10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 17 / 0
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 9 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 24,188 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.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
Took car in for repair because all the warning lights are on. The repair shop quoted $1200 for Anti lock braking actuator system which is defective. This is a huge safety issue and a costly repair from Toyota.
- Los Angeles, CA, USA
The car has been making an intermittent buzzing sound that I now have had diagnosed as a failing Brake Booster Actuator. This part is integral to safely stopping the car. Though the actuator has apparently been failing for months, there have not been any DTCs associated with it. I now find that there was a Customer Support Program regarding this issue which has since expired. It is referred to as "Customer Support Program ZJB" and it refers to T-SB-0024-19. Had I been notified of this, I would have had the brake issue corrected before the program expired.
- Ojai, CA, USA
Brake Booster failed last February 2024 while driving. The mileage at that time was around 89,270. Found out there was customer service support program for this issue that run through 2023. Since I bought the car used from Honda of Capitola (2018), I didn-??t get any notification or unaware of this CSP. And the issue came out only this year. Had I know about this letter, I could have this inspected by Toyota. This is very unusual to have a brake booster failed with less than 100K. Called Toyota for assistance but they said I-??m passed the CSP service date. Paid $3343.22 to have the car fix last 3/27/24. There should be a recall of this problem as more and more Toyota owner are still having this same issue. Thank you.
- Redwood City, CA, USA
While driving my brake light, ABS light, and traction(?) light all came on at once. The brake felt like it had resistance and I have to push it a lot harder than normal to stop. I took it to get a diagnostic ran and received the code C1391. After looking more up for this, this is a very known issue for Priuses and I was never made aware of it. This is a safety concern for all Prius drivers and nobody is made aware until it becomes an issue.
- New Orleans, LA, USA
Getting a C1391 brake module /ABS failure
- Roswell, GA, USA
On the way home from a family vacation, the brake warning light, ABS warning, and swerve warning lit up on our 2013 Toyota Prius's dashboard. It was evening already, and with only a few miles to go we continued toward our home. While driving at approximately 50 mph, a red light appeared around a bend. I hit the brakes, a little hard, but certainly with enough time to safely stop. The brakes completely locked and the tired screeched and let off smoke, while the back of the car fishtailed around until we were sideways. It was terrifying. I believe the anti-lock brakes failed, and when they seized up it caused loss of control of the vehicle. Fortunately, no other vehicle was in the left turning lane, where we ended up, and we did not pass into the intersection. No one was hurt, but we could easily have been if not for good luck. I have noticed that the Toyota Prius has had a number of warning and warranty extensions due to brake actuator [XXX] ) and that several class-action lawsuits are underway. We would like to report our problem for the safety of others. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Valencia, CA, USA
C1391 code at 148000 miles - just as others have reported. Quoted 3,500+ for the fix, Dealership said it was out of warranty and thus no help could be provided. The Code reads for a bad Brake Booster Assembly.
- Kingsport, TN, USA
Brake actuator needs replaced. Yes please inspect. You have my permission for further review. My safety was put at risk since I was traveling 70-75 mph when my dashboard lit up with warnings. I tried braking and the brake was extremely hard to the touch and required a lot of force to even slow down and stop the car. Just making it home was dangerous. I almost ran into the garage wall since braking is extremely difficult and unresponsive. It hasn't been reproduced or confirmed yet with dealer or mechanic but everything suggests it's this from other accounts online. Toyota refuses to honor faulty part that is rampant in this generation model. The warning lights appeared as soon as it happened out of nowhere. All of these lit up on the dash all at once: brake, ABS, Skid, and the tire pressure icon. My car was making strange wheezing noises in the week or two prior to this happening. I think that is a symptom it will soon fail.
- Goodyear, AZ, USA
malfunctions of the brake booster and brake booster pump assemblies
- Gilbert, AZ, USA
Dashboard lights came on today, 8-9-24, indicating Brake Accuator Failure in my 2013 Prius. When I took my 2013 Prius to a dealership for service in April 2024 with mileage of 118,000, I informed them of the noise symptoms I experienced which apparently are a precursor to Brake Accuator failure. I even played them a video in which you can clearly hear these noise symptoms. I was not aware of this issue as I have never received correspondence from Toyota regarding this problem, although I now know a Warranty Enhancement Notification ZG-1 was supposedly sent out. I have not moved in 20 years and should have received this notice. Because the dashboard lights were not on at the time of the April 2024 service visit, and having no idea that the extended warranty window of under 150,000 miles or 10 years had closed on 12-31-23, the dealership would not even consider repairing the Brake Accuator issue. Even though this was a known issue by Toyota, and a dangerous safety issue, they will not provide unlimited free warranty repair. Add to that the prohibitive and unreasonable cost to repair this issue (anywhere from $2000 to $4000) for a car which is 10 years old, and for many is completely out of their monetary reach, is absurd. Even more importantly are the lives put in danger if the brakes go out while at high speed. Toyota should be forced to address this problem and resolve it immediately!
- Camarillo, CA, USA
On August 3rd, 2024 my 2013 Toyota Prius lost power brakes at INTERSTATE SPEEDS. This put a number of lives, including my own, at risk. The computer program on the car appears to have been programmed to give operators a "death threat" by initiating a PROGRAMMED LOSS of power braking on the vehicle. There were a number of brake warning lights and an Audible Continuous beeping. When I moved over into the exit ramp from the interstate and applied my brakes this is when it was evident that power brakes were no longer available. I drove the car to a parking lot very close by and let it sit and checked my brake fluid but the brake fluid level was good. After this occurrence the power brakes returned to sufficient operation and have been in operation for approximately 2 days now with many display lights about brakes on the dash and the same audible beep is present. The brakes lights on the dash have been on since approximately November 2021 (2013 model car not even 10 years old of usage at that point). This is a safety risk that Toyota appears to have attempted to mitigate financial losses by having the customers that were not covered by their "customer care" program be the ones to pay exorbitantly high prices for the repair of this item in order to better balance and reduce their own financial loss for this mechanical problem. Toyota appears to have conscientiously reduced the number of cars that they offered to help repair financially under their customer care program. Their repair program went to 10 years since the date of first use or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first. It is unreasonable to expect that these cars will end their usage life at 150,000 miles and can be reasonably expected to be non-usable at that point. There are many vehicles that go past 150,000 miles of use and also past 10 years of use.
- Marietta, GA, USA
2013 with 128000 miles, brake pump and accumulator for ABS failed, all sensors are on. Pedal is shaking when pressed, called Toyota South Coast in California, have told the extended warranty expired on 28 December 2022, what a joke, right on 10 years it means. But car has been driven less than 12k miles until today. This brake issue is a safety problem, cant use a used part which more likely will have the same issue. Not speaking of the labor of Dealership service, but having the original updated parts for over $1000 is a lame and Toyota USA should be shamed for this. Code C1391, T-SB 0024-19
- Irvine, CA, USA
The brake booster and actuator assembly has failed at 130000 miles, within mileage and outside of time frame of limited recall bulletin. No help from dealership with repair costs exceeding value of the vehicle and vehicle is unsafe to drive.
- Colchester, CT, USA
As I was driving my vehicle, all lights related to ABS system came on and stayed on. This included the traction light, the ABS light, and the brake light. My brake pedal became much less responsive and took more pressure to activate the brakes in the car. If I had needed to brake suddenly, I don't know that my car would have stopped. I took it to the dealer and they said there is an abnormal leak inside the ABS accumulator.
- Sun Valley, CA, USA
While driving on the highway, ABS, "Brake"/E-Brake, Traction Control Lights lit up all at the same time out of the blue. No prior engine lights/codes before this incident. During that trip, brakes felt more difficult to press, loss all brake regeneration for the hybrid battery but was still about to brake for that entire 100 miles trip. As of now, the car is still able to brake but it looks like it's just primarily using the mechanical brakes all the time now. It still has that different brake feel compared to when before all those engine lights went on. Regenerative braking is no longer working. Brought the car to the shop at was given the error codes C1391 and C2315.
- Santee, CA, USA
I was driving and suddenly the car started beeping and the brake, e-brake, abs, and traction control lights came on. As soon as I found an opportunity I tried to brake but the car would not stop and the brake pedal became really hard. I had swerve to avoid hitting cars in front of me. It was the scariest moment of my life. I shifted the car from D to B to use the engine braking. I finally was able to slow down enough to turn right on a side Street and pushed on the brake pedal with all my strength and it finally came to a stop. I was lucky I didn't have a collision or strike a pedestrian, that I also drive defensively and leave enough space in front of me, and that I was on a surface street and not on a freeway which I frequently use because if I was I would have surely crashed. This is NOT right. Brakes should NOT suddenly fail! Under any circumstances. It was confirmed by a mechanic that it's the BRAKE BOOSTER AND BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP ASSEMBLIES had failed and had the following codes C1252, C1253, and C1256 were found. The same issue and codes reported in tsb pol18-03.
- Marina Del Rey, CA, USA
ABS brake failure (code c1391) occurred at less than 98,000 miles. Toyota will not cover cost despite being a commonly known failure.
- Hayesville, NC, USA
2013 Prius lit up like a Christmas tree last night. Traction control, brake, and abs warning lights all came on at once. The brake feel really weird and luckily I was like 3 miles away from home
- West Covina, CA, USA
Lost brakes on the freeway. Managed to pull over and get the car to a mechanic. He diagnose d the problem as the brake actuator pump.We then took the car to a Toyota dealership that confirmed the Diagnosis. I understand that the NHTSA is revisiting a complaint about the failure of this part. It cost me $3600 to have it repaired. I personally believe that Toyota should cover this as they have known the part was a problem.
- Willits, CA, USA
- Buena Park, CA, USA