general problems of the 2012 Toyota Prius - part 1

While driving, the vehicle experienced a sudden brake system malfunction without prior warning or gradual degradation. The vehicle was being operated under normal driving, road, and weather conditions. No recent brake service, repairs, or aftermarket modifications had been performed prior to the failure. Multiple warning lights illuminated on the dashboard, including the abs warning light, brake warning light, and traction control warning light. Shortly after the warning lights appeared, the vehicle began emitting continuous warning beeps. Audible buzzing or pumping noises were also present from the brake system during the malfunction. During this event, brake performance was reduced and braking felt inconsistent. The brake pedal became hard at times and spongy at other times, requiring increased effort to slow the vehicle and resulting in unpredictable braking response. This created a safety concern while the vehicle was in motion. The driver was forced to alter driving behavior and exercise extreme caution due to reduced braking confidence and unpredictable pedal feel. The malfunction has occurred intermittently during normal driving. The condition temporarily resolves on its own and later reoccurs without corrective action. The suspected failed component is the brake actuator / abs actuator assembly. A diagnostic scan retrieved fault codes c1252 (brake booster pump motor on time abnormally long), c1253 (pump motor relay malfunction), and c1256 (accumulator low pressure), which are consistent with brake actuator malfunction. The failure occurred at approximately 154,000 miles. This vehicle model and generation have a documented history of premature brake actuator failures with similar safety-related symptoms reported by other owners. The condition places the driver and others at risk due to unpredictable braking behavior, reduced braking effectiveness, and repeated warning alarms while driving. Warning lamps and audible alerts continue intermittently.

The hybrid system fails to enter “ready” mode with no smr engagement audible from the junction box. Dashboard displays abs, brake, engine, and master warning lights. Obd codes include u0142, u0155, and previously u0073 . Rear brake lights function normally when pedal is pressed. Dealer said to pay 250$ for diagnostic and diagnosed incorrect voltage from brake light switch and quoted $348. 94 to replace, but refused to proceed with open safety recall j0v / 18v684 (NHTSA 18v684000) citing inability to achieve “ready” mode. Recall covers inverter failure leading to loss of motive power. Dealer declined to jump 12v battery or use external power to perform required software update and inverter inspection. Vehicle remains inoperable and poses safety risk due to sudden power loss potential. Component (inverter g9200-47141) available for inspection. Problem confirmed by dealer diagnostics. No police or insurance inspection. Warning lamps appeared after 12v battery replacement three months ago.

Brake getting stuck on the floor would have to press on brake really hard just to get a response, this will happen out of the blue! driving in highway or just driving off the driveway. I almost hit a car in front of me due to lack of brake, I had to swerve to the side! first appear 1 day after buying the car. . This issue needs to be worked on right away.

I am writing to express a complaint regarding the issues I have experienced with the brake system of my Toyota Prius c, 2012 model. For the past several months, I have noticed that the brakes exhibit strange noises, soft pedal sensation, reduced braking efficiency, were driving and the abs, traction, brake, and that other light turned on and the brakes became slow these issues have been observed on multiple occasions and pose a safety risk to myself, other drivers, and pedestrians. I have taken the vehicle for inspection, but the problems persist or have not been definitively resolved. I believe these faults may be related to defects in the braking system, and therefore I request a thorough inspection and necessary repairs at no cost, considering that the manufacturer could be responsible for manufacturing defects.

The accelerator wasn’t pushing down after I turned a corner then the lights in attached photo appeared. The power inverter needs to be replaced and since my car had the j0v software update in 2/2019, and the recall update came out in 3/2019, it was not linked to my VIN as it should’ve been. The update to j0v (attached) should have been posted w my VIN, correct? they are fixing it under customer support but refuse to tow it or give me rental bc they are saying it isn’t a recall issue, when the document below says it applies to all cars that needed j0v. I want to be sure all cars that had recall service before the march2019 update get this update linked to their VIN.

Wednesday morning I went to start my car to go to work. I noticed the brake would not go down. It was difficult to press. I was unable to go to work safely. I brought my car to a mechanic where I was informed it was a faulty brake booster. When I researched online, I saw many many other Toyota owners went through the exact same issue. There is no recall but it’s a huge issue and a a safety problem.

While my daughter was driving brake pedal faded and rear brakes locked up causing her to lose initial control of car . Steering felt tight . Many warning lights , check hybrid system , brake lights , steering warning lights , along with abs lights came on . Took car to Toyota dealer to diagnose it needs brake booster and master cylinder module . Service consultant said known issue with TSB but it had expired . Many , many complaints of this same incident of Toyota and Prius forums .

The hybrid system was shut down while driving. The symptoms are like the description in this recall (NHTSA campaign number: 18v684000). However, my VIN is not on the recall list.

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle lost motive and failed to accelerate above 30 mph. The contact stated that the hybrid system warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 14v053000 (hybrid propulsion system, electrical system) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.

Our 2012 Toyota Prius experienced brake failure due to the accuator and accumulator. I contacted Toyota corporate office, which advised it is a known problem and had a customer support program that expired last year. The Toyota rep advised me to not drive the vehicle because of the brake failure and opened a ticket advising it is a known issue. After researching online, it is a very common issue. . Read more...

In September 2022, my car, a 2012 Toyota Prius v with 79, 056 miles, began making noises in the engine area and the brakes became loose, meaning it took more pressure on the brake pedal to engage the brakes. In November 2022 the following warning lamps on the dashboard came master warning light, brake system warning light and warning buzzer, brake system warning light, abs warning light and slip indicator. I took it to the Toyota dealership near lipton Toyota in ft. Lauderdale, FL, and they diagnosed car with the trouble code of c1391-abnormal leak of accumulator, internal abs actuator failure. To fix this problem, lipton Toyota will charge $3124. 29 for the repair. Toyota motor sales, u. S. A. , inc. Issued a customer support program notification that would cover this repair if the malfunctions happened before coverage ended. Primary coverage was applicable until December 31, 2021 with no year/mileage limitation. Secondary coverage was applicable for 10 years from the vehicle's date of first use or 150,000 whichever occurs first. Date of first use on my Prius v was 03/01/2012 and my mileage is 79k. So as you can see, I am just out of the coverage window. My private mechanic and myself have appealed our case to Toyota that this problem should be a recall with no limits on coverage. (Toyota motor sales, u. S. A. , inc. - case reference # 230206000678) I believe that if I had driven my car more, (which was not done because of the pandemic 2020-2021) this issue would have come up before the cut off date for repair coverage. I also believe that this problem with the brake booster and brake booster pump assemblies on certain 2012-2014 model year Prius v vehicles should be a recall.

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the abs warning light illuminated and the vehicle skidded while depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that the hazard lights independently activated and caused the battery to drain, and the vehicle would stall. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed that there was a customer satisfaction program for the failure, but the customer satisfaction program had expired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

I was driving on the expressway and experienced a sudden loss of power. The internal combustion engine suddenly stopped and did not deliver any power to the wheels. I immediately received a message on the system that said 'check hybrid system stop vehicle in a safe place'. The electric motor still continued to provide some power with the available battery charge. I was able to make it to the shoulder of the road but it was challenging to get to the shoulder with no power or warning and high speed traffic. My wife and I were in the vehicle. The vehicle had no engine or error codes until the failure on the expressway. The vehicle has the code p0a1a and p0a94. This is consistent with the error codes in the NHTSA 19v491000 recall and Toyota safety recalls e0e and f0r.

My breakes failed when driving. I almost got in accident. Code c1391. Brake actuaror failure. Car has 200,000 miles. Toyota is denying to repair the car. It is well known problem with that but still not fixing.

I was driving on highway & the vehicle stopped accelerating as I was pressing the gas. I put my hazards on & got to the side of the road. Then the eps light came on & the dash stopped showing the mph. The ac stopped blowing cold air & the windows were working slow. I turned car off then back on a couple of times then more lights came on. No lights were on prior to this & I haven’t had any problems w the vehicle before this. I just got this car & I feel like it has something to do with a recall but no one wants to take responsibility for the issue.

I am writing to bring attention to a critical safety issue affecting the 2012 Toyota Prius and other Toyota models equipped with the brake booster and actuator system. These components are failing at alarming rates, leaving vehicles with no functional brakes, abs, or traction control. Additionally, this failure compromises the hybrid system due to the regenerative braking no longer working, potentially causing further damage to hybrid components and resulting in repairs costing several thousand dollars. Toyota issued customer support program zjb, which covered these issues for a limited period. This program was in effect from August 31, 2021, with no mileage or year restrictions, but offered secondary coverage for up to 10 years or 150,000 miles from the vehicle’s first use. Unfortunately, my vehicle, with approximately 130,000 miles and 12 years of age, was denied coverage when brought to a dealer after the program had ended. Despite the brake booster and actuator failing, the dealership did not advise me not to drive the vehicle, further emphasizing the gravity of this oversight. This is a significant safety hazard, as vehicles with these failures lack the ability to stop effectively, risking lives on the road. Furthermore, this problem is not isolated to my Prius; it affects thousands of Toyota vehicles equipped with these components. The estimated repair cost exceeds $3,000, an undue burden on owners for an issue that stems from defective manufacturing. I firmly believe Toyota’s decision to address this problem through a limited customer support program, rather than a full recall, is inadequate and irresponsible. This issue meets the criteria for a safety recall and should be treated as such by the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA). I respectfully urge the NHTSA to investigate this matter further ASAP/mandate a recall for all affected vehicles. This is a big safety issue. [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b).

Faulty brake and ecu assembly failure. A safety issue when driving. Was told by mechanic not to drive car as it could suddenly stop. Took car in 9/11/15 for software update for motor generator ecu and power management ecu as recall letter suggested. This is apparently common and needs to be corrected without cost to driver.

On the pasenger side front low beam light if the headlight does not sit correctly it melts the headlight housing and or the headlight is dimmer my damage wiring harness in past dealership blames owner feel like this is a part defect the heat from a bulb should not melt or damage housing assemblies damage was found during a new headlight install.

Bought the car from a dealership in January 2022 with 158,000 miles and heard buzzing noise that I was told was normal with hybrid cars. No codes showing on car and passed dealer inspection. Driving down a highway and heading to a stop brakes are hard to mash and caused skidding. No brake lights or abs lights are on. Couple days later brake lights and traction lights come on and then went back off. Take to tires plus and I am told I have to schedule appointment with Toyota dealer as they do not have the software to diagnose. Take to Toyota dealership to see codes 1391c for brake system. After searching issue there was a recall/customer warranty extension for replacement of this part for 150,000 miles /March 19,2022 whichever comes first. This did not show up on a report for dealer to inspect before selling vehicle and causes a huge safety concern to people that did not own this car before 150,000 miles. If a less experienced driver would not have known to reduce brake pressure applied it could have slid and caused collision or if brakes would have been needed during an emergency situation. Car is now sitting at Toyota dealership and advised not to drive as brake pressure was lowered while being diagnosed. After talking with Toyota they cannot provide assistance due to car being slightly over the 150,000 mile mark. Also if the brake pedal is mashed for an extended period of time the dash lights for brake system and traction control go off and will not come back on until it is driven for awhile.

. The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the abs, brake lights, and traction control warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle had exceeded the 150,000 warranty. The failure mileage was 152,900.

I brought the car to the Toyota dealer already 3 times for the same problem,now happened again,they told me the first time,nothing wrong with the car,and I paid them,the second time nothing wrong they said,the third time they said it’s the 12 v battery has to be replace it,I did replace it,but still the same problem I have,the hybrid system problems ,the Toyota company should fix it ,because it’s something very unsafe it’s happening with my car,please help me to resolve this problem…. . The car drive but stop anytime,I almost have a very bad accident with my daughter on board.

Hi, I have a 2012 Toyota Prius with around 120k miles that is completely inoperable. A local Toyota dealership is charging $3400 to replace both computers, but the more I research the more apparent it becomes that this is directly linked with past issues that were never fully resolved during previous recall attempts. . Read more...

I was driving going 45mph when my car shut off and wouldn't start back up. It almost caused an accident from it stopping in the middle of the highway. The master warning light, brake system warning light, warning buzzer abs warning light and the slip indicator light came on as also the message center reading to have the hybrid system checked immediately. I did have ot towed on for a diagnosis and it came back saying I needed a new inverter power module this will cost $2000 . I cant afford that. I read all over the internet how there is. Safety recalls. When I called Toyota they said there are no recalls so now im stuck paying this. Not happy at all!!! if there are anymore 2012 Prius with this problem please write a complaint so we can get this on recall and have the company cover the cost of repair.

I was driving with my daughter as always,then the car put on the screen hybrid system problems and the car stop running…. . I almost had an accident,I took the car to Toyota dealer and the charged me to fix it ,but the didn’t fix the problem,this is something that Toyota company should fix it before something bad happen while driving ??.

I was driving with my 10 year old son on local city streets. I was approaching a busy intersection while going approximately 35 miles when my car just turned off with an error message about the hybrid system failing. I stopped the car and put it in park while trying to turn the car back on, but I kept getting the same hybrid system error message. While the stoplight was red, I got my son out of the car and over to the sidewalk because this was a dangerous situation where anyone not paying attention could've slammed into my stalled car (see picture of black Toyota Prius). I called aaa to get it towed. About 20 minutes later, a cop car pulled up to block my stalled car and then got it pushed to the side of the road (picture attached) because of how dangerous it was sitting there blocking traffic at a major intersection. My car was taken to cabe Toyota dealership where they diagnosed it with a failed ipm card, which would cost around $4,000 to replace. I did a simple google search and found that 80,000 Prius from 2012 - 2014 have been recalled for this exact reason. There have also been class action lawsuits surrounding this ipm failure due to its extreme safety risks to anyone inside a car that will just die in the middle of driving it, especially when their fail-safe system does not get triggered with this particular ipm failure. As of right now, the car is available for inspection because it's still at cabe Toyota. The invoice shows that the ipm card needs to be replaced. There were not any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to the car shutting off while driving it. It had been running just fine.

Found car tampered with cut in carpet under driver seat to check battery maintenance per Toyota owner manual where hybrid battery was not receiving charge , was running hot unknown person impersonated me registered my VIN to enroll with Toyota upgraded software app entune version not with purchase is a 2021 software version with parental like controls, I took to Toyota dealerships below for assistance , new battery and hybrid faulting losing charge, car does not provide hybrid fault notice , loses charge , uses little gas , I researched on side of road to rest throttle and work around as I was driving it could have lost all power and stalled per recall notice needed hybrid software update ran dr Prius app and finding recalls serviced at Toyota chambers burg PA are coding j0v issue w/inverter not completed and additional engine & battery codes almost causing my car to not enter fail safe mode hybrid battery almost fully discharged as approaching bay bridge service notes from fitzgerald day there were no issues specific repair request was for diagnostic report of car hybrid battery and sensor check, they claim no issue only repair was replaced fob key although car at location 10 days, missing fuses found upgrade causes car to get 2-4mpg and burn battery hot/discharge without any dash or other warnings from car safety recall notice no. 18v-684 are indicative of car symptoms since incident easton MD Toyota service, arlington va koons, hagerstown MD Toyota and chambers burg refused to provide diagnostics chambers burg held car did not perform service claiming no issues but noted cut carpet under driver seat above hybrid air vent battery cool/ intake problem still an issue no Toyota will run diagnostics -.

2012 Prius c sudden inverter failure caused car to stall on busy street, putting driver at serious risk. Car is well maintained newer model with moderately low mileage and no prior issues. Car is no longer operable until inverter is replaced. Toyota has had prior lawsuits, complaints and recalls due to inverter failure. My specific VIN was not included in recall, but same incident occurred as described in recall bulletins posted by Toyota and complaints on NHTSA. Gov website. Toyota refuses to include my VIN under recall.

There has been a safety recall on my vehicle for the years 2004-2009 models of the Toyota Prius, but my model year is 2012 and I have the exact same issue. 1) my check engine light comes on and off and it appears to be the hybrid electric water pump issue related to the coolant. The cap pops off and spills out. 2) when the light comes on, I am assuming the car is starting to overheat and is putting myself and my 3 year old daughter at risk as this is the primary car we use to transport her. We have just stop taking her out at all due to this issue. When the car overheats, I pull over and it can be risky as sometimes, I am on the highway or local streets. I do not want this issue to cause problems for other other drivers as well while I am trying to pull over where ever I am. 3) the problem as I stated above has been acknowledge by you and Toyota but just for 2004-2009 models. 4) the problem has not been inspected by Toyota, the police, or third party. I have been the only person checking the car and I am using a diagnostic check engine light tool to read the code and looking under the hood to find the coolant pump leaking and popped out just as indicated in the recall for other models. 5) yes, the check engine light and high temperature light goes on and off. The issue first appeared around November of 2020.

Jtdzn3eu5c3162974 car does not starts stalling does not lock or unlock does not respond to key fob does not respond power button or start button makes some kind of noise with all lights blinking.

Toyota Prius v 2012 lost power as I was driving out of the parking lot. I had to make emergency stop on the side of the road because inverter/electric motor failed. Mechanic ran computer test and found that problem codes indeed pointed to failure of inverter. I called local dealer mccord Toyota and was told my car does not fall to extended warranty of inverter and did not offer any help. Same day I called Toyota customer care at 1-800-331-4331 and they told me that my car does not fall under inverter warranty based on my VIN number, and gave me case number 2005072419. I was able to call my insurance company to arrange towing from my location to repair shop. Repair shop completed work and vehicle is now in operable condition. I feel lucky that I was not on freeway and did not have my children with me when it happened.

I have never received a recall mail regarding the car. I used an insurance tracking plugin, and all the problems started. Pcs error message on my dashboard, due to a leak in brake booster they said. My dealership will not tell me it's a recall, made it seem like they helped me instead of charging as high as $4000. I was not given a loaner car for the 4days they had my car, and did not get any refunds for the rental car I got.

The engine caught fire while sitting in my garage. I had driven it for a few hours doing deliveries for a store and parked it in my garage around 2:30pm. About 1. 5 hours later, my wife was coming home and opened the garage door and saw smoke above the hood of my car and then a few seconds later it burst into flames. I believe that it was smouldering for a while and the gust of wind when the big garage door opened gave it the extra push to ignite. The car was bought used and had a front end accident prior to my purchasing it so the electrical system could have melted and started the fire but the inspector that Toyota sent did not give me any copy of his report. It is a 2012 model. I bought the car in 2014, and had it for about 5 years until this happened and completed burned up the car and all the contents of my garage. I had a t-mobile sync-up module in the obd port and it recorded a drop in voltage from around 12 to 5 volts at the time of the fire which I believe was transferred to my phone when I was near it.

My 2012 Prius v started showing the warning lights for brakes, abs, anti-skid and engine lights. This happened while driving on a regular road. Brakes still work but feel spongy. Scanned for codes and it says c1391 which requires replacing all the main brake components. The cost is over $3000 because so many parts involved. There's seems to have been a recall for other models of Prius but the �v� not included. Many v owners have experienced this problem. All the parts shown in the attached picture need to be replace cause Toyota doesn't know or can't figure out where the problem is. Car only has 68,000 miles on it.

On June 5th, 2019, I took my car in to round rock Toyota and they performed the 2018 Toyota Prius v recall fix. Since then, my mpg has gone from an average of 41 miles per gallon, which has stayed consistent since I purchased the car brand new in June 2012, down to 32 mpg. I took the car back to round rock Toyota for a diagnosis on sept 30, 2019 and they said that they cannot find anything wrong, there are no error codes, and that my now greatly reduced 32 mpg fell within Toyota standards. I am writing to file a complaint that their 2018 recall for the Toyota Prius v has a problem and needs to be revisited or the vehicles should be taken off the road. I am CO-filing a complaint with the epa as well.

Takata recall from the date of purchase, vehicle performed unpredictably. I took my car to the Toyota dealership and they found that the hybrid battery needed to be replaced. When I drive 45 mph, the vehicle will stall and all indicator illuminate on the instrument panel. In the middle of the road, the car will stall. Toyota does not stand by their product. My car goes completely dead. Every warning light turns on and its blinking.