2011 Toyota Prius Service Brakes Problems
Owners have filed 264 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes problems on the 2011 Toyota Prius, 51% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 80,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “brake booster” (27% of reports).
- 264service brakes complaints
- 80,000median miles at failure
- 17mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $3,500typical repair cost reported by owners
- 32%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Brake booster: mentioned in 72 of 264 complaints (27%)
- Traction control: mentioned in 43 of 264 complaints (16%)
- Support program: mentioned in 19 of 264 complaints (7%)
- Code C1391: mentioned in 15 of 264 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical service brakes repair on the 2011 Toyota Prius at $3,500, and half of them between $3,050 and $4,050.
Based on 34 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2013–2026), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do service brakes problems happen?
Based on 139 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 264 complaints, 17 mention a crash, 3 an injury.
Toyota Prius service brakes complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Prius | 2 | 13% | — |
| 2024 Prius | 2 | 7% | 3,000 |
| 2023 Prius | 2 | 10% | — |
| 2022 Prius | 4 | 17% | 10,000 |
| 2021 Prius | 1 | 17% | — |
| 2020 Prius | 4 | 29% | 8,185 |
| 2019 Prius | 9 | 30% | 3,498 |
| 2018 Prius | 3 | 8% | 4,500 |
| 2017 Prius | 14 | 15% | 14,932 |
| 2016 Prius | 18 | 12% | 7,193 |
| 2015 Prius | 89 | 54% | 35,000 |
| 2014 Prius | 94 | 45% | 21,000 |
| 2013 Prius | 231 | 56% | 83,500 |
| 2012 Prius | 184 | 43% | 77,000 |
| 2011 Prius | 264 | 51% | 80,000 |
| 2010 Prius | 593 | 21% | 93,000 |
| 2009 Prius | 63 | 13% | 130,000 |
| 2008 Prius | 145 | 10% | 129,325 |
| 2007 Prius | 127 | 6% | 123,377 |
| 2006 Prius | 73 | 5% | 139,500 |
| 2005 Prius | 82 | 8% | 135,626 |
| 2004 Prius | 21 | 3% | 138,000 |
| 2003 Prius | 5 | 5% | 117,689 |
| 2002 Prius | 4 | 2% | 30,000 |
| 2001 Prius | 5 | 3% | 125,225 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists service brakes for the 2011 Toyota Prius. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I was driving on the highway when my 2011 Toyota Prius started beeping repeatedly, and as I approached the red light, my brakes were not operational. My car completely passed through the red light, narrowly missing what could have been a fatal accident for me and others on the road. I had to…
2011 Toyota Prius with approximately 134,000 miles. The brake actuator/master cylinder has been diagnosed as malfunctioning and failing to maintain hydraulic pressure. The brake booster pump initially began cycling approximately every 10 seconds while the vehicle was in READY mode, stationary, and…
I am filing this complaint to report an active, severe safety defect involving a sudden, un-warned loss of power braking assist due to a failing factory brake actuator/booster pump assembly. My vehicle is exhibiting the exact internal hydraulic seal failure, pressure drop, and audible…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2011 Toyota Priuss have service brakes problems?
No. NHTSA has 264 owner complaints about service brakes for the 2011 Toyota Prius (51% of the 521 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Toyota Prius service brakes?
No recall currently lists service brakes for this vehicle.
At what mileage do service brakes problems start?
The median reported mileage is 80,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix service brakes problems on the 2011 Toyota Prius?
Owners report a typical cost of $3,500 (half paid between $3,050 and $4,050), from 34 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about service brakes problems on the 2011 Toyota Prius?
The most frequent phrase is “brake booster”, in 72 of 264 complaints, followed by “traction control” (43).
Other 2011 Toyota Prius problems
See all 2011 Toyota Prius problems or service brakes problems across all Prius years.