2011 Toyota Prius Complaint Log

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the battery was drained frequently upon starting the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal was firm while depressing, with several warning lights including the ABS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and based from the noise coming from the vehicle; the mechanic determined that the brake booster and brake booster assembly were defective. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 204,000.

The 2011 Prius has an issue known to Toyota, in which the brake booster pump fails after an indiscriminate amount of time, leading to significant loss in braking ability and control. Toyota knows of this because they issues an extended warranty coverage for these vehicles and this issue, that did not extend beyond 10 years, or 150,000 miles, whichever comes first. [XXX] ) When I was driving my car down Highway [XXX] I lost braking control completely, with a series of constant beeping starting to emit from the braking system. Luckily through mashing the brake pedal and using ebrake I was able to get the car to slow down and pull off the highway. The brakes sporadically and randomly cut in and out with the power braking, leading to uncontrolled stopping power and jerky or inactive braking. There had been lights on the dash indicating the traction system or braking system had issues but these would frequently turn off and on and didn't result in a loss of braking ability or performance and had been there a couple months. Upon taking the vehicle to a Toyota Dealership (Charles Maund North Austin) I was told it was a C1391 error regarding a failure of the brake booster pump assembly and that it would need to be replaced and reprogrammed for about 3300 dollars. After looking online I saw there were many other people with this issue, all who were unable to fix this in the given 10 year frame. Many unsuspecting second owners of this vehicle do not know that there is a hidden danger waiting for them when their power brake pump assembly fails. If I had been a less experienced driver I would've certainly crashed and Toyota, knowing of this safety concern already, should have done the right thing and issue a recall for these vehicles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I bought this car new in 2011, and it is now driven by my daughter. The brakes started having problems around 2019, and the car was taken to Toyota service. It was thought to be a tire issue and the tires were replaced, but the brake issue remained. In February 2024, all the dashboard brake lights came on, and my daughter immediately took the car to Toyota service. The problem was a defective and leaking brake booster pump assembly, a defect well known to Toyota, and the subject of extended warranty on this model (10 years or 150,000 miles) and a recall by Toyota on some other models. Since it was after the 10 year period (despite reported problems during the 10 year period), corporate Toyota told the Toyota dealer service department and our family that they would not cover the $3500 repair bill incurred. This should have been a recall. I am horrified to think what could have happened to my daughter with defective brakes. Corporate Toyota is well aware of this defect. Even a Toyota dealer has previously reported it to the NHTSA. [XXX] . I request corporate Toyota pay for this repair and issue a recall for other unsuspecting drivers of these vehicles. This is a potentially lethal defect that needs a recall, not a post brake failure repair. I send my great thanks to you for investigating this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Brake warning lights came on, brake stopping has diminished significantly, throwing error codes, attached pictures of the error codes

See attached document for complaint

While driving the car I had three lights turn on the dash simultaneously. The parking brake light, traction control light, and ABS light. The brakes worked but felt spongy and not as responsive as normal. I had it checked out and it has code C1391. The recommendation is to replace the brake booster pump. I was quoted over $2,000 for the repair. There was a Toyota Customer Support Program ZJB that addressed this exact issue. It expired two years ago, and I am now stuck with the repair costs. I believe Toyota should have notified me of this potential danger and/or inspected the vehicle. I meet all the requirements of the bulletin, but it has expired. I reached out to Toyota, and they would not offer any assistance.

Brake Booster, pump failure

I have a 2011 Toyota Prius with 85K miles, as I was driving on the highway the abs light, brake light, and TSV light came on and then brakes were not working like normal. Had to pump the brakes very rapidly and steer off to the right side of the highway and use the emergency brake to come to a complete stop. I called the Toyota dealer and they said its the brake accumulator fault and they will not cover the fix because it was out of the 10year/150K mile warranty per SB. Towed my car to an independent service center and they confirmed it was the brake accumulator C1391 code. cost me $3000 to fix.

12 months ago we noticed a vibration while braking at very slow speed/creeping forward that worsened over time. We didn’t understand the significance at the time. In addition, we noticed more recently the brake pump running more and more frequently, even when the brakes weren’t being pressed. We suspect some sort of problem with the brake booster. This has had many claims against Toyota where my break booster is going out, and I have called toyota to assist since they've had a class action lawsuit that caused them to assist with recalls on vehicles; however the year my vehicle does not qualify for a recall. They opened a service case# 241010002348, but told me it would have to be an out of pocket expense since there's nothing they can do. Unfortunately this is a failure defect on the manufacturers production. Please help.

I have had this car since 2021 and have had to replace both the high and low beams multiple times a year. Each time they go out at the same time with no warning. This is deadly as I have. been on the freeway at night and almost crashed. I counted 4 times just in 2023 this has happened to me. This is more then any other car ive owned, along with any car my siblings and parents have owned. This is deadly and needs to be recalled ASAP

[XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed on dark roads, the contact became aware that the headlights were extremely dim. The illumination was inadequate while driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact became aware of a six-year Extended Warranty letter from the manufacturer. The contact stated that the harness needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

The conditions listed in Toyota Customer Support Program ZJB for the brake booster and master cylinder occurred after the 10 year in service date on my vehicle. Brake, ABS, and Traction control warning lights turn on intermittently and when this happens brake response is poor and cruise control shuts off. When applying the brakes an audible tat tat tat sound can be heard from the front of the car that sounds like the ABS being triggered. You should have toyota recall impacted cars and fix the issue as outlined in the TSB and support campaign.

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the front-end of the vehicle, and the brake pedal required pumping to slow the vehicle. The ABS and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that there was an accumulator pressure leak. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: DP19004 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

I have been experiencing intermittent brake issues with this car now for the last 50k miles. Sometimes the warning lights on the dash will activate, sometimes not when I am experiencing issues. the power assist is the problem. - it activates and then deactivates without warning instantaneously, while applying brakes or not. Sometimes when I am applying the brakes without the brake assist working, it will instantaneously start working without warning, causing my car to almost lock up its brakes. This is very dangerous, especially in traffic. When I apply my brakes at any given time, I never know if I am going to have power assist or not. I have replaced the brake master cylinder once already with a mobile mechanic and the problem went away for about one year but now it is happening again so this seems to be a reoccurring issue with this car. I have decided to just stop driving the car and bought a different one. I am a delivery courier and I cannot be driving a vehicle unsafe as this. I have reported the issue to my local dealership, but they are refusing to troubleshoot without charging me and it’s telling me there are no recalls.

My brakes were making noise since month,now the ABS light turn on.

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the master warning light, ABS, and Brake warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed failures with the brake master cylinder and the hydraulic accumulator. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 95,000.

The ABS, anti-skid, and brake lights came on. Immediately, the brakes were less than full stopping power, and it was obvious it was not safe to drive the car any further. We had noticed that a pump was being activated when the brakes were being used, but no service codes were being displayed when checked. We later found out there was a recall on the Brake Booster and Accumulator, but it was only a limited recall, no notice was sent to us, and no repair was authorized by Toyota unless the brakes completely failed. Once the dash warning lights came on, the C1391 service code appeared when checked, "Abnormal Leak of ACC Pressure". This issue is a safety matter because your brakes fail instantaneously at any moment while driving.

Brake booster and brake booster pump assembly are faulty and failing. Brakes are still functioning, but will ultimately fail without warning, from what I have read. This is highly dangerous for myself and other motorists. I was driving last week and tried coming to a stop at an intersection. I pushed the brake pedal and the car hesitated and then jumped/lurched forward before coming to a complete stop. The brake booster is sounding every 30 to 45 seconds to try and build back the pressure it is losing. Toyota offered a "Customer Support Program" for these parts, as there's been numerous premature failures. Unfortunately, my vehicle no longer fits within the parameters of the support program (see attached). From what I've read though, Toyota has been negligent with replacing the brake booster under the support program. I have called Toyota Corporate and they have offered no reprieve and won't stand behind this faulty part. Toyota needs to be forced to recall these 3rd gen Priuses and ordered to replace the breaking system. Expecting customers to shell out between $2-3k to have the ability to safely break/stop their vehicle is ridiculous, especially when Toyota is more than aware of this issue. I was quoted $2600 over the phone to remedy the issue from an independent hybrid shop. I've owned 7 Toyotas and two have been Priuses. This 2011 is by far one of their worst to roll off the assembly line with numerous reports of breaking problems, oil consumption issues, and head gasket failures. They need to stand behind their product(s), especially to brand loyal customers. Read more complaints about the breaking system: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Brake ABS system dashboard lights warning system always always going off for the 9 years I've owned the car. Had the ABS system replaced and still the dashboard lights going off and the system not functioning properly.

Traction control, ABS and Brake warning lights came on while driving. Car is now at the dealership for complete replacement of power pump and master cylinder assembly at a cost of $3,300.00

I’ve been told by our machanic that our Prius’ ABS braking system is malfunctioning.

Dear Mr; I own a 2011 Toyota Prius, and this week my brakes failed while driving down the highway. The ABS and Break lights and the ESP warning light on the instrument panel come on. The brake pedal is hard and has an intermittent hum in the engine area. The scanner gave the code C1391 / ACC PRESS abnormal leak error. I want to file a formal claim against Toyota for the failure of my car's brake system and request repair/replacement of my car's brake system. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? BRAK SISTEMS / YES, IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? IT WAS DIFFICULT TO BRAKE / THE CAR WAS DEVIATED WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE / I LEFT THE ROAD DUE TO THE RISK OF A COLLISION BY NOT HAVING THE ACTIVE BRAKING SYSTEM. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? YES / INDEPENDENT SERVICE. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? NO. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? NO

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, the vehicle had unexpectedly shut off. Additionally, the transmission failed to shift into the intended gear. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who replaced the catalytic converter, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer who diagnosed that the inverter was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V053000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 117,000.

Hybrid system shut down. DC power converter shutting down. Car shut down on me in middle of road almost caused a crash. There was a recall in 2018 but I never received a notice and now as of 2023 there are no active recalls.

On Friday June 9, 2023 we drove the 2011 Prius on our daily travels. This was uneventful. Parked the vehicle around 10pm that same night. We drove it on the following Saturday around noon on a very short errand, maybe 30 minutes. Parked it again a little after noon. On Sunday morning around 730am, we discovered the side curtain airbag on the passenger side was deployed. There in no external damage and the vehicle was still locked. Upon starting it, the airbag systems check light illuminated for about three seconds then went out. Although the airbag is currently deployed, the airbag dash light does not stay lit indicating a problem. In order to determine if this was a soft code, we started it, drove it around the block, and shut it off. We did this a few times. The airbag light always lit for about three seconds then went out. The airbag has "PA66, VMQ" stamped on it.

The brake actuator on my 2011 Prius failed. Toyota issued an extended warranty of 10yrs/150k miles because they knew there was a problem with the product. I have less than 80k miles on my car and the actuator failed. I feel like I am being penalized because I don't drive my car as often. I contacted Toyota and was dismissed by them because I was outside of the 10yr window. The repair was $1737.98 in parts and $780 in labor by a Toyota certified technician.

Brake actuator failed. Noise when applying brake but no code or dashlight. Looks like a common problem across prius 2011 model cars

All of a sudden, a few weeks ago, the ABS, TRAC, BRAKE, and brake warning lights all illuminated on my 2011 Toyota Prius, and the brakes became hard to press. Turns out, this is a known issue with this model of the Prius. DTC C1391 stored in the ECU. There is a defect with the brake booster/brake booster pump, and Toyota issued a Customer Support Program to extend the warranty on these two parts, but the program ended in 2021 and I am just now having this issue, although my Prius only has 115k miles. This should be a recall. I should not have to pay more than $3500 at the Toyota dealership to get this replaced when it is a defect with the parts that Toyota made (I should not have to pay ANYTHING). No dealership in the area wants to honor it either. Instead, they want to charge me $3500. And when I called Toyota Corporate, they brushed it off and told me "the program expired a whole 2 years ago" without even trying to work with me on the cost of the repair or anything. Complete let down from Toyota.

Three lights appeared on the dashboard…code C1391. This has affected the braking system, and the traction control…and the brakes no longer regenerate the battery. The mechanic said “YOU MUST NOT DRIVE THIS CAR” until a $2,700 repair is made. There was, apparently, a service bulletin sent out in 2019, and was then extended until 2022…which we did not receive, although we’ve been at the same address since we bought the car. But our car did not develop this common issue until now…2023, and Toyota says it was not a safety recall, so they don’t need to fix it, or help us get it fixed. We believe it IS obviously a safety issue….since my brakes can go out at any moment.

My safety can be affected because Toyota neglected to screen all openings of the car, I now have mouse or rat poop and saw some urine stains.The manufacturing system has failed for this 81 year old.

On April 25, 2023 I started my Prius and as soon as I braked I knew something was not right. I noted that warning light were on. When I pushed on brake pedal, the resistance was very soft for about 2 inches of pedal travel. At that point the brakes grabbed very quickly. I drove to the Toyota dealership (Huntington Beach Toyota) and was informed later that day that the master and pump master cylinder needed to be replaced. The dealer said that Toyota did have a program to replace these assemblies, but had not issued a recall, which (in my opinion) it should have. I've had quite a few cars, most of which lasted for more than 200,000 miles. I've never had such a failure nor have I heard of one. Clearly there was a manufacturing defect that should have required a recall.

Brake actuator failed while driving down the road on Friday, 04/14/2023. The car became hard to slow down/brake. Brake light, traction control light, ABS warning lamp came on, and tire pressure lamp came on. Next day lights went out. Then again all lights as above came on while driving down the highway. That was Wednesday 04/18/2033. Took to Toyota dealership who confirmed brake actuator had failed. Car has 133,000 miles on it. Prius was in the repair shop at Norton Toyota of Tulsa, OK, from Thursday 04/27/2023 until Saturday 04/29/2023.

on 4/12/2023, I was driving near an intersection and the e-brake and abs light both came on and the brakes on my car were suddenly twice as hard to apply, with a "soft" feeling to them. I was able to pull into a nearby brakes plus location. My younger sister and friend were in the car at the time. The problem has been reported by a Toyota dealership in California. The component was inspected by a repair associate at Brakes Plus and he confirmed that the electric brake booster on my prius was shot. There were zero warning signs of the problem prior to the incident.

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the check engine, service brakes, ABS, and the traction control system warning lights were illuminated. The contact parked the vehicle on the side of the road for approximately 3 minutes before continuing to drive to her residence. The contact stated on March 17, 2023, while her husband was approaching a traffic light, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to stop the vehicle properly. The contact stated that several warning lights were illuminated. The driver stated that the vehicle cruised to a stop independently. The driver decided to drive at a slow speed to the residence. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake master cylinder, the brake pump assembly, and the brake booster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,000.

It is very unfortunate that the brake booster extended warranty was declined by Tustin of Toyota specially after having my vehicle in their hands for another recall when the warranty was active. This is something I can not wrap my head around. I would like to speak to someone in regards to this dealer. Who can I speak with?

I purchased a 2011 Prius 4 years ago from a dealership. For the last 2 years, whenever I drive the car, the ABS, brake, and skid lights are on. also, there's a slightly whirring noise every few seconds from under the hood. Braking has been affected, and I've had to increase my stopping distance as a result. Also, the brake pads and rotors deteriorate faster. Apparently, this is a common problem with this type of car. I've called Toyota, and despite it being a known flaw with this car, they refuse to do anything about it.

The right low beam bulb goes out every 10-15k miles. This is a known issue by Toyota that addressed it with a "Warranty Enhancement Program" that worked to address the defect, but expired in 2019. I believe that headlamps are critical safety issues, and this should be subject to a recall, not a "Warranty Enhancement Program".

Brake booster and brake booster pump failure

If I make a longer trip more than 10 to 15 miles the car does fine if I drive it 2 miles down the road or across the street to a different store the car tells me to check hybrid system. I had it check and code c1391 came up and that was repaired. Once repaired picked up from shop drove across the street to gas station and it told me to check hybrid system again and went into limp mode. Once I do a reset the car will start back up and drive fine as long as it's a long trip if I go on another short trip it will do it again.

Reporting an issue related to Toyota's CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM BULLETIN (ZJB): REPAIR COVERAGE FOR BRAKE BOOSTER AND BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP ASSEMBLIES ON CERTAIN 2010 MY PRIUS AND CERTAIN 2010 MY PRIUS PHV VEHICLES. Finally got a C1391 error with the respective dash lights. Increased hissing/pumping was occuring from the brake assembly for about a year before hand until the code/lights happened. Customer Support Program Bulletin is closed but hoping it reopens.

As I'm sure you have heard from the numerous complaints on the internet the ABS on this vehicle is having issues. The repair is over 3,000 dollars. Toyota needs to recall this brake pump. I can't pay 3,000$ to stay safe in my vehicle. They made a defective part and were somehow allowed to extend the warranty instead of recall it. My vehicle is under the mileage but over the years so I was pretty much told too bad. This needs to be addressed at a actual road safety level which is why I am writing you. Thank you for your time.

I have reported this once and numerous times to Toyota. I even paid to "fix" the problem. My daughter was driving and all the dashboard lights came on and the brakes do not work. It's doing it again after they supposedly "fixed" it. My family is at risk! If anything happens, I will seek legal action. I can't believe a company as big as Toyota wont take responsibility. And that a recall wont be done. I've seen numerous people report the same issue. PLEASE do something.

ABS warning light came on, followed soon by a beeping warning sound. Brakes felt odd. A few minutes later, complete loss of brakes.

brakes in the car failed due to loss of hydraulic pressure/ brake acuator system. toyota issued a service bulleton for this problem approx 2017-2021 and the dealer and corporate would not honor the repair to my vehicle each time i brought the car in for inspection after experiencing constant issues with my brakes. the brakes finally failed and i could not stop the car while driving at interstate speeds. the vehicle was inspected by a private mechanic and confirmed the failure that toyota refused to honor. no warning lamps or messages in the car until the brakes actually went out while the car was in motion at interstate speeds. symptoms first appeared in 2017, but the dealer insisted nothing was wrong even though i demonstrated the symptoms to their mechanics in person. i reported the dealerships behavior to corporate and they did not help. they claimed the brakes were ok because the car's computer did not give an error code "yet".

The ABS Actuator and Booster failed with diagnostic error code C1391

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stopped in the middle of the road. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brakes failed to operate as needed upon depression with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective brake control dynamic system. The contact was referred to the dealer where they confirmed the failure and provided her with an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer had yet to be notified about the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the ABS warning light illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle failed to brake normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the brake accumulator and brake pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not under warranty. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 156,000. The VIN was not available.

ON Sept 9th, 2022, I was involved in a collision, traveling approximately 30 - 40 MPH and struck a vehicle that pulled into my path. I struck the other vehicle perpendicularly (T-Boned). My vehicle impacted on the front, initially, and then on the driver's side at full force. The result of the accident caused the front bumper to be damaged and the entire left side of the car was crushed. The force of the accident caused the driver's window and port-hole to shatter. The AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. None of the air bags deployed. The vehicle is still in the auto repair lot and has yet to be inspected by anyone. There we NO prior indicators of any problems with the airbag system.