10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
10 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 3
Average Mileage:
40,701 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.

2012 Toyota Prius v brakes problems

brakes problem

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2012 Toyota Prius v Owner Comments (Page 2 of 6)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #93

Oct 092023

Prius v

  • miles

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

8/2/22 My ABS light came on. Took the car to a dealer. They kept it for six weeks and returned it on 10/3/22. No charge and no explanation. 11/7/22 engine light came on. Took in to dealer, they returned it 11/17/22 indicated incorrect air/ fuel mixture. 10/9/23 Traveling 47 mph, came around a mountain and encountered stopped cars. Slammed on the brakes, car did not slow down, steering wheel locked to the right, car yawed to the right, and turned over, hit a curb and the car righted itself. 3 occupants, 2 injuries, 1 death. Researching the 2012 Toyota Prius, found many instances of a faulty ABS system, mimicking exactly my experience. I was never informed by Toyota or the local Toyota dealer.

- Clearwater, FL, USA

problem #92

Jan 182024

Prius v

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

- San Antonio , TX, USA

problem #91

Jan 222024

Prius v

  • miles
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.

- Reidsville, NC, USA

problem #90

Nov 242023

Prius v

  • miles

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

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.

- High Point , NC, USA

problem #89

Oct 282023

Prius v

  • miles
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.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #88

Sep 182023

Prius v

  • miles
See attached document for complaint

- Bethel,, ME, USA

problem #87

Sep 182023

Prius v

  • 153,000 miles

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

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.

- Bethel, ME, USA

problem #86

Sep 052023

Prius v

  • miles
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.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #85

Aug 242023

Prius v

  • miles
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.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

problem #84

Jul 232022

Prius v

  • miles
In July of 2021 the Toyota dealership replaced the inverter on my 2012 Prius V. At the time, it also was exhibiting signs of the brake booster and pump failure as outlined in CSP 20TE07 (see https://www.toyoheadquarters.com/threads/2012-2014-toyota-prius-v-2015-toyota-prius-v-coverage-for-brake-booster-and-brake-booster-pump-assemblies-csp-20te07.2116/). It was inside the extended warranty period, but they would not fix it at the time, because it was not throwing diagnostic codes. Subsequently, the braking system malfunctioned, nearly causing a high-speed accident on the freeway. With diagnostic lights now showing, and code C1391 stored in the OBD system, I took the car back to the dealer, but now they said it was past the 10 year limit and still would do nothing about it. This is not acceptable! They knew the brake system was failing and a safety hazard, but would not address it, just because it hadn't actually failed yet. Toyota needs to further extend the warranty and take care of this brake failure past 10 years and 150,000 miles. Just because I took good care of my car and the brakes didn't fail as early as other owners, I should not have been subjected to the risk of brake failure or the high cost of repairing the brake system when Toyota took care of this problem for so many other hybrid owners. Please help.

- Elk Ridge, UT, USA

problem #83

Oct 192022

Prius v

  • miles

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

As I was driving, all of the brake lights turned on on the dashboard. The moment the lights turned on the brake power felt low on heavier pedal depression. I took the car in to the dealership for assessment and said they found internal failure of both brake actuator and booster and recommended replacement of both actuator pump and booster. I have had both the parts replaced and after now the second replacement of the master cylinder, there is still an error code for the pressure cylinder and all the brake lights are on.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #82

May 032023

Prius v

  • 138,278 miles
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

- Lexington, SC, USA

problem #81

Apr 272023

Prius v

  • miles
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.

- Canton, GA, USA

problem #80

Mar 172023

Prius v

  • miles
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.

- Glen Allen, VA, USA

problem #79

Nov 222022

Prius v

  • miles
In September 2022, my car, a 2012 Toyota Prius V with 79, 056 miles, began making noises in the engine area and the brakes became loose, meaning it took more pressure on the brake pedal to engage the brakes. In November 2022 the following warning lamps on the dashboard came on: Master Warning Light, Brake System Warning Light and Warning Buzzer, Brake System Warning Light, ABS Warning Light and SLIP Indicator. I took it to the Toyota Dealership near me: Lipton Toyota in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and they diagnosed car with the trouble code of C1391-Abnormal Leak of Accumulator, Internal ABS Actuator Failure. To fix this problem, Lipton Toyota will charge $3124.29 for the repair. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. issued a customer support program notification that would cover this repair if the malfunctions happened before coverage ended. Primary Coverage was applicable until December 31, 2021 with no year/mileage limitation. Secondary Coverage was applicable for 10 years from the vehicle's date of first use or 150,000 whichever occurs first. Date of first use on my Prius V was 03/01/2012 and my mileage is 79K. So as you can see, I am just out of the coverage window. My private mechanic and myself have appealed our case to Toyota that this problem should be a recall with no limits on coverage. (Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. - case reference # 230206000678) I believe that if I had driven my car more, (which was not done because of the Pandemic 2020-2021) this issue would have come up before the cut off date for repair coverage. I also believe that this problem with the Brake Booster and Brake Booster Pump Assemblies on certain 2012-2014 model year Prius V vehicles should be a recall.

- Plantation, FL, USA

problem #78

Jan 042023

Prius v

  • 126,000 miles
I was driving at night and several brake related dashboard lights suddenly lit up and I wasn-??t able to use my brakes. I managed to coast safely to a stop, called a tow truck, and got my car home. Mechanic found a c1391 code and told me to go to Toyota. Toyota says the accumulator has a leak and it causes the brake up issue, but the service plan free program to fix it expired. They want $5000 to fix it. I want Toyota to extend the plan because I didn-??t drive as much during the pandemic and I would have had the issue earlier had I been driving at normal amounts,

- Palm Bay, FL, USA

problem #77

Nov 242022

Prius v

  • miles
All the lights on my dash lit up. I took it immediately to Toyota of Dallas. I tried numerous times connecting with Dimatrius service manager. No call back. An inspection was done on the vehicle. He stated it would be a $5000 job and I was out of warranty. Their is too many people having this issue if you search many 2012-2014 people are having this issue in a addition to to a google search search for a letter at Capistrano Toyota.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #76

Oct 182021

Prius v

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Prius V. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a stop, there was a rattling sound coming from the brakes while depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The contact was informed that the brake booster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired because there were no fault codes retrieved. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was 100,000.

- Plantation, FL, USA

problem #75

Oct 032022

Prius v

  • miles
The brake booster pump has started to run every 30 seconds while the car is operating. When pressing on the brakes, there is an unusual sound and has begun to feel different. There are no warning lights yet, but after consulting with the local Toyota dealership they informed me of the ZJB Customer Assistance Program which addresses this issue. Unfortunately the offer to repair has expired and the dealership has declined coverage. I contacted Corporate Toyota and they are declining to cover the repair. I don't have the $3500 to replace this brake booster pump at this time. This is a safety concern and I don't understand how this is not a RECALL due to the potential safety concern. PLEASE HOLD TOYOTA ACCOUNTABLE TO THIS SAFETY PROBLEM.

- Granite Bay, CA, USA

problem #74

Oct 052022

Prius v

  • miles
2012 Toyota Prius V, 125k. Sudden loss of braking power accompanied with BRAKE, BRAKE SYSTEM, SLIP INDICATOR, and PCS warning lights. Scan shows codes B2060 (ABS malfunction) and C1931 (Abnormal leak of brake ACC pressure). Brake fluid significantly lower. No signs of external leak. Can hear the brake booster pump running almost constantly. All signs indicate this is the issue identified in Customer Support Program 20TE07. This is a significant safety issue that may lead to loss of braking and serious injury / death. It should be a recall.

- Dupont, WA, USA

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