Toyota Prius: Reset ‘Maintenance Required’ Light

Today’s cars come with a range of systems, sensors, and lights to let drivers know when problems arise or maintenance is needed. The “Maintenance Required” light in a Toyota Prius, for instance, is a sign that your car is due an oil change.

After carrying out your oil change (or if you just want the light to go away), you’ll need to reset the “Maintenance Required” message. This guide will show you how.

Understanding the “Maintenance Required” Light

Before we dig into getting rid of the “Maintenance Required” light, it’s worth looking at what this light is and why it appears.

Basically, the “Maintenance Required” light in a Prius is the equivalent of “Oil Change” lights in other makes and models of cars. It’s the Prius’ way of letting you know that your car is due for an oil change. Or, at least, that’s the theory.

This light is tied to your car’s odometer. After every 5,000 miles, it’ll show up, as that’s roughly when Toyota recommends that drivers change their oil. The only problem is that, sometimes, your oil changes might be on a totally different schedule.

Some drivers like to do them regularly, after every 3,000 or 4,000 miles. Others prefer leaving it longer between each change – like every 7,500 or even every 10,000 miles. If that’s the case for you, the “Maintenance Required” light won’t be much use.

How to Reset the “Maintenance Required” Light on a Prius

Maybe you do your oil changes and need to know how to reset the light after each one. Or maybe the light just bothers you, and you want to get rid of it. Either way, let’s take a look at how it’s done for several different generations of Prius, starting with the most recent.

2022-Now Models

For the most recent – 5th generation – Toyota Prius, the process to reset maintenance lights has been refined and streamlined. It should only take a few moments, and you only need to use the little arrow buttons on your steering wheel to do it.

1. Push on the brake and press the “Power” button to begin.
2. Push the “Left Arrow” button on your steering wheel to bring up the side menu on your dashboard display.
3. Use the “Up Arrow” to scroll the menu and wait a moment on the “Settings” (Gear) icon until the list of settings appears on screen.
4. Use the arrows to scroll all the way over to the “Vehicle Settings” option. Then, push and hold “OK” to proceed.
5. Scroll down to “Oil Maintenance,” push “OK,” then confirm by selecting “Yes.” This will reset the oil light.
6. You can then repeat the process for the “Scheduled Maintenance” setting to reset any lights or messages associated with that.

2016-2021 Models

If your Prius is a little older – between 2016 and 2021 – then it’s part of the 4th generation. For these cars, the process is once again quite simple. Here’s all it involves:

1. Push on the brake and press the “Power” button once to activate the hybrid system.
2. Use the “Left” and “Right” arrows to select the “Gear” icon on the info display.
3. Use the “Up” and “Down” arrows to select “Vehicle Settings,” then press on “OK.”
4. Use the arrows to select “Maintenance System,” then press “OK” again.
5. Use the arrows to select “Oil Maintenance,” then press “OK” once more.
6. Select “Yes,” then press “OK” to finish the process.

Note that this method may not work in every single process. If it doesn’t seem to fit your particular model, or it just won’t work, here’s an alternative:

1. With your ignition in the “On” position, press the “Trip” button on your steering wheel until the “Odometer” (ODO) appears on the display.
2. Push the power button to turn off the display. Wait for it to fully turn off, it may take a moment.
3. This next part requires careful timing. You have to push the “Power” button twice to turn the system back on. Then, immediately push the “Trip” button three times and hold it on the third press.
4. You should see a series of flashing zeroes appear on the display to indicate that the system is resetting. Keep the “Trip” button held down until the zeroes disappear. Your “Maintenance Required” light should then go away.

For Older Models of Prius

If your Prius is older, dating back to the 2nd or 3rd generations, the process for resetting the light will again be a little different. It all depends on the exact button layout and display configuration in your car. Here are a few different methods you can try out.

First Method

1. Switch the ignition to “On” without starting the engine.
2. Press “Trip” or “MPH” button (depending on model) to toggle the odometer display to “Trip A.”
3. Turn the vehicle completely off.
4. Press and hold the “Trip” or “MPH” button, and keep it held down while you turn the ignition back to the “On” state. But don’t start the engine.
5. The display should show a series of flashing dashes. Wait until the dashes have disappeared and a series of zeroes has appeared before letting go of the button.

Second Method

1. Switch the ignition to “On,” but don’t start the engine.
2. Press “Trip” button to toggle the display to the “Odometer” section.
3. Turn the vehicle completely off.
4. Press and hold the “Trip” button. Then, keep the button pressed as you turn the ignition on (but don’t start the engine again).
5. Wait for the flashing symbols to disappear on the dash and a bunch of zeroes to appear before letting go.

Third Method

1. Turn the ignition on, and push the “Trip” button on your steering wheel until the display reads “Trip A.”
2. Press and hold the “MPH” button on the central unit.
3. With the “MPH” held, push the “Power” button.
4. Keep the “MPH” button held as you push the brake and press “Power” again.
5. The dash should show a message saying “Resetting Maintenance Data.” You can then let go of the “MPH” button once the bar has filled.

If Nothing Works, Contact the Pros

One of these methods should be all you need to reset your Prius’ “Maintenance” light in less than a minute. If they don’t work, you may want to repeat the process a couple of times – this is sometimes needed to get the system to fully reset. Alternatively, check your owner’s manual for a more detailed guide, or call in the pros to help.

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