Brakes Failed problems of the 2010 Toyota Prius - part 1

I inherited a 2010 Toyota Prius 3rd generation when my mother passed a few years ago. I've since had several unnecessary and costly problems with the car as well as dealership's outlook, treatment, and indifference to the danger that their customers face--as many already have. The following are situations that I'm experiencing now. First, I was recently leaving the pharmacy when all of my warning lights (abs, brake, traction ) suddenly came on and my brakes failed as I was heading home. I'm a single mother of a special needs child and I had to get home to her. I was approximately 1 mile from my home and I was nearly in 3 accidents that could've been catastrophic. Thankfully the road was dry, clear, and with little traffic. We have been homebound for weeks, without transportation for doctors, food, etc. Our vehicle is our only means of transportation, and we must get to doctor appointments, etc. Second, the car has inexplicably stalled twice. Third, I'm constantly having to replace lights, and have been pulled over by the police for lights not working. Finally, an airbag has been recalled and once I can afford it I'll get that fixed as well. I spoke with my local Toyota dealerships, and after explaining the problems, I was informed (several times as I was repeatedly transferred) that I had to pay an inspection fee that also changed with each person. Finally, I was told I had to leave my car there for days and that I was going to pay thousands of dollars to fix the car. I'm unable to pay that much money--and the amount kept changing as well. I have researched these problems and now understand the methodology and intimidation used on poor people such as myself. Toyota should be ashamed. Fix these problems that will endanger and possibly kill your customers for nothing more than their own incompetence and greed.

On Tuesday, February 23, our braking system failed on our Toyota Prius while driving on a side road after months of continuing weakness in the brake pedal and "lurching" when braking over potholes. The brake system lost hydraulic pressure. Upon inspection by an ase-certifie mechanic, they determined the brake booster assembly had likely failed, but recommended sending to a Toyota dealership. They confirmed the vehicle was unfit to drive. The vehicle was sent to a Toyota dealer. The dealer confirmed the break booster assembly/actuator had failed. The dealer advised the brake booster had previously been under a Toyota "customer service campaign," but that the "warranty" campaign had expired. However, he advised Toyota brand engagement center has often assisted customers when they're just outside the warranty period. When contacting Toyota, they stated this vehicle was never under recall and was not eligible, but then said they sent information on a Toyota safety campaign. Upon research, we continued to confirm that the diagnosis was tied to recall d0h from July 2013. We've also reviewed our vehicle history, and the brake pump assembly was never replaced despite being inspected consistently by Toyota dealers since 2013 and under recall. Toyota has declined to cover the cost of the replacement for the brake pump assembly. The cost of repair is nearly the same as the current value of the vehicle. Toyota brand engagement center has declined to provide this information in writing, would not provide a name, and otherwise acted completely sketchy - for lack of a better word - any time we tried to clarify the repair was clearly tied to the June 2013 recall. We were very, very fortunate the brakes failed on a side street near our home, not on a highway or other high-risk area. We would like Toyota to honor the recall, extend it for other customers, and cover the cost of repair.

Toyota Prius 2010 started experiencing braking issues in January 17, 2020. Car was taken to the dealer three times with miss diagnosis. In March dealer diagnosed issue most likely a brake booster and pump assembly which was a known issue with 2010 Prius. Toyota identified the issue in a previous quality campaign but only repaired if brakes fully failed. Brake failure is what it took to have your car repaired?.

Brake booster failure, loss pressure at brake the car, the stability control and the abs doesn't work.

The brakes failed on the vehicle and I lost all ability to stop. Several dashboard lights were triggered about loss of abs and braking. I was able to stop the vehicle only through the emergency brake. The Toyota dealer indicated that the problem was a failed brake booster and brake booster pump assemblies. There have been numerous complaints about this issue and tpyota needs to recall and repair this iissue.

Warning lights for abs, brake and symbol indicating traction control is operating all lit simultaneously with a corresponding change in brake pedal feel. Toyota dealer diagnosed brake booster failure and initially quoted $1,915 to repair then called back to revise this to $2,915. There have been recalls on this part just not covering my VIN.

Brakes failed while driving car (in motion) which almost caused an accident. The red warning "brake" light, yellow "abs" and yellow traction control light all illuminated. This apparently is a known issue for the Toyota Prius and I have contacted them concerning the issue but they will not pay to fix the problem. My car cannot be driven at this point. This issue is a serious hazard and could easily result in an accident. They need to issue a recall.

Brakes fail when applied steadily while moving on a wet or bumpy surface causing the car to continue forward unless the peddle is pressed again firmly. This happens on the city streets while moving in a straight line. This appears to be due to the known abs problem in the 2010 Prius and was supposed to have been corrected byway of a software patch, which I am told by chuck patterson chico Toyota has already been done and no further ehlp could be expected from Toyota.

My brakes have failed due to a faulty brake accumulator and brake booster on my 2010 Toyota Prius. I noticed this problem when attempting to come to a stop at a redlight. The brakes felt spongy and unresponsive. I narrowly missed colliding with the car in front of me by swerving onto the shoulder. Toyota previously acknowledged this faulty part but claims that I missed the deadline by 35 days to get it fixed. The repair costs roughly $4,000 which Toyota has refuse do to accept responsibility for. I cannot afford to fix this and believe that it is irresponsible for Toyota to put their profits above the safety of its' customers. I do no this believe that it is ethical to put a deadline on a safety concern of this nature.

Brake failure and car went up curb, knocked down stair rail, hit tree and turned over on side.

I was exiting exit 3 of interstate 91 in new haven CT and was trying slow down and stop but when I applied the brakes there was no response. I pumped the pedal several times but the brakes still failed. I steered the car to the left to avoid directly colliding with the vehicle in front of me and wound up scraping it and crashing into into a barrier. I have since learned that this has been an ongoing problem with the 2010 Prius and am outraged that the company has been willing to gamble with my safety and that of other Prius owners. I do not have the ability to scan documents but the claim number is allstate 0523873875 and the CT state police incident report is 1800537795.

Tl-the contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving another vehicle came in front of the vehicle, the contact quickly depressed the brake pedal, the vehicle started to skid, the contact had to led off the brake to straighten the vehicle to stay in her lane. The contact stated that the anti skid brake failed. The vehicle was not taken to dealer. The contact mention that she had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic for an oil change before the failure and was informed the vehicle was under a recall. The contact called fred anderson Toyota of asheville, 777 brevard rd, asheville, nc 28806, and informed them of a recall on the brake buster pump assembly, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was over the mileage for the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 197,000. Aw.

I've counted at least 30 brake booster/actuator complaints on this site year to date for the same issue on this model year car. Our issue is the same as everyone else. Just under 150k miles, brake, abs and traction control lights came on my daughter's car (we are original owners) as she was driving home from work. Non responsive brakes, only rear brakes engage if you push the pedal to the floor of the car. Took to dealer who diagnosed dtc c1391, accumulator leak malfunction. Our car was not included in original warranty enhancement (manufacture date of 1/2010), so price quoted was $4814. 66. Our daughter cannot afford, so we called Toyota warranty who offered us $2007 as a measure of good will, but no more. This is a serious safety issue, beyond ridiculous that some cars with the same defect had the warranty enhancement program available which paid for the entire repair, yet most others like us were denied the fix and are facing astronomical repair bills that many cannot afford, nor anticipate on a car such as a Toyota. The brakes failed while my 22 year old daughter was driving - that could have gone so very wrong.

Serious issue with the Prius. Brake actuator/brake booster fail. The braking is seriously compromised because of this problem. The dealership says it is known to Toyota, but they will not offer any assistance. When the brake/abs/trac lights are reset the brakes function perfectly for a short period of time and then the lights/problem returns.

As my wife was driving the brakes failed; the pedals went to the floor. She had to swerve to avoid hitting someone. She continue to press the pedals and the car eventually stopped. When I got to her I turned the car back on and tested the brakes. This time the pedals would barely go down and would only stop the vehicles if you went 5 to 10 mph. It rendered the car unusable. I found online that there was recall for 2010 Toyota Prius's but Toyota said my VIN wasn't listed in the recall for an actuator.

My emergency brake has failed. I park on a hil and my car almost went down without me in it , I was getting something out of the back seat when the eb failed, luckily the drivers door was open and I was able to jump in and brake with the normal brakes. Also while braking and going over a bump my brakes fail for a second.

Brake actuator failure. Complete loss of power brake function while driving vehicle on the highway. Currently a warranty enhancement letter covering this issue, but only up to 2009 model Prius, I have a 2010, not covered. This is a huge safety concern as it happened while driving with no indication of trouble beforehand.

Brake booster failure.

The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. While driving 20 mph, the braked pedal was depressed and failed to operate as intended. The contact stated that several warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the brake booster pump failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 13v235000 (service brakes). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

The brake actuator failed on our 2010 Prius iii manufactured in October 2010. Toyota is covering problems with this same brake actuator for 2010 Prius manufactured between March 2009 and early October 2009. My VIN did not fall into that date range even though mine was manufactured in October 2009, so the brake defect should be extended to beyond the early October 2009 manufactured date. The symptoms to this problem were the brake, abs and traction control warning lights came on, no regenerative braking and the braking distance increased.

The contact owned a 2010 Toyota Prius. While driving 45 mph, the anti-lock brakes independently engaged and the power steering and brakes failed without warning. As a result, the contact veered off the road and rolled over several times. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained a concussion, fractured ribs, and several lacerations that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard where it was deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 48,000.

The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. While driving at an unknown speed, the brakes suddenly failed to operate when the brake pedal was depressed. During the incident, the instrument panel lights illuminated and an audible signal was present inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake booster was faulty and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 13v235000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The failure mileage was 98,000.

The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. While driving 35 mph over bumps in the road, the brakes failed to slow down the vehicle. The failure recurred each time the vehicle drove over a bump. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 13v235000 (service brakes). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

Vehicle continued forward with no braking for 2 seconds after applying the brakes. Vehicle did not stop in time to avoid striking the vehicle in front. Front bumper was dented and punctured by striking the trailer hitch on the car ahead. No damage to other car. Brake booster was replaced last year under recall for same problem. Repair has done nothing to correct the problem. The same problem has occured intermittently before and after the "fix". Brakes momentarily fail to activate every so often, with no particular pattern or frequency. Dealer was notified, and stated that unless we can duplicate the problem for them, they cannot provide any repair or assistance. Becoming uneasy about using the car. Will probably trade it in for something different, which is not what we really want. Would like to get it fixed, as we like the car. Not trying to be difficult, but felt that it should be reported.

Tl- the contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the brake pedal had been applied several times and there was an abnormal noise and vibration versus the vehicle coming to a complete stop. The contact had to apply force to the brakes but the failure continued. The dealer was notified several times and was unable to replicate and diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was not available. Dyd.

The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact was driving 10 mph in a parking lot and made a left turn when another vehicle crashed into the front passenger door. The contact depressed her brakes immediately but the brakes failed, causing the contact to drive over a stop sign, a curb and then crashing into two apartment a/c units. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact was awaiting a ruling from her insurance adjuster to determine whether or not the vehicle would be deemed as destroyed. The failure mileage was 50,000.

The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated the brakes failed to engage while driving 55 mph on an exit ramp. The vehicle eventually stopped by depressing the brake pedal with force. The vehicle was driven to the dealer for diagnostic testing which confirmed that the brake power booster pump was leaking internally. The manufacturer advised that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA recall campaign number 13v235000 (service brakes). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 46,000.

As we were driving the car down a hill we began to feel a jerking in the brakes. As we drove onto the ramp to the highway, warning lights and a buzzer went off and the brakes failed. Every 15-30 seconds my husband, who was driving my car at the time, said he had a little bit of braking for a couple seconds, and then he didn't have any brakes again.

The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that when braking to a stop, abrupt force had to be applied to the brakes in order for the vehicle to respond. The vehicle would slide abnormally and there was a decrease in braking distance. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign id number:13v235000 (service brakes) and was serviced however, the failure was not corrected. The manufacturer was made aware of the brake failure numerous times. The vehicle was not fully repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 10000.

If you go over a bump while braking - the brakes fail, and you have to take your foot off the brake and re-apply in order to stop. This has occurred numerous times - and is a serious flaw on this automobile. This car is a fleet vehicle for my company and I have asked peers if this occurs on their cars - and they have confirmed the same experience with their brakes. With all the Toyota recalls - I am unclear why this has not been addressed. . . ?.

The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. While driving approximately 20 mph the contact depressed the brake pedal and it fell to the floor board. The contact was able to avoid crashing into several vehicles he turned onto a sidewalk and hit a street lamp, which then crashed on top of the vehicle, causing extensive damage. A police report was filed. The police officer inspected the vehicle and confirmed the brakes had failed. The vehicle was towed to an auto body shop. The vehicle was included previously in the recall under NHTSA campaign id number: 10v039000 (service brakes, air:anti-lock:control unit/module) and had the recall repairs performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 8,190 . . . . Updated 12/03/12 updated 01/11/12.

When I was pulling into a parking spot, the brakes failed and the vehicle accelerated on its own causing me to run over the cement parking stop and crash into a cement wall. The vehicle then back up from the concussion and accelerated once again causing me to crash twice. I finally came to my senses and shut the vehicle off. I had been noticing the brakes feeling strange prior to this incident. This caused $6,400 in damage. Toyota was alerted, had the vehicle inspected and claim it revealed no evidence of any sort of malfunction or defect. In my heart, I know that is not true. This was a very frightening experience and I dread this happening again.

I am experiencing the same problem as many other 2010 Prius owners. The brakes fail briefly when driving over large potholes located on a grade. I have discussed the problem with a Toyota dealership and was told that they are aware of the problem but until a recall/solution is issued there is nothing that they can do. They told me to brake harder when driving over potholes to compensate for the problem; the brakes, however, do not fail with every pothole. It seems like the potholes have to be a certain size, yet from the driver's seat, it's extremely difficult to judge the size of the pothole and thus if the car will lose braking power. So, slamming on the brakes for every pothole is just as dangerous as not since stopping too quickly can cause a rear-end accident. I live in a city overwhelmed with hills and potholes so this problem happens nearly every time I drive the car. It has gotten to the point where I am fearful to drive my car since I have had several close calls and know that unless this problem is fixed, it will eventually cause an accident. Briefly losing braking power may seem insignificant but until you have actually driven the car and experienced the lack of control the only comparison that I can make is driving on ice. You feel utterly helpless for the time that the car is out of your control, even if it's only a few seconds, during which time you are legally and morally accountable for what your car does or hits. There are plenty of other road hazards and safety concerns, whether or not my car is going to stop when I apply the brakes should not be one of them. I implore you, please investigate this problem and require that Toyota take responsibility for fixing it and ensuring the safety of Prius owners, pedestrians and other drivers. Thank you.

While driving, when vehicle is coasting (decelerating) in eco mode/engine off and brakes are applied under specific conditions such as passing over a man-hole cover or pothole the following ocurrs: car decelerates, as wheel/tire hits an anomoly in the road surface the brakes momentarily fail and the car surges forward as the engine starts. The sensation is a loss of braking force, plus momentary surge in the forward diection. Reaction to this situation is mild panic and overbraking, (literally slamming on the brake pedal). This problem can be recreated faithfully at one road close to a stopsign/intersection. This problem has ocurred for months. Recently (11/30/11) when following a car on this specific road the car stoped abruptly due to an animal jarting into the road. I applied the brakes, brake anomily ocurred and felt I could not stop in time. Avasive driving measures forced me into the on-coming traffic lane to avoid a collision. Toyota unwilling to address this issue at the dealer or corporate.

Sudden loss of braking while slowing down while going over a bump. Apparently the regenerative braking fails, and the car relies on only friction braking when going over a bump. This gives the feeling of brake failure and unintended acceleration, and the only way to prevent an accident is to push hard on the brakes. This happens consistently, and has since the car was new. The Toyota abs ecu flash was performed, and made little or no difference. This is very disconcerting to say the least, and will lead to accidents. Toyota claims that this is the "normal" operation of the abs system - in reality it has nothing to do with the loss of traction. . Read more...