Toyota Prius Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems
Owners have filed 1,594 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the Toyota Prius across 18 model years. The 2010 model year has the most (849). The words owners use most often: “applying brakes” (5% of reports).
- 1,594service brakes, hydraulic complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 169mention a crash
- 31mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $3,500typical repair cost reported by owners
- 5%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.
- Applying brakes: mentioned in 87 of 1,594 complaints (5%)
- Loss braking: mentioned in 86 of 1,594 complaints (5%)
- Road surface: mentioned in 83 of 1,594 complaints (5%)
- Feels like: mentioned in 81 of 1,594 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical service brakes, hydraulic repair on the Toyota Prius at $3,500, and half of them between $2,800 and $4,700.
Based on 13 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2006–2014), 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, hydraulic problems happen?
Based on 1,362 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 1,594 complaints, 169 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 31 an injury.
Toyota Prius service brakes, hydraulic complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Prius | 1 | 4% | 121,000 |
| 2019 Prius | 1 | 3% | 78,000 |
| 2016 Prius | 1 | 1% | 100,028 |
| 2015 Prius | 4 | 2% | 117,500 |
| 2014 Prius | 8 | 4% | 133,000 |
| 2013 Prius | 8 | 2% | 130,000 |
| 2012 Prius | 12 | 3% | 132,500 |
| 2011 Prius | 12 | 2% | 95,000 |
| 2010 Prius | 849 | 30% | 3,000 |
| 2009 Prius | 91 | 18% | 11,400 |
| 2008 Prius | 171 | 11% | 20,000 |
| 2007 Prius | 145 | 7% | 25,491 |
| 2006 Prius | 94 | 7% | 31,000 |
| 2005 Prius | 128 | 12% | 45,000 |
| 2004 Prius | 39 | 6% | 52,000 |
| 2003 Prius | 8 | 8% | 150 |
| 2002 Prius | 14 | 8% | 41,781 |
| 2001 Prius | 8 | 5% | 100,816 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists service brakes, hydraulic 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.
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the ABS warning light illuminated. Minutes later, the vehicle started to brake and lurch forward with the accelerator pedal depressed. The contact stated that the vehicle spun out and crashed into the median. The…
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS, traction control, and BRAKE warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled off on the off-ramp and became aware that extra effort was needed to depress the brake pedal. The vehicle was…
The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while the vehicle was on and running, the ABS and traction control warning lights illuminated, and the messages "Braking Power Low - Stop in a Safe Placeâ, âSee Owner's Manual", "Braking Power Low - Visit the Dealer", and "ABS…
The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the brake warning lights illuminated. The brakes were inoperable and entered manual mode. The contact stated that the brake warning lights were red and yellow. The vehicle was taken to Brake Masters, where it was…
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…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Toyota Priuss have service brakes, hydraulic problems?
No. NHTSA has 1,594 owner complaints about service brakes, hydraulic 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, hydraulic?
No recall currently lists service brakes, hydraulic for this vehicle.
How much does it cost to fix service brakes, hydraulic problems on the Toyota Prius?
Owners report a typical cost of $3,500 (half paid between $2,800 and $4,700), from 13 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the Toyota Prius?
The most frequent phrase is “applying brakes”, in 87 of 1,594 complaints, followed by “loss braking” (86).
Other Toyota Prius problems
- Exterior Lighting problems (3,505)
- Service Brakes problems (2,039)
- Electrical System problems (1,595)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (1,050)
- Service Brakes, Electric problems (817)
- Engine problems (479)
- Structure problems (428)
- Air Bags problems (426)
See all Toyota Prius problems.