10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
16 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
53,516 miles

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problem #217

Jul 032024

Prius

  • miles
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

problem #216

Jun 112024

Prius

  • miles
Driving yesterday on residential street, I gently applied my brakes to stop for a red light. The brakes did not stop the car; pumping the brakes did not help. Dashboard illuminated skidding car diagram, and BRAKE light went on. I took my foot off the gas, rode somewhat on the shoulder, and slowly found a place to park the car. Had to have it towed. No prior warning that the brakes would fail. Dealership advised it was a leak in the brake booster pump or actuator. Later learned that there had been a class action lawsuit dealing with this issue. Also that Toyota had extended the warranty when this happened frequently. I never got a recall notice about this. My car is a 2011 Prius with 59,000 miles. The extended warranty only went to 10 years, and mine is 11 years old, but I haven't seen anyone else in the chat boxes who had such a low mileage as mine. Thankfully neither I nor anyone was injured. But this is definitely a major safety issue and a very expensive repair. Over $3,000. What recourse do I have?

- Santa Rosa , CA, USA

problem #215

May 132024

Prius

  • 147,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal beeping sound heard. The contact stated that several warning lights were illuminated. While reversing in the driveway, the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard before the vehicle stopped. The contact's husband an independent mechanic informed her that the brake actuator needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.

- Mobile, AL, USA

problem #214

Mar 192024

Prius

  • miles
Hello I purchased this s car used on 03/19/24. I was told the brake and Abs light would clear with new battery, which they installed on 03/19/24. It did clear for a couple of miles, brake light warning -??? and abs came on, which causes car not to brake properly, I have not taken car back but believe it and s a defect of the manufacturer's that it has failed. Any help with this issue is appreciated. If you could tell me, what steps I can take to see if Toyota has any extended warranty for this issue Thank you for your Thank you for your time

- Mesa, AZ, USA

problem #213

Jan 012024

Prius

  • miles
Brake Booster, pump failure

- Pasadena, CA, USA

problem #212

Feb 162024

Prius

  • miles
I bought this car new in 2011, and it is now driven by my daughter. The brakes started having problems around 2019, and the car was taken to Toyota service. It was thought to be a tire issue and the tires were replaced, but the brake issue remained. In February 2024, all the dashboard brake lights came on, and my daughter immediately took the car to Toyota service. The problem was a defective and leaking brake booster pump assembly, a defect well known to Toyota, and the subject of extended warranty on this model (10 years or 150,000 miles) and a recall by Toyota on some other models. Since it was after the 10 year period (despite reported problems during the 10 year period), corporate Toyota told the Toyota dealer service department and our family that they would not cover the $3500 repair bill incurred. This should have been a recall. I am horrified to think what could have happened to my daughter with defective brakes. Corporate Toyota is well aware of this defect. Even a Toyota dealer has previously reported it to the NHTSA. [XXX]. I request corporate Toyota pay for this repair and issue a recall for other unsuspecting drivers of these vehicles. This is a potentially lethal defect that needs a recall, not a post brake failure repair. I send my great thanks to you for investigating this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #211

Feb 292024

Prius

  • miles
ABS, Brakes, Traction control lights, and ! illuminated while driving car is under 150,000 miles. Took to an autoshop, Gerald's Tires and Brakes: was told Mastercylinder, booster, accumulator need to be replaced.

- North Charleston, SC, USA

problem #210

Dec 012023

Prius

  • miles
The conditions listed in Toyota Customer Support Program ZJB for the brake booster and master cylinder occurred after the 10 year in service date on my vehicle. Brake, ABS, and Traction control warning lights turn on intermittently and when this happens brake response is poor and cruise control shuts off. When applying the brakes an audible tat tat tat sound can be heard from the front of the car that sounds like the ABS being triggered. You should have toyota recall impacted cars and fix the issue as outlined in the TSB and support campaign.

- Ann Arbor, MI, USA

problem #209

Feb 202024

Prius

  • miles
The 2011 Prius has an issue known to Toyota, in which the brake booster pump fails after an indiscriminate amount of time, leading to significant loss in braking ability and control. Toyota knows of this because they issues an extended warranty coverage for these vehicles and this issue, that did not extend beyond 10 years, or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first. [XXX] ) When I was driving my car down Highway [XXX] I lost braking control completely, with a series of constant beeping starting to emit from the braking system. Luckily through mashing the brake pedal and using ebrake I was able to get the car to slow down and pull off the highway. The brakes sporadically and randomly cut in and out with the power braking, leading to uncontrolled stopping power and jerky or inactive braking. There had been lights on the dash indicating the traction system or braking system had issues but these would frequently turn off and on and didn't result in a loss of braking ability or performance and had been there a couple months. Upon taking the vehicle to a Toyota Dealership (Charles Maund North Austin) I was told it was a C1391 error regarding a failure of the brake booster pump assembly and that it would need to be replaced and reprogrammed for about 3300 dollars. After looking online I saw there were many other people with this issue, all who were unable to fix this in the given 10 year frame. Many unsuspecting second owners of this vehicle do not know that there is a hidden danger waiting for them when their power brake pump assembly fails. If I had been a less experienced driver I would've certainly crashed and Toyota, knowing of this safety concern already, should have done the right thing and issue a recall for these vehicles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #208

Feb 022024

Prius

  • miles
Brake warning lights came on, brake stopping has diminished significantly, throwing error codes, attached pictures of the error codes

- Vancleave , MS, USA

problem #207

Jan 022024

Prius

  • miles
While driving the car I had three lights turn on the dash simultaneously. The parking brake light, traction control light, and ABS light. The brakes worked but felt spongy and not as responsive as normal. I had it checked out and it has code C1391. The recommendation is to replace the brake booster pump. I was quoted over $2,000 for the repair. There was a Toyota Customer Support Program ZJB that addressed this exact issue. It expired two years ago, and I am now stuck with the repair costs. I believe Toyota should have notified me of this potential danger and/or inspected the vehicle. I meet all the requirements of the bulletin, but it has expired. I reached out to Toyota, and they would not offer any assistance.

- Yucaipa, CA, USA

problem #206

Mar 152022

Prius

  • miles
The brake system is constantly failing/malfunctioning.It is available for inspection upon request. There has been several incidents where other vehicles have nearly been rear ended. I took my 2011 Toyota Prius (hybrid) to Toyota approximately 8 months ago. They/Toyota did confirm that the problem was indeed the brake booster. The warning lamps did come on soon as the brakes started malfunctioning.

- Anderson, SC, USA

problem #205

Dec 212023

Prius

  • miles
I have a 2011 Toyota Prius with 85K miles, as I was driving on the highway the abs light, brake light, and TSV light came on and then brakes were not working like normal. Had to pump the brakes very rapidly and steer off to the right side of the highway and use the emergency brake to come to a complete stop. I called the Toyota dealer and they said its the brake accumulator fault and they will not cover the fix because it was out of the 10year/150K mile warranty per SB. Towed my car to an independent service center and they confirmed it was the brake accumulator C1391 code. cost me $3000 to fix.

- Glendale , NY, USA

problem #204

Aug 172023

Prius

  • miles
I-??ve been told by our machanic that our Prius-?? ABS braking system is malfunctioning.

- Saint Augustine, FL, USA

problem #203

Sep 122023

Prius

  • miles
Brake ABS system dashboard lights warning system always always going off for the 9 years I've owned the car. Had the ABS system replaced and still the dashboard lights going off and the system not functioning properly.

- Marshfield, VT, USA

problem #202

Nov 052023

Prius

  • miles
I have been experiencing intermittent brake issues with this car now for the last 50k miles. Sometimes the warning lights on the dash will activate, sometimes not when I am experiencing issues. the power assist is the problem. - it activates and then deactivates without warning instantaneously, while applying brakes or not. Sometimes when I am applying the brakes without the brake assist working, it will instantaneously start working without warning, causing my car to almost lock up its brakes. This is very dangerous, especially in traffic. When I apply my brakes at any given time, I never know if I am going to have power assist or not. I have replaced the brake master cylinder once already with a mobile mechanic and the problem went away for about one year but now it is happening again so this seems to be a reoccurring issue with this car. I have decided to just stop driving the car and bought a different one. I am a delivery courier and I cannot be driving a vehicle unsafe as this. I have reported the issue to my local dealership, but they are refusing to troubleshoot without charging me and it-??s telling me there are no recalls.

- Baytown, TX, USA

problem #201

Oct 292023

Prius

  • miles
My brakes were making noise since month, now the ABS light turn on.

- Los Angeles , CA, USA

problem #200

Sep 232023

Prius

  • miles
The ABS, anti-skid, and brake lights came on. Immediately, the brakes were less than full stopping power, and it was obvious it was not safe to drive the car any further. We had noticed that a pump was being activated when the brakes were being used, but no service codes were being displayed when checked. We later found out there was a recall on the Brake Booster and Accumulator, but it was only a limited recall, no notice was sent to us, and no repair was authorized by Toyota unless the brakes completely failed. Once the dash warning lights came on, the C1391 service code appeared when checked, "Abnormal Leak of ACC Pressure". This issue is a safety matter because your brakes fail instantaneously at any moment while driving.

- Youngstown, OH, USA

problem #199

Sep 062023

Prius

  • miles
Traction control, ABS and Brake warning lights came on while driving. Car is now at the dealership for complete replacement of power pump and master cylinder assembly at a cost of $3,300

- Fishers, IN, USA

problem #198

Sep 122023

Prius

  • miles
Brake booster and brake booster pump assembly are faulty and failing. Brakes are still functioning, but will ultimately fail without warning, from what I have read. This is highly dangerous for myself and other motorists. I was driving last week and tried coming to a stop at an intersection. I pushed the brake pedal and the car hesitated and then jumped/lurched forward before coming to a complete stop. The brake booster is sounding every 30 to 45 seconds to try and build back the pressure it is losing. Toyota offered a "Customer Support Program" for these parts, as there's been numerous premature failures. Unfortunately, my vehicle no longer fits within the parameters of the support program (see attached). From what I've read though, Toyota has been negligent with replacing the brake booster under the support program. I have called Toyota Corporate and they have offered no reprieve and won't stand behind this faulty part. Toyota needs to be forced to recall these 3rd gen Priuses and ordered to replace the breaking system. Expecting customers to shell out between $2-3k to have the ability to safely break/stop their vehicle is ridiculous, especially when Toyota is more than aware of this issue. I was quoted $2600 over the phone to remedy the issue from an independent hybrid shop. I've owned 7 Toyotas and two have been Priuses. This 2011 is by far one of their worst to roll off the assembly line with numerous reports of breaking problems, oil consumption issues, and head gasket failures. They need to stand behind their product(s), especially to brand loyal customers. Read more complaints about the breaking system: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Berea, KY, USA

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