Toyota Prius Electronic Stability Control (esc) Problems
Owners have filed 233 complaints with NHTSA about electronic stability control (esc) problems on the Toyota Prius across 18 model years. The 2010 model year has the most (58). The words owners use most often: “traction control” (14% of reports).
- 233electronic stability control (esc) complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 19mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 24%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.
- Traction control: mentioned in 32 of 233 complaints (14%)
- Brake ABS: mentioned in 18 of 233 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do electronic stability control (esc) problems happen?
Based on 202 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 233 complaints, 19 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Toyota Prius electronic stability control (esc) complaints by model year
| Model year | Electronic Stability Control (esc) complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Prius | 1 | 7% | 12,850 |
| 2019 Prius | 1 | 3% | 52 |
| 2017 Prius | 1 | 1% | 27,000 |
| 2016 Prius | 2 | 1% | 17,255 |
| 2015 Prius | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2014 Prius | 8 | 4% | 76,551 |
| 2013 Prius | 7 | 2% | 59,075 |
| 2012 Prius | 7 | 2% | 102,227 |
| 2011 Prius | 16 | 3% | 55,523 |
| 2010 Prius | 58 | 2% | 41,073 |
| 2009 Prius | 12 | 2% | 12,000 |
| 2008 Prius | 43 | 3% | 30,050 |
| 2007 Prius | 34 | 2% | 45,000 |
| 2006 Prius | 15 | 1% | 41,000 |
| 2005 Prius | 18 | 2% | 70,522 |
| 2004 Prius | 6 | 1% | 58,718 |
| 2003 Prius | 2 | 2% | 105,117 |
| 2002 Prius | 1 | 1% | 241,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Service brakes; electronic stability control (esc)
Model years: 2019
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 Lexus LS500, LC500, ES300h, UX250h, LS500h, Toyota Prius, RAV4 HV, 2019-2020 Toyota Prius Prime, and 2020 Corolla HV vehicles. The brake booster pump may fail causing a deactivation of the Vehicle Stability Control system and a loss of braking assist. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Risk: Deactivation of the vehicle stability control system or a loss of braking assist increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake booster pump, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2019. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 and Lexus owners may contact Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are K1L/K0L. Lexus' numbers for this recall are K2F/KLF.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the messages for the parking brake, tire pressure monitoring system, ABS, and VSC illuminated while driving. The vehicle was later driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the brake actuator and…
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving the speed was unknown due to the instrument cluster being inoperable. On another occasion while driving approximately 45 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to operate properly; however, on that occasion the…
I am facing many problems with my car lately; it over heats alot and suddenly the speed drops while the car is moving in a very dangerous highway and i can then hardly drive it to park it aside. A message started also to appear frequently "check hybrid system". I was informed by the official toyota…
Just purchased the car from a used car dealer 8/26/2020 and was driving down a two lane road approximately 45 mph coming up to a stop sign and the brakes went crazy with a continuous buzzing sound from the brakes and the dash abs, traction control, brake system warning lights all came on, would not…
The cars starts does not stay on if i try to drive it will turn off and die out .
Frequently asked questions
Do all Toyota Priuss have electronic stability control (esc) problems?
No. NHTSA has 233 owner complaints about electronic stability control (esc) for the Toyota Prius. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Toyota Prius electronic stability control (esc)?
Yes: 1 safety recall list electronic stability control (esc). Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about electronic stability control (esc) problems on the Toyota Prius?
The most frequent phrase is “traction control”, in 32 of 233 complaints, followed by “brake abs” (18).
Other Toyota Prius problems
- Exterior Lighting problems (3,505)
- Service Brakes problems (2,039)
- Electrical System problems (1,595)
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (1,594)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (1,050)
- Service Brakes, Electric problems (817)
- Engine problems (479)
- Structure problems (428)
See all Toyota Prius problems.