10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
41 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
19 / 0
Average Mileage:
69,865 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2010 Toyota Prius brakes problems

brakes problem

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2010 Toyota Prius Owner Comments (Page 3 of 26)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #468

Sep 282022

Prius

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Brake booster actuator internal leak. Toyota refuses to cover the repair for the known defective and previously recalled part. See recall "D0H" and "customer support" campaign "ZJB" from Toyota. These are critical braking parts that control ABS, traction control, stability control, front/rear brake bias, regenerative braking and brake pedal feel and pressure. Loss of braking and all previously mentioned safety features occurs when the car sets the error codes, disabling and crippling the braking system. Longer stopping distances and much less responsive brake pedal is immediate. This part costs $700 from the dealer and they want over 2000 to fix the car due to the known defective, recalled part. This affects most Toyota hybrids of this era. The Prius is especially important to get recalled IMMEDIATELY, due to this being a common taxi and rideshare car, carrying multiple lives and heavier loads, in more severe operating conditions. Please look into this!! Toyota corporate has been called and they refuse to help or acknowledge the problem.

- Ingleside, IL, USA

problem #467

Sep 252022

Prius

  • miles
Brake, ABS and traction control warning lights went on when I was driving. I was able to brake but it was not functioning at 100%. The local mechanic was able to scan the code to get the C1391: Abnormal Leak of ACC PRESS error. The warning lights remain when I drive or parked. I no longer feel safe driving my vehicle. I plan to take my car to the Toyota dealer for further diagnosis and repair. I was informed that this is a very costly repair.

- Rutherford, NJ, USA

problem #466

May 142021

Prius

  • miles
Brakes became soft the stopping distance grew.All my dash warning signs lit up. Why was my car to repaired in warranty or recalled when the problem was a manufacturer error? Toyota can't pick and chose which cars they will fix when they all have the same problem. I am attaching a 'Customer Support Program' sample and my car falls under the Primary Coverage section. My car was diagnosed at a dealership on 5/14/2021. But not fixed under warranty or recall. Toyota has recall on brakes for many of the newer cars too. Same issue.

- Hendersonville, TN, USA

problem #465

May 142021

Prius

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My brakes are failing. The brake booster leaks. The stopping distance is greater. All the warning lights are on on the dash. Error code C1391 on the unit. Two dealers would not repair it under warranty or recall. They gave me a price of $2600-$2800.The situation still exists. The car has had the engine replaced out of warranty but by the dealer but the brakes were not replaced as a preventive measure.

- Hendersonville, TN, USA

problem #464

Aug 302022

Prius

  • miles
I was driving my car with my daughter and was about to stop at the intersection and at that moment I realized that the car was not slowing down. ABS, Brake, and Traction control lights up on the dashboard. I was very scared and pressed the brake to the end and only then the car was able to stop. Further I found out that this is a very common problem for this model, but Toyota does not recognize this.

- Round Rock, TX, USA

problem #463

Jun 242022

Prius

  • miles
After descending a long mountain highway in our 2010 Toyota Prius and coming to a stop at the bottom the brake pedal travel suddenly increased, brake effectiveness decreased, and many dashboard lights suddenly came on including the brake system warning light and stability control system light. The next morning the dealer diagnosed a brake booster failure and prescribed replacement of the brake booster and master cylinder. Since this was a safety issue we had them do the work at a total cost to us of $3,363.93. They covered a rental car for us for only part of the repair period, which took 2 weeks.

- Granite Bay, CA, USA

problem #462

Aug 052022

Prius

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving, left dash-light cluster and ABS triangle illuminated in-traffic with no visual pre-warning or audible alarm. Pedal pressed full force to bring car to stop and not plow vehicle in-front. Owners manual & internet suggests ABS & booster pump failure. Call to mechanic also suggests booster pump and ABS module as possible basis for trouble lights. Arranging transport to Prius specialty shop (not dealer) for further diagnose. No collision no injuries. Note. Full service brake rotors & pads completed 27-days earlier and only 671-miles driven since costing $946 paid. No issues discovered by reputable Prius shop as to noise, leak or visual other. R.

- Hemet, CA, USA

problem #461

Aug 012022

Prius

  • 130,000 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the ABS and traction control warning lights illuminated along with several unknown warning lights. The contact also stated that the brake pedal would depress to the floorboard while in operation. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with a defective brake booster pump and ABS control module. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls or warranties on the VIN. The dealer was also notified and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V039000 (Service Brakes, Air) which he linked to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 130,000.

- Little Rock, AR, USA

problem #460

Aug 032022

Prius

  • miles
Hello there, my name is Lashyrah and I do not know much about cars so most of this is unknown. The person I bought my vehicle from did not give me much information and I was desperate at the time so I bought it. Most of the lights on the dashboard are on: ABS, Brake system, Engine, Tire/Safety Alert, Fuel pump reset warning, and Stability control are lights that come and go. I have used the code system to try to reset these things and they go away then pop back up. Sometimes while I am driving, all the dashboard lights disappear and the breaks start getting really touchy and it feels completely different driving until the previous lights all come back on. This has been an issue before and when I last went to Toyota to get my car serviced, I asked them to check the lights and system, and if they could do a multi-point inspection. They wanted me to pay $300 just to find out why the lights keep coming back on. Please help me get this fixed at no cost I am a single mom and college student working part time so I need my car to get around or a free loaner car to get around until this is fixed. I strongly feel these are recalls that did not get taken care of or are not showing up in the recall system. I need assistance as soon as possible and would like to know my options, especially after getting a notice in the mail a few days ago from Toyota about my car possibly being affected. My fuel gauge is also empty at around 3 bars or sometimes 2 bars instead of going all the way down to empty, costing me more money on gas having to fill it up more often. Thank you for your time and help.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #459

Jul 102022

Prius

  • miles
About 3 weeks ago, I was driving down PCH around Manhattan beach, California. Suddenly the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree, the ABS light, Brake light, pre-collision system light and a yellow triangle with an exclamation point in the middle all turned on at the same time, and a loud beeping alarm went off inside the car that was deafening and most importantly the brake pedal turned very hard I had to stand up on it just to slow down to brake and my braking distance tripled. I almost hit the car in front of me. I had this terrible feeling that the car isn-€™t safe to drive. It feels like the brakes failed. Luckily there was an autozone nearby so I pulled in their parking lot and borrowed a code scanner. C1252, C1253, C1319 was the codes that showed up all indicating that the abs system failed and the results is recommending to replace the brake booster pump and the abs module. There-€™s also a leak of some kind within the abs system. I brought it to an independent auto shop near my residence and the shop told me that the and power brake booster and the abs module needs to be replaced. The repair will cost $20 to get fixed in which I can not afford. I was able to seek help from my siblings and was able to come up with $1200. So I-€™d figured the shop owner might be able to let me pay half first and half in 2 weeks or so when the car is fixed. But when they replaced the 2 parts with brand new ones..yhe ECU isn-€™t communicating with the ABS module. The shop suggested that we bring the car to a Toyota dealership to get it diagnosed to figure out why the abs system is still faulty even when the abs power brake booster and abs module were replaced with new ones. Toyota dealership said they will charge $795 just to diagnose it. I almost passed out in shock.. I haven-€™t worked since the brakes failed on my car and I can-€™t afford to pay for the repair. Please help.

- Lawndale, CA, USA

problem #458

Jan 312022

Prius

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

while driving on 01/31/2022, I noticed several warning lights came on suddenly on the dash and heard intermittent beefing noise while driving. I took my car to the dealership and they found M R&R brake booster and booster pump needs to be replaced and they informed me that recall warranty time of that equipment has expired and I paid for it to be replaced costing me $3539.76. Toyota motor company told me that they are not responsible to repair or replace it.

- Overland Park, KS, USA

problem #457

Jun 222022

Prius

  • miles
ABS and traction lights on ABS system not working was informed it is the break booster and ABS pump same as recall that ended in 2021, I was never informed of recall and have found many other owners were not informed. At the cost of cars today many can-€™t afford to buy new and this is a serious Safty issue Toyota should take responsibility for the repairs

- Commack , NY, USA

problem #456

Jul 112022

Prius

  • miles
I have been experiencing issues with my brakes for last few years. I had received a letter from Toyota in 2019 stating that my car has faulty brake system and Toyota will repair the issue by replacing faulty brake components free of charge. However local Toyota dealer refused to complete the repair multiple times. First they suggested that they have not received any letter from Toyota. Then they said that they were busy and I should come back later. They also told me to put the car on Park gear or re-start the car to get rid of ABS lights. Also they stated that repair can be done anytime later until my car reach to 150,000 miles. Last week I went back to Toyota dealer again. This time they told me I should have repaired the car through extended warranty. I was also told that their former service staff must have misguided me. I contacted Toyota Customer Care and complained about this issue. They confirmed that they can see in their system that I had visited the dealer for brake issue back in 2019 and repair was not done. However they suggested that Toyota will not provide any help now. Because issue is between me and the dealer.

- Pasadena, CA, USA

problem #455

Jun 292022

Prius

  • miles
While driving, without stepping on the brakes, a number of warning lights came on; including brakes, ABS warning, and stability control. When attempting to stop the car the brake pedal went down a long way before the brakes engaged. I then limped home. After deciding what to do I called a Toyota dealer, made an appointment, then limped to a dealership for evaluation and service. While on the way to the dealership, the brakes were erratic; sometimes the brakes and pedal acted normally and other times it would go down a long way before braking. The warning lights stayed on.

- Trinity, FL, USA

problem #454

Jan 152022

Prius

  • miles
2010 Toyota Prius. Driven about 10000 miles a year. Brake booster system went out at about the 125,000 mile mark. Reason to complain is no parts are available for repair and it is a common problem. Check out youtube.com about it. Dealer has a long waiting list, with no idea of availability. Local repair shops do not have any pumps, meaning there are many cars being driven with defective brake systems. An unusual Toyota recall for the brake problem happened in 2019 that expired in 2020 but my brakes were OK at that time. With so many Prius vehicles on the road, this problem needs more exam and Toyota forced to provide quicker relief, even a recall.

- Cumming, GA, USA

problem #453

Jul 012022

Prius

  • miles
The braking system malfunctioned resulting in loss of braking ability and response along with various warning lights including ABS, Brake, and Traction Control. The vehicle produced a C1391 Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) indicating "abnormal leak of accumulator pressure." After taking the vehicle to a local Toyota dealer, I discovered there was a voluntary customer support program to replace what was known to be defective brake booster parts that expired in 2020. I previously did not receive any notification about the issue and am now told it will cost thousands of dollars to replace the brake booster parts known to be defective. I now have a vehicle that is unsafe to drive unless I spend an exorbitant amount of money to replace the aforementioned parts.

- Folsom, CA, USA

problem #452

Jul 012022

Prius

  • miles
The ABS, Brake, and traction control light came on. The braking became difficult. The car did stop but if it was in an emergency circumstance there may have been a collision. I called Toyota about the issue and was informed that there was a brake actuater and master cylinder issues with this make and model. Toyota replaced them in cars that had this issue under a special warranty that was over in 2021. It is a $3500 issue. I purchased this car new and have never received a notice about bad braking system. I have lived at the same address since the purchase. Toyota informed me that notices were not sent out, however if the owner came in with this issue before 2021 it would have been repaired and replaced. I can not understand how ALL owners were not informed. I do not understand how a recall wasn't enforced. I live in Florida where the speed limit is 70mph. This could have been deadly. I looked on forums online and apparently this has been an issue for many many 2010 Toyota Prius. I have a case in with Toyota American. 220701001489. I can use any help I can get with this issue. It may save a life.

- Venice, FL, USA

problem #451

May 202022

Prius

  • miles
The brakes ABS stopped working. It is a known issue and is effecting many older Prius drivers.

- Longmont, CO, USA

problem #450

Jun 142022

Prius 4-cyl

  • 179,747 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while driver was driving 65 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, multiple times, the vehicle brakes failed to stop the vehicle within a reasonable time. The contact stated there were several unknown warning lights illuminated simultaneously. The driver was able to slow the vehicle using the parking brake and driving onto the grass on the side of the road. The driver was able to continue driving to the local dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was informed that the braking system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V235000 (Service Brakes) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 179,747.

- Alamo, TX, USA

problem #449

Jun 142022

Prius

  • miles
Brake booster failed. Brake Actuator failed. ABS, BRAKE and TRACTION control light is on.

- Lorton, VA, USA

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