My car, a 2010 Toyota Prius, Level V has about 161,000 miles on it, and I have driven about 140K of those miles over the last 13 years. I have traveled around the DC/Maryland area and also taken the car on long trips. The car has been reliable, safe, and predictable... EXCEPT in one place/instance. I have probably driven a dozen times or more to the BWI airport from my home in Chevy Chase. On the return drive on [XXX], as I drive towards an overpass that is just before the [XXX] exit, my Prius goes into "Emergency Approaching Collision" mode. The brakes automatically forcibly apply, the seatbelt/lap harness grab me, and there is an emergency beeping from the system. The first time this happened... probably 10 years ago, it was very startling. My car was traveling about 60-65 mph. Luckily, there were no cars behind me... and I remained calm enough not to overreact. I was so startled that I needed to pull over to regain my composure. In one of the numerous other cases on this happening, my wife was in the car and she basically wanted me to sell the car because she felt it was unsafe. Because I am aware of the situation with my car, I always am cautious when I am driving towards the [XXX] exit. I drive slower, watch carefully for surrounding vehicles beside or behind me. But even yesterday, I was driving very slowly (approximately 35 mph). While I did not feel the system take aggressive avoidance/safety actions, still the warning beeps did take place... a little unnerving, but I had come to expect a problem at that site. In any event, I did want to bring the matter to your agency. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2010 Toyota Prius brakes complaints
Page 3 of 66: complaints 41 to 70 of 1,945, newest first, as owners wrote them.
ABS Pump/Motor failed. Lost power and control over the breaks . ABS light on
I was coming to an intersection where two cars were waiting for a right turn. I pressed on the brakes and nothing happened. The car continued to move without slowing down. The brakes felt "blocked" and unresponsive. I engaged the manual break at the last moment and that slowed me down. But I still hit the car in front of me which in turn hit another car in front of it. The police report says "following too close". But I was not following other cars. The two cars were already at the intersection. I was just coming to this intersection and attempted to slow down as usual. Except that the brakes did not respond. My car was a total loss.
Twice while I was driving on the highway, my ABS and brake light came on, and my brakes became less sensitive to pressure. That is to say, it took more effort and I had to push my brakes further towards the floor in order for them to respond. I went to an independent mechanic and got the code C1391 which indicates a brake pump accumulator issue. I went to a Toyota dealership and and had the car inspected. They confirmed the C1391 code and said the brake booster assy with master cylinder pump assy was malfunctioning. However, I was never told by Toyota that this issue meant my brakes could fail at any time. My safety and the safety of others was put at risk because my brakes spontaneously became less responsive, my stopping distance was increased, and they were at risk of spontaneous failure.
I recently had an issue with the brake actuator on my 2010 Toyota Prius, showing error code C1391. This caused reduced braking efficiency, and research shows it’s a common safety concern with Priuses. While there was a recall, it has expired, leaving owners like me without support. I kindly request an investigation to address this critical issue for the safety of all affected drivers.
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 25 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights illuminated with an audible chime being heard. The contact's husband pulled over to the side of the road and depressed the brake pedal and the pedal went to the floorboard and the brakes started to respond as needed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and there was an abnormal sound coming from the brakes. The contact stated that the brake pedal went to the floorboard. The contact then towed the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered a Customer Satisfaction Program Extended warranty repair. The failure mileage was approximately 105,336.
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, while depressing the brake pedal the vehicle failed to come to a complete stop and the brake pedal was firm. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake module needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
My brakes stopped braking but luckily I could drive slowly into a curb in my neighborhood. God knows what could’ve happened if I was on the freeway. All the dash lights came on at the same time so I ran some codes; it came back C1391 - the brake actuator is broken. Toyota will not cover it despite this being a very common issue. My car is undriveable until this gets fixed because it will not break.
Please read the attached file "prius complaint signed" for a full description. I am the owner of a 2010 Toyota Prius, 2ZR-FXE. The warning light came up on my dashboard of my vehicle, so I took my 2010 prius to AutoZone, to get a free diagnostic. The diagnostic indicated the problem code of “C1256” “Accumulator Low Pressure” for the “Anti-Lock Brake System.” See Ex. A (AutoZone Diagnostic). It is available for inspection. According to the safety recall number “D0H”, 2010 prius model “2ZR-FXE” has a “Brake Booster Pump Assembly which can develop a crack inside the accumulator housing. If this occurs nitrogen gas could leak into the brake fluid and gradually cause a loss of power assist. Under certain circumstances, THIS COULD AFFECT STOPPING DISTANCE AND INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.” (Emphasis added). I have noticed that when I brake hard, IT TAKES LONGER TO COME TO A STOP, WHICH THREATENS NOT ONLY MY LIFE, BUT THE LIVES OF MY WIFE AND TWO [XXX] DAUGHTERS WHO ALSO RIDE IN THIS VEHICLE. According to the safety recall, “Toyota dealers will perform an inspection and, if necessary, replace the Brake Booster Pump Assembly at NO CHARGE to the vehicle owner . . .” See id. The safety recall does not explicitly permit dealers or servicers to charge for an inspection with regards to this defect, according to the information provided me. The estimate, provided by DARCARS recommending replacement of the “BRAKE BOOSTER WITH MASTER CYLINDER WITH PUMP[,]” confirms that the issue appears to be that which is covered by the safety recall. Ex. F.; see also Exhibit B Safety Recall (The vehicle has a “BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP ASSEMBLY WHICH CAN DEVELOP A CRACK INSIDE THE ACCUMULATOR HOUSING . . .”). See also Exhibit E Error Code from DARCARS (“C1256 Accumulator Low Pressure”). Nevertheless, DARCARS refused to waive the diagnostic fee of $150 and would not repair the vehicle unless I paid them “$5,150.” See Exhibit F. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal was stiff and required excessive force to depress. The contact stated that the ABS, Stabili-trac, and Parking Brake warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that a chime sounded and could not be turned off. The contact stated that the failure had been intermittent but was a recurring failure. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 13V235000 (Service Brakes). The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out regarding a potential recall issue with my 2010 Toyota Prius. The vehicle's VIN is [XXX] , and I am currently located in the Austin area. Recently, my vehicle has been experiencing problems related to the brake system, specifically the brake booster pump assembly. The diagnostic results returned codes C1241, C1391, and C2300, which point to issues such as abnormal leaks in the accumulator pressure and actuator system malfunctions. Given that this issue may fall under a recall or extended warranty for the brake booster pump assembly, I would appreciate it if you could confirm whether my vehicle qualifies for this service. If it does, I would like to schedule an appointment to bring my car into the nearest authorized service center to have the necessary parts replaced. Please let me know if any additional information is needed. I look forward to your response and would greatly appreciate your assistance in resolving this matter as soon as possible. Thank you for your time and support. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Toyota failure to honor recall. See correspondence below for the federal safety agency ID and other detail. NTHSA Recall ID: 13V235000 Toyota Case#: [XXX] Very dissatisfied with Mr. Lxxxx's denial of our inclusion in the customer support program. He seemed to reach for every imaginable escape hatch to say "no". Claiming 2 notices were sent out (to the correct address) between December 2017 and March 2018, neither of which reached me, is dubious to say the least. The likelihood of our remaining a Toyota "family" with the eventual replacement of our 3 vehicles (including a previously unmentioned 2017 Rav4) has shrunk considerably. Shame on Toyota North America. ---------------------------------------------------------- (earlier Monday, October 21, 2024 at 11:31:54 PM EDT) Dear Mr. Oxxxxx: I’m writing to express my distress at being disqualified for this expensive safety recall about which I was never notified by mail and, despite receiving maintenance and inspections at the dealership in slim 2-year period between the mailer and the expiration, was not notified of the recall. The phone agent, Ms. Xxxxxx, was very courteous, opened the case, and informed me of the 2018 mailing about the recall, which I did not receive. I’m quite diligent about recall notices, we are a Toyota “family” with a Sienna in addition to the 2010 Prius, and records will show we’ve always attended to recalls for which we’ve been notified, going all the way back to our first purchase of a new Camry in 1997. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
In August of 2024, my 2010 Prius with less than 100,000 miles - all the brake warning lights on the dash suddenly came on - without any prior warning. The brakes felt a little "funny" at the time, so I took it to my mechanic immediately because my safety or the safety of other was at risk if the brakes completely failed. My mechanic informed me that there was a TSB for the brake booster with master cylinder and brake booster pumps that Toyota new about. I felt that it was imperative that this was repaired immediately. Apparently Toyota knew about this issue but did not notify me in any way at any time. I bought this Prius new and have had regular service check ups. I had to pay nearly $5,000.00 to have this repaired which I feel that Toyota should reimburse me, and any others who had this problem.
ABS and brake lights lit at around 141000 miles code C1391 came up during diagnosis.
Brakes started making a hissing sound a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday evening when I was driving on freeway , I got an assortment of lights on my dash while driving . ABS was instantly disabled and it was significantly harder to brake the car. BRAKE light on dashboard came on. Traction control light came on . It was very dangerous and it was mere luck that there was no car in the front - otherwise I could have crashed. Pulled over to the side on the freeway and then came in internal roads to my destination , keeping a lot of braking distance and at slow speed. Turns out this is the infamous brake booster leak that was so bad Toyota was forced to create an extended warranty program on Gen 3 to fix it. Brought it to dealer next day. Got an estimate for $4000 for "REPLACE BRAKE BOOSTER AND MASTER CYLINDER(DUE TO INTERNAL LEAK)"
Heading westbound on I-70, taking Exit 29 off ramp from highway, I drove over uneven pavement. My traction control, ABS and brake lights illuminated, the brakes suddenly felt mushy. As I approached the stoplight at the end of the exit ramp, I questioned whether I would be able to stop. Scared me immensely. Luckily no cars were near me. I now do not have ABS, Traction Control, stability control OR regenerative braking.
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle lunged forward. On a most recent occasion, the contact was attempting to park the vehicle and after shifting into the park position, the vehicle lunged forward as the brake pedal was depressed causing a minor collision with a curb and another vehicle. The contact mentioned the brake pedal required excessive force in order to come to a stop and that there was an abnormal noise present. The contact was concerned that the failure would progress causing a severe accident. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ABS System failed and advised the vehicle be taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.
Toyota refuses to cover a recall that I was never made aware of. My Prius need to have ABS Brake Accumulator and other components replaced. My VIN I was told had a recall but I was never made aware. I was told it may not be safe to drive my car. Toyota told me I would have to cover all cost for the repair and for my family that is just not possible. For the safety of my family, I am hoping the federal safety agency can help me in anyway.
the federal safety agency CAMPAIGN ID: 13V235000 Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected brake booster pump assemblies. The recall is expected to begin late July 2013. Owners may contact Toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331. Toyota is no longer honoring this recall. They think it is acceptable for me to drive around with unsafe and defective brakes.
In 2015 I purchased my Toyota Prius in VA. I now live in Indiana and had my car checked for a possible sensor issue because the traction, brake & abs light were coming on and off. The diagnostic showed a brake accumulator leak malfunction. I contacted Toyota dealership once I was told there was a recall. The dealership said that it was showing it was replaced in 2013 from the previous owner in VA. It was listed then as a recall. I contacted Toyota Corporate and they said that it went from a recall to customer support with a maximum of 150,000 miles. I did not have any more problems until just recent. My argument is once a recall it should still be repaired. The part appears to be the problem. It is a safety issue and I need Toyota to fix the problem. Thank you!
The car suddenly threw a C1391 code yesterday with no previous warning. The traction, parking brake, brake system, and ABS lights are all lit on the dashboard. As this vehicle is my daily commuting vehicle, I must have the costly repairs performed, which are estimated at roughly $2,400. I will ask to retain the parts for inspection. The brakes are softer, and the breaking distance required has increased by approximately fifteen feet.
The ABS Pump( Accumulator and booster) are regularly failing on all Toyota Prius( 2010-2015). When the ABS pump starts to fail, the warning lights for Traction control, Brake and ABS come on. These lights come on at all speeds and its very hard to bring the vehicle to a complete stop when this happens. The brakes completely stop working and the brakes become rock solid. The brakes become so hard that they can’t be possibly be depressed to stop in time. I nearly missed getting killed from this as I am out of country and Toyota is refusing to fix it since its not a recall and I am in Canada. Toyota is asking $3500 in parts and $1500 in labor to repair. I can not afford it and this issue is on all Prius from 2010-2015. This is a major safety hazard and can cause serious injury and damage. Toyota is refusing to repair it since they believe the cars are out of warranty. However Toyota has been notified about this safety hazard arising on all Prius(2010-2015) but decline to respond or take action. I urge the federal safety agency to take action and get this resolved as the ABS brakes failing on the Prius can be really dangerous and can cause life threatening accidents.
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. In addition, the contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with brake system failure. The contact was informed that the braking system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for service. The contact was made aware of Customer Satisfaction Program: C1391. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with brake system failure. The contact was informed that the braking system needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under the Customer Satisfaction Program: C1391, because the mileage had been exceeded. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 166,000.
ABS Lights turned on and need replacement. This is my 3rd Prius that have the Issue.
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while at a complete stop and attempting to depress the accelerator pedal, there was an abnormal vibration coming from the brake pump. The contact also stated that when the vehicle was turned off, the vibration on the brake pump occurred, triggering the alarm on the vehicle at least one time per day, each day. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the failure was related with an unknown recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 196,000.
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal would depress to the floorboard initially without warning. Over time, the brake pedal had become stiff upon depression with several warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a code reader confirmed a defect with the braking system. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective brake booster. The mechanic then informed the contact of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 13V235000 (Service Brakes) which was linked to the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 153,000.
Prius Gen III has a known defect with failing Brake booster parts. In Nov 2023, while driving my 2010 Prius (~160K miles), suddenly brake, ABS, Traction control, skid indicator lights popped up on the dashboard and I have lost the ability to brake effectively. There was a brake pressure loss and I had to slam hard the brakes to slow the car. The error code was 'C1391' and the mechanic diagnosed it as failure of Brake booster parts ABS Brake booster pump (accumulator) - part#47070 47060 and Brake master cylinder (actuator), part#47050-47140 and he replaced both these parts. Toyota is aware of these failures which are very frequent and hence they issued a brake booster “customer service program” ZJB - which extended the warranty for these parts. But many of us were not covered by this warranty either because of the time or mileage restrictions. This was a costly repair and we had to fix it out of pocket at the cost of ~$3000 as this is safety hazard without proper braking. To make matters worse, 3 months after the repair, the newly installed parts failed again and I had to go through the same repair. I called to Toyota to complain about this and they cannot do anything about it and advised me to report it to the federal safety agency.
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, with the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. The contact stated that the brakes failed to adequately slow the vehicle. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the brake booster. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 13V235000 (Service Brakes) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 120,000.
My car accelerated significantly on its own while I was pulling into a parking stall in a private parking lot. It caused my vehicle to jump a curb and accelerate up a dirt divider and push over a bush that was planted in the dirt divider. Depressing my brakes did not Decelerate the car, so I pressed the Park button to eventually stop the vehicle. I’m not sure what speed it was traveling when it accelerated, but I could smell burning rubber at the end of the incident. I’m not sure when the smell first occurred.
Brake booster assembly failure. Code C1391 - accumulator pressure leak. Toyota previously agreed to extend the warranty on this part on this year of Toyota Prius due to the known issue and the time limit for this repair was set to be in 2019. Toyota agreed to replace the unit only if it fails before that timeframe. My Toyota got recently affected by this issue resulting in over $3,000 estimate for a repair as Toyota no longer covers this repair for my vehicle. That’s a known issue with this part, Toyota knows it’s faulty and yet no recall has been issued. Now I have to pay for a repair out of pocket. I can’t drive the vehicle until it’s fixed. This should be handled as a recall with all faulty units being replaced regardless of millage. A few people opened lawsuits on this issue before and some got a settlement. I believe there is enough evidence that this should be classified as a recall and a free of charge repair should be provided to the owners. The brake booster unit has been buzzing a lot for quite a few months ( due to the pressure leak it had to work more than normal). Now it completely failed with the leak being so excessive that the brakes are very soft.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2010 Toyota Prius?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history