Toyota Mirai

The Toyota Mirai is a hydrogen fuel-cell sedan occupying a unique and narrow slice of the alternative-fuel market. Aimed at eco-conscious early adopters and fleet operators in hydrogen-infrastructure corridors, primarily California, it competes less with mainstream EVs and more with the idea of zero-emission driving itself. Its second-generation platform, introduced for 2021, brought a rear-wheel-drive layout and a more premium positioning.

From a pure safety-data standpoint, the Toyota Mirai presents a notably thin picture. NHTSA has not crash-tested any model year of the Mirai within our 2019 to 2025 coverage window, which means there are no star ratings or Safety Index scores to anchor shoppers. That absence is significant. Buyers cannot lean on federal crash-test results the way they can with mainstream sedans, and that alone warrants caution for safety-focused shoppers. Across the covered years, Toyota has issued 7 recalls on the Mirai. For a low-volume, technologically complex vehicle built around a high-pressure hydrogen storage system, that recall count deserves close attention. Owners and prospective buyers should verify that all open recalls have been remedied before purchase or continued operation. On the complaint side, NHTSA has logged 22 owner complaints across the covered years. Within those, 4 allege crashes, 1 alleges injuries, and 1 alleges a death. These are unverified allegations, not confirmed findings, but they are part of the public record and should not be dismissed. The Mirai is a pioneering vehicle, but pioneering technology does not exempt a car from scrutiny. The bottom line is straightforward: without crash-test data and with an active recall history, the Mirai carries more safety uncertainty than most competitors in the premium sedan space.

WHAT REVIEWERS SAYReviewers generally find the second-generation Mirai to be a genuinely refined and composed sedan, with a smooth, quiet ride character and interior materials that feel appropriate for its premium pricing. Driving dynamics are praised as unexpectedly engaging for an alternative-fuel vehicle. The consensus caveat is almost always the same: hydrogen refueling infrastructure remains severely limited, which shapes the ownership experience more than any other factor.