Service Brakes Problems of Toyota Prius - part 2

Abs actuator failed and had little to no braking action while merging on the freeway. Had to swerve to avoid collision on interstate.

See all problems of the 2005 Toyota Prius 🔎.

The brake actuator/abs hydraulic system on my 2013 Toyota Prius failed. The component is available for inspection upon request, as it was replaced by a Toyota dealership. Prior to failure, the vehicle intermittently displayed abs, traction control, and vsc warning lights while driving, which would sometimes clear on their own but eventually became persistent. This condition reduced or disabled abs, traction control, and vehicle stability functions, increasing the risk of loss of control or reduced braking effectiveness, particularly in emergency braking or low-traction conditions. The problem was reproduced and confirmed by a Toyota dealer, who diagnosed the failure using diagnostic code c1391 indicating internal brake actuator malfunction. The vehicle was inspected by the manufacturer’s authorized dealer, who replaced the brake actuator assembly after three days of repair at a cost of approximately $3,000. Warning lamps were present for months prior to the final repair and gradually progressed from intermittent to constant, indicating a worsening failure of a known issue affecting this generation of Prius vehicles.

See all problems of the 2013 Toyota Prius 🔎.

I was driving on Saturday January 10th, 2026, when out of nowhere all of my dash warning lights came on and the brakes felt spongy and unresponsive. I had to limp home with 20% of my brake capacity which was very scary. Did some research and it was my brake actuator that went out. Dealer quoted me $4,000 to fix! this is a very common issue with Priuses between 2005-2015 and it's a crime that the part has not been recalled. Please put out a recall for this part. Toyota has already had a class-action lawsuit so precedent has been set. I have no idea how I'm going to pay $4,000 to fix this, I'm recently unemployed. Please hold Toyota liable!.

The brake booster system (electric brake booster pump) in my 2014 Toyota Prius has been making frequent, audible cycling noises inside the cabin, particularly during cold weather. I have also noticed a faint odor outside the vehicle that seems related to electrical movement. No abs or brake warning lights have illuminated, but the cycling pump may indicate increased stress on the brake system. The issue has not yet been diagnosed or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. The problem has not caused a loss of braking ability to date, but the unusual noises and electrical odor suggest potential risk if the booster were to fail completely. No recall or customer support program currently covers this issue. The component is part of the vehicle’s brake system and would be available for inspection by a dealer or manufacturer upon request. Toyota has offered no help or possibility of goodwill assistance inspection for this issue.

See all problems of the 2014 Toyota Prius 🔎.

Defected brake booster hard brake suddenly car less than 100 000 miles many vehicles with the problem.

See all problems of the 2015 Toyota Prius 🔎.

On Jan 5, 2026 I was driving locally at about 40-45 mph. All of a sudden 3 indicator lights came on abs, brake, and brake system warning light. There were no noises, but the brakes felt different. They did stop when needed. I left space between myself and others just in case, did not want an accident. Called my regular mechanic. They advised to not drive the car, but to bring it into the shop at 8am the following day. On Jan 6th, the mechanic stated it was beyond their expertise. It was towed to the local Toyota dealer for repairs. It ended up being the brake booster and pump. Upon investigation online, we saw this was a recall, but we were not notified by Toyota.

I purchased a vehicle a year ago whenever my vehicle was still under the tenure and the 10 year and it’s still under 150,000 mile range. The vehicle was purchased strictly from the Toyota dealership in lakeland, florida, and shortly thereafter my brakes completely went out and the booster actuator assembly looking it up by further realize that is a very common issue and that there is so much that there’s class action lawsuits and also instead of it having a recall, it has a customer support to replace parts. My car is very dangerous and doesn’t have any brakes and it’s still very new from the dealership. What it’s very interesting is that it’s not throwing any codes at all, though it beeps the entire time that I’m in the vehicle with the abs light on and I know that it’s that problem why is it not showing any codes I think that for sure, the dealership would’ve had to done something to prevent that in order to sell the car unsafely.

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated, with an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with brake booster failure. The contact was informed that the brake booster pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that an undisclosed extended warranty program had expired. In addition, the contact was informed that the repair was not covered. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.

See all problems of the 2012 Toyota Prius 🔎.

Brakes went soft with little braking power. Traced the fault code to a faulty braking actuator; Toyota says this is past the coverage date for the recall.

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.

Warning lamps for abs and others and the chiming dings came on while pulling away from the bank drive through and parking for a second. I shut the engine off and turned back on with no success. I was barely able to park in a spot because of difficulties braking. My car had been making an electric noise every 15 seconds or so previously, at different times when parked, but I thought it was the hybrid engine. Now I think it was the brake pump trying to build up pressure due to a faulty, leaking brake actuator.

The abs failed while driving on the highway. There was no accident, but it was substantially harder to brake when needed.

Car suddenly needed a jump start and again after a day or two of non-use. On the third day brakes, abs and traction control warnings were lighted up and remains. Brakes are mostly ineffective. My own scan returns the code c1252 and c1256 that says brake booster system failing. Took it to the dealer who charged $290 again to scan and came up with failed brake booster and pump assembly. The dealers is quoting total $4000 to fix. Toyota customer support program bulletin dated 8/2018 and revised on 8/2019 extends the warranty on for this issue (for Toyota Prius c 2013) for 10 years or 150000 miles. I was never informed by Toyota or the seller (stevens creek Toyota, san jose CA) about this defect under warranty that I could have gotten repaired well before the dead line of 10 years. Now both Toyota or the dealer's service department refuse to bear the repair cost.

Abs, slip indicator and brake warning lights have appeared on the cars dashboard. Dtc fault code c1391 has appeared indicating a failure of the brake booster and brake booster pump assemblies per Toyota customer support bulletin (zjb) no. : pol18-03. Loss of regenerative braking, putting the safety off occupants at risk.

See all problems of the 2011 Toyota Prius 🔎.

While driving, my brakes became mushy and ineffective. Brake warning lights came on, also. It was very scary driving in rush hour traffic with little to no brakes. There was no reliability. Just keeping as much as possible space between cars, using hazard lights &prayer.

The abs brake actuator in my 2013 Prius v failed at just over 91,000 miles in December 2025, making the vehicle unsafe to drive. I understand that this is a known issue with this model of vehicle.

The vehicle has 95k miles on it and both brake actuator assembly and booster pump have gone bad. This is a defective issue, I called Toyota and was told too bad since the program that fixed this ended 02/25. The car met the mileage requirement, but being 10 months out of the date gives Toyota the right to wash their hands on a defective part. The part is over $1500 just in parts to replace! this is wrong on their part. Not one option offered.

This vehicle has 95k miles, now the vehicle has a brake problem which can cause deadly problems. The parts that have gone bad on this car are defective parts that Toyota knows about. The warranty they extended for this ended in 02/2015. They had 150k miles or 10 years limit on that warranty. We are well under the mileage and 10 months over according to Toyota. Can’t believe they will dismiss something this delicate and dangerous. The parts are not cheap and it’s something we can’t afford to fix right now. I can’t believe Toyota will just wash their hands on something this important in a vehicle. This is a know defective part! they should have some sort of responsibility and resolution. I called and was told they cant do anything. Even a part offer so we can fix nothing. Please review this and hopefully you can help.

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.

Red brake light came on, traction control light came on, abs light came on, Toyota says my brake pump needs replaced. That my brake will fail.

I was driving on the freeway, and a few lights(including abs, brake lights) all came on and a beeping noise started, as I immediately lost complete control of my brakes! that god it was late, and no cars were in front of me. The car slowed down as I removed my foot of the gas right away. I tried to pull over as soon as I heard the lights, and that’s when I realized my brakes were completely gone! I was able to stop after about two miles; car stop on its own as it slowed down. Apparently, this was a major known issue and had warranty up to 150k miles. At the time of the incident, my car had about 165k miles. I had the car for years, and no one at the dealer ever mentioned anything about this or even tried to make me aware of it! I called the Toyota dealer and corporate number several times and they declined providing me with any help at all! this caused me fear and traume because I never thought this was possible! it could’ve ended my life and the life of people around me if there were any cars in sight! the problem has been confirmed by a reputable mechanic! he did the repairs! he also called the Toyota dealer and corporate and attempted collecting anything since he found out about the warranty and common issue. They also denied help. No lights were on at all before this incident happened! it all came at once! I even have all records of monthly/ bimonthly complete inspections at the dealer with everything normal on the results!.

Upon acceleration, several brake related warning lights came on along with a consistent chime. When it came time to stop. The vehicle would not stop then with great pressure on the pedal, I was able to slow the vehicle narrowly avoiding a collision with another vehicle. The vehicle then drove normal after that and a few minutes later the lights went out. When I got home, I scanned for codes and got c1252 and c1256. This appears to be a common problem with these vehicles that Toyota does not want to address.

My 2012 Toyota Prius plug in hybrid had just passed state inspections and was even looked at by a dealership a year ago with no reported issues. I brought up a whirring issue at the dealership when breaking but the dealership said that’s normal for a hybrid. In a matter of minutes while driving, the traction light, brake light, and abs light came on as well as a groaning, whirring sound when breaking. Over time, the breaks failed and I could not stop the car, almost causing a wreck because I could not stop without putting all my body weight on the break pedal. When taking it to the Toyota dealership for a whole diagnostic, they said it was a break actuator and break booster failure that is known to happen with Prius’s. They quoted me $3000 for a repair and then marked my breaks as yellow not red on their sheet implying I could still drive it despite the dangerous situation of driving without functioning breaks. When looking into it, this seems to be a known and common problem with Prius’s due to a faulty manufactured part. Codes were c1391, wc1256, and c1252. I believe this part should be recalled and Toyota should fix these faulty parts, especially considering they inspected my car and did not mention it as an issue despite it being a known issue. I got a second opinion from mavis tires and they concurred with the diagnosis but could not fix it.

The brake accumulator went out thanksgiving day on my way home nearly causing an accident. I also missed dinner due to the issue creating a clearly unsafe driving condition where I was barely able to use my brakes. This is a known issue by Toyota, whom extended the warranty to 10 years. Of course, my warranty was 3 days past the 10 years even though it is under the mileage requirement. This should have been a recall, as it is a known and reported problem. I am now out 3300$ for the repair just to get my car in an operable condition. There were no warnings, the abs light as well as the traction alert went off and I lost the ability to properly brake in an instant. There was no warning, nor was I notified about this part.

The power assist braking system failed while I was driving in the rain. I was approaching a stoplight and I had to push down a lot harder and farther than I typically have to in order to stop. Luckily I was not going that fast and there were no cars ahead of me, but I stopped beyond where I had intended at a busy intersection. No warning lamps or messages had been illuminated prior to this happening. After the failure, the brake system, abs, and slip indicator lights were on and remained on when the car was restarted. An independent service center used a scan tool and found code c1391 stored in memory, indicating that the brake booster is unable to hold pressure due to an internal leak. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police or insurance, but can be available upon request.

I bought this car over a week ago for a good price, performed fine until I’m driving it home on the interstate and some abs/brake lights came on the dash. I enter my city and notice the brakes aren’t performing as tight as they were during the test drive. A few days later I take it to a local dealership to get it looked at. The brake actuator and pump had gone bad, causing this issue. It cost almost $5,000 to fix there, I couldn’t afford it so I had to only pay the $185 for the diagnostic. It’s an on and off thing, sometimes the lights go away and it brakes as it should, but most of the time the lights are on and the brakes don’t work as they should. I fear one day the brakes may eventually give out on me and cause an accident. I am available for inspection.

On [xxx], we were driving from coalinga, CA to phoenix, az for thanksgiving. As we began to descend into los angeles on [xxx], three warning indicators suddenly went the abs warning light, the traction control light and the brake warning light. The brakes still worked but the brake assist was weakened. We pulled over as soon as possible at the nearest autozone. The employee performed a standard handheld obd-ii scan of the vehicle and did not detect any issues. We continued on our way through los angeles and to san bernadino where we were spending the night. At one point the indicator lights went off for a few minutes but then came back on. We spent the night in san bernadino, and the next day (11/26/2025), we took the car into the san bernadino Toyota dealership as we felt it was unsafe to keep driving. The dealer conducted a thorough full brake and hybrid system diagnostic and confirmed that the failure was inside the brake booster system. The repair estimate states: "brake booster assembly with master cylinder and brake booster pump assembly have an internal leak. " thus, Toyota's own technician identified an internal hydraulic leak within the booster system, affecting the booster assembly, master cylinder, and booster pump assembly. The total repair estimate is $3,959. 99. This is a major safety defect affecting sealed hydraulic components that are not part of routine wear-and-tear. There were 4 people in the car. Fortunately, the brake failure did not result in an accident, but it could have if we had kept driving on to our destination. We contacted the Toyota brand engagement center to ask for goodwill assistance, but they were unable to help us. In addition to the repair costs, we have incurred rental car costs. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

On November 25, 2025, at approximately 11:45 p. M. , our 2010 Toyota Prius experienced a braking system malfunction during normal operation. The brake pedal required significantly increased effort and the vehicle exhibited reduced braking performance, indicating a loss of brake power assist. The vehicle required increased stopping distance, creating an immediate risk of a collision. At the time of the failure, multiple warning indicators illuminated simultaneously, including the brake system warning, abs warning, check engine light, battery warning, steering warning, tire pressure warning, and vehicle stability control/slip indicator. There were no warning lamps or abnormal symptoms prior to the failure. The failure was determined to involve the brake booster pump assembly, a component responsible for maintaining hydraulic brake assist pressure. This component is known to experience internal accumulator housing degradation, which can allow nitrogen gas migration into the brake fluid and result in partial or complete loss of brake assist. The affected component remains available for inspection. Following the incident, an authorized Toyota dealership inspected the vehicle and reproduced and confirmed the condition. Service records indicate the brake booster pump assembly had previously been replaced under a Toyota safety recall. Despite this prior recall repair, the same component failed again after approximately 41,000 miles of service, demonstrating that the recall remedy was ineffective. As a result of this failure, the vehicle was rendered unsafe to operate. Despite dealer confirmation that the malfunction involved a previously recalled safety component, corrective repairs were declined, with warranty limitations cited rather than addressing the repeat safety-related failure.

See all problems of the 2010 Toyota Prius 🔎.

The master cylinder started failing while I was driving the car, the car only has 138k miles, the dashboard lit up like a christmas tree, all the warning lights were on, and when I went to step on the brake, I had to push it all the way to the floor for any braking to happen. I remember being scared for my life because I had almost no brakes which I could've got into a serious accident or been killed had it failed completely. I took the car to the dealer and they diagnosed it with code c139: abnormal leak at accumulator assembly, and recommended a new brake booster with master cylinder assembly and brake booster pump assembly with bracket. The car by age was not in Toyota's extended warranty on the parts but mileage-wise it still is, so I was footed with a $4-5k bill to replace both parts.

While driving, suddenly all brake lights and warning lights went on, and brakes stopped working normally. It became difficult to brake (brake took a while to engage - had to press pedal to the floor). After diagnostics at the dealership it looks like the brake booster failed. Apparently Toyota knew about this issue as they did an extended warranty through a customer support program, but unfortunately my issue occurred just past the expiration of that warranty. Since brakes are such a critical component of vehicle safety, if they don't operate well or as expected, it endangers the driver and everyone else on the road. It is wild that Toyota is aware of this issue but that there has been no recall yet.

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 abs, brake, and traction control are intermittently on and off recently. I thought that there was a visible leak in the brake fluid. But my mechanic said that there was no feasible leaks found upon inspection. The car has also been inspected in maryland without any issues. I came across many forums that said that this is a common issue in Prius. My safety was at risk if this is due to internal failure or defect of the product, especially because I drive with my [xxx] almost everyday to take her to daycare. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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.

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).