Toyota Prius Service Brakes Problems
Owners have filed 2,039 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes problems on the Toyota Prius across 25 model years. The 2010 model year has the most (593). The words owners use most often: “brake booster” (23% of reports).
- 2,039service brakes complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 207mention a crash
- 65mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- $3,700typical repair cost reported by owners
- 28%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 459 of 2,039 complaints (23%)
- Traction control: mentioned in 249 of 2,039 complaints (12%)
- Master cylinder: mentioned in 151 of 2,039 complaints (7%)
- Code C1391: mentioned in 103 of 2,039 complaints (5%)
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 Toyota Prius at $3,700, and half of them between $3,200 and $4,250.
Based on 295 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2012–2026), 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 1,100 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 2,039 complaints, 207 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 65 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 (3)
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.
Service brakes
Model years: 2010
Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2010 Prius vehicles manufactured March 31, 2009, through October 9, 2009; and model year 2010 Lexus HS250h vehicles manufactured June 19, 2009, through October 9, 2009. Nitrogen gas from a component of the brake booster pump assembly could leak into the brake fluid.
Risk: As nitrogen is released into the brake fluid, the brake pedal may have reduced hydraulic pressure. Under certain circumstances, this condition could affect stopping distance and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected brake booster pump assemblies. The recall began on August 7, 2013. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Service brakes, air:antilock:control unit/module
Model years: 2010
Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2010 toyota prius and lexus hs250h passenger vehicles. Customers have experienced inconsistent brake feel after abs actuation during slow and steady application of the brakes on rough or slick road surfaces. Stopping distances may be increased compared with a customer's expectation for a given pedal force.
Risk: Vehicle stopping distances may increase relative to a customer's expectation increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will rewrite the programming of the abs control unit free of charge. The safety recall began on march 3, 2010, and is expected to be completed in late march 2010. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331 and lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
While driving our 2013 Toyota Prius, the vehicle experienced a sudden and severe loss of braking effectiveness while the vehicle was in motion. This created an immediate safety risk because the vehicle did not respond to braking as expected. After the incident, the vehicle displayed the red BRAKE…
While driving, my brake pedal would randomly lose power assist. The pedal would get hard and I couldn't press it down normally, and I had to push as hard as I could just to get the car to slow down. This happened more than once while driving and I almost crashed because I couldn't stop the car in…
Facing brake booster/accumulator leak at ~105,000 miles diagnosed and confirmed by a mechanic at an independent service center. Problem is characterized by a hissing and chirping sound from the brakes. No warning lights appear on the dash, but this is a known problem with the 2014 Prius. Brake…
The brake booster pump has malfunctioned, exactly 1 year outside of the secondary coverage supplied in the voluntary customer support program for this exact issue, despite being under 150,000 miles. Now the car is unsafe to drive since the brakes are malfunctioning.
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…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Toyota Priuss have service brakes problems?
No. NHTSA has 2,039 owner complaints about service brakes 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?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list service brakes. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix service brakes problems on the Toyota Prius?
Owners report a typical cost of $3,700 (half paid between $3,200 and $4,250), from 295 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about service brakes problems on the Toyota Prius?
The most frequent phrase is “brake booster”, in 459 of 2,039 complaints, followed by “traction control” (249).
Other Toyota Prius problems
- Exterior Lighting problems (3,505)
- 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)
- Air Bags problems (426)
See all Toyota Prius problems.