Electrical System Problems of Toyota Prius - part 1

A 2026 Toyota Prius was delivered to me on or about February 5, 2026 while subject to an active federal safety recall involving a rear door electrical switch defect. The recall indicates that water intrusion into the rear door switch can cause an electrical short circuit which may allow a rear door to open while the vehicle is in motion. At the time of delivery, there was no remedy available for this recall. The recall had been announced on January 28, 2026 and was active in both the manufacturer’s system and NHTSA recall lookup at the time the vehicle was leased. Despite the active recall and lack of remedy, the vehicle was delivered for use. The safety risk is that a rear door could open unexpectedly while driving, potentially creating risk of passenger ejection or injury to other motorists. No failure has yet occurred, but the vehicle was delivered under active recall without repair. This complaint concerns delivery of a new vehicle while subject to an unrepaired federal safety recall.

Brake booster is not working.

See all problems of the 2014 Toyota Prius 🔎.

Vehicle has an active safety recall where the rear hatch may open while driving. Manufacturer states there is no remedy until August 2026, making the vehicle unsafe to operate. I am still making loan and insurance payments on a vehicle that cannot safely be used due to the recall. ”.

See all problems of the 2025 Toyota Prius 🔎.

The recall (number 26v049) is a serious safety concern, however the dealer states there is no remedy available despite a clearly described available remedy ("Toyota dealers will modify the left and right rear door switch circuits free of charge, to prevent the switch from activating even if it is shorted. ").

Brake master cylinder failure.

See all problems of the 2013 Toyota Prius 🔎.

I was driving my car at over 70 mph on a highway, no check engine, no issues, just had oil changed when check hybrid system alert came on with check engine light. I started to change lanes to get to shoulder when my car just died, completely. It died in the middle of the highway merging with another major road, so I was stuck between 2 lanes of 70mph traffic on either side. The time to react to the sudden warning to my car dying was less than 2 minutes. I quickly called 911 to ask for help and was told someone had already reported my breakdown as well because my car had died in a horribly dangerous area. I was very lucky that a state trooper came quickly and blocked off my car until it could be towed for repair. I was told that I need a new hybrid battery. The fact that I had no signs of failure before complete shut down makes for a very dangerous driving situation and makes me second guess ever buying a Prius again.

See all problems of the 2011 Toyota Prius 🔎.

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Prius. While attempting to start the vehicle using the push to start feature, the vehicle made a loud screeching sound. The contact drove the vehicle to a dealer, where the failure was diagnosed as a failure with the data control unit (dcu). The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

See all problems of the 2022 Toyota Prius 🔎.

My Prius suddenly malfunctions and goes berserk randomly. No other way to describe it. I've taken it into the dealer twice, and I'm not confident I'm driving a safe car. I've not done anything to the car and it has not been in an accident. It's unclear why it does it. When it has an episode it is not safe to drive, won't turn on and won't turn off. The alarm goes crazy. Nothing works, all the dash lights turn on. I have videos. This has happened about five times and I've been called back from the dealer to pick it up. I"m not confident it is safe to drive, and I don't think Toyota is taking my concerns seriously. The vehicle has about 7400 miles and is otherwise pristine. All service is up to date. It is a lease.

See all problems of the 2024 Toyota Prius 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2012 Toyota Prius 🔎.

The brake system malfunctioned suddenly. While driving and while stopped, the brake pedal became very hard and braking behavior became unpredictable. The vehicle sometimes brakes aggressively and other times requires excessive pedal force to stop. The abs and brake warning lights illuminated. The vehicle no longer provides normal braking assistance. This issue is related to a failure of the brake actuator / brake booster, which is a known issue affecting Toyota Prius models from 2010 to 2015. This defect creates a serious safety risk, as braking performance is inconsistent and may increase stopping distance or cause loss of control during emergency braking situations. The vehicle has not been repaired yet because the cost is very high and the manufacturer has declined assistance despite this being a known safety-related defect.

Brake actuator failure requires actuator and master cylinder replacement. All dash lights came on while driving. The vehicle was diagnosed at brian easler Toyota in hendersonville north carolina. The brakes are still operational temporarily but spongy and expected to fail so the car is not drivable. I expect to have the actuator and master cylinder replaced in then next few weeks at a cost of $5600. I see there were previous recalls on the braking system that have now expired.

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.

The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Prius v. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the brake light, tire pressure, traction control, battery, and other warning lights were illuminated. While attempting to depress the brake pedal, there was more resistance than normal, making it difficult to slow the vehicle. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the nearest mechanic; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was then taken to the residence. The vehicle was taken to another certified mechanic, who diagnosed and determined that the brake master cylinder and actuator assemblies had failed. The brake master cylinder and brake actuator assemblies were in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 220,000.

The two outside rear view mirrors on the 2026 Prius have an adjustment problem. When attempting to adjust them they will freeze (won't move), move intermittently, and jerk. The Toyota dealer told me that it is a known problem and all 2026 Priuses have the same problem. He further informed me that Toyota is aware of the problem. He went to another new Prius on the dealership lot and found that its outside rear view mirrors do the very same thing. This is a serious safety issue and the manufacturer should address and remedy it. Toyota nor the dealership have a fix for this problem.

2013 Toyota Prius v. 64,000 miles and abs light is on also vsc warning light and brake light. There has been many issues with this type of vehicle as I researched on internet. I didnt know there has been a recall on this vehicle. And I did not make it time. 10 yrs or 150,000 k whichever comes first. Many other vehicles this year have this problem its common. . I cannot brake in time because now its using my back brakes. Dealership said brake booster pump and brake master cylinder.

Abs complete and total failure while driving.

My 2013 Toyota Prius has a failed inverter/converter assembly, including the intelligent power module (ipm). This component is critical for vehicle operation and designed to last the life of the car. Premature ipm shorting and inverter failure is a known defect acknowledged by Toyota through multiple recalls and service campaigns for other vins with the same part number. My vehicle is giving codes p0a94 and p0a1a which are also listed in the recalls for other Prius models of similar age. My vehicle experiences the same failure, yet Toyota has denied goodwill coverage, claiming “insufficient service history. ” routine maintenance like oil changes and brake inspections does not affect this component, making the denial unreasonable. There is nothing to service on the inverter. This defect poses a serious safety risk, sudden inverter failure caused total loss of power while driving and loss of power steering, it was difficult to pull my car off the road. This poses a danger to drivers, passengers, and others on the road. Toyota’s exclusion of my VIN from coverage leaves me financially responsible for a known safety defect. I request NHTSA to investigate Toyota’s handling of inverter/ipm failures, the denial of goodwill assistance for affected vins, and ensure that Toyota addresses this life-threatening defect consistently across all affected vehicles instead of narrowing the scope on who gets coverage when this is a dangerous electrical malfunction.

Got the warning code for c1391 for the brake booster. It failed at 140k miles but because it failed past the 10 year mark did not qualify for the Toyota extended warranty program. I don't think the warranty program is good enough and should be addressed as a recall. I had sudden total brake failure on the highway which could have been extremely deadly.

See all problems of the 2015 Toyota Prius 🔎.

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the left turn signal was activated, however, the left turn signal failed to function as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the four-way flashers failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a computer failure. The contact was informed that an unknown part needed to be replaced, or an unknown software update was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 143,500.

See all problems of the 2005 Toyota Prius 🔎.

Randomly, the car have a delay of approximately 2 seconds when I hit the gas pedal. It happened multiple times, 2-3 times per day. The gas pedal can pe pressed to the floor, it won’t react. After 2 seconds or so it will react and drive normally. I noticed this is happening when the car is in ev mode ( I’m either stopped at red light, or I’m slowing down a bit/taking a turn. This is a hazardous situation and very dangerous.

The hybrid braking systems on Toyota Prius' manufactured from 2010-2015 had a serious failure of the hybrid braking system that had additional long term warranties to repair, but never recalled in order to save the money from a total recall. The sloan Toyota dealership in glenside knew before I purchased the 2013 Toyota Prius I purchased that a serious brake system failure was very probable with my car but failed to tell me. If they did, I would not have purchased the car. I had the 5000 mile oil change in early August and three days later after the service and a clear 25 point inspection, and the system failed. I want full reimbursement or just pay for the repair.

On August 15, 2025, I was backing my vehicle when the rear view camera screen went blank, providing no image of what was behind me. With no warning and no image, I collided with a rock and landscape, causing damage to the rear of my vehicle. At the time of this incident, my vehicle had an open, unrepaired safety defect under safety recall 25ta13, which specifically addresses the condition that the rear view camera image may freeze or not display while reversing. I was not aware the recall existed at the time of my accident, and the recall remedy was not completed on my vehicle until February 12, 2026 — nearly six months after the incident. I filed a claim with Toyota motor north America. They inspected the vehicle on February 11, 2026, found the camera functioning at that time (after the recall had since been remedied), and denied my claim. They cited owner's manual language advising drivers not to rely solely on the backup camera, but did not address the fact that the recall was unrepaired at the time of the accident. Additionally the parking collision warning and automatic braking should have engaged. The rock impacted the car right near one of the car cameras. . . . So the collision warning and braking should have engaged. I am filing this complaint because I believe the unrepaired recall directly caused my inability to see behind my vehicle, and that Toyota's delay in notifying me and completing the remedy contributed to this incident. I am requesting that NHTSA review whether Toyota's notification and remedy timeline for recall 25ta13 was adequate, and that this incident be added to the record of complaints associated with that recall.

Front door locks defective. Remote control doesn’t open the doors, even after replacing battery in key fob. It started with the driver door and now the passenger door doesn’t lock or unlock.

See all problems of the 2023 Toyota Prius 🔎.

While driving, one spot on the left side of my steering wheel suddenly got very hot. There are now two small circular indentations where the steering wheel covering has melted. This has happened at least 3 times in the last week or so. I have scheduled service on 8/4/25 at my local Toyota dealership (vineland, NJ) to check it. I am not parking it next to my house in case it decides to catch fire. My vehicle was involved in a collision back in may 2024 and was fixed by caliber collision vineland-xd 3181 s delsea dr vineland, NJ. Both driver's side and passenger's side front fenders had some damage, and the hood was pushed a bit from the passenger's side to the driver's side. Was not moving fast, maybe 5 mph, when hit by someone driving at an unsafe speed. Maybe that and loosened a wire, maybe not. Reporting due to fire possibility.

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.

Failure of the intelligent power module (ipm) within the inverter assembly.

The odometer on my 2004 Prius stops at 299,999. This is a known problem in the 04-05 models that was corrected in 2006. Leaves me unable to track miles for maintenance and other uses. This also has the problem with the entire digital dash going dark which means no speedometer or gas gauge. Making the vehicle almost unable to be driven safely at this point. I have reached out to Toyota and they verify that it was an issue with this year range but because I have owned it too long they don't do anything about it.

See all problems of the 2004 Toyota Prius 🔎.

I purchased my 2015 Prius c in July of 2016. Since then I have consistently had issues with the lock actuator going out on various doors. As follows: 3/12/18 - driverside 6/13/18 - passenger front 8/3/20 - driverside 8/5/22 - rear driverside 12/16/22 - passenger front 3/14/23 - driverside and now in July of 2025 the driverside actuator is failing, again. The previous times were covered by my warranty, but that ended in 2023. My car is also kept in a garage. The dealership attempted to blame this issue on the elements, but come on. . . If that was the case, this would be happening to all sorts of various cars, and it's not. This is an issue for a variety of reasons, one being I am unable to access getting into my vehicle with the door lock that is not working. I currently have to go to my passenger side and crawl over to unlock my driverside door. If I needed to get into my car quickly, I would be out of luck. This is ridiculous as this is the seventh time a lock has gone out - making it about every year and a half that a lock needs to be replaced - and the 4th time for my driverside. How is this not a recall issue???.

Brake booster that was a recall that Toyota said expired in 2020 when I bought the vehicle and the Toyotal dealer didnt inform me of the recall to fix it said everything was fine when it was not, I had a DC inverter sensor brake booster issues and now it ills off my 12volt battery every time I put one in lasts about 1 mth, upset dealer never told me this wjhen took in tel me any recalls or probelms, they said none, they lied to me. It kills off my 12volg agm batteries in the last 7 mths been having braking booster issues problems grrr,,, noise all the time when the car is off too, its killing off my hybrid system and my temathetics module is having issues too because of all this and evey battery I put in the car, I want the ntc gov to have toytota recall fix these problems with my car and not expire the recall they had in 2020 cause now I cant fix my car cause of it, I was lied to by the lavista Toyota dealer that it has no probblems in 2020 of August when I bought it no recalls and this recall could have been fixed if they would have been honest. Unexpire the recall on my brake booster and my DC inverter and sensors probelms killing off my new batteries all the time. Call me right away or email me about this, its a urgent matter life or death situation with this car, since the brakes are failing and I have to drive it every day and Toyota mfg or dealer wont fix cause says expired recalls cant fix it.

See all problems of the 2010 Toyota Prius 🔎.

2013 Toyota Prius v has 3 recalls for the same issues but my VIN # says there isn't any recalls associated with it. I need help. It stalled on me on my way home from work luckily not on the high way now it's throwing code c1310 c1259 c1241 it won't crank all it does is click. I replaced 12v batterychecked all connectors.

We were driving on a city street about 25-30mph and the car jerked suddenly and the lights on the dashboard illuminated and the "check hybrid system" message came up as well. The car was able to coast to a nearby parking lot. We attempted to drive the car home and the car stalled in the middle of the street. We were able to push the car off the road and then get it towed. The presented a potentially very dangerous situation as the car had a complete failure while driving in the middle of the road. The Toyota service department ran a diagnosis which returned dtc p0a94. All of this indicates that the car should be covered under the customer confidence program 23te03 however that program seems to only cover the 2010-2015 Prius and 2011-2017 Prius v models and not the Prius c. There are several reports of this same issue happening on the Prius c as well though so it doesn't make sense that it is not covered.

I recently took my vehicle to the dealership because all the hazard lights on the dash came on. They diagnosed it as an issue with the inverter water pump and suggested that the engine was overheating, which was causing the hazard light to appear on the dashboard. So I had them replace that part and everything was fine. A week later, I went to drive to work and my entire dashboard was out. My radio, clock, blinkers, and brakes worked, but I could not see the speedometer, gas gauge, odometer or any other dashboard features. When I tried to restart the car, it wouldn't turn off. I tried several times and even got my husband to try. When we couldn't turn it off, I drove blindly straight to the dealership. They diagnosed the issue as being a problem with the combination meter. Recently, I found out that there was a customer support program through Toyota that replaced the combination meter in my same car model. This service expired in 2017. I got the car in 2020-21. Thankfully I was home, and was able to follow my husband to the dealership. I'm not sure what I would've done if this happened while I was out. I am also have traction issues with the brakes. When I try to brake on a slope or incline, the glide hazard lights come on. It's happened several times when it's raining, but it's been happening more when it's not. I typically give enough space between myself and the car in front of me, but it's concerning that the brakes lock up when I'm on any type of sloped surface.

See all problems of the 2008 Toyota Prius 🔎.

The vehicle stalled while driving 35 to 45 mph. Engine had no power but the brakes and power steering worked.

I have have 2 problems, both was recalls, but this one they say expired in 2021 when I bought the car and Toyota dealer didnt tell me had recall so I could fix it before it expired. There is a class action lawsuit in the brake booster, master cyclinder actuator abs pump fialing loosing brakes making grrr noises leaking all brake fluid out continously dangerous to drive can cause bad accident wreck since I drive down the hwy alot and this is the only car I have to drive, I also have DC inverter module /sensor that is killing off 3 batteries now that I installed in 3 months, and Toyota dealers wont fix unless it shows error but its a recall so since problen should fix this recall but wont pay for it to fix it even though it a recall right now that is not expired. Im upset 3 dealers wont do it unless then charge me to do it. When Toyotal mfg take it to any dealer and they will fix free but no one will do it. Toyota mfg needs to make these dealers fix these 2 recalls on this car that can kill me and my passengers and anyone on the road that I could hit by not haivng controll brakes or the hybrid system shuttong completely down and could even kill a pedestrian with these 2 recalls that dealers wont fix but mfg said they need to everyone with these cars I see are having these same problems. Need make the Toyota mfg and dealers fix these free of charge before more people get killed injuried or cause more accidents ,.

Toyota issued a recall with a limited time for Prius brake booster/actuator failures. This issue is known to present brake failures and necessarily place drivers, passengers, and pedestrians at risk in the case of such brake failures. Toyota made no effort to proactively remedy this problem and further neglected customer safety by excluding Priuses with the same manufacturing issue from the recall, under its 10 year 150,000 mile requirement. Whether or not the Priuses have been driven 150,000 miles or 10 years the nature with which the malfunction presents represents a safety for any driver.