Service Brakes Problems of Toyota Prius - part 1

Brakes had no stopping power. Normally when braking it was smooth. All the lights went on. Toyota dealer confirmed that the brake booster pump assembly and brake master assembly needs to be replaced.

See all problems of the 2013 Toyota Prius 🔎.

My daughter was driving the 2013 Toyota Prius on the interstate in chattanooga, TN. The brakes did not feel right and the car was very difficult to stop. (it did not brake at a normal distance) my daughter was able to get someone safely, and she had the car towed to the dealer. My daughter's life was endangered by this brake booster failure, but there is no recall listed on the vehicle. Also, when I googled the issue, I found that it is a well-known and common problem in this year Prius. The brake booster failure is due to a Toyota design flaw, and Toyota is apparently being sued for it. Why is this issue not listed as a recall? I would not have allowed my daughter to drive around in a car for which the brakes are known to fail. How many accidents and deaths will be caused by this problem before Toyota stands behind their product and recalls affected vehicles? I had to pay $3200 for this brake repair, even though it is caused by Toyota's design flaw and endangered my family's life. My family owns four Toyotas, and I do think they make the most reliable vehicles on the road. I cannot understand why there is not a recall, and they are not standing behind their product.

VIN: [xxx] year/make/model: 2011 Toyota Prius mileage: 87,433 date: 11/4/2025 description sudden 80% brake loss. Loss of abs brake light + abs + traction control lights on dash (photo attached). Known failed brake actuator (c1391) — identical to 500+ complaints in pe19-004. Toyota corporate denied coverage (email attached). This is a safety recall issue — please reopen investigation. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2011 Toyota Prius 🔎.

Brake actuator went out on 2013 Toyota Prius gen 5. The part is very expensive and in my opinion is a part that should not have to be replaced. The care has 120,000 miles. It is driven very softly, meaning not fast and hard but commuting to work and grocery store as needed. A nice commuter. It is not fast but gets you there. The actuator put me at risk as stepping on the brake was hard and the car did not want to stop and I was close to hitting the car in front of me. All the lights came on at the dashboard and I was very scared to continue to drive and had to get a tow truck.

The abs, break, and traction control, suddenly turned on when I was traveling on the freeway in mild traffic. I was traveling at about 60-65 mph. I attempted to use the breaks and could feel a substantial difference in how much and how hard I had to push in order to stop. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer or service center. The vehicle was inspected by my brother in law who works on cars frequently. There were no warning symptoms prior to the problem. The problem first occurred on Saturday November 1st at about 12:30. According to my brother in law, it was the break pump that failed; you can hear air escaping when you push on the break pedal.

See all problems of the 2015 Toyota Prius 🔎.

My 2013 Prius plug-in hybrid with 131k miles on it showed the abs, brake, and traction control lights while driving last week. Diagnostics from auto shop showed dtc code c1391. System is available for inspection upon request. Safety is definitely at risk, since I am needing to drive it around to assess the issue, and brakes could fail at any time. Vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. After speaking to Toyota, I was informed that--although under 150k miles--my car is not covered by the extended warranty because it is 2 years past the 10 year requirement. I drove my car very little between 2020-2022 because of the global pandemic. This is a very common issue with 2012-2015 models caused by a defective part, and it's likely that the problem does not commonly present itself until after the warranty expires.

The brakes suddenly failed in our 2013 Prius v while she was driving with our two young children. It was extremely scary, and very dangerous. Toyota has known about the braking system issues for years but refused to offer a recall to avoid costs. This needs to be immediately addressed.

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.

See all problems of the 2014 Toyota Prius 🔎.

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15-20 mph, the abs, brakes, and the traction control warning lights, and the malfunction indicator light were illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle hesitated to respond while depressing the brake pedal, causing the braking distance to be extended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with an abnormal leak in the accumulator and a leak in the brake booster pump. The dealer determined that the brake master cylinder and the brake booster pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,100.

The brake booster fail and I'm at like 140k. It was very scary when it happen to me today. I press on the brake think it would brake like normal but no. It kept sliding. I felt like I was going to crash. I don't have any paper report on it yet but they are certain it's the brake booster.

Last night, the brakes stopped responding, warning lights came on (abs warning light, brake system warning light, and the slip indicator light). This morning, a local auto repair shop diagnosed the problem as a failed brake booster assembly. This is a safety issue and we have been told we have no option but to pay to replace the entire assembly. The repair shop has contacted the local Toyota dealership, from which we have to purchase the replacement brake booster assembly.

See attachment.

See all problems of the 2019 Toyota Prius 🔎.

Returning from a trip, several brake and skid related dashboard light illuminated. I pulled over and was able to stop the car and took it directly to the Toyota dealership after calling them. Brakes felt very spongy and stopping distance was increased. The dealer informed me that this was a known problem with my model but that I was not eligible for recall or extended warranty. I have also seen a number of complaints of this issue on the internet. The cost to repair the issue was over $4800.

While driving 60 mph in highway, abs, traction control and brake lights lit up and vehicle lost its effective braking power. There were no prior warnings prior to this failure. It was a sudden incident. Since it wasn't rush hour, I could safely reduce speed and bring the car to stop. Situation could have been much different if it was normal hours. After taking the car to dealership, it indicated dtc code 1391, brake assembly failure. The car was fixed at dealership at cost of $3,000. When researched further, it appeared that there is broader pattern of failures. Numerous reports have been made by owners of 2010–2015 Toyota Prius, Prius phv, 2012–2015 Prius v, 2012–2014 camry hybrid, and 2013–2015 avalon hybrid vehicles, all of which share the same brake booster pump assembly design manufactured by advics CO. , ltd. Dealerships, including capistrano Toyota and claremont Toyota in California, have previously petitioned NHTSA regarding this very defect. Their 2019 letter to the agency documented that Toyota: * knowingly excluded hundreds of thousands of hybrids from prior safety recalls (doh 13v-235 and kol 19v-544) despite identical failures. *issued “post-failure” repair programs (warranty enhancements zjb, zkk, zkc, zlm, 20le03, 23te06 and 23te07) only after owners experienced brake failure. * identified the same dtc codes (c1252, c1253, c1256, c1391, u0293) in both recalled and unrecalled vehicles—codes that correspond to accumulator leaks, loss of brake pressure, and failure of brake assist and stability control systems. * admitted through technical service bulletin TSB-0130-19 that these defects caused loss of hydraulic pressure, increased stopping distance, and total loss of brake assist in affected hybrids. In short, the defect pattern across multiple hybrid models is identical to those already recognized by Toyota and NHTSA under prior recall campaigns, but for reasons unexplained, Toyota limited the recall population and left many consumers unprotected.

See all problems of the 2012 Toyota Prius 🔎.

I had my car serviced oct 21 and when I picked it up the vehicle brakes made a whooshing noise and felt spongy. I thought it must be ok as they had just serviced it but when it became apparent this could be a problem I took it back Nov 1 and was told the hydraulic brake booster pump needing replacing at the cost of $3400. I was shocked as they told me it could break completely at any time but the brakes would still work. I decided to drive it home as that is an enormous car repair bill and I would have to get financing or get a different car. I didn't want to make rash decisions. I investigated the issue and found out this was a recall for these vehicles for 2010 through 2019 models. This same dealer did not mention this to me at the time of sale, that they had been subject to a recall, and since I did not have them inspect the car immediately after service (I had to miss work and my son drove me after he was off work and I feared they would close before I arrived so I had them park the car outside and the sales desk had the key). I thought I would drive it but after reflection I do not want to endanger other people if my brakes fail. This is a clear violation of the public trust that these cars are yet on the road.

While driving the 2013 Prius hybrid , the abs , brake light, and traction control lights came on. The brake was rock hard and the car would not stop at the light, causing me to swerve away from the cars in front of me and pull into a nearby parking lot. The brake would not work. There is a constant beeping noise in the car , which is a brake warning. I looked up the problem and just like many other Prius owners, there is a brake booster and brake accumulator issue and Toyota is not owning up to this problem. Many Toyota Prius owners are complaining of this loss of brakes issue. How long until NHTSA forces Toyota to do a proper recall about this very dangerous loss of brakes issue ??? they recalled a few vehicles, but the recall does not seem to cover many Prius vehicle owners that are complaining. Mine has 140 000 miles now, but this part is failing even on cars with 40 000 miles. Toyota knows very well that they have a big serious issue costing upwards of $4000 to fix. They are just refusing to recall this issue. Nhtsa has to address this issue please. They are many complaints about this loss of brakes issue.

Abs, brake and stability lights came on, I have to press all the way down the brake pedal for car to stop.

Traction control. Abs and brake warning lights all came on.

My 2014 Toyota Prius (VIN [xxx] , 77,000 miles) displayed brake, abs, and slip warning lights. A mechanic confirmed failure of the brake booster and pump assembly (dtc c1391). Toyota previously acknowledged this as a safety-related defect under customer support program zjb, but my coverage expired because I never received Toyota’s notice dated may 21, 2019. My car has been undrivable for weeks and Toyota refuses goodwill repair. This is a serious brake safety issue that should be reviewed for recall or extended coverage since many Prius owners have experienced the same failure. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Abs and brake lights suddenly turned on and brake pedal effectiveness changed dramatically. When pressing brake pedal the brakes barely work now. Just got quoted $5161 for abs accumulator repair, $2336 for major suspension concern, and total $8386 estimate for repairs from Toyota service department. I see many similar complaints from Toyota owners online, this seems to be a common issue with Prius vehicles. The kelly blue book value is only $5450 for trade-in and $7318 for sale to private owner, so the repair doesn’t even seem worthwhile given a replacement would be cheaper, and the abs failure happens so frequently in this vehicle, and could happen again.

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.

The contact owns 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the abs, brakes, and the vehicle stability control warning lights were illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake booster and accumulator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall; however, the recall had expired. The failure mileage was 172,000.

See all problems of the 2010 Toyota Prius 🔎.

Emergency brake, traction and abs warning came on and stayed on in addition to a five-second interval cycling on of a motor sound under the hood. O'reilly auto parts and then Toyota dealership confirmed the same code that indicated brake booster assembly needs replacing (c1391) **this is a "known issue" but not yet a recall. Toyota did extend the part warranty to 10 years or 150,000 miles - my vehicle has only gone 85,500 and unfortunately is eight months into the 10th year and Toyota is refusing to cover any portion of the repair. I would like to be part of the effort to have this formally declared a recall because I got the quote today to replace the brake booster assembly and it's going to cost half the value of the vehicle! $4000 is the low estimate bighorn Toyota gave me to do the repair/replacement. Thank you for your help!.

Abs complete and total failure while driving.

Abs brake pump booster and actuator broke and got me almost into an accident. It's a known issue and it's a safety issue because car can still run but the brake is less sensitive. Please get Toyota to honor the repair.

Brake accumulator and master cylinder has failed. All lights for the abs, tsc, and vsc are iliuminated.

Full brake actuator assembly failed. Brakes started responding differently and we became uncomfortable with driving the car. Problem was confirmed by isc. The part has not been inspected, but I will ask them to save the part for me. No, it all happened at once while driving at speed on the freeway.

Codes c1256 and c1391 acc low pressure and abnormal leak of acc press.

See all problems of the 2004 Toyota Prius 🔎.

The ads, traction light, and brake light all came on at once. Apparently this is a known problem with these cars and Toyota was fixing them for awhile but has stopped. No brake issues were reported when I brought it in for inspection in 2023. I never received any mail stating that this was a know defect and I needed to bring my car in to get it inspected. It's obvious to me that Toyota designed a defective part that impacts safety, and is forcing the owner to bear the cost of the fix by creating parameters that can never be met before the warranty expires.

My brakes consistently lock and the car lunges forward. Driving down the highway I tapped my brakes and they didn’t work. I lost traction in the brakes. I had no control over the car or speed. I’m scared everyday I have to drive it. This is extremely dangerous and I've seen this comment often with this vehicle. Toyota said they had an extended warranty for this but it expired. I never received any mail or phone calls stating that this was a known defect. They say they can’t do anything now and are quoting me over $3000 to fix it.

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.

One day after arriving home from work, all the sudden my abs light, brake light and traction control light turned on, my brake pedal being harder to push, and my car making weird humming noises every 5 seconds. Upon taking my 2010 Prius to my trusted repair shop, it was revealed that my break actuator was faulty. I drive on roads that need this part to work! especially in the height of construction going on PA. One of the roads that I take has been milled up and upon driving on that road I nearly swerved onto the side walk 3 times! my breaking has been harsh and with one incident that nearly didn't break in time at all! doing research and looking into the active investigations on this part, it turns out I am one of possible thousands who are dealing with this issue that has all been tied back to the break actuator being faulty which is very expensive to even repair for something that is obviously a poor design.

The Toyota brake booster system failed and is no longer safe to be on the road. The car will no longer brake properly and is a danger to anyone else on the road. It was inspected by Toyota prior. The entire dashboard warning lights for the brake system lit up 2 years ago and has fully failed now.

The brake pedals felt very soft with no resistance and barely had braking power. Was taken to dealership and they said it’s the brake booster which was a common thing on these cars, but there’s no recall to fix it and they won’t replace it.

2012 Toyota Prius. The brake system malfunctioned and my daughter was almost in a wreck. The abs, traction control, and brake warning lights on the bashboard all illuminated at the same time. The brake pedal feels soft and is less responsive requiring more effort to stop the vehicle. The brake actuator assembly is making a hissing noise. Ran a abs test using a scan tool and received a c1391 error code. The code points to a leak within the brake actuator system. Upon research I have found that this is a very common and costly repair that Toyota has known about for many years. Toyota issued a customer support program related to this issue that ran for 10 years or 150,000 miles from the vehicle's date of first use. This car, being a 2012, is beyond the support program. I contacted Toyota, hoping they would do the right thing and cover the repair. I was told that they would not cover the repair or supply the parts to cover the repair. I told the rep. For Toyota that I did not feel like it was fair for Toyota to continue to put millions of drivers at risk for a product that they clearly realize for years now is defective and could hurt or kill someone. The code and the braking issue did not appear until after the customer support program ended and therefore we had no warning or way to anticipate this braking issue or the danger to my daughter and anyone else riding with her in the car or on the roadway near her travel routes. I traveled 300 miles, rented a uhaul car tow trailer and brought the car back home. My mechanic confirmed the code c1391 and the fact that the brake actuator has failed. The mechanic has ordered the parts (the same defective parts) to replace the broken ones. Toyota is still selling the same part as a replacement part clearly knowing that it is not safe and no warning came with the replacement part explaining the potential for a braking issue. Based on internet research this same part is in many 2005 to 2013 Toyota and Lexus.