Toyota Prius Service Brakes, Electric Problems
Owners have filed 817 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes, electric problems on the Toyota Prius across 10 model years. The 2010 model year has the most (502). The words owners use most often: “loss braking” (7% of reports).
- 817service brakes, electric complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 66mention a crash
- 7mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,950typical repair cost reported by owners
- 3%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.
- Loss braking: mentioned in 54 of 817 complaints (7%)
- Feels like: mentioned in 48 of 817 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical service brakes, electric repair on the Toyota Prius at $2,950, and half of them between $1,750 and $3,300.
Based on 12 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2009–2011), 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, electric problems happen?
Based on 703 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 817 complaints, 66 mention a crash, 7 an injury.
Toyota Prius service brakes, electric complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes, Electric complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Prius | 502 | 18% | 3,000 |
| 2009 Prius | 44 | 9% | 10,000 |
| 2008 Prius | 77 | 5% | 18,000 |
| 2007 Prius | 59 | 3% | 29,800 |
| 2006 Prius | 45 | 3% | 30,921 |
| 2005 Prius | 68 | 6% | 46,400 |
| 2004 Prius | 13 | 2% | 90,000 |
| 2003 Prius | 3 | 3% | 83,000 |
| 2002 Prius | 3 | 2% | 52,909 |
| 2001 Prius | 3 | 2% | 116,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists service brakes, electric for the 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.
Ever since i purchased my 2010 prius in november, 2009 the brakes have been a problem. When braking while driving over a bump or pothole the car looses braking ability and there is a surge of power. The dealership claims there is no problem and the recall work has not made a noticeable difference…
Having problems with the braking on my 2010 toyota prius. At slow to moderate speeds while i am braking and go over a pothole the car seems to stop braking and keeps going. I then have to depress the brake harder to make the car stop. I haven't had any collisions because of this issue because i…
(1). I slammed on the brakes, but there was no power brakes. The 2005 prius slowed, but did not stop until it crashed into another vehicle. I was going approximately 35 mph, and i traveled 3 car lengths before colliding with the other vehicle. (2). Loss of power assist had previously occurred while…
When braking quickly usually on rough surfaces, wet roads, slopes brakes temporarily fail as if no control over the car giving me an adrenaline rush. I have been driving like this for 4 years thinking is the characteristic of prius. June 30th 2011, i steered into the parking lot and was parking on…
I purchased a 2010 prius. Within a 100 miles, the brake pedal randomly locked up, the brakes grabbed and brought my car to an abrupt halt. The brake pedal remained locked for about 3-5 seconds. The car would not move forward or backward until after the brake pedal unlocked itself. Initially this…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Toyota Priuss have service brakes, electric problems?
No. NHTSA has 817 owner complaints about service brakes, electric 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 service brakes, electric?
No recall currently lists service brakes, electric for this vehicle.
How much does it cost to fix service brakes, electric problems on the Toyota Prius?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,950 (half paid between $1,750 and $3,300), from 12 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about service brakes, electric problems on the Toyota Prius?
The most frequent phrase is “loss braking”, in 54 of 817 complaints, followed by “feels like” (48).
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)
- Engine problems (479)
- Structure problems (428)
- Air Bags problems (426)
See all Toyota Prius problems.