Service Brakes Problems of Toyota Prius - part 2

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

See all problems of the 2013 Toyota Prius 🔎.

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

See all problems of the 2012 Toyota Prius 🔎.

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).

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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!.

See all problems of the 2015 Toyota Prius 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2011 Toyota Prius 🔎.

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.

The brake and pre collision system suddenly fail without warning.

On or around 9/13/25 my abs, brake, traction and emergency sign sensors turned on in my 2015 Toyota Prius. I noticed that my brakes became squishy and when I drove, it took longer for my car to brake (there was more distance in my braking ability to stop the car). My car also felt a bit more airy than it usually does when I drive it. I took it to 2 independent car repair shops for a diagnostic and both told me that the abs c1391 code came up. Soon thereafter, I took it to a local Toyota dealership for a diagnostic and was given the abs c1391(code) abnormal leak in the accumulator. The Toyota mechanic informed me that that when he did the diagnostic, the TSB 0024-19 code came up on his end, which means that Toyota alerts their mechanics of the necessary procedures to implement for this problem, as it's a known Toyota problem and defect: 1) remove & replace the brake booster assembly w/the master cylinder (apparently the master cylinder goes out too since they're connected) and 2) remove and replace the brake booster assembly pump. Toyota's estimate to repair it is $4,404. 72; I can't afford this and need a car. It's my only car! I did research and learned that this is a known Toyota issue for Prius (2010-2015) and a customer support program w/an extended warranty was issued to cover the full cost. Despite this, their extended warranty expired for me on 12/29/24, despite me meeting the other 10 yr or 150k or less mileage criteria. Despite filing a complaint with Toyota's resolution center they refused to extend or offer warranty or any payment for a known Toyota defect, saying my issue was "after the extended warranty date" and there "isn't a recall. " I'm disgusted to say the least about this, as Toyota is well aware of this car part defect which is a safety hazard and liability for its customers. Something must be done about this. It's unfair and not equitable to have loyal Toyota customers absorb the cost of known safety hazard defects by Toyota and risk lives.

Upon inspection, our mechanic determined that the master cylinder assembly and the actuator assembly require replacement (error code c1391). It is currently available for inspection, but will need to be repaired soon. Our safety and the safety of others is at great risk, because there is impending brake failure if driven and the end result could be catastrophic. On 09/13/25, the brake, traction control, abs and ((!)) lights came on about 10 minutes from home. We drove home, parked the car and did not drive it again until we took it to our mechanic on 09/15/25. During this incident, the brakes failed to respond properly, which could have led to a serious accident. We took the car to a local mechanic and repairs are currently pending. The estimated cost for the necessary parts is approx. $3,000 and the labor costs are estimated to be between $1,100 and $2,000. Our local Toyota dealership was also contacted and they confirmed the presence of code c1391. Please reference Toyota service bulletin pol18-03, which addresses issues related to the braking system in certain Toyota models, including the Prius v. This bulletin indicates that various brake system-related warning lamps may illuminate due to internal malfunctions within the brake system, and it outlines affected parts that may require replacement. Additionally, please reference Toyota customer support program 20te07, which provides extended coverage for certain brake system repairs. It is concerning that, despite this well-known, very serious problem, Toyota has not issued a recall. While our vehicle currently has 116,975 miles, we are aware that the warranty period ended 10 years from the first date of use or 150,000 miles. However, this malfunction not only endangers our safety, but also that of other drivers on the road. We urge the NHTSA to investigate this matter thoroughly and consider the implications for a potential recall for this model, because Toyota is well-aware of this issue.

I turned left into a parking space in my 2020 Prius. I stepped on the brake, and my car shot forward. I couldn't stop it, and it hit a concrete pole. It only took 1 second. It seems Toyota hybrids are still having this unintentional acceleration despite a multi billion dollar law suit in the early 2010's. My car was towed and is awaiting inspection by my insurance company. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2020 Toyota Prius 🔎.

I have a 2013 Toyota Prius with 164,000 miles. A mechanic confirmed that the master cylinder and brake booster are failing and are not covered since warranty expired 14,000 miles ago. I have heard this is a common issue with this vehicle. Traction light, brake light and abs light are all on. The earring lights go on and off.

My 2022 Toyota Prius (approx. 12,500 miles) suddenly displayed multiple warning lights while driving, made abnormal noises, and lost the ability to move. The vehicle remained powered on but could not drive and had to be towed to a Toyota dealership. The dealer diagnosed a failed brake booster with master cylinder assembly and quoted ~$4,230 for repair. This is a safety-critical component that should not fail at such low mileage. Toyota has previously acknowledged premature brake booster failures in earlier Prius models (2010–2015) and issued customer support program pol18-03, extending coverage to 10 years/150,000 miles for the same component. I believe my 2022 Prius experienced the same type of defect, but Toyota refuses assistance. A sudden failure of the brake booster system while driving poses a serious crash and injury risk.

See all problems of the 2022 Toyota Prius 🔎.

On [xxx] at [xxx] I was backing out of a driveway when my 2016 Prius v5 accelerated on its own. When I applied the brakes, nothing happened. I hit a curb, which flattened the front passenger tire. In order to get the car to stop, I took it out of gear and put it in neutral. The car finally came to a stop. My speed while backing out of the driveway was less than 5 mph. It accelerated to about 15 mph. I was told that because the tire flattened due to the force of impact with the curb, Toyota considered it an accident. Toyota had me complete an "unintended acceleration" form so they could investigate the situation. A case number ([xxx]) was assigned. I was also told that I needed to contact Toyota's brand engagement center at (800) 331-4331. Toyota assigned engineering analysis associates (eaa) to perform a thorough inspection and read out the event data recorder (edr) of my vehicle at findlay Toyota. Anne chapman with eaa did the inspection and sent a copy of the report to me on 09/15/25, the day of the inspection. She suggested that I keep the copy because I may need it if I needed to contact an attorney. My insurance company, usaa, sent an adjuster to examine the extent of the damage. Findlay collision center completed the repairs on 09/26/25, which cost $3,433. 92. The accelerator nor the brakes were addressed. On 10/09/25, Toyota provided a response to the incident: they were not at fault. They claimed operator error. Unintended acceleration and unresponsive brakes have been an issue with Toyota's in the past. At that time, instead of fixing the problem, they told dealerships to educate their buyers on how to take the car out of gear. Approximately one week after picking up my car from the repair shop, the vehicle accelerated on its own again. Fortunately, the brakes worked this time. Because I felt very unsafe, I got rid of the car shortly after that incident. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2016 Toyota Prius 🔎.

The brake booster system failed two weeks after the Toyota customer confidence program for that condition ended and they will not reimburse me for a $3000 repair. I knew there was a problem because all the dash lights came on at once while we were driving on a highway. I had it towed away to be repaired and it was found that the brake booster system was failing. Had I ignored it or not acted as immediately as I did the brakes could have failed while the car was in use and hurt or killed me or someone else. They should issue a recall for this condition and fix it for Prius models that still need it and they should reimburse me.

When test driving the vehicle I asked about this buzzing/ whirring noise while sitting in the running but parked car. I was told these cars are hybrids, the electrical components make all sorts of whirring and humming noises and not to be concerned. Over the years I heard this noise, increasingly more and more, but I never knew it was something to pay attention to. Fast forward to July 2025. I noticed the car is inching forward while I’ve been stopped for a while at a red light almost like the brakes don’t want to hold. This has been happening so often that I have began to put the car in park while waiting for lights to turn green because it gets painful having to push the brake so far down. I take my car to a mechanic, explain all of the noises and the sensations and two mechanics drive it but say it feels fine and there are no recalls. They say my front brake pads are low and that must be what I’m feeling. After replacing the brake pads nothing had changed. Now there is also a squeak while moving at a slow speed in stop and go traffic. 1 week later I bring it up while getting an oil change and ask if they know what it could be. They said brakes seemed fine. A couple weeks go by and yesterday while I was driving down the highway in heavy school traffic out of nowhere my car makes a clunk noise and all of these lights pop up on the dash. I roll the windows down and scream for my children to hold on because something was wrong. Luckily we were able to get to safety but I definitely had reduced breaking capabilities. I immediately take the car in and and find out my brake booster and accumulator has failed. Service tech brings up the consumer program but my car is a 2013 and it is not eligible to be repaired bc it’s 10+ yrs. Even though Toyota admits to internal malfunctions of the brake booster assembly, and my car is only at 76,000 mi it’s not being fixed. This is negligence on Toyotas part. Not fixing these faulty parts is endangering lives.

I have a 2014 Prius v with 92,000 miles. My anti-skid, brake and abs idiot lights went off approximately 1 week ago. (August 25, 2025) scheduled an appointment at my Toyota dealer (September 3, 2025) and was told there was an abnormal leak in the accumulator and that the brake booster pump and brake pump assembly needed to be replaced. Cost $5715. Not related to the brakes, but they also said I had to replace the rear shock absorbers as they are leaking and needed to be replaced and then realigned. Cost $1363. This should have been a recall not a mileage or 10 year limit.

I have a Prius v 2012, and the lights for abs turned on and when I checked on internet Toyota was repairing the part for 150k miles and 10 years but this is a safety feature my car is now at 149922, and while I was on road suddenly the signs came up and I the brakes were hard, and this is a problem for my safety and for others too since it doesn’t brake well.

After 13 years and 112,000 the brake booster and brake booster pump went out on my car. Toyota extended the warranty to 10 years because of this issue. Now just outside of the 10 yr mark my car has this issue and Toyota will not cover it. This is a huge expense and also a major issue with this year and model of car.

Before, I was driving and occasionally the traction control light would flash when I put my foot down on the brakes but would go away when released. I didn't think much of it but then a few days later, I went to brake to stop the car and then the abs, traction control and brake system lights lit up on the dash and wouldn't go away. I pulled over safely and turned the car off and on again but it wouldn't go away. The brakes were also noticeably more firm compared to before as it was quite squishy but now it was solid and all regen braking went away and it appeared I had no more abs which could lead to a collision. I immediately took it into the dealer to have it diagnosed. I did some reading and if I kept driving with this problem, eventually the brakes would fail and collapse completely and leave me unable to stop the vehicle. At the service center, they were able to read the code dtc c1246 and clearing the codes did not work. The part that was replaced was the brake booster and the brake master cylinder and the brake pedal stroke sensor. It appears that a warranty program exists for this issue but it is not a recall. I am also not sure if the part that was replaced is a revised part that will no longer have this issue or there is no change in the part design. I believe this is a massive safety issue and should be a recall and not a warranty replacement program as every Prius should be recalled for this defect. I was very close to being out of warranty and if I had taken any longer to bring it into the dealer I would have been out of the extended csp warranty. Even the dealer initially thought I would be out of warranty but I had to argue that I was in warranty and should be eligible for a warranty replacement and that I should not need to pay for a diagnostic fee despite it not being a recall.

I have a 2015 Toyota Prius with 48,600 miles. My breaks started failing suddenly while driving which almost got me into a car accident. I took it to my mechanic immediately and the dtc was code c1281. I was advised to take the car to a Toyota dealer. I got an appointment and a manager was waiting for me wanting to charge me $250 for a new diagnostic test and $2,500 - $3,000 for repair if the diagnosis was correct. I called customer service and washed their hands from any responsibility. I called the Toyota's customer advocate service located in plano, TX and was on the phone for more than an hour. They apologize, were very courteous, but I was told that I was not covered because I had call too late and that the repair offered by Toyota had expired. They acknowledged that Toyota never issued a recall for this manufacturer defect. I informed them that the discovery of the problem had occurred on [xxx], 10 years and 2 month after I bought the car from them and that the car was almost new with very little mileage. I let them know that felt this was a deceptive trade practice with breach of warranty and breach of implied warranty of merchantability, along with it being a fraudulent concealment with failure to warn their customers of potential danger and harm. I plea with the Toyota's advocate that since the statute of limitation and equitable tolling had not elapsed from the day of discovery that they should honor my request for it being just. I was told that Toyota's decision on the Prius brake defect was not covered and that I was free to take my car to a Toyota dealer or an independent mechanic, whatever was more convenient and/or affordable and that the cost was on me. I asked if I were to get a new Toyota car and trade in my old car if they would appraise it as if the defective brake part had not malfunctioned. The answer was that the value of my car if traded in, would be significantly less due this issue. He gave me a ref # [xxx] and hanged up. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act.

The abs, brake, tsc lights have all appeared on the dash. When running the obd codes, the error c1391 appears indicating a problem with the abs pump. When under the dash with the vehicle running, one can hear the abs pump engaging every few seconds which is not normal. After resetting the code. The error quickly pops back up. This is a known problem with this model Prius that Toyota is aware of. Toyota has not put out a safety recall for this issue. They refuse to make the repair of a faulty designed abs module, which is obviously a safety concern. The vehicle currently has 128000 miles with no other issues.

I was driving normally, about 30 mph in a residential area and the brakes all of sudden became soft. It was very scary and I didn’t know if it was safe to drive the vehicle. The brake, abs, and traction control sign all came on at the same time. I scanned the car and it was a c1391 error code. The Toyota dealership said it is not covered under any recalls. I called Toyota and asked about the zjb program that covered the repair but they said it expires. Toyota has a repair program for the defective part but no longer covers it. This issue is a known manufacturing issue and it’s dangerous. Toyota should cover it free of charge.