Toyota Prius spongy pedal problems

Filed Nov 7, 2026 · Brakes · MS

Abs, traction light on , and brake light on and the brake is not working good. Need to press it hard to apply brake . It happen with out a reason.i called toyota when i have a recall for that but they refused because it dont have any light sign on it but still it make a loud buzzing sound all time time when car runs and brakes also feels spongy .now recall is expired i have to replace by my self

Filed Oct 21, 2026 · Brakes, Driver assistance · FL · crash

The Toyota Prius, models through 2010 - 2015 have a known issue with the Brake Booster (actuator) and ABS Pump where the parts will degrade and break at or around 100,000mi. Toyota issued a bulletin and had a replacement program that covered the part that has since elapsed but has not corrected the issue with existing stock and inventory so the problem remains. When I purchased my car I was the 2nd owner, the car was purchased with roughly 160,000mi. The previous owner had informed me that he already replaced the actuator and ABS pump so I wouldn't have to worry about that repair. All told he said he spent $4000+ on the repair. When the car was driving I heard a high pitched whine. I took it to garages after my OBD tools could not identify the issue, no one had a fix and speculated that it was a power inverter and it was normal. Some weeks later, I was involved in an accident where the car did not stop in time, the brake went spongy and locked up, ABS failed to activate with no warnings or indicators. This is what first led me to suspect something wrong with the ABS. later the persistent whine was loud enough that I could identify that it was hydraulic in nature, pointing to the brakes. Within weeks the whine had stopped and my brake, ABS, and TCS lights came on, on the cluster. My OBD indicated that the ABS pump and Brake actuator were giving codes to the ECM. I replace it, and at about 240,000mi it went out again. Due to the extremely expensive nature of the part I purchased a used part which is now also bad. Toyota informed me that they have no intention of passing a recall notice or fixing the defective part. I would imagine that if the NHSTA looked into crashes involving this model and year group they would see an unusually high trend of these getting into an accident around 100,000mi increments. I believe that a recall should be issued due to the serious safety implications of potential defective cars on the road that may not be able to brake in time.

Filed Oct 19, 2026 · Brakes · CA

On XXX, at approximately 152,570 miles, the brake, ABS, and traction-control warning lights illuminated at the same time on my 2013 Toyota Prius. The brakes felt spongy, and I heard a recurring buzzing sound approximately every 3 seconds. Because of the change in brake-pedal feel and concerns about braking safety, I stopped using the vehicle. I reported the problem to Longo Toyota in [XXX], which directed me to Toyota customer support. The vehicle was subsequently diagnosed with trouble code C1391, “Internal Leak in Accumulator.” I contacted the dealership and Toyota customer support about Customer Support Program ZJB, which addressed code C1391 brake booster and brake booster pump failures. Toyota denied coverage because the failure occurred outside the program’s time and mileage limits. The symptoms began only 2,570 miles beyond the 150,000-mile limit. My primary concern is **safety**, not simply the expiration of coverage. The vehicle developed spongy brakes, multiple warning lights, and frequent buzzing. The diagnosis appears consistent with the type of brake-system failure Toyota previously addressed through ZJB. I request that the federal safety agency investigate whether this condition constitutes a safety defect affecting 2013 Toyota Prius vehicles and whether a recall or other corrective action is warranted, including for vehicles that develop the failure after the support program expires. I can provide the diagnostic report and available supporting records. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Oct 1, 2026 · Brakes · FL

When I started my car this morning, the red BRAKE light, ABS warning light and anti-slip light were all illuminated. The car does still stop but the brakes are very spongy and there's a clicking noise under the hood. I only moved the car out of the driveway to allow other cars to leave. The brake fluid is not low. This is the problem listed under Toyota's Customer Support Program Notice ZJB but it is past the coverage expiration date. There should not be an expiration date on a known manufacturer issue. If this had happened while I was on the highway driving to work, I could have had a serious accident.

Filed Aug 10, 2026 · Brakes · IA

Vehicle Information: 2011 Toyota Prius, 144,000 miles. Component: Hydraulic Service Brakes, Electronic Stability Control, Anti-lock Braking System. Description of Incident: While driving at normal speeds, the vehicle suddenly experienced a severe reduction in braking capability. The dashboard simultaneously illuminated the Brake Warning Light, ABS Light, and Slip/Traction Control Indicator Light. The brake pedal immediately became soft, spongy, and squishy, requiring significantly increased physical foot pressure and a vastly extended distance to bring the vehicle to a stop. Upon inspection, the brake fluid reservoir remains completely full, but the brake booster pump under the hood cycles and buzzes rapidly every 10 seconds while stationary. A diagnostic scan confirmed trouble code C1391 (Brake Actuator Internal Leak). This indicates a severe internal hydraulic pressure bleed inside the braking module. [SEE ATTACHED] This is a known, widespread manufacturing defect previously documented under Toyota Customer Support Program ZJB. The manufacturer has refused to remedy this life-threatening safety defect because a 10-year calendar threshold has passed, despite the vehicle being well under the 150,000-mile limit established by the manufacturer. The vehicle currently poses an immediate safety risk to occupants and the public.

Filed Jun 3, 2026 · Brakes · 121,000 miles · MN

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving, depressed the brakes, brake pedal became stiff and had to apply extra force to apply the brakes. The issue occurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it bent brake pedal and the bracket was bent. The vehicle was not repaired at the time of the report. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 121,000.

Filed May 10, 2026 · Brakes · CA

Toyota Prius has a known problem with the brake actuator and booster. A notice was sent out in 2019 under the Customer Support Program Expansion with repairs up to 10 years or 150k miles. This is a safety issue and should be covered under a recall with NO TIME OR MILEAGE LIMITS since these problems are not showing up until after 10 years if the car has low mileage, as in our case. We just passed the 10 year mark, but only has 114k miles. No mention of repairs needed were made during regular maintenance visits with Toyota. Additionally, preventative repairs were not offered if the vehicle did not seem to be experiencing problems at that time. The brakes are spongy and unresponsive. The ABS light , traction warning lights, and parking brake lights are staying on.

Filed Apr 8, 2026 · Brakes · CA

While driving my 2013 Toyota Prius, the red brake warning light, traction control, and ABS warning light suddenly illuminated on the dashboard. The brake pedal became spongy and required significantly more effort to stop the vehicle, indicating reduced braking power. The vehicle was diagnosed with code C1391 — abnormal leak in the brake booster accumulator assembly — a known manufacturing defect acknowledged by Toyota via Customer Support Program bulletin ZG1 for 2010–2015 Prius vehicles. The brake accumulator was replaced by a repair shop (ARC Auto Repair, Pasadena, CA), but the issue has recurred. The symptom is pressure-dependent: brake performance degrades in Eco drive mode as accumulator pressure bleeds down, and partially restores in Power mode when the system is forced to repressurize. Toyota dealership (Hamer Toyota, Mission Hills, CA) and Toyota Customer Experience (1‑800‑331‑4331) both declined to assist, citing expired warranty. This is a known safety-critical defect in the braking system that Toyota has previously acknowledged. No crash or injury occurred, but the reduced braking capability presents a significant safety risk to the driver and public.

Filed Mar 20, 2026 · Brakes, Driver assistance · LA

In June 2025, while driving on the highway, the vehicle suddenly displayed multiple brake warning lights and warning messages, including the red brake warning light, ABS light, brake system warning light, and traction/slip indicator. At the same time, the brake pedal became stiff and braking effort increased suddenly, creating a near-crash situation because the vehicle did not slow normally. Before that incident, the vehicle had already been making abnormal brake-related noises, including a humming/pumping noise when the brake pedal was applied, and there were intermittent episodes where braking felt abnormal. In June 2025, the vehicle was taken to a Toyota dealership during Toyota’s brake booster support program period. The dealership documented customer complaints of “humming noise in cabin when holding foot on the brakes,” a request to “scan for codes for ZJB enhancement,” and that the “vehicle hard to accelerate and brakes got stiff,” but stated that no qualifying ABS codes were present at that time. In March 2026, the same condition returned and worsened. The vehicle again displayed the red brake warning light, ABS light, brake system warning light, and traction/slip light, and braking performance was reduced. An OBD scan of the ABS control unit showed code C1391, which is associated with brake booster / ABS actuator failure. The Toyota dealership has now diagnosed the vehicle with ABS actuator and brake booster failure and quoted repair. This is a serious safety issue because braking became more difficult while driving, including on the highway, with sudden warning lights and degraded stopping ability. The failed components are available for inspection. The problem has now been confirmed by a Toyota dealership. The issue was reported to a Toyota dealership during the prior support-program period but was not confirmed then.

Filed Mar 4, 2026 · Brakes · TX

This is the 3rd time I have had to address this issue. The ABS system fails, resulting in increased braking distances. The dealership refuses to warranty or recall this dangerous defect, replacing the parts which fail again. Symptoms include increased braking distance, extremely hard pedal, lack of ABS function, lack of traction control, lack of hybrid regen. The entire dash lights up with indicators for all these functions.