132012

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

EPA fuel economy50/46/48 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI S46B24R · 325 CCA battery, OE oil filter 9030169011. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI S46B24R · 325 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnLEFTOEM · verified
Tire sizePHV P195/65R15OEM · verified
Wheel / rim6-J inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter9030169011 alt 04152YZZA6
Engine air filter1780137021
Spark plug9091901275
Battery2880037092
Front wiper blades8522247100 alt 8521247040
Thermostat1632637020 alt 1603137010
Cabin air filter8713976010 alt 8713950100

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (variable gear ratios)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length175.6 in
Overall width68.9 in
Overall height58.3 in
Wheelbase106.3 in
Curb weight3042 lb
Track (front / rear)59.8 / 60.2 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)60/40

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined50 / 46 / 48 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque the oil drain plug to 30.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity3.5-3.6
Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity3.6
Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantHOAT
Power Steering FluidEPS

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs20 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts140 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug30.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs16 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Steering Track (Rod End) Bolts36.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel HubInstall a new nut and torque to 159.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)950-1050 rpm
Spark Plug ManufacturerToyota
Spark Plug Gap.039 - .043 (2) in
Spark Plug Torque15 ft-lbs
Ignition Timing10 degrees
Ignition Timing Acceptable Variance2 degrees

Battery & A/C

Standard BCI Group NumberS46B24R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance325 cca

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier Torque25 / NS
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt Torque79 / NS
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.039; Rear: 0.039 in
Minimum Shoe Thickness0.039 in
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: 0.866; Rear: 0.295
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness after RefinishStamped on rotor

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
115 ft. lbs., Step 2: 9015 ft. lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
136 ft. lbs., Step 2: 9036 ft. lbs
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
130 ft. lbs., Step 2: 9030 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 10,000 mi; spark plugs at 150,000 mi; coolant every 50,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 50,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 5,000 miBrake System (inspect) · Floor Mat (inspect) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate) · Universal Vehicle Operation (inspect all fluid levels) · Windshield Wiper Blade (inspect)
At 10,000 miCabin Air Filter (clean)
Every 10,000 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 15,000 miAir Conditioning Condenser (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (inspect fluid level) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Hybrid Inverter (inspect coolant level)
Every 20,000 miCabin Air Filter (clean)
Every 30,000 miBrake Drum Assembly (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Differential (inspect fluid level) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 50,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 100,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 150,000 miHybrid Inverter (drain, flush & refill coolant) · Spark Plugs (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2015 Toyota Prius PHV dominate in one area — the service brakes, 65 of 160 reports (41%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 1 recall campaigns target the service brakes, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 28 of the reports describe a crash and 1 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the service brakes pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
324
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
3
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
160
Owner complaints
28 involved a crash · 1 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★
Frontal★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 160 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes65
Unknown Or Other10
Electrical System8
Exterior Lighting6
Power Train6
Structure5
Service Brakes,Forward Collision Avoidance5
Service Brakes, Hydraulic4

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

20V369000Hybrid Propulsion System: InverterReported 24/06/2020

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Prius and 2014-2017 Prius V vehicles not included in recall 18V-684. Excessive voltage in the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) within the… Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will perform a software update for the hybrid system. If the vehicle has experienced an inverter failure with certain hybrid system faults…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 324 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
T-SB-0119-15 Rev22026-02-13EngineOBSOLETE NOTICE February 13, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0009-26.
T-SB-0009-262026-02-13EngineThis bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge on Ni-MH high…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev22026-01-07Unknown Or OtherSome 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a…
T-SB-0058-23 Rev12025-06-13Electrical SystemThe air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the…
T-SB-0035-24 Rev22024-12-06StructureAcid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Prius PHV. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

Does the 2015 Prius PHV have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Prius PHV get?

EPA figures are 50 city / 46 highway / 48 combined mpg.