2012 Toyota Prius Complaint Log

The hybrid system was shut down while driving. The symptoms are like the description in this recall (NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V684000). However, my VIN is not on the recall list.

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle started shaking and failed to slow down as intended. The brake, ABS, and traction control warning lights were illuminated. On another occasion, while driving 70 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle began shaking and failed to slow down as intended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.

Upon driving out of my school parking lot at approximately 15 to 20 miles per hour I noticed a cushiony filled with a brakes and all of a sudden I heard a shhh all of my lights popped up on my dashboard. When I took my vehicle in to be able to find out what was going on with it I was told that I need a master cylinder and a brake booster. This was after having my vehicle for only 3 years where I purchased it from Rice Toyota Greensboro North Carolina.

Broken bones in face. Nose split in two parts Eye socket broken along with cornea messed up. Broken ribs. Bleeding spleen. Broken neck.

Brake actuator making noise every 10 seconds and oil is having to be filled in everyday.

Code C1391 shows in which the accumulator and the brake booster assembly need to be changed. This is a known defect and was covered through an ‘extended warranty’ due to a lawsuit. Since it results in less than optimal braking, and can result in crashes since function disappears suddenly, it should have warranted a recall. This issue is also known to happen in multiple Toyota hybrid vehicles.

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, there was a rattling sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle started shaking abnormally with a rattling sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a blown head gasket and that the engine block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

Coming to a yellow light, I braked and the vehicle made a strange sound with loss of braking, so I sped up instead, having to go through a red light. Shortly after, that afternoon, when I again started the vehicle, the safety lights lit up in the dashboard and my vehicle kept making a strange cycling noise. As it turns out, it was the whole brake actuator assembly. Under great financial hardship, I had the vehicle repaired ($4300+). I applied to Toyota Corporate for help but they denied it, saying I was outside the extended warranty. I’ve since learned this brake problem was a known issue, and Toyota settled a class action settlement. My vehicle has only 90,000 miles on it, and it is has been used primarily as an in-town vehicle, our only car. I’m asking for a recall and reimbursement on repair for affected vehicles. Toyota has been allowed to get away with responsibility for a known issue by putting it into a extended warranty program, now expired. Meanwhile, this dangerous, known defect continues to happen to unsuspecting drivers. I was lucky with my incident, as no cars came out when the light changed, but it could have been a different outcome.

Hard to stop, ABS AND BRAKE AND TRACTION CONTROLL RELATED WARNING LIGHTS ON. ERROR CODE C1391

The brake booster noise, brake problem, brake booster pump internal mail function

brake warning lights (ABS, traction, and (!)) went on while driving on the highway with my 8-year old. Needed brake booster replaced. Replaced at dealership for over $4500. Was a year and a half outside of a customer support program that covered cost for our vehicle through Jan 2022. Called Toyota to see if they could do anything and to report safety issue. They did not give me any funds towards repair. I feel that this is a significant and scary safety issue, and an unfair financial burden for Toyota customers to bear.

I have had a 2012 Prius since 2016. The entire time I've had it, it occasionally "hydroplanes" but without any water. It happens in wet or dry (but mostly dry) conditions. Usually at slower speeds so, though it makes me very uncomfortable, it doesn't happen with any regularity. I've taken it multiple times to my mechanic who always says "Prius' just do that", which is not reassuring. I know there was a recall and I was told my car did not fall under that umbrella. On Wednesday of this week, 10/25/23, I finally had an accident because of this. The brake lockup had been happening more frequently in the past week and in this instance I saw the car in front of me suddenly slow down - I had about 2/3 of a cars distance between me and the car ahead. I hit the brakes and nothing happened. I was pushing down on them long enough to think, "Ok, this is it. They aren't responding at all and I'm going to hit this car in front of me." I did and it crushed the passenger side of the car. Luckily I wasn't hurt. There were no warnings from the car at all that this was going to happen, as there never are. I took it in for possible repair today (the mechanic is not sure but thinks it may be a total loss). This car did everything they describe in the recall cases and I want to know if there's anyway to be repaid from the company for this as there was nothing I could do to stop this accident? Why wasn't my car included in the recall?

On October 24, 2023, while driving my car, several lights went on all at once, including the ABS, and brake lights. I immediately drove it to the Toyota Dealership on 2213 Old Jacksboro Hwy, WF TX 76301. The car was also making a noise constantly, that I had taken into Toyota service center previously which was also causing an issue with my battery dying. (It went through 4 batteries in the last 2 years). Toyota diagnosed it as a problem with brake booster and assembly and brake booster pump. calling for both of them to be replaced at a cost of $3,888. Toyota did not inform us of any recall regarding brakes, I did email Toyota directly, called and tried to work with the dealership, all to no avail. They are being sued due to numerous complaints and refused to assist me.

Error code C1391 confirmed by two separate facilities, described as "abnormal leak in accumulator" and "accumulator pressure." Took to an independent shop first, then to Haley Certified Toyota Dealership. At dealership, parts needed were quoted to include tsb-0024-19. Three lights went on simultaneously (ABS, Traction, Brake).

The abs pump kept running after the car stopped running... Malfunction and had to be replaced!

ABS, Break and traction control lights from dashboard lit on and breaks were difficult to operate during driving, able to drive back home safely. Find out that ABS (brake booster and brake booster pump assemblies which are consider safety items), are defective and can cause accidents. When calling Toyota Customer Experience Center, they decline to honor customer support program ZJB due to my car is exceeding by 5k miles the additional limited warranty. Now I will have to pay out of pocket on known safety defective part, this should be a recall and not wait to an accident to happen.

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius V. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle; however, he had to apply extra pressure to the brake pedal and the brake pedal extended to the floorboard to bring the vehicle to a stop. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the mechanic retrieved DTC Code: 1391. The contact was informed that the brake booster assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 153,000.

See attached document for complaint

The brakes fail and the ABS module stops working correctly and when I go at a speed of 60 MPH the brakes lock until the speed drops and they work again. The problem is with the ABS module and I went to the dealer and the repair value is $3450 dollars.

There is no incident occurring to me .but I change some parts like head light.& whisper .engine .

My Prius V experienced brake failure today, with three warning lights appearing at once and the brake pedal not engaging the brakes unless it was pressed almost to the floor. This made it feel extremely scary and unsafe to drive. I was very upset to see that this is a recurring problem with Prius cars in this age range. Although I only have less than 120,000 miles on it, Toyota is not offering an extended warranty for the failing parts (brake master cylinder and actuator and booster) past 10 years or 150,000 miles. This is total BS if they already know that there is a problem with these parts.

******* DELETE VOQ ******* THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING MARKED FOR DELETION BECAUSE IT IS REQUESTED BY THE CONSUMER THAT THEY WISH TO HAVE IT REMOVED. DJR ******* DELETE VOQ *******

Diagnostic code C1391 abs system. Brake accumulator pressure leak. This a known issue and common problem. $3000 dealer only repair. There was a customer service program and extended warranty. This is a major safety issue and Toyota has stopped offering any repair support and expects customers to cover the full repair price themselves.

My teenage daughter was driving and almost had an accident because the brakes failed. No warning lights came on until the brakes failed. I am learning now that it is a brake booster pump that Toyota knows about it as they had issued an extended warranty on the same thing that expired last year. Toyota confirmed that my Pruis was included in the customer service program but it has now expired.

My car breaks with out i almost hit the car in front of me, i could killed someone . This is very dangerous i took my car to a Toyota dealership they said the Extended warranty expired. They said upon inspection found code C1252,C1253,C1256 brake pump and actuator fault. Upon inspection found abs actuator accumualtor leak. Causing brake pedal to be hard and brake system malfunction. Toyota should had made a recall of this and not just a extended warranty that expires. I have 206,000 miles original owner they should me a lawsuit for this its very dangerous. I end paying $3000 of my own money to fix it, i should get reimburse for my money.

Brake system warning lights illuminated. The brake pedal pressure required to stop the vehicle has increased. In effect: no power brakes, no traction control, and no antilock available. Intermittent engagement of an electric motor can be heard about every 8 seconds for a period of about 3 seconds during operation of the vehicle at all times.

Brake failure resulting in code C1391. Petition for Defect Investigation dated 09/09/23 summitted to NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation via Certified Mail. Received by Office of Defects Investigation on 10/10/23.

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius V. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed into the dealer's parking lot, the brakes failed to stop the vehicle immediately. The brakes, ABS, and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact's husband then shifted the transmission into neutral (N) and coasted until the vehicle came to a complete stop. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with DTC codes: C1252, C1253, and C1256, and determined that the brake booster and ABS pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 166,000.

The contact's wife owns a 2012 Toyota Prius V. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. Additionally, the brakes intermittently failed to stop the vehicle immediately. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the mechanic retrieved DTC code: C1391. The contact was informed that the ABS actuator and pump assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

On June 11, 2023, my Toyota Prius brakes failed while I was driving! The vehicle was towed to the Toyota dealership on June 12, 2023 and determined the car needed brake booster assembly with master cylinder, based on codes presented at diagnostic. Quoted repair cost of $3,544.99+tax. I am second owner of this vehicle, which was purchased December 2020 from the same dealership. I was never notified about this pending issue from Toyota North America or from the dealer. I contacted Toyota North America on June 13, 2023 and was denied repair because Consumer Support Program 20TE07 expired May 2022. This Consumer Program should have been a recall. Brake failure is a major safety issue.

Head gasket failure

The glass sunroof spontaneously exploded or imploded. There was a loud popping sound and I looked up at the sunroof, and it was shattered. glass started falling on me as I was driving on the highway. There have been many reported cases of this happening found online. https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/toyota-owners-should-be-aware-of-reported-exploding-sunroof-risk/ It has not been inspected yet. no warning messages.

ABS Unit failure (may also be called ABS CONTROL MODULE ACTUATOR AND PUMP ASSEMBLY). Three mechanics, including a Toyota dealership, is unable to reset the system to correct. The PCS system cannot be disabled which, in turn, means cruise control is no longer operable.

While coming to a stop there was a loss of braking power and feel. Due to the unexpected change in braking characteristics this nearly caused me to collide with the vehicle in front of me. Noticed the traction control, ABS and Brake light on dash illuminated. My local Toyota dealership has diagnosed the repair as a repair involving the brake booster master cylinder and pump assembly.

Last week my 2012 Toyota Prius-C had four lights come on (ABS, Brake, Swerve, and one other). I took it to my local mechanic who informed me that it was my master cylinder brake that needed to be replaced and would cost me $3,300. This issue started roughly 10-12 months ago, when I heard my brakes making a noise that sounded very unusual, almost like a hydraulic issue. I learned that there was a Toyota initiated CSP. Toyota realized there was an issue with the 2012-2014 brake system that affected over 100,000 vehicles. Those affected by CSP's are supposedly notified by mail. Needless to say, I never received such notice. This aforementioned CSP expired in November 2022 that my car would have qualified for, had the problem been diagnosed prior. However, when I brought my car in on August 8th, 2022 for my hybrid battery, a diagnostic was done on my brake system with no indication that my brake system was in trouble. I really can't fault the mechanics at the local Toyota, I took it to a second brake specialist a few months after and they too could not identify the problem. The problem was so bad, Toyota discontinued the brake system. Toyota said it would need to be broken 100% with an error message to qualify prior to the November 2022 deadline. After being facetious and saying I should have broken the part myself to qualify, she said that is what I would have needed to qualify.

Brakes Failed with code c1391 this is a known issue with toyota .

Brake failure

Without prior warning brake pedal goes to floor before minimally engaging braking system at a very reduced rate causing me to swerve and narrowly avoid collisions on interstate. There is no pressure feeling in the brake pedal although brake fluid level is normal and inspection of brake pads indicated significant pad available. No DTC light is coming on and OBD scan tool indicates no brake error. Brakes are unable to stop car to avoid collision, so car is dangerous and undrivable.

Failure of hydraulic power brake booster and brake booster pump caused loss of brake fluid resulting in brakes not working properly. Cycling noise from brake booster. Vehicle regenerative brake system also failed to operate. Independent dealer repaired vehicle at my expense after Toyota denied warranty repair

Brake light, Trac light, and ABS light came on after brake pedal became squeshy. Took to nearby repair shop and advised that car was not safe to drive. Scanned for codes. Code C1391 (Abnormal leak of ACC pressure) indicated. Recommended that brake booster assembly with the master cylinder be replaced, and replace the Brake Booster Assembly. Total cost of repair was $4,188.02.

The Brake Actuator and Brake Accumulator were covered under a customer support issue until 5/18/22 On our car they are charging me $2600 to fix this issue. The car was at Toyota years earlier for a recall but Toyota never told us about this issue. That is not fair in my opinion. And now we are being charged $2600 to fix this issue Best [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

The Brake Actuator and Accumulator on the car have failed Toyota had a customer support issue on these parts and fixed them for free BUT it expired 5/18/22 No Toyota dealer told me about this issue and I received no warnings Now the 2012 Prius with 78,000 miles has this issue and Toyota wants $2600 to fix it

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal humming and buzzing sound detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the ABS brake and brake booster pump needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000. The VIN was not available.

the car was serviced regularly and for unknown reason the engine started running rough. I took it the mechanic and after completing a diagnostic test he said i have a blown had gasket in the engine. After reading online about the issue i discovered this year and model of toyota are notorious for having a blown head gasket issue. My mechanic recommended the engine be replaced. This is an expensive repair and toyota is denying any accountability about the issue

The brake had an issue while driving. It was hard to stop the car. It is probably due to the brake booster. I had this issue and I took my car to the dealership and they could not find the problem. I had the same issue again while driving. Luckily, when both problems happened, I drove slowly on the local roads. Toyota had recalled those specific models but the length of the warranty is not long enough to solve the problem. For instance, they gave a second warranty, either 10 years or 150K miles, which hits first. I got this brake problem 6 months later after the warranty expired. But my mileage is low ~118K. For drivers' safety, they should extend the length of the warranty. The two parts are expensive (~4-5K in total) and apparently, that's the problem with the design of the auto parts. Customers should not pay for them and risk their own life.

Warning lights, and while driving the ABS, brake, and traction control lights came on, and I NOTICED a strange sound when applying the brakes. The brakes seem somewhat soft when applied. This is a 2012 Prius with 123,000 miles.

Driving on Interstate and suddenly traction control light, brake Light, and ABS light came on. After this the brakes were not as affective at stopping the vehicle and felt sluggish. Found a lot of reports online about similar issue and even some when the vehicle brakes failed. My brakes allowed me to get home without incident.

My letter to Toyota: I'm writing this in regard to an inverter issue my 2012 Prius C recently experienced. While driving last month my car completely shut down, no warning and thankfully cars avoided hitting me and I was able to get from the middle lane to be able to coast to a side street in which I had to be towed. It turned out it was an inverter issue which had to be replaced. Granted my vehicle has less than 135k even though it is a 2012. I have done research and found models of Prius had the same exact issue(s) which was part of a warranty enhancement and I truly think my vehicle should be included. I want this to be looked in to and addressed. I will be contacting NHTSA also in regard to this. I filed with Toyota and ref#230323001904

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle responded after depressing the brake pedal several times, and came into a complete stop. The ABS and anti-skid warning light were illuminated, and the message "Brake" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an unknown location, where it was diagnosed that the rear passenger brake sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the pump actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The mechanic referred the contact to the manufacturer. There was no further information provided. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under an unknown Technical Service Bulletin Number as it had exceeded the mileage and year required. The failure mileage was 165,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius V. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH and at various other speeds, the contact heard an abnormal whirring sound like an electric motor engaging coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated with the brake pedal going to the floorboard while being depressed. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while starting the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake booster and the brake booster vacuum pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that the failure was related to Customer Support Program: 20TE07 - Brake Booster and Brake Booster Pump Assemblies (Service Brakes); however, the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.