10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 16 / 0
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 4 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 49,208 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
Brake warning came on and wouldn-??t go off. Followed by continuous beeping and now the brakes are no longer working properly. You have to force the brake all the way to the ground to even come to a rolling stop. The problem first occurred on 3/8/25. The brake actuator seems to be a reoccurring problem that Toyota addressed but is no longer fixing. It is dangerous to drive my vehicle and others have said their brakes have completely failed when this problem arose.
- Saint Petersburg, FL, USA
My brakes suddenly stopped responding correctly as I was pulling up to a busy road. My car went part way into traffic and I was nearly hit. After speaking to my mechanic and my local Toyota dealership, I was informed that there was a know issue with the Brake Booster and Hydraulic Accumulator on this vehicle and that Toyota had extended the warranty several times but that it no longer covered my vehicle. They never once acknowledged the safety issue and I was never notified of the risk. I believe the extended warranty was setup to avoid a recall and hide the risk. I firmly believe a recall should be done on these parts and owners should be notified of known safety risks this presents.
- Saint Joseph, MI, USA
While driving on the interstate, the "brake", "TCS", and "ABS" lamps lit up. The brake pedal was stiff and couldn't be depressed. The vehicle initially did not decelerate while attempting to push down on the brake pedal. While maneuvering off the interstate on to the exit lane, the pedal remained stiff however, the vehicle did begin to decelerate. Critically, the amount of time needed to bring the vehicle to a stop was significantly longer than normal. This brake failure could have resulted in a catastrophic, life threatening and/or deadly accident. The DTC associated with this brake booster and pump failure is C1391 which is referenced in TSB-0024-19. This is a known problem that exists in Priuses manufactured between 2010-2015 and addressed by Toyota with CSP(s). The CSP takes a reactive approach to this serious safety concern as owners who "have not experienced the condition described" were informed that "there is no action necessary at this time". The extended warranty of 10 years or 150,000 miles is not applicable to countless drivers who are experiencing this failure caused by "internal malfunctions" outside of this arbitrary time/mileage frame. A letter was sent to the NHTSA on 9/19/19 by the president of Claremont and Capistrano Toyota to petition for the initiation of a Defect Investigation regarding this issue. The letter notes that this brake defect is "causing crashes that are injuring people- and Toyota is mishandling it". The advisor assigned to this repair estimated that they see this issue 1-2 times a month and increasingly, drivers are not covered by the CSP. Toyota is failing to take a proactive approach to this dangerous safety issue by telling owners to essentially wait and see if they experience this failure and then failing to take responsibility for said costly failure should it occur outside of their arbitrary time/mileage frame. This approach to safety is egregious, irresponsible, and unethical and it is putting countless lives at risk.
- Sacramento, CA, USA
In 11/2024, I started experiencing intermittent noises coming from the engine compartment of my 2011 Toyota Prius. The initial sound resembled the buzzing noise generated when first starting the vehicle. Then the noise started to persist for extended periods after the vehicle was turned off. It would oscillate between buzzing for approximately 10 seconds & remaining dormant for about 1 minute, repeating this cycle. The duration of these cycles could extend for up to 20 minutes. Concurrently, I experienced several instances where the brake pedal would abruptly become stiff & difficult to press. Notably, no warning lights were illuminated on the dashboard. Recognizing these symptoms as unusual, I conducted online research and discovered that the issue could potentially stem from a malfunction in the -??brake booster pump and assembly.-?? Given the potential for a loss of braking power and the risk of personal/public safety, I scheduled a diagnostic inspection at Toyota of Poway, Poway, CA, on 12/18/2024. It confirmed the presence of a problem with the brake booster pump and associated components. In light of this diagnosis, I made the decision to refrain from driving the vehicle until the repairs were completed. The repair costs amounted to $3,475.47. I found I had received a notification from Toyota-??s Customer Support Program, designated as -??Customer Support Program Notification-ZJB.-?? This notification explicitly acknowledged this defect & provided a repair coverage policy that stipulated a coverage policy of which I-??m no longer entitled to. Despite not meeting the eligibility criteria for the repair coverage program, I am deeply troubled by the fact that this recognized defect persists in vehicles currently on the road, such as mine, without any corresponding recall action and subsequent repair costs covered by Toyota. Fortunately, I was spared from any accidents as a direct consequence of this issue. Many similar complaints here support this dangerous issue!
- San Diego, CA, USA
All brake lights on Dashboard came on. Almost got into an accident because brakes were not responding. Brakes started responding but lights remained on. At time it will contibue to beep and Brakes do not respond. I am seeing that this is a common issue happening to most Prius vehicles after a certain period. It is extremely expensive to repair. Since this is happening on quite a lot of Prius vehicles, I feel this should still be covered by Toyota. This appears to be a faulty Brake Pump and Brake Booster. This has not been inspected by a dealer but being that the car is a 2011, I'm afraid they will decline from what I have been reading.
- Compton, CA, USA
I have been doing some research, and the brake actuator and ABS system failing is a common problem on these cars. Mine recently started acting up and they used to replace it for free. I got my Prius only 6 months ago and have not had any luck getting Toyota to replace it. This needs to be recalled it is a serious safety hazard if the brakes suddenly give out. They should be replacing this free on all cars having this issues and they are aware of the issue (Toyota). The brakes suddenly stopped working well and lights came on in this exact instant on the interstate. This first happened about a month ago. Tons of people are making complaints with the NHTSA for the same issue.
- Omaha, NE, USA
12 months ago we noticed a vibration while braking at very slow speed/creeping forward that worsened over time. We didn-??t understand the significance at the time. In addition, we noticed more recently the brake pump running more and more frequently, even when the brakes weren-??t being pressed. We suspect some sort of problem with the brake booster. This has had many claims against Toyota where my break booster is going out, and I have called toyota to assist since they've had a class action lawsuit that caused them to assist with recalls on vehicles; however the year my vehicle does not qualify for a recall. They opened a service case# 241010002348, but told me it would have to be an out of pocket expense since there's nothing they can do. Unfortunately this is a failure defect on the manufacturers production. Please help.
- Tooele, UT, USA
What component or system failed: 47070-47060 Pump Assy, Brake Booster w/Accumulator yes 47050-47150 Cylinder Assembly, Brake Master with Fluid yes put at risk: yes - abnormal braking ABS failure-traction control loss Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer: yes Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer: Not my specific parts Were there any warning lamps: Yes abs, traction control
- Overland Park, KS, USA
The brake booster has failed. I was driving, and the ABS, Brake, and Traction Control lights suddenly came on. The brakes felt less powerful. I drove the car Broadway Toyota in Portland, Oregon for maintenance. I was told that the system has failed, and while this is a known issue. It is not currently covered. I was also told that the car is not safe to drive. Toyota had a "Customer Support Program" to cover this issue. However, the program expired on Oct. 8th, 2021. Had I known, I would have brought it in prior to the expiration date. This seems like a recall issue. In Toyota's paperwork for the Customer Support Program, it states that Toyota is aware of "certain internal malfunctions of the Brake Booster Assembly"!
- Portland, OR, USA
I was driving on a surface street at about 40 miles an hour and then the brakes suddenly don't work. You have to press on the brakes very hard to make them stop. All the safety warning lights were lit up on the dash. Took the car into the Toyota dealership and they said that there was a brake booster and pump customer support program but it's now expired so they won't fix it for free. The brake booster part is about $2000. I contacted Toyota Customer Service and asked them when they sent the notices out for this. They looked up our vin number and said that the notice was sent to the previous owner, since we bought the vehicle used from a Toyota dealer. Spoke to a Toyota supervisor from customer service and told them we never were notified to fix the brake booster. The supervisor said they will not pay for the repair. I think this should be a safety recall and Toyota needs to repair these parts. It's very dangerous to drive the car when the brakes fail to stop.
- Torrance, CA, USA
Brake booster has failed. I'm told this is a known issue but no recall has been issued
- Atlanta, GA, USA
To whom it may consern, I avoided a situation that could have been a very serious or deadly accident when my vehicle had unusual issue with the vehicle breaking system while driving on the freeway today [XXX]. The vehicle would not stop while pressing on the break pedal and I was able to quickly maneuver the vehicle on the shoulder of the freeway and was able to avoid a deadly crash. Looked on the dash and noticed that ABS, Break, and Traction Control lights all lit up. I was scared for my life and the safety of others around me. The vehicle was towed to my residence since it happened around 10:30pm California time. Quickly did some researched online for any recall on nhtsa.gov website but unsuccessful with any recall regarding the breaking system. I also found out that it is a common problem that other owners have been/experienced with the same vehicle year, make and model. I would greatly appreciate for any information I can gather in order to assist me on how I can get Toyota to look into this issue for the safety of myself and others. It was a very scary scenario that could have been a tragic one that I found myself into. Looking for a prompt response to address this issue. Thank you! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Garden Grove, CA, USA
Symptoms: The vehicle exhibits a constant and repetitive noise when the brake pedal is pressed. Additionally, multiple warning lights are illuminated on the dashboard, including the red brake light, yellow ABS light, yellow traction control light, and tire pressure light. Suspected Cause: The issue appears to be related to the brake actuator or accumulator. This may be associated with Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) C1391, indicating an abnormal leak in the accumulator. This problem causes the brake booster pump to run continuously to maintain pressure, leading to the warning lights and noise. Safety Concerns: The malfunctioning brake system components could compromise the vehicle's braking performance and overall safety. Purchase Details: The vehicle was purchased recently from a dealership, and the issue was not present at the time of purchase.
- Gurnee, IL, USA
On our 2011 Toyota Prius there is a complete loss of breaking. The ABS, TCS, and brake lights all came on at one but went off after a few minutes. A few days later the entire system failed when the car was started and now there is no breaks at all on the car. A few months before we took the car to the dealership complaining about a noise when hitting the breaks and was told it was normal and to ignore it. It looks like Toyota knows about this issue and opened a customer care repair program but it expired in 2022 and was not advertised at all so the only way someone would know about it would be if they had an issue. Currently in order to fix the problem we are looking at around $3000 in parts and labor. Looking at other websites including this one the issues appears to be widespread.
- Mount Pleasant, SC, USA
On April 28, 2024 I was driving when my brakes became squishy and my ABS warning light, red brakes warning light, and traction control light came on. I was very fortunate to be close to my destination and only traveling under 25mph. Roughly a week later it was driven approximately 150ft (on private property) and the brakes were very unresponsive. The car was never accelerated past 3mph for that move. The loss of braking was sudden and happened without any prior warnings. Had I been on a high traffic, high speed road, I believe it likely that this would have resulted in a catastrophic accident. The Master Cylinder Actuator Assembly and Brake Booster Pump Assembly failed. This was confirmed with OBD and a Snap-On Solus Ultra scanner. Both parts have been removed and are available for inspection upon request. They have not been inspected by anyone. I did contact Toyota about the braking issue and they did not express any interest in the issue or inspecting the failed parts. To make my Prius road safe and legal, I needed to replace the Master Cylinder Actuator Assembly and Brake Booster Pump Assembly. These parts were bought from Toyota, who has so far profited from my car's brake failure.
- Reading, VT, USA
For the past 2 years I've had issues with the ABS, Traction, and Brake lights coming off and on on my dashboard of my 2011 Toyota Prius. Mechanics have replaced various things but have never been able to find the exact problem because the car doesn't either give any codes or it gives codes that don't really say what the exact problem is. I took it to a dealership again today, because not only are those 3 lights on but now the car is beeping continuously, and the dealership told me it was going to be over $5800 to fix the car, that's replacing the brake booster pump and the brake master cylinder, but the only code the car is showing is C1239, no other codes, C1239 is for the rear speed sensor LH. Every time I've had a mechanic/dealership look at the car, they can't find the exact issue and after replacing some parts, they tell me it could be the brake booster pump and the brake master cylinder, when I called toyota corporate about the warranty stuff to cover those being replaced because of the faulty issues that have apparently been acknowledged by toyota, toyota refuses to have the warranty work done, telling me that my car no longer qualifies for that warranty work, although I've never received anything from them talking about this issue in the past. I'm told now the beeping is those two items have completely failed and the car is now unsafe to drive, but it's the only vehicle I have to get to work, etc. The lights will come and go, but stay on more steady now with the beeping sound. Toyota should help to cover this, since they know it's a known defect!
- Jeffersonville, OH, USA
No incident, 3-??? Light started recently, traction control, ABS, and Brake light, 07/15/2024. Big O tire did oil change, inspection, claims brake are ok, warning -??? lights comes on and off intermittently, causes brakes when on to become soft pedal when stopping, I consider a defect of workmanship by Toyota on this 3011 model possibly others l. Thank you for your time
- Mesa, AZ, USA
Brake actuator failure on the freeway warning lights started beeping had trouble coming to a stop no brake pressure had to swerve to emergency lane. From my understanding there-??s a brake actuator recall took it into Toyota my claim was denied.
- Pico Rivera , CA, USA
As is the case with I am sure thousands of Toyota Prius owners, the brake actuator in my 2011 Prius has failed. The car has approximately 128,000 miles, but given that it is a 2011, the car is outside the Toyota 10 Year/150,000 warranty extension. The deals wants $3,200 to repair. This part should last the life of the vehicle and I am asking NHTSA to help individuals such my myself and force Toyota to make the necessary repair free of charge due to the severe consequences to this part failing.
- Ellicott City, MD, USA
- Castro Valley, CA, USA